Generals at War (NGC)

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[edit] General Information

War Documentary hosted by Nicholas Rowe, published by National Geographic in 2008 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

As commanders from the great battles of WWII go head-to-head on the battlefield, they attempt to outwit and outfight each other with strategic moves in a game of skill, bluff and counterbluff. With the lives of thousands of men at risk, the generals' reputations hanging in the balance, the stakes are impossibly high and the pressure is on. This exciting series for National Geographic adopts a fresh approach to the great battles of World War Two, examining them through the decisions, dilemmas and disasters of the generals on both sides of the conflict. We explore their moves and countermoves as they attempt to outwit and outfight each other. Major battles in human history reconstructed by generals, weapons specialists and historians. From the Battle of Stalingrad to the desert war of El Alamein to the famous Battle of Midway: military strategists put themselves in the shoes of the commanders at the time in order to analyze their tactics. In addition, the experts also shed light on the personalities and special characters of the former adversaries. This is the only way to accurately understand key decisions and moves on the battlefield. Each episode tells the story of a battle through the eyes of two opposing generals. Two modern day military specialists, often generals themselves, get inside the heads of their historical counterparts to unpick their strengths and weaknesses. A team of experts out in the field compare and contrast the hardware each general had at his disposal. In a dramatic device, a war-time bunker becomes the setting for these epic conflicts. As the generals face off across the battle map the action comes alive in CGI: soldiers march across the table, tanks blast away at each other and planes fly overhead. What is known about the equipment of the armies involved in the battle? How were the balance of power distributed, and what tactic ultimately brought the decisive advantage? The documentary series "Generals at War" examines what circumstances ultimately determined victory or defeat in major military conflicts. The battles featured -- Singapore, El Alamein, Kursk, Stalingrad, Midway and The Bulge -- are key turning points in the progress of the war, and the generals featured include some of the most charismatic military leaders of all time: Rommel, Model, Montgomery, Chuikov, Yamashita and von Manstein. The show was awarded the prize for Most Innovative Production at the 2010 History Makers Awards. Windfall Films Production with Parthenon Entertainment for National Geographic Channel

[edit] The Battle of El Alamein

Rommel vs. Montgomery - the super-aggressive Desert Fox vs. the wily commander of the Desert Rats. Two of the most charismatic generals of all time, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, and General Bernard Montgomery clash over a barren stretch of rocky desert in the Egyptian desert. Each is determined to outwit and outfight the other in a bloody battle of minds and men.
As they duel for North Africa and the oilfields of the Middle East, Rommel relies on Blitzkrieg tactics of speed, surprise and daring. Montgomery takes a different tack. He digs in for a defensive battle and puts his faith in planning, training and new equipment.
The outcome of their head to head turns Hitler's fortunes in North Africa and gives the British their first decisive win of the war.

[edit] The Battle of Kursk

1943 – Germany and Russia clash near the Soviet city of Kursk, as each vies for control of the Eastern Front. The Germans are led by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein – an aristocratic master tactician. Facing him is the Red Army's Marshal Zhukov – ruthless, opinionated and dangerous to know.
Hitler is convinced new super-weapons like the Tiger tank will win the fight and insists von Manstein hold off his attack until more arrive. Zhukov exploits the delay and orders his men to dig for victory. They create an elaborate network of defences to grind the enemy down – or blow them up...
The two armies finally meet in a titanic clash of tanks - the biggest tank battle of all time - which will change the course of the war.

[edit] The Battle of the Bulge

Adolf Hitler's final offensive to stop the Allied invasion of Germany. Failure is not an option.
1944 – Adolf Hitler plays his last trump card – a gigantic offensive in the West, using his last troops and materiel. Leading the charge is Field Marshal Walther Model – a ruthless commander and loyal servant of Hitler.
Model sends his armoured spearheads crashing through the weakly defended American lines of US General Omar Bradley, who is caught completely off guard. If Bradley can't contain the German advance Adolf Hitler could win a victory that may end the Allies' invasion of Germany.

[edit] The Battle of Midway

The fate of the war in the Pacific is about to be decided - a true David and Goliath story of naval warfare.
1942 – The United States Navy has just been devastated at Pearl Harbour. But the Japanese attackers fail to destroy an important American asset – their aircraft carriers.
To wipe out these carriers once and for all Japanese Admiral Nagumo takes the mighty Japanese fleet to the island of Midway and lays a trap for US Admiral Fletcher and his decimated forces. Nagumo believes he will finally crush his adversary, but he doesn't know that Fletcher holds a lethal trump card – he has broken Nagumo's code and knows his plan.

[edit] The Battle of Stalingrad

1942 – as the Germans storm across the Soviet Union, Hitler becomes obsessed with taking Stalingrad – the city which bears the name of his arch-enemy Joseph Stalin. The German army is led by General Paulus, a meticulous war gamer. Facing him across the map table is Soviet General Chuikov – a hardened fighter, not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Paulus is confident he will soon bring the city to its knees. But the German army reduces Stalingrad to rubble so successfully that the ruined city actually works against them. It blocks their tanks and creates the perfect killing ground for Russian snipers and street fighters. The battle degenerates into bloody pockets of fierce hand-to-hand combat.
The Germans eventually gain control of 90 percent of the city. Then the Russians unleash a counter-offensive. The Russian "rats" spring the trap back onto their attackers and encircle the German army. The siege of Stalingrad begins.

[edit] The Battle of Singapore

In 1941, the British totally underestimate the fighting ability of the Japanese– until Japan launches a surprise attack on Singapore, a tiny jewel in the Crown of the British Empire.
General Arthur Percival is the British general tasked with the defence of the wealthy colonies of Malaya and Singapore. General Tomoyuki Yamashita -the Tiger of Malaya - leads the "driving charge" to oust him. The Japanese are outnumbered from the start, but with the help of bluff, speed and bicycles they put the British to rout, striking a blow at the very heart of Britain's Empire in the East.

[edit] Screenshots

[edit] Technical Specs

Video Codec: x264 CABAC High@L4
Video Bitrate: 3 946 Kbps
Video Resolution: 1920x1080
Display Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Frames Per Second: 25.000 fps
Audio Codec: AAC (LC)
Audio Bitrate: 112 kb/s VBR 44.1 kHz
Audio Streams: 2
Audio Languages: english
RunTime Per Part: 50 min
Number Of Parts: 6
Part Size: 1.37 GB - 1.48 GB
Source: WEB DL
Encoded by: DocFreak08