Consistent and Believable
The History Channel is not without its critics
I think the worst offender here is the History Channel and all their programs on the so-called "World War II".
Let's start with the bad guys. Battalions of stormtroopers dressed in all black, check. Secret police, check.
Determination to brutally kill everyone who doesn't look like them, check. Leader with a tiny villain mustache and a tendency to go into apoplectic rage when he doesn't get his way, check. All this from a country that was ordinary, believable, and dare I say it sometimes even sympathetic in previous seasons.I wouldn't even mind the lack of originality if they weren't so heavy-handed about it. Apparently we're supposed to believe that in the middle of the war the Germans attacked their allies the Russians, starting an unwinnable conflict on two fronts, just to show how sneaky and untrustworthy they could be? And that they diverted all their resources to use in making ever bigger and scarier death camps, even in the middle of a huge war? Real people just aren't that evil. And that's not even counting the part where as soon as the plot requires it, they instantly forget about all the racism nonsense and become best buddies with the definitely non-Aryan Japanese.
Not that the good guys are much better. Their leader, Churchill, appeared in a grand total of one episode before, where he was a bumbling general who suffered an embarrassing defeat to the Ottomans of all people in the Battle of Gallipoli. Now, all of a sudden, he's not only Prime Minister, he's not only a brilliant military commander, he's not only the greatest orator of the twentieth century who can convince the British to keep going against all odds, he's also a natural wit who is able to pull out hilarious one-liners practically on demand. I know he's supposed to be the hero, but it's not realistic unless you keep the guy at least vaguely human.
The whole thing, here.
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To make it even less believable, the History Channel gives the Germans Prussian Field Marshalls - the most talented and best trained Generals in the world with a long tradition of iron discipline and success against overwhelming odds. But they have a bumbling former Corporal overruling them every step of the way. The Little Corporal seems to go out of his way to lose key battles and issue senseless orders that can only lead to disaster. Pointless campaigns in North Africa, a shotgun style assault on Russia instead of a thrust at their capital, battles in cities that negate all the German organizational and equipment advantages, orders not to retreat that cost field commanders their ability to maneuver and doom entire army groups. All too much to believe.
They even depict the Germans as foolish enough to dedicate significant resources to oppressing the population groups they conquered (who originally welcomed the Germans as liberators). Like the Germans were so stupid as to not understand the force multiplier of civil affairs and would not have waited until they won the war to deal with the populations of conquered territories. Who would buy such nonsense?
Another thing that bothered…
Another thing that bothered me about the series is the Italians. If the history channel was trying for plucky comic relief, they overshot the mark. And really, if the Germans and Japanese are so fearsome, would they hang out with a scrawny wimp who gets his ass kicked by the Ethiopians?
Really! We could understand a nation switching sides in one world war, but two in a row? Please.