The War (documentary)
Encyclopedia
The War is a 2007 American seven-part documentary
television mini-series about World War II
from the perspective of the United States
that premiered on September 23, 2007. The program was produced by American filmmakers
Ken Burns
and Lynn Novick
and narrated primarily by Keith David
.
The world premiere of the series took place at the Palace Theater in Luverne, Minnesota, one of the towns featured in the documentary.
The film recounts the experiences of a number of individuals from these communities as they move through the war in the Pacific
, African and European theaters
, and focuses on the effect of the war on them, their families and their communities.
A number of notable actors including Adam Arkin
, Tom Hanks
, Ernie Hudson
, Samuel L. Jackson
, and Eli Wallach
are heard as voice actors reading contemporary newspaper articles, telegrams, letters from the front, etc.
The documentary is 14 hours and was broadcast in seven parts on PBS
over two weeks, starting on Sunday, September 23, 2007 and continuing four nights the first week and three nights the second week, from 8 to 10 p.m. (8 to 10:30 p.m. on three nights). The documentary was provided to PBS affiliates in two versions: One with profanity generally prohibited by FCC regulations (including explanations of the acronyms FUBAR
and SNAFU
) and one without the expletives.
that roused an isolationist, unprepared country into mobilization to war. But setbacks arose: The Philippines fell and with it the internment of Americans at Santo Tomas
in Manila and the Bataan Death March
. American shipping became easy prey for German U-boat
s along the American coast and in the Atlantic. But America succeeds in stopping the Japanese advances at Midway
and Guadalcanal
.
where they together with allied forces eventually defeat the Germans in Tunisia
despite the initial disaster in the Battle of the Kasserine Pass
. The air war over Europe and the bombing of Germany
. Allied forces commenced the Italian Campaign
through the invasions of Sicily and Salerno, punctuated by the experiences of the soldiers from the towns featured. The internment of Japanese Americans
is also discussed.
: One of these is the dead in the island of Buna
. The American offensive in the Central Pacific begins with the Battle of Tarawa
. The grueling and costly battles of Anzio
and Monte Cassino
in the Italian campaign. Eventually, the Allies triumph and Gen. Mark Clark
's forces take Rome
.
, 1.5 million Allied troops embark on the invasion of France, which, after initial setbacks, succeeded. D-Day is followed by the lengthy Battle of Normandy
, which ends after three months with the liberation of Paris
. The Marines meanwhile fight a costly battle
on the island of Saipan
in the Western Pacific. These were punctuated by recollections of the participants of the designated towns. The American public, through radio, the press and newsreels, were normally kept informed of the progress of the war. However, as the war progresses, the dreaded War Department
casualty telegrams appear at a fast rate.
; the bloody invasion and battle of Peleliu
; the incompetence of General Dahlquist
and the rescue of the Lost Battalion
by the 442nd during the horrendous Battle of Hürtgen Forest
. But there are achievements: General MacArthur
return to the Philippines following the US invasion, much of the Japanese fleet was destroyed at the Battle of Leyte Gulf
, the heroism of the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team; the thrill of the internees at the Santo Tomas internment camp in Manila in seeing American planes strafing Japanese ships in Manila Bay and the fall of Aachen
, the first German city to be captured by the Allies. There are the experiences of black servicemen and those of American Indians. But the reality is that the war will not end in 1944, and more ground will have to be covered and lives lost to achieve the ultimate victory.
, the battle develops to the bloodiest of the war for the Americans. The siege of Bastogne. Combat stress reaction
during the war. The Santo Tomas internment camp is liberated following the Battle of Manila
. The Marines assault Iwo Jima
. The controversial air war against Japanese and German cities
towards the end of the war. The final invasion of Germany and Gen. Patton
's attempts to rescue his son-in-law from a German prison camp behind the German lines. There are also insights into the role of medics in combat, pinups and American POWs in Japan. But still, there are the newspaper reports of new setbacks and losses, and the endless and unendurable telegrams bearing the bad news from the War Department.
and the kamikaze
attacks. The death of President Roosevelt
and the assumption of Harry Truman. The Soviets commence their final assault on Berlin
. Hitler
's suicide and the fall of the Third Reich. The awful reality of Nazi Germany
is discovered with the liberation of the concentration camps
and death camps. VE Day following Germany's surrender. The sinking of USS Indianapolis
. Plans
for the ultimate, long, and bloody conquest of Japan. The dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The liberation of the American POWs in Japan and VJ Day following the Japanese surrender
at the USS Missouri
. The episode concludes with the return and reunification of the American fighting men, and the fates of the towns and personalities first featured earlier in this series as they—and the United States—continue with the business of living in a postwar world—in a "world without war". [Extras: This is followed by David Brancaccio
interviewing Ken Burns
, Rev. Forbes, and Lynn Novick about what they were attempting to accomplish in this production.)
DVD release of The War splits the series into 14 episodes, but notes that it is 'a seven-part documentary'.
magazine's James Poniewozik named the series one of the Top 10 New TV Series of 2007, ranking it at #9.
s to the war effort, whose representation in the war itself is estimated at up to half a million people; complaints followed later as to omissions of Native American
contributions and those of women in uniform. Originally the premiere was scheduled for September 16, 2007; the fact that this date is both Mexican Independence Day and the start of U.S. observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month
drew additional fire from its detractors, and the initial airdate was later moved to September 23, 2007, with no comment from PBS.
Although at first the dispute seemed to be settled with the inclusion of additional footage to address the omission, in subsequent weeks, groups began to question conflicting reports from Burns and PBS as to whether the additional footage would be provided as supplementary material or would be integrated into the overall program. Burns initially insisted that re-editing the film was out of the question, with PBS defending that decision on the basis of artistic freedom
. Over the months of May and June, as of mid-July, 2007, estimates put out by Burns suggested that additional footage showing interviews with two Hispanics and one Native American would be added to the series, for a total of 28 minutes additional footage to the nearly 15 hours the program was originally planned to cover; the additional footage would air at the conclusion of the selected episodes, but before each episode's final credits.
News outlets began to report as of July 11 that the additional content had not been included in materials made available for preview by television writers and critics, prompting renewed discussion and speculation as to the eventual outcome of the debate.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television mini-series about World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
from the perspective of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that premiered on September 23, 2007. The program was produced by American filmmakers
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
and Lynn Novick
Lynn Novick
Lynn Novick is an American director and producer of documentary films known for mostly for her work with Ken Burns. Among her most notable collaborations with Burns are The War , Baseball: The Tenth Inning . and Prohibition . Their next project is a Vietnam War history planned for 2016...
and narrated primarily by Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
.
The world premiere of the series took place at the Palace Theater in Luverne, Minnesota, one of the towns featured in the documentary.
Content
The film focuses on World War II in a "bottom up" fashion through the lenses of four "quintessentially American towns":- Luverne, MinnesotaLuverne, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 4,617 people, 1,968 households, and 1,247 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,356.1 people per square mile . There were 2,161 housing units at an average density of 634.7 per square mile...
- Mobile, AlabamaMobile, AlabamaMobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
- Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
- Waterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
The film recounts the experiences of a number of individuals from these communities as they move through the war in the Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, African and European theaters
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
, and focuses on the effect of the war on them, their families and their communities.
A number of notable actors including Adam Arkin
Adam Arkin
Adam Arkin is an American television, film and stage actor and director. He played the role of Aaron Shutt on Chicago Hope. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a Tony as well as 3 primetime Emmys, 4 SAG Awards , and a DGA Award...
, Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
, Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
, and Eli Wallach
Eli Wallach
Eli Herschel Wallach is an American film, television and stage actor, who gained fame in the late 1950s. For his performance in Baby Doll he won a BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer and a Golden Globe nomination. One of his most famous roles is that of Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
are heard as voice actors reading contemporary newspaper articles, telegrams, letters from the front, etc.
The documentary is 14 hours and was broadcast in seven parts on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
over two weeks, starting on Sunday, September 23, 2007 and continuing four nights the first week and three nights the second week, from 8 to 10 p.m. (8 to 10:30 p.m. on three nights). The documentary was provided to PBS affiliates in two versions: One with profanity generally prohibited by FCC regulations (including explanations of the acronyms FUBAR
FUBAR
FUBAR is an acronym that commonly means "fucked up beyond all recognition/any repair/all reason".-Etymology and history:The Oxford English Dictionary lists Yank, the Army Weekly magazine as its earliest citation: "The FUBAR Squadron.....
and SNAFU
SNAFU
SNAFU is an acronym that stands for situation normal: all fucked up. It is sometimes bowdlerized to all fouled up or similar. In simple terms, it means that the normal situation is in a bad state, as it always is, therefore nothing unexpected. It is usually used in jest, or as a sign of frustration...
) and one without the expletives.
Episodes
Each episode begins with the introduction:| Number | Name | Period Covered | Original Air Date (EDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Necessary War" | December 1941-December 1942 | September 23, 2007, 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
| 2 | "When Things Get Tough" | January 1943-December 1943 | September 24, 2007, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM |
| 3 | "A Deadly Calling" | November 1943-June 1944 | September 25, 2007, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM |
| 4 | "Pride of Our Nation" | June 1944-August 1944 | September 26, 2007, 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
| 5 | "FUBAR" | September 1944-December 1944 | September 30, 2007, 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
| 6 | "The Ghost Front" | December 1944-March 1945 | October 1, 2007, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM |
| 7 | "A World Without War" | March 1945-September 1945 | October 2, 2007, 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
Episode 1: "A Necessary War"
Introduction to the American entry into World War II. Tells us about the four towns mentioned that Burns selected for its wartime experiences and of the residents of those places. By this time, they have already known of the early initial conflicts of World War II in Europe through newspapers and newsreels, but it was only through the Pearl Harbor AttackAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
that roused an isolationist, unprepared country into mobilization to war. But setbacks arose: The Philippines fell and with it the internment of Americans at Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
in Manila and the Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.The march was characterized by...
. American shipping became easy prey for German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s along the American coast and in the Atlantic. But America succeeds in stopping the Japanese advances at Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
and Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
.
Episode 2: "When Things Get Tough"
With American industry in full production, the United States entered the European war through the North African CampaignNorth African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
where they together with allied forces eventually defeat the Germans in Tunisia
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
despite the initial disaster in the Battle of the Kasserine Pass
Battle of the Kasserine Pass
The Battle of the Kasserine Pass was a battle that took place during the Tunisia Campaign of World War II in February 1943. It was a series of battles fought around Kasserine Pass, a wide gap in the Grand Dorsal chain of the Atlas Mountains in west central Tunisia...
. The air war over Europe and the bombing of Germany
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
. Allied forces commenced the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
through the invasions of Sicily and Salerno, punctuated by the experiences of the soldiers from the towns featured. The internment of Japanese Americans
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
is also discussed.
Episode 3: "A Deadly Calling"
The American mobilization transformed cities like Mobile, Waterbury, and Sacramento into boom towns. Mobile thrived on its extensive shipyards that employed a lot of African-Americans, but racial segregation hampers the war production effort in the U.S., resulting in ugly riots like in Mobile. But African-Americans, as well as Japanese-Americans, were recruited by the armed forces into combat units and sent into action, though African-American units were still segregated. The American public finally gets to see the bloody sacrifice of their armed forces through pictures published in LIFELife (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
: One of these is the dead in the island of Buna
Buna, Papua New Guinea
Buna is a village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It was the site in part, of the Battle of Buna-Gona during World War II, when it constituted a variety of native huts and a handful of houses with a airstrip...
. The American offensive in the Central Pacific begins with the Battle of Tarawa
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
. The grueling and costly battles of Anzio
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
and Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
in the Italian campaign. Eventually, the Allies triumph and Gen. Mark Clark
Mark Clark
Mark Clark or Clarke may refer to:*Mark A. Clark , Arizona state legislator*Mark Wayne Clark , United States World War II general*Mark Clark , Major League Baseball player...
's forces take Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Episode 4: "Pride of Our Nation"
1944: On D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, 1.5 million Allied troops embark on the invasion of France, which, after initial setbacks, succeeded. D-Day is followed by the lengthy Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, which ends after three months with the liberation of Paris
Liberation of Paris
The Liberation of Paris took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the surrender of the occupying German garrison on August 25th. It could be regarded by some as the last battle in the Battle for Normandy, though that really ended with the crushing of the Wehrmacht forces between the...
. The Marines meanwhile fight a costly battle
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
on the island of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
in the Western Pacific. These were punctuated by recollections of the participants of the designated towns. The American public, through radio, the press and newsreels, were normally kept informed of the progress of the war. However, as the war progresses, the dreaded War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
casualty telegrams appear at a fast rate.
Episode 5: "FUBAR"
This episode starts with the disastrous Allied assumption that the war in Europe would be over before the winter of 1944 (Hence the slang term). It covers the disastrous Operation Market GardenOperation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
; the bloody invasion and battle of Peleliu
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
; the incompetence of General Dahlquist
John E. Dahlquist
John Ernest Dahlquist was a United States Army general and World War II division commander. In the course of his career, he commanded three different army divisions, commanded at the corps and field army level, and rose to the rank of four-star general.-Biography:Dahlquist was born on March 12,...
and the rescue of the Lost Battalion
Lost Battalion (World War II)
"The Lost Battalion" refers to the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry , which was surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains on 24 October 1944....
by the 442nd during the horrendous Battle of Hürtgen Forest
Battle of Hurtgen Forest
The Battle of Hürtgen Forest is the name given to the series of fierce battles fought between U.S. and German forces during World War II in the Hürtgen Forest, which became the longest battle on German ground during World War II, and the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought...
. But there are achievements: General MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
return to the Philippines following the US invasion, much of the Japanese fleet was destroyed at the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
, the heroism of the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team; the thrill of the internees at the Santo Tomas internment camp in Manila in seeing American planes strafing Japanese ships in Manila Bay and the fall of Aachen
Battle of Aachen
The Battle of Aachen was a battle in Aachen, Germany, which occurred between 2–21 October 1944. By September 1944, the Wehrmacht had been pushed into Germany proper, after being defeated in France by the Western Allies...
, the first German city to be captured by the Allies. There are the experiences of black servicemen and those of American Indians. But the reality is that the war will not end in 1944, and more ground will have to be covered and lives lost to achieve the ultimate victory.
Episode 6: "The Ghost Front"
It's 1945, and The War goes into its concluding crescendo: The Germans launch a major surprise offensive in the Ardennes which becomes known as the Battle of the BulgeBattle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, the battle develops to the bloodiest of the war for the Americans. The siege of Bastogne. Combat stress reaction
Combat stress reaction
Combat stress reaction , in the past commonly known as shell shock or battle fatigue, is a range of behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the combatant's fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue, slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one's...
during the war. The Santo Tomas internment camp is liberated following the Battle of Manila
Battle of Manila
- Land battles :* Battle of Manila - Spanish forces and their various allies drove out the ruling Muslim elite and founded the capital city of the Philippines* Battle of Manila - A British victory in the Seven Years' War* Battle of Manila - U.S...
. The Marines assault Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
. The controversial air war against Japanese and German cities
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
towards the end of the war. The final invasion of Germany and Gen. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
's attempts to rescue his son-in-law from a German prison camp behind the German lines. There are also insights into the role of medics in combat, pinups and American POWs in Japan. But still, there are the newspaper reports of new setbacks and losses, and the endless and unendurable telegrams bearing the bad news from the War Department.
Episode 7: "A World Without War"
The War finally reaches its end: the bloody Battle of OkinawaBattle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
and the kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attacks. The death of President Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and the assumption of Harry Truman. The Soviets commence their final assault on Berlin
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II....
. Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's suicide and the fall of the Third Reich. The awful reality of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
is discovered with the liberation of the concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
and death camps. VE Day following Germany's surrender. The sinking of USS Indianapolis
USS Indianapolis
Three ships of the United States Navy have been named Indianapolis: was a cargo ship commissioned 12 December 1918 and decommissioned 9 July 1919. was a heavy cruiser commissioned in 1932, active throughout World War II and sunk by torpedoes in July 1945....
. Plans
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
for the ultimate, long, and bloody conquest of Japan. The dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The liberation of the American POWs in Japan and VJ Day following the Japanese surrender
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
at the USS Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-63)
|USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
. The episode concludes with the return and reunification of the American fighting men, and the fates of the towns and personalities first featured earlier in this series as they—and the United States—continue with the business of living in a postwar world—in a "world without war". [Extras: This is followed by David Brancaccio
David Brancaccio
David A. Brancaccio is an American radio and television journalist. He has been the host of the public radio business program Marketplace and the PBS newsmagazine NOW.-Early years:...
interviewing Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
, Rev. Forbes, and Lynn Novick about what they were attempting to accomplish in this production.)
International releases
In some countries, notably Australia, The War was released as a 14-episode series. The region 4DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD release of The War splits the series into 14 episodes, but notes that it is 'a seven-part documentary'.
Critical reception
TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's James Poniewozik named the series one of the Top 10 New TV Series of 2007, ranking it at #9.
Controversy
The War came under fire after previews during the editing process indicated no mention of the contributions of HispanicHispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s to the war effort, whose representation in the war itself is estimated at up to half a million people; complaints followed later as to omissions of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
contributions and those of women in uniform. Originally the premiere was scheduled for September 16, 2007; the fact that this date is both Mexican Independence Day and the start of U.S. observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month is the period from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrate the group's heritage and culture....
drew additional fire from its detractors, and the initial airdate was later moved to September 23, 2007, with no comment from PBS.
Although at first the dispute seemed to be settled with the inclusion of additional footage to address the omission, in subsequent weeks, groups began to question conflicting reports from Burns and PBS as to whether the additional footage would be provided as supplementary material or would be integrated into the overall program. Burns initially insisted that re-editing the film was out of the question, with PBS defending that decision on the basis of artistic freedom
Artistic freedom
Artistic freedom is the extent of freedom of an artist to produce art to his/her own insight. The extent can deviate to customs in a certain school of art, directives of the assigner, etc....
. Over the months of May and June, as of mid-July, 2007, estimates put out by Burns suggested that additional footage showing interviews with two Hispanics and one Native American would be added to the series, for a total of 28 minutes additional footage to the nearly 15 hours the program was originally planned to cover; the additional footage would air at the conclusion of the selected episodes, but before each episode's final credits.
News outlets began to report as of July 11 that the additional content had not been included in materials made available for preview by television writers and critics, prompting renewed discussion and speculation as to the eventual outcome of the debate.