Detailed Account From A Nazi Soldier Inside Operation Barbarossa | Part One

'Brutal Reality of Eastern Front Exposed by Lost German Diaries'

On 22 June 1941, Hitler's Germany launched ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the attack of the Soviet Union, the largest invasion in military history. In June 2019, twelve dusty notebooks and a wealth of loose paperwork were discovered in Germany; the diaries of Oberleutnant Wilhelm Sander, a young officer in the 11th Panzer-Regiment who took part in the enormous campaign. On every single day Sander, in a brutally honest manner, elaborately recorded his experiences, impressions and the events he witnessed.

Now transcribed and translated for the first time, they offer a brutally honest, intimate and fascinating view into the murderous and unforgiving nature of war on the Eastern Front from the summer of 1941 to the eventual German retreat in the terrible winter of 1941/1942, while offering a unique glimpse into the world of thought of a highly politicised officer of the German Wehrmacht and member of the NSDAP.

Follow the path of Leutnant Friedrich Sander, a Panzer officer in the German Wehrmacht during Operation Barbarossa, the attack on the Soviet Union.

In the first part of a two-part film, we follow Leutnant Sander on the strenuous, and costly race towards Leningrad and learn about the murderous and terrifying goals of the German campaign in the east.

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[HistoryHit]

Hey guys, due to popular demand we have reuploaded the first part of our Barbarossa: Lost Diaries series! Let us know in the comments if you enjoyed and would like to see more of these kinds of documentaries.

[jantjedevoorste-rmtb]

My granddad fought in Stalingrad with the 14th Panzer Division, he was captured and came home in 1953. Het died in 2015 at the age of 95. Before he died he told me that wanted to be cremated and not buried as he never wanted to feel the cold soil again.

[Captain-lnvh]

It’s crazy to me how people read about the death and destruction of war, and watch the movies yet never realize how difficult the loss of life is. Not just seeing it but the sounds and smells. Having someone begging you to help them and you know nothing you do can save them. Telling them anything you think can comfort them and knowing they are already dead. What haunts me is the look on someone’s face. As a medic they believe that you are going to save them and they have that hope when you are there. Only those who don’t know death want war.

[Errr]

It's incredible that they found footage that closely resembles what being described in the diary. That a lot of work to curate the films and then edit the footage needed. The narration brings out the attitude of Lt Sanders and the slight German accent in the English adds a lot of credibility to the film. Kudos to the team who worked on the video.

[NoXeB]

My great grandmother that died just 3 years ago, was in Leningrad during the siege and starvation. Life has brought us apart so I could not ask her in detail during my adult years, how was this time in person, but I have been told by my dad and grandmother about her time there. She suffered immensely as did people in the city, some even went as far as cannibalism, as the hunger sometimes makes people insane with it. Seeing dead bodies on the streets was just another normal day, people collapsed. To the last day she died she never allowed anyone or herself to waste a crop of bread. She miraculously survived and was captured by Germans and sent to Berlin for forced labour. It's insane, literally every Russian and Soviet family was affected by this war, EVERY single one.

[YouriCarma]

These personal diaries paint a far more detailed picture of what it was like to be in that war than some dry map movement accounts you often see in WWII documentaries. It also gives us an inside in what was going on in these soldier's minds in these campaigns.

[Jay-Niner]

Watched this when it first came out and am glad to see it back. One of the best history documentaries on YouTube and I can’t wait for part 2!

[Mutsky]

The diaries and footage paint an honest picture of the Eastern front. Sure there are extracts from the diaries which describe people and situations which in todays terms are unacceptable, but hey, this is a good thing as it is honest and a true historical reflection of that period in history. The last thing we should be doing is editing history to appease the sensitivities of today’s cultures. An excellent historical documentary - Bravo.

[neal.karn-jones]

I've been an amateur WWII history fanatic since the 1980's and have been watching the same information over and over, and still enjoy those documentaries, but the diaries are new to me and fascinating. Showing the film and reading the diaries like this is a great idea and I hope to see many more.

[Doug]

Such a brutal and heart aching experience from a single soldier in a war so incomprehensible in size. Lest we forget, I take gratitude in living a peaceful life. Listening to diaries like this can truly shift ones perspective.

[mikesummers]

Max Hastings interviewed a old German soldier once who said that when he was moved from the Eastern front to the western front he thought he was a holiday compared to what he had experience.

[acaciablossom]

40:10 poor guy. He’s hoping for a lack of mosquitos and horse flies, but has no idea the horror of the Arctic winter he is going to have to endure.

[jameswells-green]

This is a gem. The system of 2 narrators works very well - it maintains the vital distinction between the textual and the supra textual thus providing greater depth to the work. The context to the experiential coverage of events, is thoroughgoing and mutually supportive.

[jakethetool]

Captivating.
In my humble opinion, this Era is one of, if not the most monumental, of modern times.
The insight these accounts allow, is priceless.

[derin]

My Grandfather, born 1910 in Northern Germany near Hannover, was in the RAD too before volunteering for the Wehrmacht in 1938.
He was eventually wounded out of the war in 1943 in Russia.


It’s so apparent from these accounts and from what he told me how different and more difficult things were in the invasion of the Soviet Union. You can sense from this diary that even within a week things were going wrong and badly off schedule.

[TaskOnline-gc]

Theres a book called Windswept Lies of War, and it talks from censored history and hidden secrets to lost files and classified documents about World War II, its the real deal.

[wikiwikiwik]

This is amazing, never heard this detailed of a German perspective during Barbarossa. Absolutely brutal.

[mitchsavini]

This was one of the best documentaries I have every seen on Youtube....the side from the German perspective was so revealing. Please do more of these!

[malcolmledger]

Excellent! The co-ordination between the diary extracts and the footage is outstanding.

[MVProfits]

This is super captivating. Well done! The editing, the narration, the pace. Bravo.

And sad. Really sad. But that's not on you! That's what happened. The scale of death and human misery is another kind of awful. Of course I knew that already, but "being along for the ride" makes it hit differently.