AllMovie

World War II devastated no country more than the U.S.S.R. Over 20 million people died; one-fourth of all that country's men were killed, and the nation was thrown into turmoil. Many of the key battles of the war took place on Russian soil. This documentary contains film footage never before available to the public, on the days and battles that led up to D-Day in 1944. The film chronicles the Battle of Crimea, a five day bloodbath that saw the defeat of German troops, with some 100,000 German soldiers killed, and the liberation of Sevastopol and Byelorussia. It is ironic that Crimea, a pleasant and peaceful Russian beach resort, became the site for such a fierce military engagement, owing to its strategic location. Amazing archival footage captures this monumental battle that helped determine the outcome of the war.