Documentary: "Germany and the Cold War" (two parts).

  

It's another exemplary two-part Deutsche Welle documentary, focusing on the Cold War as experienced in the two German states that arose from the post-WWII settlement. 

For more than four decades, divided Germany was the epicenter of the Cold War. The border severing East and West embodied the animosity between the US and USSR. The smoldering conflict threatened to escalate and destroy both German states. The Cold War was persistently present in the two Germanys - both on the political and military level, but also in everyday life. On the one hand, there was the race for technical progress, the fear of bombs and rockets, the struggle for moral superiority over the other side: and on the other, doubt about each state’s policies, and those of their allies. 

How did Germans experience this Cold War? How did it shape attitudes to life on both sides of the Iron Curtain? 

This two-part documentary asks political actors and decision-makers in East and West, but above all contemporary witnesses from divided Germany, what experiences they had in the period between 1945 and 1991. Who were the winners and losers in this brutal stand-off between communism and capitalism? The demonstrations on June 17, 1953, the construction of the Berlin Wall, the major demonstrations in Bonn against Pershing missiles, nuclear strike drills, employment bans in West Germany on members of the German Communist Party, the opening of the Wall, the collapse of the Eastern bloc - all were events that shaped people’s lives. This is their story and the story of Germany in the Cold War.

Albania's last trains.

 

For the past 40 years, maybe even earlier if childhood stamp collecting is taken into account, I've been fascinated by the country of Albania. The Albanian coastline was visible in 1985 as the ferry stopped at Corfu, and finally in 1994 came the chance to actually visit. It's been the only time, but I've been wanting to return ever since.

It's a shame but understandable that Albania opted for automobile-centrism after emerging from Europe's most North Korea-like existence, and it's a head-spinner to consider communist-era Eastern European rolling stock still in use. 

This is an elegiac and melancholy documentary. I watched it twice, something that's very rare.   

We travel through Albania in a diesel locomotive at a leisurely 40 kilometres per hour. The aged trains make their way through the countryside on single-track lines. Travelling by rail in Albania is not always for the faint-hearted. The trains that are still running were once in the service of the former Deutsche Reichsbahn, the East German state railway before the fall of communism. Albania's rail network was never successfully connected to that of its European neighbors. In fact, it is even threatened with closure in favor of expanding the roads. There are said to be just 50 train drivers left in the country, and as mechanics they also take care of their decrepit diesel locomotives. The documentary accompanies one of them, Vladimir Shyti, and conductor Florida Kucuku on a journey to the north, south and east of the country, on the last remaining sections of track through an intact natural landscape. 

 
The wind whistles through broken windowpanes and branches whip against the 112-ton locomotive. It sounds dangerous and it is. The numerous level crossings have no safety precautions and pose a great danger to pedestrians, cyclists and animals. This often leads to serious accidents. The last trains in Albania all start their journey in Durres, also known as the "gateway to the Mediterranean," and that is where every journey also ends. Anyone boarding a train needs plenty of time and patience. Although rail travel is very inexpensive, it cannot compete for time with travelling by car, which is reflected in the low number of passengers. Hardly anyone takes the train these days. So how long will this form of transport continue to exist in Albania at all?

I'm in New Agony, but this video documents "A Train Ride to the Czech Republic."

It kills me to watch videos like this. There are so many of my favorite things, rolled into one: train travel, Germany, beer with dumplings, the Czech Republic ... it yields a melancholy ache.

A train journey through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains between Germany and the Czech Republic. Peculiar rock formations and the river Elbe shape this beautiful region. Since the mid 19th century, a railway line has been meandering through its valleys.

In 2014, a new rail connection was completed: the National Park line connects the Czech Republic to Germany. It runs from Děčín to Rumburk via Bad-Schandau, Sebnitz, and Dolní Poustevna. The train conductors are all bilingual and happy to answer passengers’ questions about the area and its people. This film takes viewers from Dresden to Dìèín. It makes a detour on the National Park line through the rocky landscapes of Bohemian Switzerland. See the enchanted valleys that inspired romantic-era painters, and discover Edmundsklamm gorge on the German-Czech border, and its protected wildlife. The documentary also digs deep into the history of brown coal, which once brought the region industry and prosperity.

Video: The Treuhand (1991-94), and how newly reunited Germany put capitalism back together again in the former GDR.

(Video at link below.)

November 9, 2019 will be the 30th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's obsolescence. Communism's collapse was followed by a period of intense politicking, resulting in the unification of the two German states on October 3, 1990.

It was said at the time that while the planet had numerous examples of how to turn an economy from capitalist to communist, no one yet knew how to flip it the other way around.

The video explains how Germany did it.

In many respects the process wasn't pretty, although it bears recalling that for better or worse -- maybe bits of both -- East Germany was the only East Bloc nation to have a "West" half capable of absorbing it.

Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and the others had their own privatization procedures, and controversies. When it came to figuring out how to return seized assets, these nations often had to extend the verification period into the 1930s to account for both Nazi and Communist expropriations.   

It's the stuff of history geeks, but some readers will enjoy this video as much as I did.

East Germany and the difficult legacy of the Treuhand (Deutsche Welle)

The word 'Treuhand' still triggers stronger reactions in eastern Germany. For millions of former East Germans, the change from a planned to a market economy meant unemployment - and an affront that still rankles today.

As President of the Treuhandanstalt, the agency charged with privatizing the old East German economy from 1991 to 1994, Birgit Breuel pushed ahead with painful privatizations and the closure of thousands of companies - and became the hated symbol of the transition to a market economy. After decades of silence, she returns to this chapter of her life and talks in detail about a time when everything was running full speed ahead and rational decisions to completely rebuild a country needed to be taken. How did she make her decisions? How does she rate them in retrospect? And what motivated her to take on such a mammoth task at all? How much leeway did the Treuhand have? Were there any other ways to turn the former East German economy around? The filmmakers interview managers, politicians and experts about the work, goals and challenges of the Treuhand, diving back into the heady years from 1990 to 1994 and illuminating the backgrounds and consequences that still have an effect today.

This Second World War "photo thriller" is a worthwhile documentary from Deutsche Welle.

It's another fine Deutsche Welle documentary, this time with a few uncharacteristic twists. If you're interested in the World War II period, especially the little known Polish side of the story, this one's for you. I enjoyed the film.

A box full of photos from the Second World War serves as the starting point for a historical thriller. It was found by a Polish filmmaker whose grandfather had served in the German army. But what does it mean for Michal Wnuk’s family history?

The photos show prisoners of war in France and Russia - and the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 from a German perspective: Snapshots of the war in black and white. On closer inspection, however, it becomes apparent that Michal Wnuk’s grandfather could not have taken the photos himself, because he never served in those theatres, so Michal sets off to find out where they came from. He discovers that the box belonged to his great uncle, who was in the Polish Home Army. How did he get them? Booty? Evidence? And the films are also puzzling, showing an excursion in the summer of 1939. But who are the people in the pictures? Michal’s search finally takes him to Germany. This German-Polish co-production is a historical thriller, full of riddles and surprising twists, as a hoard of private material turns into a sounding board for great historical events.

The cameramen and their story: "Memories of D-Day."

I'm fortunate to have visited the beaches during my first two trips in 1985 and 1987.

Deutsche Welle's excellent 45-minute video is a welcome to departure from the norm because it explains exactly how a handful of British cameramen captured images of the landings in their sector. It's a fascinating story.

6 June 1944: D-Day. Alongside the British troops were cameramen and photographers tasked with recording the Normandy landings. The images they took give us new insights into the greatest seaborne invasion in history.

Operation Overlord began in the early morning of 6 June 1944, as the first Allied landing craft headed for the Normandy beaches. Cameramen and photographers tasked with recording the experience were embedded with the British troops. The images taken by veteran photographers Peter Norris, Harry Oakes, John Aldred and Peter Handford show us D-Day through the eyes of British troops as they fought their way off the beaches against stiff German resistance.

At Deutsche Welle: "A two-part documentary uses criminal cases to paint a picture of Berlin during the Weimar Republic."

I'm not a devotee of the "true crime" genre. Appropriately, this two-part documentary by Deutsche Welle provides broader historical context about Berlin during the period 1918-1931, which balances the crime accounts.

There is sadness and irony in the account. From the chaos of the post-war period, life in Berlin (and by extension, the Weimar Republic) improved, and a few insightful policemen like Ernst Gennat instituted modern crime-fighting techniques -- only to be undone and purged by the biggest criminal element of them all, Hitler's Nazis.

A useful 90 minutes, indeed.

Berlin during the ‘Golden Twenties’ was regarded as the most modern metropolis in Europe. People flocked to nightclubs to enjoy raucous, uninhibited and decadent parties.

Berlin might have struggled to adapt to the fledgling democracy of the Weimar Republic, but it had less difficulty enjoying the freedoms it brought. In the 1920s, Berlin was regarded as the most modern metropolis in Europe. Life was described as a "dance on a volcano." People flocked to nightclubs to enjoy raucous, uninhibited and decadent parties. But the capital was also rife with poverty, misery and violence. Crime was epidemic. The Sass brothers, two bank robbers, became urban legends, and the specter of serial killers haunted the city. Ernst Gennat, head of the criminal police, was a gifted criminologist with an exceptional solve rate. He revolutionized forensic investigation practices and laid the foundations for modern profiling. The two-part documentary uses criminal cases to paint a picture of Berlin during the Weimar Republic, reconstructing events with the help of documentary photographs from 1918 to 1933, interviews with experts and case files.

A brief but solid video overview of France's "yellow vest rebellion."

Courtesy of Deutsche Welle's documentary series (in English).

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France's yellow vest rebellion - a movement against Macron

Who are the "yellow vests” that have plunged France into crisis? Hundreds of thousands have been demonstrating to demand lower taxes and higher pensions.

What began as a spontaneous protest against high gasoline prices swiftly evolved into a mass movement that has caused a major crisis in France. The "yellow vests” have become synonymous with the widespread anger at the reform policies of President Emmanuel Macron - and constitute his greatest challenge since he took office. The protesters accuse Macron of being a representative of the rich while ignoring the plight of ordinary citizens. The wave of demonstrations was triggered by Jacline Mouraud and her video tirade on social media. Her subsequent fame has enabled her to continue criticizing politicians on TV talk shows. The "yellow vest” demonstrations have been organized almost exclusively online and without the involvement of opposition parties or unions.

The protesters have a range of demands, from lower taxes to high pensions and a greater say in the running of the country. They feel neglected by the Paris elite, who they see as showing no interest in their economic duress and fears of social decline.

100 years of Bauhaus: toward a universal language of design.

It's a three-part documentary film, and well worth the time.

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

"Mine clearance in Bosnia and Herzegovina" -- a documentary from Deutsche Welle.

Cronyism, nepotism, venality and corruption -- no, this isn't the Monday morning star chamber meetings at New Albany's ruling party bunker.

Rather, it's the backdrop to land mine removal efforts in Bosnia Herzegovina. Two decades after the conclusion of the civil war in former Yugoslavia, the removal effort lags amid rampant Gahanization. It is thought that up to 500,000 people (15% of the country's population) face the daily possibility of land mine accidents.

A horrible reality: 259 children have died in land mine accidents since the war's end. Land mines are cheap to produce and expensive to remove; tens of thousands of land mines remain buried.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA MINE SITUATION 2018

Current mine suspected area is covering 1053km2 or 2% of total country area. There are still remaining 75000-80000 mines and UXO in BiH.

The most impacted areas are: Maglaj, Doboj, Zavidovići, Gornji Vakuf, Doboj, Teslić, Maglaj, Usora, Sanki Most, Velika Kladuša, Travnik i Ilijaš.

A worthwhile documentary: "Eva Braun: Life and Death with the Führer."

There's not much to be said about Adolf Hitler that hasn't been said before, and hundreds of thousands of times. However, Eva Braun's rare color film footage makes this Deutsche Welle documentary worth watching.

It might not be up for long, so if you're interested, watch it soon.

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Eva Braun: Life and Death with the Führer

Eva Braun was Adolf Hitler's secret mistress for more than 13 years. To this day she is viewed as a naïve, apolitical appendage to the dictator and mass murderer. This two-part documentary calls into question the image of the vapid young woman at the Führer's side. Eva Braun met Hitler in 1929 and became his lover when she was just 17 years old. During the years of their relationship, she evolved from an average middle class girl to the uncompromising partner of the mass murderer. She remained true to Hitler until death. On 30 April 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide in the bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. A day earlier, the dictator had married her. But who was this 'bride of evil' really? Hitler's architect Albert Speer referred to her after the war as one of the "disappointments of history". Kept out of the public eye, she spent most of her time in Munich or at Hitler's Berghof residence in the Alps. There she lived officially as the dictator's private secretary. Historian Heike Görtemaker has tracked down and assembled the puzzle pieces of Eva Braun's life in a groundbreaking biography. Behind the assumed gaiety, the author finds a resolute woman who pursued her goals with tremendous toughness right up to her death. For this documentary, filmmaker Michael Kloft conducted detailed interviews with Görtemaker and evaluated the many private films made by Eva Braun as well as the countless photo albums she compiled.

BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: "One German pub owner is still serving at 87."

Clocking in at a mere 12 minutes, this is a gem of a brief Deutsche Welle news profile, or perhaps a mini-documentary. Surprisingly layered, little bits of the story keep emerging as Hildegard Schweinsberg works a Thursday at her pub in Neuhaus, near Schwerin on what would have been the DDR side of the border during the period of Germany's division.

To me, this fact is very relevant to the story. As we know, Frau Schweinsberg likely wouldn't have been the owner when she started serving beers. She'd have been a manager, paid by the state.

One of the main tasks in the transformation of the East German economy was privatisation. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), in accordance with the to Socialist creed, there was virtually no private property or means of production.

Did Frau Schweinsberg purchase the pub and hotel business during the privatization phase? Ironically, she observes that it's been thirty years since she drank on the job -- roughly the same time the Wall fell.

The regular crowd shuffles in. A coffee, or a sausage and a Lubzer Pils. Maybe a cheap Euro glass of schnapps. I highly recommend these short, worthwhile, elegiac minutes with the keeper of a tradition.

One German pub owner is still serving at 87 | DW Documentary

At age 87, landlady Hildegard Schweinsberg is still behind the bar every day. Her pub "Zur Börse" is the heart and soul of the small village of Neuhaus. People meet here to drink, relax and catch up. What will happen if this tradition dies out?

A church, a cemetery and a pub surrounded by fields and forests - the scene of a typical, idyllic German village. But it's becoming increasingly rare. Many people are moving to the cities, and in the villages there are fewer places to meet and catch up. The pub has always been an integral part of country life, and for one lucky village of 1500 people, it's still a thriving tradition. In Neuhaus on the river Elbe, Hildegard Schweinsberg has been running "Zur Börse" for nearly 60 years. And at age 87, she still can't imagine ever giving up, despite often needing a walker to serve her customers. And there's no one to take over anyway. A report by Linda Vierecke.

Documentary: "Is Karl Marx still relevant in the 21st century?"

"Today, what most characterizes developments in Marxian theory is the recognition of Marx’s open-ended critique of capitalism, requiring that we struggle once more to probe into the historically specific system of capital accumulation at its deepest level — not simply to understand it, but in order to transcend it."
-- John Bellamy Foster, at Jacobin

Meanwhile, Deutsche Welle again. DW doesn't seem to be taking Foster's side in terms of Marx's relevance to now, but the video is a good introduction to Marx's life, appropriately threaded to present-day developments.

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2018 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of German philosopher and Communist icon Karl Marx. Is Karl Marx still relevant in the 21st century?

Philosopher, historian and economist Karl Marx is a name that’s back on everyone's lips. The documentary explores the ongoing impact of his writings in Europe and China. How should we approach the legacy of someone who - like few others before or since - not only changed the world, but divided it as well? Even though not everyone accepts his ideas, Marx's analyses and theories motivated many people to take political action. We meet activists, witnesses and experts - individuals who are able to illuminate Karl Marx's impact from the Russian revolution until today. Even in the 21st century, two hundred years after his birth, Marx has lost none of his relevance. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe and the end of the Cold War in 1989 and 1990, the sun seemed to be setting on Marx. But during the financial crisis of 2007-2008, when the contradictions of capitalism were once more laid bare, Marx was resurrected as an icon. His theories and ideas are now enjoying something of a renaissance at universities, churches, and conferences, and in mainstream broadcast and print media. The Chinese have even donated a larger-than-life statue of Marx to the city of his birth, Trier. This thought-provoking documentary does not shy away from controversy. As well providing insight into Karl Marx’s life and work, it investigates what appealed to past and present advocates of his philosophies, bringing the story to life with a rich trove of archive material.

"Cologne Cathedral marks the zenith of cathedral architecture and at the same time its culmination."

Been there, seen that -- and it's amazing.

This is another fascinating Deutsche Welle documentary, and a companion piece of sorts to this recent post at NA Confidential.

Ever wondered how those huge medieval cathedrals were built? Watch this and find out.

"The great cathedrals were the wonders of the medieval world - the tallest buildings since the pyramids and the showpieces of medieval Christianity. Yet they were built at a time when most of us lived in hovels."

At the 34:25 mark of the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) film, we arrive at a lingering point of dispute: Why wasn't the church bombed during the WWII?

According to DW, it actually was. To learn more, go here.

As the others mentioned, the cathedral wasn't spared deliberately - it was both targeted deliberately (probably not on orders, though, as it wasn't worth the effort) and hit by near misses. You see, the cathedral happened to be built right next to the main train station and repair yards, and the biggest railway bridge across the Rhine - both very important targets.

That it didn't suffer more damage than it did isn't pity by the Allies, nor was it luck - it was due to the ingenuity of the medieval architects and the courage of the air raid wardens.

Here's the video preview.

Cologne Cathedral on the Rhine is one of the tallest churches in the world. Germany's most-visited landmark hosts royalty, politicians and celebrities.

In the course of its history Cologne's majestic cathedral (known in German as 'Der Kölner Dom') has repeatedly been used for political and commercial ends. The documentary shows how the gentle giant has always retained its dignity.

Home to one of the largest church treasuries in Germany, even today the cathedral continues to play an important role in the city's economic life. It attracts 20,000 visitors a day and its silhouette is used to promote the sale of all manner of products and souvenirs, from bottle openers to cookie cutters. As a powerful and distinctive symbol, it is also used to ensure publicity; the cathedral has seen environmental activists chaining themselves to scaffolding around its spires and a feminist protester appearing topless during a Christmas mass, while skaters and buskers also use the cathedral square for performances.

The cathedral provides a backdrop for heads of state, international music stars and party events, but is exposed on a daily basis to wear and tear - from vandalism, street urination and the weather. The maintenance bill alone runs to around €20,000 a day. There have even been break-ins - the most spectacular being the Cathedral treasure robbery in 1975, described in the documentary by former public prosecutor Maria Therese Mösch. And one thing is certain: Cologne Cathedral and its powerful cardinals will always play a key role in Germany’s Catholic church.

The Berlin Wall has been down for as long as it once stood: 28 years.

Deutsche Welle cleverly reanimates reality in this excellent 2009 video explaining divided Germany and the various wall formats deployed by the German Democratic Republic to keep its people inside.

The Berlin Wall stood from 1961 to 1989, dividing the city of Berlin. February 5, 2018 marks the date on which the wall has been down for as long as it once stood: 28 years. A short trip back in time exploring the division of East and West Germany.

I never lived in East Germany, but stayed there (mostly in East Berlin) for a month in 1989. Regular readers will have long since concluded that those ghosts won't let me be, and this is true. It's been almost thirty years, and I think about it all the time.

Here's a six-pack of previous posts.

"Life Behind the Berlin Wall" and other documentaries about East Germany, all of them ideal for history obsessives like me.

Two documentaries about Dean Reed (who?) provide long-lost Cold War time capsules.

Another look at East German art, as with Werner Tübke and the Americans back in 1989.

The GDR's Olympic legacy, and "The Rise and Fall of Gerd Bonk, the World Champion of Doping."

Cinema: "The Lives of Others" earns a curmudgeon's ultimate accolades.

Lastly, within this 2015 post, there can be found the links to parts one through four of "Pilsner, Putin and Me," my narrative of East Berlin and East Germany during my time there in the summer of 1989. At some point later this year, the narrative will reappear with digitalized photos as part of my projected 1989 travelogue.

Lenin's head finally is located, and will be displayed in Berlin.

When do we leave? Documentary films about the South Tyrol.

Confessing from the outset that I am perfectly willing to occupy a comfortable seat on the veranda of a hikers' hut nursing a beer and bowl of stew while watching you climb a mountain ... these are standout documentary films hitting the center of my target: geography, history and culture.

I haven't been to the Tyrol, where Italy and Austria meet and mix, and this must be numbered among my major European travel regrets. It will happen, some day. In the interim, I'm reminded of time spent in the High Tatras (border of Slovakia and Poland) and the French Alps.

Deutsche Welle is my new favorite thing. You can have and keep Hollywood; documentaries are my gig. Here are the synopses.

South Tyrol (1/2) - the Dolomites

The Dolomites are perfect for climbing and hiking in summer. And for skiing in winter. The breathtaking mountain range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Dolomites boast the world-famous ‘three peaks’ Tre Cime di Lavaredo - Langkofel, Plattkofel and Rosengarten. They are located in South Tyrol, Italy’s northernmost province. The range was named after the French geologist Déodat de Dolomieu, who was the first to study their geology. Today the Dolomites are a World Heritage Site. Scenic spots include the Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest high alpine meadow, and Lake Prags. This documentary accompanies a team of mountain rescue workers during a difficult helicopter operation on the Tre Cime, observes Hollywood star Terence Hill during filming and watches an artist whose contemporary wood sculptures were displayed at the Venice Biennale. The camera team also followed in the tracks of World War I, when the front ran right through the Dolomites, and it introduces a young singer who wants to save the Ladin language through her music.

And:

South Tyrol (2/2) - the Brenner Pass to Bolzano

Italy's northernmost province, South Tyrol, begins in the Alps at the Brenner Pass - gateway to the south.

A historical trade route, the pass leads into a landscape that is home to many castles. Perched high upon the slopes stands a mountain shelter run by the Lunger family. The documentary accompanies the Lungers at work throughout an entire season.

High above the valley the mountain refuge Latzfonser Kreuz offers a spectacular view of the Dolomites. It is also the highest place of pilgrimage in South Tyrol. The Lunger family manages the shelter. Every year they leave their home in the valley to move up the mountain for five months.

The documentary accompanies the family at work throughout a season. Daughter Tamara is a mountaineer and during this time she makes an expedition to K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. The film also shows a new shelter under construction. Its modern architecture has caused quite a stir. From there the journey continues to the construction site of the Brenner Base Tunnel. Later, the filmmakers visit a woman who has dedicated her life to caring for a castle. After meeting an innovative carpenter who produces wooden handbags, they get a peek over the shoulder of a doctor who examines the glacier mummy Ötzi.

LIVE TO EAT: Two tasty documentaries about street food the world over.

I appreciate the sedate, measured pace of these two documentaries, as opposed to some of the more frantic Food Network extravaganzas. This comes as no surprise, given the documentaries are produced by Deutsche Welle (German public television), circa 2016.

Asia - Cradle of street food tradition

Asia is famous for its street food delicacies - especially scorpions and insects. Every region has a specialty, every street vendor a story to tell. Explore Asian culture through a culinary journey to China, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam.

The English language voice-overs are almost seamless, although in one of these films some German sneaks through -- and you'll notice the texting is in German, albeit spoken in English. 

Street food -Tales of Tacos and Burgers

A cross-continental street food journey – from Oregon in the USA to Peru via Mexico. On every street corner, chefs are busy frying, grilling and roasting. Each region has its own culinary delights and the filmmakers are keen to try everything.

An excellent four-part documentary film about recent Russian history called Moscow's Empire.

It has been only 26 years since the Soviet Union dissolved, which is a blip in the overall timeline of history. Absent context, little can be understood with respect to what this span really means.

Conceding from the outset that this four-part documentary film is very Eurocentric -- it includes nothing about what has been happening east of the Urals and in the various -stans -- it remains a valuable overview of the past two and a half decades of Russian history.

Moscow’s Empire (Deutsche Welle)

The four-part documentary Moscow’s Empire shows how the former Soviet nations faced an anarchic decade marked by military conflicts and the search for new national identities and a new self-awareness.

In the late 1970s the Soviet empire began to crumble. After the fall of the Iron Curtain it fell apart completely in 1991 - bankrupt, traumatized and humiliated on the world stage. The former Soviet nations then faced an anarchic decade marked by military conflicts and the search for new national identities and a new self-awareness.

The end of a decade of upheavals saw the rise of a ”new tsar” at the helm in Russia, determined to guide the ”old” empire” back to former global power. After becoming president in 2000, Vladimir Putin began undoing the internal chaos that had beset the country, while at the same time restricting newly won freedoms. His leadership style was authoritarian and arguably autocratic. Moscow became an increasingly confident player on the international stage, aiming to limit on western influence.

The war in Georgia, and above all the recent conflict in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea exacerbated the divide between East and West. A new Cold War appears to have emerged, returning conditions to the 1980s. The four-part documentary Moscow’s Empire looks for answers to these developments, and provides a variety of perspectives on life in the former Soviet block countries - from the people who have experienced events at first hand and in some cases shaped them.

Following are the four parts.

1


2


3


4


Part four of the documentary ends with Russia's annexation of Crimea in March, 2014, and the subsequent imposition of sanctions by the USA and EU. Nothing is said about Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine (presumably by Russian irregulars) on July 17, 2014.

Fighting has continued in Ukraine since then, and of course there is an ongoing investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 American election. This article from August is an update in the vein of Deutsche Welle's fine documentary film.

The punishment continues: America’s new economic sanctions may hurt Russia’s recovery (The Economist)

But whether they will change Vladimir Putin’s behaviour is another matter

 ... As Mr Putin looks towards his fourth term (he is expected to win next year’s election), Russians are more concerned with their wallets than with Crimea. Growth this year is projected to be 2% or less. For the elite, the prospect of long-term stagnation and endless standoff with the West raises questions about the country’s direction. “The sense of an historic dead-end evokes panic,” writes Vladimir Frolov, a Russian analyst. Sanctions will not cause Mr Putin to reverse course, but they do make it harder for him to drive his way out.

"The End of the Sublime Porte" and other recommended documentaries at Deutsche Welle.

Deutsche Welle is Germany's public international broadcaster. The DW archives are a treasure trove of viewing (in English) for history, geography and world news junkies like me.

In the course of reliving my 1987 travel experiences in Sarajevo and Mostar (now independent Bosnia-Herzegovina), I watched this excellent documentary, which offers uncommonly clear context about the Ottoman Turks and what happened in Europe and the Middle East when the empire disappeared. It's highly recommended.

The End of the Sublime Porte: Part 1 - Multi-ethnic States in the Ottoman Empire

The End of the Sublime Porte: Part 2 - Crumbling Middle East

For 600 years, the Ottoman Empire was a superpower. This two-part documentary tells the story of how this vast empire vanished in less than a century.

The Ottoman Empire extended across three continents and the seven seas. Over the hundred years from Greek independence in 1830 to the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, the Ottoman Empire withdrew from Europe for good after a presence in the Balkans lasting almost 500 years. The shared past is often downplayed by national historians, but the Balkan states are strongly influenced by the complexities of Christian, Muslim and Jewish peoples living together, says Mark Mazower from Columbia University. It was more of a ‘side by side’ existence based on the Ottoman Empire’s "millet” system, where non-Muslims enjoyed the protection of the sultan but had to pay special taxes in return. Over the course of the 19th century, the region’s religious identities slowly became clear national ones; people now saw themselves as Serbs, Greeks, Armenians and Bulgarians. This rising nationalism, along with attempts by the major European powers to get their hands on the region’s resources and the inability of the Ottoman Empire to implement reforms, brought about the end of Ottoman rule in Europe. Using rare picture and film footage and with contributions by international historians, this two-part documentary analyses the last century of the Ottoman Empire and tries to understand its demise.