Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Red Baron film celebrates German war hero
Telegraph,co.uk ^ | 01/04/2008 | Harry de Quetteville

Posted on 04/01/2008 3:16:51 PM PDT by wolf78

After decades of war-related silence and shame, Germany proudly celebrated a military hero last night, rolling out the red carpet for "Red" Baron von Richthofen.

The new attitude was on display as stars and celebrities, including British actor Joseph Fiennes, were due to gather for the Berlin premiere of a new film about the Baron.

It is set to mark a new departure for German war films, which usually reflect on the extremism, suffering and even lunacy of the Nazi era ­ if they get made at all.

The Red Baron in contrast, portrays a brilliant and honourable military figure whose life and early death in combat Germans can celebrate without blush.

The film, which at £14 million is one of Germany's most expensive productions, stars Matthias Schweighoefer as the renowned pilot thought to have shot down about 80 Allied airmen in World War One.

It is based on a biography of the pilot published last year, which opens with him engaged in a dogfight only to pull out when he sees his adversary's gun jammed.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: germany; redbaron; richthofen; vonrichthofen; wwii
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 121-132 next last
To: PAR35
It promised Mexico its lost territories back if it came to war and Mexico entered on Germany's side. Lets not mince words. It was causus beli for war, as well as their sinking of our ships in international waters.
61 posted on 04/01/2008 7:56:32 PM PDT by allmendream ("A Lyger is pretty much my favorite animal."NapoleonD)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: PAR35
The Lusitania was a British liner with over a hundred Americans aboard.

The Germans also sank seven U.S. merchant ships when they began ‘unrestricted’ submarine warfare. This immediately preceded our declaration of war.

62 posted on 04/01/2008 8:04:18 PM PDT by allmendream ("A Lyger is pretty much my favorite animal."NapoleonD)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: allmendream
as well as their sinking of our ships in international waters.

Care to list how many American ships were sunk prior to Wilson's unilateral breaking of diplomatic relations with Germany? This site might help: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwi/82205.htm

63 posted on 04/01/2008 8:05:58 PM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: wolf78
Good news: Looks well-filmed. Bad News: Another important military history subject has a goofy romantic subplot staapled onto it. Plus, they give Roy Brown full credit for the kill, according to a blurb I read from the director on Aircraftresourcecenter.com. No mention of the Aussies who fired the fatal shot.

It's too bad Richtofen was on the wrong side...he was quite a young man.

64 posted on 04/01/2008 8:08:09 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cheburashka

Much more clearly, you make my intended point. Thanks.


65 posted on 04/01/2008 8:09:02 PM PDT by nkycincinnatikid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: allmendream
The Lusitania was a British liner with over a hundred Americans aboard.

The Lusitania was being used to transport war materials; some Americans who chose to ignore an explicit German warning were on board - reminds me a bit of the American peaceniks who went to Iraq to protect Saddam's facilities.

And let me help you with this one: The Germans also sank seven U.S. merchant ships when they began ‘unrestricted’ submarine warfare. This immediately preceded our declaration of war followed Wilson's breaking of diplomatic relations.

66 posted on 04/01/2008 8:10:45 PM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: AnalogReigns; reg45

Unrestricted warfare plus the Zimmerman telegram, which detailed German efforts to convince Mexico to invade us, were darn good reasons. The foolishness of the Treaty of Versaille and Hitler’s subsequent rise has no bearing on whether entering the war was proper or not.


67 posted on 04/01/2008 8:15:36 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: msnpatriot
Adolf Galland would be interesting as he led the Luftwaffe against the USAF.

The USAF came after WWll. No BOQ w/cable yet, those pilots were still in the Army.

68 posted on 04/01/2008 8:17:08 PM PDT by xone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: mgstarr

I love this tribute to Charles Schulz from The Wizard of Id.

69 posted on 04/01/2008 8:17:19 PM PDT by Stonewall Jackson (Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory. - George Patton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ramius

The thing about the Baron is that he was by all accounts a fine young man, but mostly what makes him a legend is simply the kill count: 80 kills is a huge number, and only a few men have ever bested it, although some that did (such as Eric Hartmann) did so by a very large amount. But even some of the best fighter pilots who ever put on a helmet, guys like Saburo Sakai, Gabby Gabreski, Robin Olds...never got 80 kills.


70 posted on 04/01/2008 8:18:33 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: PAR35
Wilson called for war on Germany, which the U.S. Congress declared on 6 April 1917. AFTER REPEATED ACTS OF WAR!

Why all the love for Kaiser's Germany? You like monarchies or something? Historic revisionist? Deutchland Uber alles?

Joint Resolution Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.

Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America; Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

CHAMP CLARK
Speaker of the House of Representatives
THOS. R. MARSHALL
Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate

Approved, April 6, 1917
WOODROW WILSON

71 posted on 04/01/2008 8:20:55 PM PDT by allmendream ("A Lyger is pretty much my favorite animal."NapoleonD)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: mamelukesabre

It absolutely was one of the Aussies on the ground that killed him.


72 posted on 04/01/2008 8:26:43 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Silverback

Ever wonder what would have been the reaction of the Royal Navy had America defended its sovereign right and challenged the blockade of the central and eastern european ports?


73 posted on 04/01/2008 8:27:28 PM PDT by nkycincinnatikid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970
As far as I'm concerned, if your enemy's gun jams, that's his problem. It's nice that Guynemer let Udet go after Udet's guns jammed, but war is war.
74 posted on 04/01/2008 8:33:55 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: allmendream

You like monarchies? Is that House of Hanover, Romanov or Hohenzollern? Deutscland uber alles? or Rule Brittania? Historic revisionist? Good Lord, many if not most Americans have questioned the wisdom of our role in WW1 beginning in 1919.


75 posted on 04/01/2008 8:37:20 PM PDT by nkycincinnatikid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: Jabba the Nutt

For fascinating insights into the Austrian military operations, there is a short series of novels by John Biggin. In approximate order they are A Sailor of Austria, The Emperor’s Coloured Coat, and The Two-Headed Eagle. The “hero”, Otto Prohaska, begins the war as commander of a rickety Austrian submarine, manages to sink one of his own navy’s warships, gets a prospective death sentence by transfer to the Austrian flying corps, combines hilarious adventures with some real history lessons about the Balkans and the Hapsburg government. The fact that he survives the war is brought out as he is “discovered” as an old man 100 years old spinning yarns in England.


76 posted on 04/01/2008 8:37:27 PM PDT by 19th LA Inf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: LSUfan; infowarrior
The PBS documantary said it was a .303 round, and the Vickers machine gun used by the Aussie anti-aircraft troops near where he died were .303.


77 posted on 04/01/2008 8:38:11 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Silverback

Well, he excelled in the earliest days of the sport, so to speak.

All of the tactics were experimental at best. Later pilots stood on the shoulders of these guys, I would suppose.


78 posted on 04/01/2008 8:41:13 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: Jabba the Nutt
The film "Gallipoli" starring a young Mel Gibson, was a great film.
79 posted on 04/01/2008 8:44:08 PM PDT by Ciexyz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: PAR35
How shocking - a ship, carrying the flag of a belligerent, transporting arms, was sunk in an exclusion zone.

The claim that the Lusitania was carrying arms has always been pure baloney, and even if it had been carrying arms, there is no evidence that the German submariners involved considered her to be in violation of international law.

80 posted on 04/01/2008 8:44:57 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (It's not conservative to accept an inept Commander-in-Chief in a time of war. Back Mac.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 121-132 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson