Brother Against Brother - The Spanish Civil War

Buy This Item Brother Against Brother - The Spanish Civil War by Kultur Video  Available from Amazon  $19.95  on 11-26-2008     This hourlong documentary on the American Civil War covers a lot of ground in a short time yet manages to provide some content not always found in other treatments of the subject. The fact that this is a British production injects a different perspective, and topics such as the roots of the war first emerging in British-ruled colonial America, the role of immigrants in the armed forces, and especially lessons learned (or tragically ignored) from European wars, are covered in an intelligent fashion. At times an English actor appears as the character of a recent immigrant who served in the Union army. Less effectively, the informative narrative about major battles is at times accompanied by clips from vintage silent films portraying battlefield action. This documentary does generally accomplish what it sets out to do, and provides a reasonably concise introduction to the American Civil War. <I>--Robert J. McNamara</I> Reader Reviews As so often happens when a ruler considered a tyrant is resisted by force, the end result is more severe than anyone suspected when the conflict started. The English Civil war from 1642 until the beheading of Charles I in 1649 started like so many civil wars do. For years, there was a festering of political grievances that could not find proper expression. Charles I was a firm believer in the divine right of kings to rule unchallenged, but the country was changing and he could no longer rule without engaging and cooperating with Parliament. They were the body that could raise funds, which Charles needed in order to prosecute the war against the Irish and Scottish uprisings. As the civil war began, the parliamentarians did not want to depose him, but simply wanted him to respect their political rights. His refusal to recognize his need to cooperate led to a long and bloody war. In the end, when he was defeated, the parliamentarians were faced with a serious problem. As long as he was alive and refused to renounce the throne, he was a danger as people would still rally to his standard. Therefore, the parliamentarians had only one option, which was to execute him. As that ruthless politician Joseph Stalin said, "No more man, no more problem." Oliver Cromwell, the foremost military leader of the parliamentarian army, understood this and was the driving force behind the execution of Charles I. In the end, this ushered in a period of greater political repression under Cromwell than ever existed under Charles. This story is told in a series of narrated re-enactments of the battles of the civil war as well as an actor who portrays Charles I. While the action in the battles is not well done, the story is well told. A historian narrates the history of the action; both on the battlefields and the political maneuvering that took place. This war was not only a defining moment in the history of England; it was also a significant moment in the development of democracy as we know it. From that point on, no English monarch could govern without strong allies in Parliament. That fundamental concept meant that the governed had a voice in what was done, and forever destroyed the concept of the divine right of kings to rule unchallenged, at least in England. As one of the major events in the history of democracy in general and England in particular, the English Civil War should be studied in depth by all students of western civilization. I strongly recommend this tape as required viewing in any such course.

Brother Against Brother - The Spanish Civil War Available from Amazon Price: $19.95 Updated on 11-26-2008.

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