Famous Reichstag photo was staged

[Cd.]

I saw on the History Channels' D Day to Berlin. The actual capture of the Reichtag occurred on May 1, 1945. A group of volunteers rushed the Reichstag and assended to the roof at great risk to their lives. The flag was hoisted. No photographer was on hand to photograph the event.

Some time later a Georgian Soldier who did not participate in the seige was photographed in the now famous photo.

I saw an interview with the man who actually put the flag. He spoke of feeling betrayed

[Von Apfelstrudel]

Many famous war photos are satged . That doesn't really makes them any less powerful, imho .

[Myrddin]

The image is what matters more than the story perhaps. Just look at that famous picture of US troops raising a flag on Iwo Jima, even if you didn't know the exact circumstances under which it took place it would be still a powerful (and quite artistic) image.



I believe the event in Berlin took place, and was fairly acurately recreated later because there was no photographer in place originally. Images have the power to stir powerful emotions; Russia lost 27 million of its people in the war with Germany so I think they earned the right to make that image.
It was not a fictional image, it was a recreation of what happened.

[Erhnam]

You believe anything the USSR said? Hah.

[Zoot]

As far as the Iwo Jima pic:
http://www.iwojima.com/clips/index.htm
It's the actual event.
I don't know about the pic Criminal posted. Usually the History Channel is pretty accurate.

[Myrddin]

Originally Posted by Erhnam

You believe anything the USSR said? Hah.

No I believe little of anything that comes out of the mouth of any corrupt elite. But I happen to believe them in this case and even if it was not true as I said they deserve that picture.

[Myrddin]

Originally Posted by Zoot

As far as the Iwo Jima pic:
It's the actual event.

I never doubted it.

[Erhnam]

Originally Posted by Myrddin

No I believe little of anything that comes out of the mouth of any corrupt elite.

What makes this so special?

[Myrddin]

Originally Posted by Erhnam

What makes this so special?

I appreciate the symbolism and emotion behind it.

[K.J.]

The Original Iwo photo

[Erhnam]

Originally Posted by Myrddin

I appreciate the symbolism and emotion behind it.

Ahhh, I see.

I don't believe things like ghosts and UFOs, but I believe in the easter bunny and sanata claus, and for exactly the same reasons! /boggle

[Cd.]

Originally Posted by Myrddin

I believe the event in Berlin took place, and was fairly acurately recreated later because there was no photographer in place originally. Images have the power to stir powerful emotions; Russia lost 27 million of its people in the war with Germany so I think they earned the right to make that image.
It was not a fictional image, it was a recreation of what happened.

It was still unfortunate for the group of men who actually did go to post the flag that they were never recognized as heros by the USSR.

[Myrddin]

Originally Posted by Erhnam

Ahhh, I see.

I don't believe things like ghosts and UFOs, but I believe in the easter bunny and sanata claus, and for exactly the same reasons! /boggle

You don't have a poetic bone in your body do you .

Its a nice picture and I am willing to give the Ruskies the benefit of the doubt but that isn't to say I believe in Santa Claus or Yahweh or any other fictional entity.

[Myrddin]

Originally Posted by Criminal

It was still unfortunate for the group of men who actually did go to post the flag that they were never recognized as heros by the USSR.

Yes, but Stalin was famous for inventing heros or sending real heros to a gulag if they (in his own mind) put his popularity or position at risk.

[Odysseus]

But what makes the guys who raise the flag so special? Did they liberate the city or the island themselves? IMO they are just a few guys who are part of the greater force who all fought together and are no more or less important than any of their fellow soldiers. Singling them out as heros above and beyond all the others they fought with is not right.

Ask any of them if they think they are heros. I bet you can guess the answer.

[Myrddin]

Originally Posted by Odysseus

But what makes the guys who raise the flag so special? Did they liberate the city or the island themselves? IMO they are just a few guys who are part of the greater force who all fought together and are no more or less important than any of their fellow soldiers. Singling them out as heros above and beyond all the others they fought with is not right.

Ask any of them if they think they are heros. I bet you can guess the answer.

The thing in my mind is not a few guys being heros, it is the fact that the photograph symbolised victory over Nazi Germany. Insert any random Soviet troop that you want in that picture, it is too dark to see much of the figure anyway, he is almost an "everyman"; like the Tomb of the Unknown soldier was not really built to praise one unnamed individual but to give thanks and remembrance to all the unknown dead in the war. To me that photograph has a nameless, faceless soldier in it; it could be anybody and still be a symbol of the same thing.

[Betrade]

There were two flags raised on Iwo Jima that day, the famous photo was the second flag raised on the summit of Mt. Suribachi , because the first was deemd too small to be seen from the base of the mountain. These were the first American flags flown over traditional Japanese territory during the war.