History Series / UnsereMuetterUnsereVaeter

''Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter'' (literally ''"Our Mothers, Our Fathers"'', titled ''Generation War'' in the US, UK and France) is a 2013 German drama miniseries set in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Done in the style of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', but with [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German soldiers]]. And [[CrapsackWorld extra grim]], since it's primarily set on the [[WorldWarII/WarInEuropeAndAfrica Eastern Front]], and UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust has much plot significance.

June 1941. Five childhood friends gather in UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} to hold a goodbye party for the three among them who are soon to head for Russia. [[{{Narrator}} Wilhelm Winter]] (Creator/VolkerBruch) and his younger brother Friedhelm have been [[GotVolunteered called to serve]] in the Wehrmacht, while Charlotte has volunteered as a nurse. Staying in Berlin are [[GlamorousWartimeSinger aspiring singer]] Greta Müller and her Jewish lover Viktor Goldstein. The group wish each other well, and part ways in high spirits, [[HomeByChristmas hoping to be together again at Christmas]].

June 1941. Five childhood friends gather in Berlin to hold a goodbye party for the three among them who are soon to head for Russia. [[{{Narrator}} Wilhelm Winter]] (Creator/VolkerBruch) and his younger brother Friedhelm have been [[GotVolunteered called to serve]] in the Wehrmacht, while Charlotte has volunteered as a nurse. Staying in Berlin are [[GlamorousWartimeSinger aspiring singer]] Greta Müller and her Jewish lover Viktor Goldstein. The group wish each other well, and part ways in high spirits, [[HomeByChristmas hoping to be together again at Christmas]].

--> '''Charlotte:''' Why are you helping me?
--> '''Lilija:''' Because otherwise it will never stop.

* DeathFakedForYou: When the Polish resistance group decide they want to kill Viktor for being German and/or Jewish, the leader, who doesn't agree, takes Victor off into the forest, [[SoundOnlyDeath fires a shot into the ground]], and tells him to get lost.

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: The Polish Home Army is not portrayed as very heroic. Aside from Aline the others are openly antisemitic, leaving Jews bound for the concentration camp in a cattle car to die after they raid a German train. Viktor rescues them, revealing he's Jewish, and they want him killed for it. Their leader has warmed up a bit to him though by this point. [[spoiler: Instead of killing Viktor, he fakes it and lets him go, with a good luck wish.]] These depictions caused protest by Poles.[[note]]In reality, though antisemitism indeed was common among Poles, many rescued Jews, Home Army members included, more than any other nation in fact. Over 6,000 individuals have been recognized as having done so. It's estimated that thousands of Poles were executed for this by the Nazi German regime.[[/note]]

''Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter'' (literally ''"Our Mothers, Our Fathers"'', titled ''Generation War'' in the US, UK and France) is a 2013 German drama miniseries set in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Done in the style of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', but with [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German soldiers]]. And [[CrapsackWorld extra grim]], since it's primarily set on the [[WorldWarII/WarInEuropeAndAfrica Eastern Front]] and UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust has much plot significance.

* ObligatoryWarCrimeScene: Particularly given [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany what they're fighting for]], yeah.

''Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter'' (literally ''"Our Mothers, Our Fathers"'', titled ''Generation War'' in the US, UK and France) is a 2013 German drama miniseries set in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Done in the style of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', but with [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German soldiers]]. And [[CrapsackWorld extra grim]], since it's primarily set on the Eastern Front and UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust has much plot significance.

''Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter'' (literally ''"Our Mothers, Our Fathers"'', titled ''Generation War'' in the US, UK and France) is a 2013 German drama miniseries set in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Done in the style of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', but with Germans. And [[CrapsackWorld extra grim]], since it's primarily set on the Eastern Front and UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust has much plot significance.

* AllGermansAreNazis: Averted -- none of the five main characters are depicted as loyal to the Nazi party, which would have been highly unusual for the time and is most likely a deliberate case of ArtiscticLicense to make them more sympathetic to modern viewers. Even so, they commit various morally questionable acts and outright war crimes over the course of the series: Charly [[spoiler: turns in a Jewish nurse to what she knows will be certain death (though the woman survives)]], Friedhelm executes numerous unarmed people, including a little boy, and even the otherwise noble Wilhelm executes a prisoner and orders Soviet civilians marched through a minefield.

* AllGermansAreNazis: Averted -- none of the five main characters are Nazis and are depicted as normal people living in Nazi Germany. Interestingly, this actually became one of the most prominent points of criticism, within Germany and without -- the series was accused of going too far the other way and whitewashing German history by suggesting "''of course'' none of these regular, lovely young folks actually supported the Nazi agenda, they were just victims of history!" Obviously they would be far less sympathetic then. [[spoiler: Even so, Charly turns in a Jewish nurse to what she knows will be certain death (though the woman survives), Friedhelm executes numerous unarmed people, including a little boy, and even the otherwise noble Wilhelm executes a prisoner and orders Soviet civilians marched through a minefield.]]

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Tragically, Mr. Goldstein, a veteran of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI who is a proud German and determined to remain loyal to his country even as the persecution of Jews intensifies.

* AllGermansAreNazis: Averted - none of the five main characters are Nazis and are depicted as normal people living in Nazi Germany. Interestingly, this actually became one of the most prominent points of criticism, within Germany and without - the series was accused of going too far the other way and whitewashing German history by suggesting "''of course'' none of these regular, lovely young folks actually supported the Nazi agenda, they were just victims of history!" Obviously they would be far less sympathetic then. [[spoiler: Even so, Charly turns in a Jewish nurse to what she knows will be certain death (though the woman survives), Friedhelm executes numerous unarmed people, including a little boy, and even the otherwise noble Wilhelm executes a prisoner and orders Soviet civilians marched through a minefield.]]