Enemy At The Gates

For this weeks blog post I decided to watch Enemy at the Gate. This film and story line was about the Battle of Stalingrad, U.S.S.R.  Where the Nazi and the Soviets were fighting to take control of the city. Which would predict the outcome of the War.  The Movie Stars Jude Law As Vassili Zaitsev who was on the best Snipers in the War.   Another major character was Ed Harris character that places Major Erwin Koning. Who was one of the best snipers in Germany.  As they try to hunt each other down to see who will survive. Zaitsev comes out on top he kills Koning.  

One of the minor character was Sacha Flillipov Was Sacha A really spy? Or was it just to make the Movie more interesting for views. From a very unlikely source from “ Find A Grave Memorial Flillipov was a spy and would tell the secrets of the German to the Soviets on their next plan of attack. The Germans found out, he was executed by hanging his last words “We Will come and kill you like mad dogs”.  He was only 17 when he had died. But like all war hero Fillipov was horrors he was awarded Red Banner Posthumously in 1944. He also, got a street and school named after him as well.  How did Sacha get started in being a secret police for the Soviets was The Article “ The Battle of Stalingrad in Film and History by Louis Proyect,  “Sasha slung a bag of shoemaker’s tools over his shoulder and headed for the German unit. He aroused no suspicion and the Germans admitted him to their HQ to repair boots. When the opportunity presented itself Sasha stole secret Nazi documents and handed them to our troops”. Louis Proyect .  As from reading theses Articles about flillipov he seems very Feisty and wont go down with out a fight.  Like before getting hanged he struck a German Solider and said “You Snakes! You still wont beat the Red Army!” Louis Proyect. Another account of Fillipov from Executed today.  This Article talks about how his parents saw him being killed Fillipov was not the only one to be executed two other teen were sent to death as well just before Christmas day.  In all three articles the smallest job people had would become a big role. How a little shoe shiner became a spy, and stole many secrets from Germany.  

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=102013319

http://www.executedtoday.com/2010/12/23/1942-sasha-filippov-battle-of-stalingrad-spy/#comment-83697

http://www.columbia.edu/~lnp3/mydocs/culture/Battle_of_Stalingrad.htm