This photo conceals a clue to a brutal story of vengeance.
Correction: Many of you pointed out that we erroneously used “Russia” and “Russian” interchangeably with “Soviet Union” and “Soviet” in this video. The Soviet Union was a multiethnic federation, and indeed many non-Russians bore the brunt of Hitler’s initial invasion in 1941. We regret the error — especially in reference to the Soviet soldier raising the flag in the photo, Alexei Kovalev, who is Ukrainian.
Additionally, we inaccurately stated that Rosenthal’s photo was taken following the Battle of Iwo Jima. While the capture of Mt. Suribachi was a significant point in the battle, it was not the end, and in fact three of the six Marines pictured were later killed in action on Iwo Jima.
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“Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” and “Raising a Flag over the Reichstag” are similarly iconic photos from World War II. They’re both beloved images of victory, and they’re both taken after the fighting ended in significant battles. But the Russian one is different, because parts of it are altered.
Specifically, a watch being worn by one of the soldiers is edited out, to cover up the possibility that he had been looting. The Soviet invasion of Germany saw brutal acts of civilian murder, rape, and looting as a vengeful act following Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s 1941 invasion of Russia that left millions dead, including women and children.
Darkroom is a new series from Vox producer Coleman Lowndes that digs into stories of the past, one photograph at a time. Watch all the episodes here:
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Many of you pointed out that we erroneously used “Russia” and “Russian” interchangeably with “Soviet Union” and “Soviet” in this video. The Soviet Union was a multiethnic federation, and indeed many non-Russians bore the brunt of Hitler’s initial invasion in 1941. We regret the error — especially in reference to the Soviet soldier raising the flag in the photo, Alexei Kovalev, who is Ukrainian.
Additionally, we inaccurately stated that Rosenthal’s photo was taken following the Battle of Iwo Jima. While the capture of Mt. Suribachi was a significant point in the battle, it was not the end, and in fact three of the six Marines pictured were later killed in action on Iwo Jima.
Those who are offended for calling the Russians instead Soviets is ubsurb, remember Soviets was never a nationality its a country made up with states and ethnicity's. Yes I know the first person was a Kazakh who held the flag. If your about the specfic person in USSR like Zhukov was Russians, Russians were still Russians, Ukrainians were still Ukrainians, and etc, but as a whole country its considered Soviet Union,
Long story short:
Some watches on a Soviet soldier's both hands in the picture means he had killed civilians and looted the watches. Papa Stalin wouldn't be too happy if he saw that, as that's basically against his view on the Soviet Union. But, with ancient Photoshopping (literally scratching them off with a needle) the problem was solved and they lived happily ever after.
So it wasn't a pillaged watch, next time you should start with that detail.
i love it when you guys stick to history and strange facts, not modern politics.
its safe to say everybody lost ww2.
Whenever the topic of WW2 comes up, people love talking about the crimes that the Nazis committed. What about the crimes that the Russians committed and what about the crimes that the Allies committed?
Wow when did Vox go down the absolute shithole? You sure that Iwo Jima picture was taken after the battle? Might want to do some research on that. The Iwo photo was not staged? Might want to do some research into that. Why bother with this not even half assed bullshit?
It was a Kazakh man who’s holding the flag not a Russian,
Also y’all should’ve used Soviet instead of Russian,rude.
It isn’t there flag it’s our flag
Wrong SOVIET FLAG in that war was more important
Love the use of Why we fight footage
maybe watch is cuted out becas im saying maybe maybe who wuld have watch when he is invading
The red army is better then you stupid Americans
You stupid idot the Americans as well raiped people
oh man… so many butthurt tankie bootlickers in the comments…
Eye for an eye…that's what you get when you try to be superior among others…you get trampled by vengeance
the flag on iwojima was planted prior to the battle. some of them died. hence the statue.
Nobody:
Vox: dude wtf happened to this mans watch lmao
Rosenthals wasn't a snapshot it was also staged to raise morale on the US morale front
Yankees getting butthurt by that footage. Lol
Muricans: Soviet Union had made so many crimes in ww II. Thay are evil af.
Also Muricans: *Drop atomic bomb.
Also Muricans again: *make war in Sea and alot of country.
The one from Iwo Jima was also staged or repeated, just like the one of Berlin. Second, what happened in Berlin was nothing compared with the German atrocities in Slavic countries
I like how the end of these videos are always so…. depressing?
npcs from vox on every video: "russia bad!"
Anything Russia did to Germany was Justified.
He was just flexing Yo
Is Vox becoming a propaganda machine?
The mountain we taken 3 days after the battle started and the battle ended 2 month later
No, the Flag on Iwo Jima was not raised after the fights were over. The soldiers Strank, Sousley und Block (3rd, 4th and 6th from left) were KIA on Iwo Jima afterwards.
ok Vox, we got the message, US good, URSS bad
"If that's all it was, why scratch it out?" Precaution. If it was a compass, the fidelity of the photo/prints would easily obscure this fact. "what are you talking about?" is a much easier argument than "it's not a watch trust me."
He talks about Germany and Russia killing civilians… look at America. They dropped an atomic bomb that killed over 250,000 civilians in the first blow and then killed over 2.5 million civilians from the radioactive waves generated by the atomic bomb. This is way more inhumane then Russia and Germany, they knew civilians would die and they still did this atrocious act.
They did everything with quality during those days.
If you kill my ssister im not going to do the same so im going to kill you this means your sister did'nt do enithing for me this is means justice
His watch is still there on his left arm where people wear watches, what was touched out was a wristband of some kind or something else, it doesn't look like a watch, I don't think there's a face. His watch is still visible in the touched out picture.
Edit: I wrote this after watching the introduction, I think your take is probably correct, though I still don't think it's a watch.
2:07 is that a reverse swastika?