The movie is about the failure of the Open Market Garden in The world War 2, where the allied forces tried to break the german lines by seizing the  several bridges in Netherlands. They did so in order to outflank the german forces and end the war before christmas. The name of the movies comes from the comment made by Lieutenant- General Frederick Browning when he speaks to Field Marshal, Bernard Montogomery, the operation architect. Before the operation, the general says,” I think we may be going a bridge too far.”

In this blog, i draw comparison on four Airborne Commanders in the film.

1.  Major- General Roy Urquhart : GOC, First British Airborne Division, Arnhem.

General Urquhart is one of the most charismatic characters in the second world war.He is shown to be a serious soldier with great warmth and charm in the film. He is seen to obey the rules given to him without showing any opposition to them. He is afraid of heights and yet he decides jump  for his country. He is helpful and does’nt mind doing the work of a sergeant. When he gets out of his hiding from the attic of one of the houses and his soldier gets shot, he refuses to leave him with the comforts of the other home until he is assured that his soldier would be okay. This shows his loyalty.

2.  General Maxwell Taylor: CO, 101st Airborne Division,

He is portrayed to be the smart one and diplomatic one. He doesnt not like the plan crafted by Montogomery, yet says nothing about it. He however talks about it to his dutch advisor and shows his uncertainaity in the plan. His is sarcastic in his talk with his soldier and the concern is clearly shown on his face.

3. General Stainslaw Sosabowski: CO, Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, Polish Armed Forces

He shows his disagreement with the plan right from the start. He is the only one that stands for what he believes and thinks that this plan is a disaster. He is brute and to the point and not afraid to voice his opinions. He even asks Browning to write a letter stating that he was forced into this if his men get massacred. He is loyal to his country

4. General James Gavin: CO, US 82nd Airborne Division

He was the first to jump. He has an athletic posture and takes his responsibility very seriously. He is intelligent, however reserved and quiet than from the rest of the commanders.

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In the movie Gettysburg,  General Robert Lee and Colonel Chamberlain play a crucial role as they both have contributed greatly to the battle. Though the two fought for the same cause, Chamberlain and Lee were quite different from each other.

General Robert lee was one of the most beloved men in the movie. He is characterized as an old wise man and a brilliant commander. He fervently holds up the traditional ways of combat despite knowing that it need newer ideas. He inspires his soldiers and at times overestimate his confidence in them. He doesnt analyze things the way Chamberlain does and has a lesser experience with battle.

Chamberlain was a professor at Bowdoin College during the time of war. He left it his work and joined the army for his deep desire to serve the country and became a distinguished soldier at the end of the war. He is shown to be very educated and thoughtful. He is an idealized soldier who chose to gave up his job as a professor in order to fight for his country. Chamberlain analyses what he sees around him as has a much closer hand on experience with the battle.

works cited

The movie is a story within a story. It is set during the civil war where Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, played by Matthew Broderick leads the 54th Regiment of the Volunteering Infantry: the first black regiment to be used in war. The regiment does not only fight for their country but also their respect.

The prejudice against the 54th regiment was so strong that the regiment was not allowed to fight but rather treated as slaves. They were not given uniform and proper foot wear.Colonel Robert had to fight for his soldiers and be persistent to get shoes for them.

They were even payed less wages than the the other soldiers. This enraged the black soldiers. They tore their wages up saying they’re “not going to take slave wage”. Seeing that all the soldiers tore their wages and were still ready to fight the war, Shaw tore his wage up as well. In this way he gained a lot of respect amongst his soldiers.

The regiment had to undergo a lot of obstacles to be allowed to fight in the war. However at the end, the war was worth fighting for the black. The black troops showed that they were human too and were willing to stake everything to gain their freedom and respect. The movie did not have a happy ending, however it showed the moment of glory for the black regiment.

1. I would Like to learn how do military organizations work, the strategy and various angles they look at before tackling a problem.

2. The system of Rankings, From the highest to the Lowest and the responsibilities of each rank besides the obvious ‘protect the country and its citizens’.

3. The history of wars, the good and bad times, the battles lost and won, I want to know how they would strategize a plan before implementing an attack, and if it goes wrong how would they adapt to that situation.

4. The different Categories in a military and their functioning.

In the movie Patton, both Omar Bradley and George Patton played significant roles as militant leaders. They both were Bold and authoritative figures in the film, having a knack to adapt and improvise on any situation, even the toughest ones, thrown at them.

I, however see myself leaning more towards Omar Bradley, as I find his ways of dealing with situations more logical and less harsh in comparison to General Patton.

General Bradley, is more amiable and courteous, even while issuing an order he would end it with a ‘please’. He is the rock of stability and shows some emotion unlike General Patton who is more unpredictable, and at times even sarcastic and tactless.

General Bradley does not rush into things, he’s logical and takes all facts into consideration. This is unlike General Patton as he is quite unpredictable and competitive.

However though General Patton is more of the outspoken one and very direct with what he speaks. General Bradley on the other hand is more gentle and quiet.

I find most traits of Bradley in me than that of Patton except for the outspoken trait. I prefer getting all the facts straight before jumping to conclusions. I therefore would like to be like general Bradley.