Tha Justus (15) air a dhòigh. Mu dheireadh thall tha e na “shaighdear” agus comasach air a’ Ghearmailt a dhìon. Còmhla ri grunnan de bhalaich òga eile, tha e an urra ris-san sràid baile a ghlèidheadh bho na h-Ameireaganaich. A-rèir an òrdain feumaidh iad a “ghlèidheadh gus am bheil am fear mu dheireadh aca air fhàgail”.
Tha Justus a’ gabhail smachd air na feachdan aca ach chan fhada gus a bheil “an cogadh fìor” a’ cur às dha na beachdan aige mu ghaisgeachd. Le na tancaichean Ameireaganach deiseal airson ionnsaigh a thoirt orra, tha co-dhùnadh aig Justus ri dhèanamh: an iarr e air na saighdearan òg a dhol a shabaid a dh’aindheoin ’s cho follaiseach ’s a tha e gu bheil an nàmhaid tòrr nas cumhachdaiche.
Mar a b’ fhaide a mhair an cogadh, ’s ann a bu mhotha a chaidh clann a chur an sàs anns an t-sabaid. Aig an àm sin, bha a’ mhòr chuid de bhalaich òga fhathast a’ creidsinn anns a’ “bhuaidh dheireannach” ann an “arm shònraichte” agus ann an geallaidhean a Führer. Bha buaidh fhollaiseach aig dusan bliadhna de dheachdaireachd Nadsaidh. Tro Òigridh Hitler bha na balaich òga eòlach air beatha campa, trèanadh arm, losgadh ghunnaichean agus spaidsearachd.
Dhaibhsan ’s e gaisgich a bha ann an saighdearan agus bha iad an dùil gur e sgiorradh a bha còir a bhith ann an cogadh. Bhiodh iad a’ seinn òrain mu bhàs gaisgeach, ach bha am bàs fhèin fad às. An uair sin chaidh an cur gu beul a’ bhlàir gun aon bheachd aca cò ris a bhiodh e coltach a bhith ga-rìribh a’ sabaid ann an cogadh. Bha iad fada ro òg airson na rinn iad agus na chunnaic iad. ’S iomadh dùthaich a chur saighdearan chloinne an sàs anns an Dàrna Cogadh. Tha an t-seachdamh earrann a’ dèiligeadh le cuspairean saighdearan chloinne agus ag amas air taisbeanadh làidir a dhèanamh an aghaidh fòirneart agus glòrachadh cogaidh.
Fifteen-year-old Justus is delighted - finally, as a 'soldier' he can contribute to defending Germany. He and a handful of other young boys are given the task of holding a village street against the Americans. The order is to 'hold until the last man'. Justus leads his troops to the designated deployment area. But the 'real war' destroys all their hero fantasies. When the American tanks move into attack positions, Justus must decide: does he order the others to fight, despite their enemy's obvious superior strength?
The longer the war went on, the more children were forced to fight. At that time, most of the young boys still believed in the 'final victory', in 'super weapons' and the promises of the Führer. Twelve years of Nazi dictatorship had left their mark. Camp life, military training, shooting, marching, drills - all these were things that the young boys already knew from being in Hitler Youth. For them, soldiers were brave heroes, war was supposed to be an adventure. They sang songs about dying a hero's death, but their own deaths were a long way off. And now they were to be sent to the front. But they had no idea what it really meant to fight in a war - not yet.
They were much too young for what they saw and for what they did. This episode deals with the topic of child soldiers and aims to make a strong statement against violence and the glorification of war. Show less