Operation Teutonic Sword (1958)

An East German documentary by Andrew and Annelie Thorndike investigating NATO General Hans Speidel’s alleged role in the 1934 assassination of Yugoslav King Alexander I and French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou. Drawing on archival footage and documents, it scrutinizes Speidel’s past and postwar career, provoking controversy and a ban in West Germany. The film won First Prize at the 1958 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Heinrich Greif Prize in East Germany.

• Release Date: 1958-06-06
• Runtime: 0h 49min
• Production Company: DEFA-Studio für Dokumentarfilme
• Production Country: East Germany
• Directors: Andrew Thorndike, Annelie Thorndike.