Krebs meets General Chuikov is a scene in Downfall that is commonly used in parodies. The whole scene is spoken in Russian.
In Downfall[]
In the Russian Headquarters, Vasily Chuikov is looking at some propaganda drawings to which he is impressed by. In the room are war correspondents Konstantin Simonov, Yevgeniy Dolmatovsky, and Matvey Blanter, and a Russian soldier. He is interrupted by another soldier who informs him that the German delegation has arrived. After the soldier leaves the room to tell the Germans to wait, Chuikov rises from the table and gives to both Simonov and Dolmatovsky, who already are wearing military uniforms, some medals, telling them to pretend to be his general staff, who are currently on the front. Matvey however, wears only civilian clothes, so Chuikov has no choice but to shove him in the closet, telling him to keep quiet.
The German delegation, sent by new Reich Chancellor Joseph Goebbels and led by Hans Krebs, enter the room after Chuikov tells them to proceed. Chuikov remarks that he knows Krebs, who was an attaché at the German embassy. Krebs tells Chuikov that Hitler and his wife Eva Braun have committed suicide. Chuikov, however, tells him that they already know, which was a bluff. Krebs is surprised. He then hands Chuikov a document that calls for a ceasefire, but Chuikov rejects it saying that he will only accept unconditional surrender, something that Krebs cannot give.
In Downfall Parodies[]
The scene is used by many Untergangers, mainly due to the humorous nature of the part where Chuikov shoves Matvey Blanter in the closet. He is usually considered to be an intruder in the whatever meeting is about to happen between Krebs and the Russian general.
The negotiation scene between the two generals is also extensively used, and it is usually portrayed as either an important meeting or Krebs annoying the Russian general. Many mondegreens, such as "stupid," "gay," and "idiots" can be heard, and they've even had a word fight in a similar vein to the Hitler Vs.
The scene was used when General Chuikov informs Hans Krebs that Stalin wants to be apart of the Hitler parodies as well, but Krebs then tells him "People would rather play with themselves than watch a Stalin Parody". After Krebs states the Hitler parodies are "the biggest thing to hit YouTube since the YouTube Poop" and says Stalin shouldn't quit his job any day, the video ends when Chuikov says "We'll see about that. Let the games begin..."
There were also instances where the parts with Krebs and/or the Russian soldier informing Chuikov are edited out and replaced with someone else to make it look that someone else is visiting him, like the Trololo guy (Chuikov gets extorted by the Trololo guy by KakashiBallZ), Otto Günsche (Vzorkic's Günsche gets lost), Heinz Linge or even Hitler himself (neutralitychecker's The Downfall of Gaia Online).
In some parodies, the phrase that Chuikov says before he closes the closet's doors ("Be quiet") is translated to "don't fart" or any other phrases.
Transcript[]
Russian transcript with German and English translations | |||
---|---|---|---|
Speaker | Russian | German | English |
CHUIKOV | Хорошо. Очень хорошо. Замечательно. | Gut. Sehr gut. Exzellent. | Good. Very good. Excellent. |
Что такое? | Was ist es? | What is it? | |
GUARD | Товарищ генерал, немецкая делегация прибыла. | Genosse General, die deutsche Delegation ist angekommen. | Comrade general, the German delegation has arrived. |
CHUIKOV | Что, уже? | Was schon? | What, already? |
GUARD | Они в прихожей. | Sie sind im Flur. | They're in the hallway. |
CHUIKOV | Пусть господа немного подождут. | Lass sie eine Weile warten. | Let them wait for a while. |
BACKGROUND SOLDIER 1 | Посмотри там в шкафу. | Schauen Sie in den Schrank. | Look in that closet. |
BACKGROUND SOLDIER 2 | Есть! | Jawohl. | Yes, sir. |
CHUIKOV | Товарищи, со мной. | Kameraden, folgt mir. | Comrades, follow me. |
Надевайте. | Zieh diese an. | Put these on. | |
Мои генералы еще на фронте вы должны заменить мне мой штаб. | Da meine Generäle immer noch an der Front sind, müssen Sie beide als mein Stab einspringen. | As my generals are still at the front, you two must fill in as my staff. | |
Ведите себя так, как будто вы, мой штаб. | Handeln Sie entsprechend, als ob Sie zu meinem Stab gehören würden. | Act accordingly, as if you are on my staff. | |
Все должно выглядеть совершенно натурально. Выполнять. | Alles muss völlig natürlich aussehen. Führen Sie es aus. | Everything must look completely natural. Carry it out. | |
Быстро товарищ, забирайтесь. | Schnell, Kamerad, kommen Sie hier rein. | Quickly, comrade, get in here. | |
Давайте же! Давай! Молчок. | Komm schon. Gehen! Ruhig sein. | Come on already. Go! Be quiet. | |
Просите! | Eingeben! | Enter! | |
Мы знакомы? | Kennen wir uns nicht? | Haven't we met? | |
KREBS | Мы несколько раз виделись в Кремле, до войны. | Wir trafen uns vor dem Krieg mehrmals im Kreml. | We met several times in the Kremlin, before the war. |
Я был тогда атташе немецкого дипломатического корпуса. | Ich war damals Attaché des deutschen diplomatischen Korps. | I was an attaché to the German diplomatic corps back then. | |
CHUIKOV | Господин Генерал, какие известия? | General, was gibt es Neues? | General, what's the news? |
KREBS | Я сообщаю вам, что Адольф Гитлер и его жена покончили с собой. | Ich teile Ihnen mit, dass Adolf Hitler und seine Frau Selbstmord begangen haben. | I inform you that Adolf Hitler and his wife have committed suicide. |
CHUIKOV | Нам это известно. | Das war uns bewusst. | We were aware of that. |
KREBS | Это невероятно. | Das ist eine unglaubliche Behauptung. | That's an incredible claim. |
Я уполномочен правительством, вступить с вами в переговоры, о заключении мира, между нашими государствами, понесшими самые большие потери в этой войне. | Ich bin von meiner Regierung ermächtigt, mit Ihnen Verfahren für Friedensverhandlungen zwischen unseren Staaten einzuleiten, da wir beide die schwersten Verluste im Krieg erlitten haben. | I am authorized by my administration to commence proceedings with you toward negotiations of peace between our states, as we both have suffered the heaviest losses in the war. | |
CHUIKOV | Господин Генерал, вы бы сами заключили бы со мной мир в подобной ситуации? | General, hätten Sie in einer ähnlichen Situation Frieden mit mir geschlossen? | General, would you have made peace with me under a similar situation? |
KREBS | Такова моя задача. | Es ist lediglich meine aktuelle Aufgabe. | It is merely my current task. |
CHUIKOV | Тогда доложите вашему правительству следующее: | Dann müssen Sie Ihrer Verwaltung Folgendes mitteilen: | Then you are to inform your administration of the following: |
Берлин должен безоговорочно капитулировать. | Berlin muss bedingungslos kapitulieren. | Berlin must unconditionally surrender. | |
Все капитулирующие, должны сложить оружие. | Alle, die sich ergeben, müssen ihre Waffen niederlegen. | All who surrender are to lay down their weapons. | |
Вот тогда и поговорим. | Dann werden wir reden. | That will be when we talk. | |
KREBS | На безоговорочную капитуляцию мое правительство не пойдет. | Meine Regierung wird einer bedingungslosen Kapitulation nicht zustimmen. | My administration will not agree to an unconditional surrender. |
CHUIKOV | Сложившаяся ситуация не предполагает альтернативы. | Unsere aktuelle Situation lässt keine Alternativen zu. | Our current situation does not suggest any alternatives. |
Trivia[]
- The scene where Chuikov shoves Blanter in the closet really happened and it was first recorded in Cornelius Ryan's The Last Battle.
- The book claims, that because Matvey wore only civilian clothes, he could not pass as a military staff, so he was "hastily shoved into a clothes closet adjoining the meeting room. He stayed there for most of the ensuing conference. Just before the visitors left, he fainted from lack of air and fell into the room, to the utter astonishment of the Germans."
- According to the director Oliver Hirschbiegel, as Blanter falls out of the closet several Russian soldiers enter the room and hauled him away, after which the negotiation continues as if nothing happened. In the B-roll, this happened in the scene before the last couple of exchanges between Krebs and Chuikov.
- The scene is was heavily cut in the Theatrical version; the following clips were cut:
- The beginning of the scene, up until Chuikov asking Krebs what news he brings.
- Chuikov's knowledge of Hitler's death and Krebs's surprise.
- Krebs's line where he says that it's his mission and Chuikov's surrender demands.
- Director Hirschbiegel states the reason for the numerous cuts of this scene is that he felt that people would not take the Blanter incident seriously
- As requested by Chuikov, neither Simonov nor Dolmatovsky speak during the negotiation.
- In Die letzte Schlacht, the negotiations happen in the presence of all of Chuikov's staff, while both Krebs (portrayed by Christian Redl) and Chuikov speak in German. At the end, the German delegation leaves, but nobody falls from any closet.
- The Latvian translator's name is Obersturmführer Neilandis, who commanded the 80 man company from the 15th SS-Reconnaissance Battalion.
- Chuikov seems to have pulled the wardrobe knob off in his haste of hiding Blanter. This was most likely a mishap during filming.