These two films form the sweeping epic charting the early years through the tragic end of the Civil War. God and Generals, the prequel to the film Gettysburg, charts how the campaigns unfolded from Manassas I to the Battle of Fredericksburg. It explores the motivations of the combatants and examines the lives of those who waited at home. Gettysburg is the Civil War epic that recounts the pivotal battle in which more than 165,000 Federal and Confederate soldiers were involved. Over the course of three days, 50,000 Americans lost their lives.