War of the Century

7.5

1999•1h

Production

The War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin, is a BBC documentary film series that examines Adolf Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and the no-holds-barred war on both sides. It not only examines the war but also the terror inside the Soviet Union at the time due to the paranoia of Joseph Stalin - the revenge atrocities, the Great Purge of army officers, the near-lunacy orders, and the paranoia of being upstaged by others, especially Marshal Zhukov. The historical adviser is Ian Kershaw.

Seasons

4 Episodes • Premiered 1999

1. High Hopes

Examines why the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941 and how it was that, by October of the same year, Hitler looked poised to take Moscow. Eyewitness accounts from soldiers on both sides of the battle and new footage. Among the details revealed are Stalin's dismissal of reports of the impending invasion and his attempts to seek a negotiated peace once it had begun.

2. Spiral of Terror

While the soldiers on both sides fought around Moscow under particularly brutal conditions, they weren't the only people to suffer. Around 13 million Soviet civilians died during Hitler's war against Stalin - more civilians than in any other war. This programme examines why this happened and sets it against the story of the brutal Nazi occupation and Stalin's own brutal partisan war.

3. Learning to Win

1942 was a year of transformation on the Eastern Front. At the start of the year the Germans were near the gates of Moscow. By the end, the mighty 6th army was encircled at Stalingrad.

4. Vengeance

As the Red Army advanced eastwards, many sought vengeance, not just on Germany, but on their own fellow citizens who had dared to allow themselves to be captured by the enemy.