Introduction

Documentary examining Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

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Outline

During the Battle of Moscow, Hitler forced his armies to stand their ground despite brutally cold conditions. To prevent his soldiers from leaving the front line, Stalin ordered special blocking detachments to shoot all deserters. Such brutality set the tone for the rest of the war.

And, it was not just the soldiers who suffered. The Soviet leadership instructed Soviet partisans operating in the countryside to kill anyone thought to be disloyal. This was taken by the partisans as a carte blanche to take whatever they wanted from helpless villagers, a report from one …

War of the Century Series

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Production & Filming Details

• Narrator(s): Samuel West.
• Director(s): Laurence Rees.
• Writer(s): Laurence Rees.
• Producer(s): Laurence Rees, Martina Balazova, Tom Lasica, Detlef Siebert, and Alexandra Umminger.
• Music: Brian Biffin.
• Cinematography: Martin Patmore, Stefan Thissen, and Jens Tukiendorf.
• Editor(s): Alan Lygo and Volkers Zielke.
• Production: BBC and Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).
• Distributor(s): BBC (original airing).
• Original Network: BBC Two.
• Release Date: 12 October 1999.
• Running Time: 200 minutes (total running time).
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7jpOLytiZg