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♪
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Adolf Hitler had never disguised
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his belief that the Soviet Union
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would be his regime's
ultimate enemy.
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He hated communism,
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and saw the vast open spaces,
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and abundant natural
resources of Soviet Russia
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as the prize which
would finally enable
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the German people to
become the master race.
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Throughout the early
months of 1941,
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as he stayed at the Berghof,
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his country retreat
in the Bavarian Alps,
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Hitler planned his
greatest gamble.
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Operation Barbarossa,
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the assault on the Soviet Union.
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Steadily, his armies were
redeployed to the east
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and re-equipped
for what would be
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their greatest challenge.
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In theory Stalin's Soviet Union
was still Hitler's ally,
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and Stalin was keen
to keep it that way
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for his country was woefully
unprepared for war.
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The mighty Red Army,
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once the largest and
most technologically
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advanced in the world,
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had been devastated
by Stalin's purges
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in the later 1930s.
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Some three quarters of
its senior officers
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had been shot or imprisoned.
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Despite appearances there
had been a catastrophic
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collapse in morale
and efficiency.
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As German soldiers now flooded
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into neighbouring Poland,
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Stalin, desperate to
maintain the peace,
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gave orders that
nothing should be done
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to offend Hitler.
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But Hitler had one
other task to perform
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before he could
push on to Russia.
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He needed to secure
his southern flank.
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Rumania, Bulgaria and Hungary
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were Germany's firm allies.
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But in March 1941, the
Yugoslav government,
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sympathetic to Germany,
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was overthrown by
pro-British forces.
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It's next door neighbour
Greece was also pro-British.
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So, on April the 6th, 1941,
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the German army
invaded the Balkans.
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Thirty-three German divisions
moved into Yugoslavia.
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They swiftly tore
its defences apart.
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The capital Belgrade
surrendered on April the 12th.
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Greece fell almost as quickly.
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Despite British help
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Athens was captured in
less than three weeks.
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The way was now clear for
Operation Barbarossa.
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Over 4 million men
were to be deployed.
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They were supported by
more than 3,000 aircraft.
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The plan called for three
simultaneous thrusts.
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Army Group North would
overrun the Baltic states
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and seize Leningrad.
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Army Group Centre was
to advance to Moscow.
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And Army Group South would
occupy the Ukraine.
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Hitler's generals went silent
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when he showed them the plan.
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They were worried it
was too ambitious
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and would spread their
forces too thinly.
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But none dared voice
their doubts.
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The Red Army was much bigger.
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It had nearly two million men
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within striking distance
of the western front
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and millions more in reserve.
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The Russians also had
more than 20,000 tanks,
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far outnumbering
Germany's 6,000.
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They were older
and less powerful
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but they were still a
formidable fighting force.
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The issue for Germany was,
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could its superior
technology and speed
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overwhelm the Russians
before the Red Army's
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vast numbers ground them down?
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Operation Barbarossa
began at 3:15 A.M.
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on June the 22nd, 1941.
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The Luftwaffe joined in at dawn,
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targeting Soviet airfields.
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Simultaneously, the
ground attack began.
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The Germans swiftly
crossed the River Bug
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on the border between Poland
and the Soviet Union.
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Hitler's Panzers were
soon thrusting deep
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into Soviet territory.
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Within two days the
Panzers had penetrated
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more than 50 miles.
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Ill-coordinated Red
Army counterattacks
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were swiftly brushed aside.
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Tens of thousands
of Soviet prisoners
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were rounded up.
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Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe had
total domination of the air.
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The Red Army's leadership
seemed paralysed
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by the German onrush.
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On June the 29th,
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seven days after the
start of the assault,
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two Panzer thrusts
met up near Minsk,
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surrounding huge pockets
of Soviet troops.
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As the follow-up
infantry arrived
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more than 300,000
prisoners were taken.
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Often the Germans found
themselves welcomed
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as liberators, particularly
in the Ukraine
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where anti-Russian
feeling was widespread.
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In Moscow, Stalin
appeared to have suffered
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a near-breakdown at the
news of his betrayal
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by Hitler.
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He remained silent for
more than a week.
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Not until July the 3rd,
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did he appeal to his
people's patriotism
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to save the Motherland.
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In Britain, the Prime
Minister, Winston Churchill,
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received the news of
Operation Barbarossa
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with very different feelings.
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It meant the country
no longer stood alone.
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He announced that any
enemy of Nazi Germany
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was a friend of Britain's,
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no matter what the political
differences in the past.
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He then sent a mission to Moscow
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to sign a treaty of
mutual assistance
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with Soviet foreign minister
Vyacheslav Molotov.
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But apart from
sending aid by sea
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there was little Britain
could do immediately
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to help the Soviet Union.
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As June turned to July
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the German Blitzkrieg
slashed deeper
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into Soviet territory.
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It was beginning to
look as if nothing
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could stop Hitler.
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But he was about to make
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his first major
strategic blunder.
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In early July, 1941,
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over 300,000 Red Army troops
were surrounded west of Minsk.
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Hitler's Panzer commanders,
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in particular General
Heinz Guderian,
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begged to be allowed to race on.
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Operation Barbarossa was
working like clockwork.
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Within a week, the Panzers
were at Smolensk,
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deep inside Russia,
and only a couple of
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hundred miles from Moscow.
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On July the 22nd a
Panzer pincer movement
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met to the east of Smolensk,
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trapping another
310,000 Soviet troops.
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Here there was a brief pause
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while the rest of
the army caught up.
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Though the tanks could
move at spectacular speed,
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most of the army
still had to walk
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or rely on horse-drawn
transport.
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But it still only
took them five days
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before they arrived
and began mopping up.
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The operation was completed
in just nine more days.
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Vast columns of Soviet prisoners
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began trudging
west to captivity.
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Over two and a half
million never returned.
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Moscow was now only two
hundred miles away
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and the road lay open.
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It seemed certain it would fall
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by the end of the
summer, as planned.
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But elsewhere, the
German advance
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was finding the going
more difficult.
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The Red Army was counter-
attacking more effectively,
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and by mid-July Army Group South
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was still more than
50 miles from Kiev.
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Hitler decided
Guderian's Panzers
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should delay their
advance on Moscow
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and swing south to
Kiev to provide help.
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Guderian objected strongly,
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but Hitler was adamant.
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There should be no further
advance on Moscow
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until Kiev had fallen.
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It would turn out to
be a fateful decision.
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There were already
worrying signs
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the Red Army was not
going to be the pushover
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Hitler had been expecting.
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Soviet manpower seemed endless.
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More than 16 million
troops were now mobilised.
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And the Red Army now had some
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formidable new weapons.
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In particular, a new tank,
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the 37-ton T-34.
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It had a 76 mm gun,
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and was faster and
better cross-country
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than the Panzer Mark IV.
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Yet, as the Blitzkrieg continued
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it was easy to miss
the warning signs.
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Guderian's Panzer group
began its thrust south
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on August the 23rd, 1941.
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The Panzers of Army Group South
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struck north three weeks later.
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The pincers met east of
Kiev on September the 16th.
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Two more Soviet armies
were utterly destroyed.
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Half a million men were
killed or captured.
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On the same day,
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more than a thousand
miles to the north,
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Army Group North surrounded
the city of Leningrad,
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today's St. Petersburg.
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It was immediately cut off
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from the rest of
the Soviet Union.
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The city was besieged.
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Hitler decided not to storm it
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and the German
troops settled down
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to starve it into surrender.
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Conditions in the
city became dire.
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The only link to the
rest of the Soviet Union
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was across Lake
Ladoga to the east,
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but only a small amount of
food could come in by water.
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Starvation set in.
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Over 11,000 people
died in November.
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Not until December could
an ice road be opened
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across the lake and there
was a slight increase
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in rations.
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But 3,700 people
died of starvation
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on one day in December alone.
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00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,256
Meanwhile, Army Group Centre
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00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,480
now prepared for the
final assault on Moscow.
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Guderian's Panzers
had re-joined it
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00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,520
to lead the Blitzkrieg.
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00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,936
The Germans had a two to
one superiority in tanks
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and men at the front,
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and three to one in aircraft.
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00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:21,456
The assault started on
September the 20th, 1941.
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Once again Guderian's Panzers
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slashed deep through
the Red Army.
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By October the 7th,
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yet more Soviet troops
were surrounded.
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But Stalin was determined
to defend Moscow
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to the last.
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He appointed Marshal
Georgy Zhukov
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to organise the
defence of the city.
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The people of Moscow
were mobilised
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to dig a series of
defensive lines.
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But the real obstacle
to German advance
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would be the weather.
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00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,920
On October the 8th,
heavy rains set in.
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00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,696
German vehicles soon
became bogged down
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in a sea of mud.
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By late October,
appalling weather
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and an increasingly
stubborn Soviet resistance
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00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,536
meant Army Group Centre was
still some fifty miles
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00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:39,200
short of Moscow.
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00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:42,976
Hitler was finally
paying the price
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for his decision
earlier in the year
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to delay his advance on Moscow.
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At around the same time,
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Army Group South
reached the Black Sea
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00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,776
trapping yet more
Soviet soldiers.
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00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,120
Another 100,000
prisoners were taken.
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00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,400
But they too were
hampered by the weather.
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00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,016
Even so, the city of Kharkov
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was captured on October
the 24th, 1941.
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00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:29,496
But the weather was now
starting to freeze.
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The German forces,
confident the campaign
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00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:33,616
would be over by the summer,
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00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,816
were caught unprepared.
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With no winter clothing,
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00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:39,840
they now suffered terribly.
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00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,096
On the Moscow front,
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00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:49,576
Army Group Centre was now
beginning its final push
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00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,720
to capture the Soviet capital.
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00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:56,256
By December the 4th,
261
00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,416
its leading units were just
19 miles from Red Square.
262
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,896
Some reconnaissance patrols
claimed they could see
263
00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:04,896
the golden domes of the Kremlin
264
00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:06,960
glinting in the distance.
265
00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,776
But that night the
temperature plunged again.
266
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:14,896
Tank engines would not start.
267
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,736
Weapons froze.
268
00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,520
Many soldiers were
severely frostbitten.
269
00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:25,656
On December the 5th,
270
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,160
the Germans halted the attack.
271
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,120
Winter had come to the
rescue of the Red Army.
272
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,496
But the Germans were confident
273
00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:39,136
that, come the spring,
274
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:40,800
they could finish the job.
275
00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,976
For much of autumn 1941,
276
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,600
Stalin's armies reeled under
the German onslaught.
277
00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,056
But all the while he
had another worry.
278
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,680
That the Japanese would
attack his forces in Siberia.
279
00:21:13,120 --> 00:21:14,416
But in November,
280
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,416
the Soviet dictator
received a message
281
00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,576
from his top spy in Japan
282
00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,400
assuring him the Japanese
had no such intention.
283
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,696
Immediately, more
than 30 divisions
284
00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,376
began moving west along the
Trans-Siberian railway
285
00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:32,920
to Moscow.
286
00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,016
They were well-equipped
and well-trained
287
00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:41,840
in winter fighting.
288
00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:47,336
By early December,
289
00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:48,976
more than half a
million extra men
290
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,320
were in position
near the capital.
291
00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,056
On December the 5th,
292
00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,136
just as the Germans were
abandoning their attempt
293
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:07,096
to capture Moscow,
294
00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:10,136
they were hit by a
savage Russian attack.
295
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,320
First came a massive
Soviet artillery barrage.
296
00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,856
Then swarms of Soviet T-34's
297
00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,400
crashed through the
German defences.
298
00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:34,256
Stunned by the
savagery of the attack
299
00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,896
by an enemy they had
assumed was on the ropes,
300
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,240
the Germans fell back.
301
00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:44,896
For the next seven days
302
00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:48,360
the Soviet troops tore
into the German forces.
303
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,936
For Hitler, who had
only reluctantly agreed
304
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:00,816
to halt the attack on Moscow
305
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,936
it was a terrible blow.
306
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,096
On December the 19th,
307
00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:12,016
he sacked his overall
commander in chief,
308
00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,496
Field Marshal Walther
von Brauchitsch,
309
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,960
and assumed command himself.
310
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,736
Heinz Guderian was also sacked,
311
00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,600
along with 35 other
senior officers.
312
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:34,816
Hitler now ordered
313
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,296
that there would be
no more retreats.
314
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,296
The German troops should fight
315
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,400
and, if necessary, die
where they stood.
316
00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:49,016
It worked.
317
00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,760
The German line
gradually steadied.
318
00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,136
But Stalin, elated by
the Red Army's success,
319
00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,920
now demanded a massive advance
across the whole front.
320
00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:07,536
Marshal Zhukov,
321
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,856
one of Stalin's most
trusted commanders,
322
00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:11,376
tried to dissuade him,
323
00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,600
but Stalin was determined.
324
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:25,496
For the next four months,
325
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,216
fighting swirled inconclusively
326
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,200
around the German
defensive positions.
327
00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,400
For Hitler this was a very
uncomfortable situation.
328
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,480
He was used to, and
expected, quick results.
329
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:47,976
Now he was dangerously
bogged down
330
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,496
in the Soviet Union
and facing an enemy
331
00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,640
that never seemed to give up.
332
00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,480
Nor was Russia his
only headache.
333
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,896
On December the 7th, 1941,
334
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,536
Germany's ally Japan
attacked the United States
335
00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:13,120
without warning.
336
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:20,080
Hitler, with almost no thought,
also declared war on the U.S.
337
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,496
With no advanced planning
338
00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,840
he had taken on a
massive new enemy.
339
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,336
As 1941 became 1942,
340
00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:35,296
Hitler remained determined to go
341
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,576
on the offensive
again in Russia.
342
00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:39,896
But he needed a new strategy.
343
00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,016
The original plan of fighting
across the whole front
344
00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,240
was no longer tenable.
345
00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:52,496
Moreover, as his economic
advisers told him,
346
00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,440
Germany's oil supplies
were running low.
347
00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,376
So he decided to halt the
attacks in the north,
348
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,400
and instead, head for Russia's
oilfields in the south.
349
00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,496
The initial plan for
Operation Blue,
350
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:11,776
as it was called,
351
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,296
envisaged an assault
south of Kharkov
352
00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:18,616
with Army Group A swinging
down to seize the oilfields
353
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:20,416
while Army Group B
354
00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,320
covered its flank
along the River Don.
355
00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:31,336
Straight away there was
a brutal encounter
356
00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:35,160
with Soviet forces trying
to retake Kharkov.
357
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,880
Another 200,000 Soviet
troops were captured.
358
00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,000
70,000 were killed.
359
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,096
As part of the same operation
360
00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:12,816
the German's tightened
their siege
361
00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:16,080
of the Port of Sevastopol
in the Crimea.
362
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,136
For eight months the
defenders had been
363
00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,296
under constant bombardment
from German artillery
364
00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:27,120
including a massive
400-mm railway gun.
365
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:34,496
In late June 1942,
366
00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:37,520
Sevastopol finally
fell to the Germans.
367
00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,000
It was now safe to head
for the oilfields.
368
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,440
On June the 28th, the
offensive began.
369
00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:56,056
Army Group B forced its way
through to the River Don
370
00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,880
and advanced along
its western bank.
371
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,560
Army Group A faced
stronger resistance.
372
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,520
But by July the 9th, it
was close to Rostov.
373
00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:30,416
Hitler now made a series
of what would turn out
374
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:33,120
to be serious
strategic blunders.
375
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,656
As Army Group B made
its way along the Don,
376
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,376
the Fuehrer ordered it
to capture Stalingrad
377
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,536
even though the city
had no immediate
378
00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:44,600
strategic significance.
379
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,480
The army had suddenly been
given a massive new task.
380
00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:58,576
Two weeks later Hitler
compounded his misjudgement.
381
00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,296
Frustrated by the slow
progress of the campaign
382
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,496
in the Caucasus, he diverted
the bulk of his Panzers
383
00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:06,256
down to the mountains.
384
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,720
The march on Stalingrad
slowed noticeably.
385
00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,216
The reinforced Army Group A
386
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,056
now raced across the Caucasus
387
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,376
to within 70 miles
of the Caspian,
388
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,856
threatening to cut off
all the Soviet Armies
389
00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:27,200
in the area.
390
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,736
But then Hitler changed
his mind again.
391
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,616
Enraged by Army Group
B's slow progress
392
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,616
to Stalingrad, he now
ordered the Panzers
393
00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:43,120
back up north.
394
00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,696
On August the 9th, Army
Group A seized the first
395
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,240
of the southern
oilfields at Maikop.
396
00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,920
It found them
comprehensively trashed.
397
00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:05,856
But without reinforcements
it could get no further
398
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,816
and the huge oilfields
in the central Caucasus
399
00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,896
and those near the Caspian Sea
400
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,320
remained beyond its grasp.
401
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:19,560
But by now Hitler's attention
had shifted again.
402
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,536
In late August, German
forces were within
403
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,040
striking distance of Stalingrad.
404
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:34,496
The assault on the city
which bore the name
405
00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,600
of Hitler's
arch-enemy had begun.
406
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,536
It would be one of the
most crucial battles
407
00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:42,480
of World War 2.
408
00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:59,336
On August the 17th, 1942,
409
00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,176
general Friedrich
Paulus's Sixth Army
410
00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,936
crossed the Don and
began a final push
411
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:06,600
on Stalingrad.
412
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,736
Six days later, one
Panzer thrust had reached
413
00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,416
the Volga river just
north of the city,
414
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,720
and German forces were
fighting in the outer suburbs.
415
00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,360
Hitler seemed poised
for a famous victory.
416
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:39,120
Stalingrad was an important
industrial centre.
417
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,856
It straggled for
more than 12 miles
418
00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,200
along the west
bank of the river.
419
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,096
Its factories produced
over a quarter
420
00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,696
of the Soviet Union's
tractors and trucks,
421
00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,280
as well as tanks and guns.
422
00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:00,416
The Russian people had turned
it into a formidable fortress.
423
00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,576
They had been helped
by Hitler's decision
424
00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,656
to send Army Group B's
Panzers to the south.
425
00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,720
This had given them another
two weeks to prepare.
426
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:17,896
The German plan was to
make a direct assault
427
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:19,280
on the city.
428
00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:28,296
Now began one of
the most prolonged
429
00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,560
and intense battles
of World War 2.
430
00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:47,536
Slowly the Germans
edged forward,
431
00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,616
street by street, with
Stuka dive bombers
432
00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:52,760
blitzing just ahead of them.
433
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:04,576
The fighting was savage,
434
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:07,720
house to house, room by room.
435
00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:15,696
The Soviet defenders
used the sewers
436
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,256
for shelter and communications,
437
00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,320
and the ruins above for sniping.
438
00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,096
Russian reinforcements
had to be brought
439
00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:33,520
across the river.
440
00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:45,920
Often, they were under
assault from the air.
441
00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:51,896
But even so, thousands
got through.
442
00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:58,296
By late September,
443
00:33:58,320 --> 00:33:59,976
the Germans had pushed
their way through
444
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,360
most of the city,
almost to the Volga.
445
00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,256
For Hitler, the
capture of Stalingrad
446
00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:10,120
was now an obsession.
447
00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,056
On October the 4th, 1942,
448
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,616
General Paulus launched
what was meant to be
449
00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:23,480
the final assault on Stalingrad.
450
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:28,136
Tanks led the way,
451
00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:31,296
grinding over the rubble
and firing point-blank
452
00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:32,720
into courtyards.
453
00:34:37,240 --> 00:34:39,096
One German officer said:
454
00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:43,240
"The advance is measured
in corpses, not meters."
455
00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:48,096
German victory seemed certain.
456
00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,856
But in fact, the Germans
were dangerously
457
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:52,560
overextended.
458
00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:57,896
By mid-November,
459
00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,216
the Soviet army was
bringing in reinforcements.
460
00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:06,240
More than a million troops,
13,500 guns, 900 tanks
461
00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:09,656
and over one thousand aircraft
462
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:12,360
were secretly moved
to the battle zone.
463
00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:24,616
On November the 19th,
464
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,280
they attacked the
German's northern flank.
465
00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:34,536
After a massive
artillery barrage,
466
00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:37,096
the T-34's and assault infantry
467
00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,720
burst through the
German positions.
468
00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,136
Now, it was the Germans
who surrendered
469
00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:47,720
in their thousands.
470
00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,376
The next day, a Soviet
assault in the south
471
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:00,720
was equally successful.
472
00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:04,696
And on November the 23rd,
473
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:08,096
these pincer movements
met west of Stalingrad
474
00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:11,080
cutting off the
German Sixth Army.
475
00:36:14,240 --> 00:36:17,296
General Paulus, in charge
of the German forces,
476
00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:18,976
could have broken out.
477
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,240
But Hitler ordered him
to stand and fight.
478
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:27,976
The Fuehrer had been
assured by the Luftwaffe
479
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,136
that sufficient supplies
could be airlifted
480
00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:31,696
into Stalingrad.
481
00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:33,696
This was enough for
him to announce
482
00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:35,816
that the German
positions must hold out
483
00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:37,440
until relieved.
484
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:43,336
To help Paulus, Field
Marshal Erich von Manstein,
485
00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:45,776
the overall German
commander in the region,
486
00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,296
launched Operation
'Winter Storm'
487
00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:50,240
on December the 12th.
488
00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,816
It was an attempt by
the German Panzers
489
00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,880
to break the Soviet
encirclement of the city.
490
00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:05,296
For two days it went well.
491
00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,120
But then Red Army
resistance increased.
492
00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:12,576
By December the 23rd,
493
00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:15,296
the German rescue attempt
had ground to a halt
494
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:18,160
about 30 miles from the city.
495
00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:23,496
Manstein advised the
beleaguered Paulus
496
00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:26,120
to attempt to break
out of Stalingrad.
497
00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:31,560
But Paulus wanted
Hitler's permission.
498
00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,520
This was refused.
499
00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:40,840
It was probably too late anyway.
500
00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:44,016
Marshal Zhukov now
unleashed the next stage
501
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:45,880
of his master plan.
502
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,800
It was a massive assault on
the Panzer relief operation.
503
00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:03,496
The Panzers were pushed
back, away from the city,
504
00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:04,856
and by the end of December,
505
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,056
all hope of relieving
the German forces
506
00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,400
in Stalingrad had gone.
507
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:18,776
Worse still, plans to
airlift aid into the city
508
00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:20,600
were a fiasco.
509
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:24,856
The German troops needed
700 tons of supplies
510
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:26,736
a day to survive.
511
00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:29,640
They never received
more than 80.
512
00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:36,256
The weather was too bad
513
00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:39,240
and the Red Air Force now
commanded the skies.
514
00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:45,776
Steadily, the Soviet troops
515
00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,400
squeezed in on the
encircled Germans.
516
00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:53,960
200,000 men were trapped.
517
00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:01,136
On January the 8th,
518
00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:03,920
the Soviet's called on the
Germans to surrender.
519
00:39:05,240 --> 00:39:06,720
They refused.
520
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:28,896
On January the 31st, 1943,
521
00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:31,400
Paulus was forced to surrender.
522
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:51,280
Over a 100,000 men stumbled
off into captivity.
523
00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:56,720
Only 5,000 would ever
return to Germany.
524
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:05,496
Stalingrad had been
a bloody battle.
525
00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:07,816
The Germans had been savaged.
526
00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:11,296
They had lost some
300,000 of their men
527
00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:14,160
and at least as many
of their allies.
528
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,016
The Russians had lost
about the same number,
529
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,440
including thousands
of civilians.
530
00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:31,416
It was Germany's
greatest catastrophe
531
00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:33,336
in the war so far.
532
00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:35,600
But it wouldn't be the last.
533
00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:40,256
The Red Army was now
inflicting massive defeats
534
00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:44,560
on Hitler's forces across
the whole Eastern Front.
535
00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:55,096
Stalingrad had been
a great triumph
536
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:56,696
for the Soviet army.
537
00:40:56,720 --> 00:40:59,776
Now its operational
commander, Marshal Zhukov,
538
00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:02,896
set his sights on the
Germany's Army Group A,
539
00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:05,240
still camped in the Caucasus.
540
00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:12,656
Soviet troops thrust their
way west of Stalingrad
541
00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:15,096
and by early December 1942
542
00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:18,120
were within 120 miles of Rostov.
543
00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,736
There was a real possibility
all the German forces
544
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,920
in the south would be cut off.
545
00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:27,936
With little choice,
546
00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:30,696
Hitler reluctantly
gave Army Group A,
547
00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:32,600
permission to fall back.
548
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:38,656
Over the next month,
549
00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,680
the Germans fought a
skilful rear-guard action.
550
00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:51,480
Hundreds of thousands
of troops withdrew.
551
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:57,856
Then on January the 12th, 1943,
552
00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,496
Zhukov launched an
all-out assault.
553
00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:11,720
The Soviets attacked
along a 500 mile front.
554
00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:19,496
Outnumbered seven to one,
555
00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:21,616
von Manstein, the
overall commander
556
00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:23,336
of German forces in the region,
557
00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:26,160
fought a brilliant
mobile retreat.
558
00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:32,616
But by the end of February,
559
00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:35,216
the Red Army had
recaptured both Kursk
560
00:42:35,240 --> 00:42:37,720
and the nearby city of Kharkov.
561
00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:44,496
This Russian winter offensive
562
00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:47,920
had struck a crippling
blow to German power.
563
00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:52,216
Over a matter of months it
had lost a million men,
564
00:42:52,240 --> 00:42:55,200
and vast numbers
of tanks and guns.
565
00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:02,496
The Red Army still had
enormous reserves
566
00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:04,080
of manpower.
567
00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:11,656
It was also benefiting
from a huge increase
568
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:13,936
in weapons production and aid
569
00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,640
from the United
States and Britain.
570
00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:23,640
The Germans also no longer had
the technological upper hand.
571
00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:27,816
The T-34 tank was
more than a match
572
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,120
for the Panzer Mark IV.
573
00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:35,456
And they also had the
terrifying Katyusha
574
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:37,176
multiple rocket-system,
575
00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:39,720
which shattered German troops.
576
00:43:44,720 --> 00:43:47,600
Yet Hitler refused to give up.
577
00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:52,456
He still dreamed of a
pre-emptive summer assault
578
00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:54,976
that would throw the
Soviet Union off balance
579
00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:57,240
and regain the initiative.
580
00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,336
The city of Kursk seemed the
obvious place to start.
581
00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:07,296
Here, the Soviet assault
had pushed a bulge
582
00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:09,456
deep into the German lines.
583
00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,320
It looked temptingly exposed.
584
00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:17,400
Hitler decided it should be
cut off and annihilated.
585
00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:23,296
He also had an ace
up his sleeve.
586
00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:25,056
The German counter-attack
would be led
587
00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:27,896
by a new generation
of German tanks
588
00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:30,496
especially designed to
combat the formidable
589
00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,320
Russian T-34.
590
00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:39,096
The massive but
slow 55-ton Tiger
591
00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:42,056
had a lethal 88 mm gun
592
00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:45,256
and its frontal armour
made it almost impervious
593
00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:47,440
to Soviet tank guns.
594
00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:55,976
And then there was the
faster 43-ton Panther
595
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,496
with a new 75 mm gun,
596
00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:02,120
also capable of
knocking out the T-34.
597
00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:06,456
These tanks were so new,
598
00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:08,576
Hitler was forced
to delay the attack
599
00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:10,696
while sufficient numbers
were manufactured
600
00:45:10,720 --> 00:45:12,560
and delivered to the front.
601
00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:23,696
But even as the German
forces began to assemble
602
00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:26,056
the Soviet commander
Marshal Zhukov
603
00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:28,680
guessed what was
about to happen.
604
00:45:31,640 --> 00:45:34,016
Soon afterwards he
received information
605
00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:35,296
from a Soviet spy ring
606
00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:37,296
inside the German High Command,
607
00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:40,120
confirming the site
of the attack.
608
00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:44,096
Zhukov ordered the
construction of a series
609
00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:47,296
of defensive lines with
anti-tank ditches,
610
00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:50,920
minefields and deep
belts of barbed wire.
611
00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:56,016
He also massively built up
Soviet forces in the area,
612
00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:59,296
pulling in troops and tanks
from less vulnerable parts
613
00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:00,640
of the front.
614
00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:08,296
By the eve of the
assault on Kursk,
615
00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:10,456
the Germans were
hugely outnumbered
616
00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:12,456
by Soviet defenders,
617
00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:16,896
who also knew exactly when
the Germans would attack.
618
00:46:22,520 --> 00:46:25,176
On July the 5th, 1943,
619
00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:28,176
just as the German troops
prepared to assault,
620
00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:31,800
they were hit by a huge
Soviet artillery bombardment.
621
00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:42,376
Even so, the next morning
622
00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:45,080
the Panzers still
rolled forward.
623
00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:50,256
But this time, they
were up against
624
00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:52,240
a well-entrenched enemy.
625
00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:54,496
There was no realistic chance
626
00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:57,096
of a lightning
Blitzkrieg breakthrough.
627
00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:06,680
The results were disastrous.
628
00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:11,456
In the north,
629
00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,896
the German army gained
a mere six miles
630
00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:18,920
for the loss of 25,000 men
and more than 200 tanks.
631
00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:33,296
In the south, the Germans
fared a little better.
632
00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:35,456
A wedge 25 miles deep
633
00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:38,056
was driven into the
Soviet defences.
634
00:47:38,080 --> 00:47:41,120
But it also came
at a high price.
635
00:47:45,080 --> 00:47:50,080
10,000 men were killed
and 350 tanks destroyed.
636
00:47:55,240 --> 00:47:57,176
But for a brief moment,
637
00:47:57,200 --> 00:47:59,096
it looked as if a
German breakthrough
638
00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:00,640
might be possible.
639
00:48:07,240 --> 00:48:10,120
Then Zhukov threw
in his reserves.
640
00:48:10,640 --> 00:48:12,936
On July the 12th, 1943,
641
00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:16,800
900 tanks charged into
the German flank.
642
00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:38,856
Almost 2,000 tanks now engaged
643
00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:41,376
in what was the largest
armoured battle
644
00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:43,320
of World War 2.
645
00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:58,496
The Soviet T-34's drove
into the German lines
646
00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:01,600
and opened fire at
point-blank range.
647
00:49:12,240 --> 00:49:15,136
After a single day
of brutal combat,
648
00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:18,616
the Germans had lost
a further 350 tanks
649
00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:20,520
and were retreating.
650
00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:29,760
Meanwhile, overhead, there
was an epic air battle.
651
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:35,696
Eventually, the Soviet air force
652
00:49:35,720 --> 00:49:39,240
established supremacy
over the Luftwaffe.
653
00:49:43,720 --> 00:49:45,336
Now the Russians could unleash
654
00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:50,160
their formidable Ilyushin IL
2 Sturmovik tank killers.
655
00:49:58,200 --> 00:50:02,176
By July the 23rd, the
Germans had lost any ground
656
00:50:02,200 --> 00:50:06,320
they had gained and with it,
the cream of their army.
657
00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:14,776
Hitler's adventure at Kursk
658
00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:17,736
had cost him at
least 50,000 troops
659
00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:20,320
and more than 700 tanks.
660
00:50:25,920 --> 00:50:28,416
Never again would
the Germans launch
661
00:50:28,440 --> 00:50:31,800
a major offensive on
the Eastern Front.
662
00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:40,360
The Russians had turned
the tide of the war.
49704
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