Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow

In the Nazi-captured regions of Russia, the life of villagers went from bad to worse. In this fifth episode of the series, first shown on PBS, the initial optimism of peasants quickly dissipated when Hitler's forces began to display their utter disdain of Soviet citizens. It reveals the role of the Partisan resistance movement, whose first efforts were not sanctioned by Stalin. As their numbers grew, Stalin gave them support, and increased their power, ordering them to kill anyone suspected of disloyalty.

At this point in the war, Hitler is badly in need of supplies, and realizes that the vast oil stores of the Caucasus Mountains would solve some of his fuel problems. He pushes a large faction of his exhausted troops toward this goal, while another heads to Stalingrad for another offensive. Meanwhile, Stalin has told his Red Army that anyone caught retreating will be executed. The use of suicidal Penal Battalions, formed in part from Russia's political prisoners, began, and by the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, over one million Russian soldiers had lost their lives.

As the Russians began to make gains against the German army, both sides began to see the importance of the region of Kursk. After the harsh Russian winter, both sides had time to regroup during the spring. Russian factories churned out fresh supplies of war machinery, and Hitler unveiled his new plan, known as the Citadel. The July 5, 1943, meeting of the two opposing forces at Kursk became the biggest tank battle ever fought, utilizing six thousand tanks, four thousand aircraft, and two million soldiers.

The siege against Hitlers forces at Leningrad is finally lifted, and the Red Army is finding success against Hitler's forces.

As the Red Army approaches Berlin, Hitler mobilizes both young and old to defend the doomed city.

After World War II, those who hoped for a softening of the Stalin regime policies were disappointed. Instead of easing up on his tyrannical wielding of power, Stalin continued his persecution of Soviet citizens, and imposed his system on other communist nations in Eastern Europe. This episode examines his attitudes toward his own people and his ambition to expand Russian territories. The beginnings of resistance to his policies can be discerned, and, in 1953, Stalin died of a brain hemorrhage.