Red Star: The Soviet Union - 1941-1943

The narrative and interpretation given in this episode remains accurate and in line with the broad consensus of historical views. The "two years" of "co-operation" between Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany alluded to in another review was the default result of the West, France and Britain, rejecting Russian overtures for a military alliance against Hitler immediately before 1939. In any case, this particular episode in the series covered the period of German invasiin and defeat in Russia and the costs (on both sides) involved. As such it is a thrilling, if that word can be used, gripping and statistically accurate account of what was perhaps the most crucially defining theatre in the whole war. As A J P Taylor remarked, and as the number of people surviving with authentic experience of these events dwindles, not only do bizarre conspiracy theories flourish (eg. Washington had prior knowledge and was somehow "in" on the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbour) but a certain revisionist backlash moulded by political motives sets in. Fortunately, the current state of scholarship and the supremely solid foundation of research and production values for which the World At War are string enough to resist such pressures. Fantastic documentary series, unsurpassed, as valid and instructive now as then.