Summary: Educational programme (one of a series about modern history presented by Brian Redhead) examining the career of Joseph Stalin.
Description: Stalin succeeds Lenin after first ousting Leon Trotsky from the leadership race. He proves himself to be a hard, ruthless leader, aiming to build up Russia's strength. Armed forces expanded and modernised. Literacy increases, as does output of coal, steel and power, but on land millions are starving - footage of peasants. Huge state farms formed. Stalin keeps out dangerous ideas from abroad, ruthlessly crushes enemies, and organises huge parades in Red Square to display military might. The Purges of the late 1930s. Threat from Hitler, who invades Poland in 1939 (starting Second World War), and Russia in 1941. Battle footage. Stalin determined and ruthless, urges people to fight "for Mother Russia". Retreating Russians destroy everything behind them. Stalingrad 1943 - a German defeat. By May 1945, Russia has driven the Germans back. After the war, Stalin made sure that only communists came to power in certain East European buffer states such as Hungary, Bulgaria and East Germany, people "who could be relied on to take their orders from Moscow ...". Stalin was planning another purge in 1953, but died before it could take place. Shot of Stalin lying in state.
Alternative Title:HISTORY 1917-67 [Series Title]
Colour:B&W
Digitised:No
Object_Number:IWM 1110
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:NON-IWM: PROJECTION PRINT ONLY - NOT FOR PRODUCTION USE
Featured Period:1919-1938
Production Date:1967
Production Country: GB
Production Details: BBC (Production sponsor)
BBC (Production company)
Radcliffe, John (Production individual)
Nove, Alec (Professor) (Production individual)
Harris, Jack (Production individual)
Cowdy, Harry (Production individual)
Pask, Eric (Production individual)
Redhead, Brian (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Redhead, Brian (person)
Stalin, Josef (person)
TROTSKY, LEON (person)
Keywords: Russia (geography)
Russia & Moscow <Red Square> (geography)
Russia & Stalingrad (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 16mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 762 ft; Running time: 21 mins
