I always used to wonder: why was Hitler so stupid to attack Stalin, who actually wanted to be friends and even join the axis.

But now I understand.
1. The dependence on Soviet resources
2. Their proximity to the Baltic and the Ploiesti oil fields.
3. The fear they would ally with Britain
4. The realization that whenever Germany made a move, the Ussr Would always exploit it and also take some territory - but WITHOUT repercussions from the west.

I think Hitler saw Stalin as the treacherous, smiling, bearded guy who could never be trusted, and he was afraid to let this guy exist behind his back

All comments from YouTube:

@edydon

7y↑845

A few moments of respect for the narrator - Tim Pigot-Smith. A fine Shakespearean and voice artist. RIP

@VincitOmniaVeritas.

5y↑13

edydon RIP 💐

@gingerli5820

5y↑9

There has been at least one other narrator in this series - Bob Sessions who I thought was better.

@2serveand2protect

5y↑15

A fine point. It's a VERY well done & narated series.

@stephenmacdonald76

5y↑26

Tim Piggot Smith done a fantastic job on this and really got me into ww2 history

@mattasplund8045

5y↑13

He is fantastic.

36 More Replies...

@dfsengineer

2y↑158

What I really love about BATTLEFIELD is that they usually start with the clock wound back a year or so from the real topic of the episode so they can explain in depth all the background to the events for better understanding of them. Don't find many other history series that do that.

@juanfervalencia

2y↑4

it is unique

@klown839

1y↑4

I take notes on Battlefield. It’s brilliant.

@aliasunknown7476

your mom goes to college

@NatoHoro

33w

@@aliasunknown7476The f? Hsushsushssh

@jankutac9753

30w↑1

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@danielh3179

5y↑94

The narration at 1:51:23 is very well written and delivered by Tim Pigot-Smith: "On Dec. 1st in the center, the German 4th army had launched a final massive effort to smash what defenses remained in front of Moscow. Everything depended on the Russians having no reserves. However, for weeks Zhukov had been denied reinforcements as Stalin had held back increasingly powerful reserve formations, including the bulk of the Siberian divisions and their armor. The strength of the defenders was now up to over half a million. On Dec. 5th, Zhukov launched the reserves in a massive counter-attack. The Russian offensive was launched along a front 600 miles long. To the Germans, whose own offensive was being carried on with the last ounce of their strength, it came as a hideous shock. Along the entire length of the line, German armies were shattered into thousands of isolated units, fighting desperately for survival. The Battle of Moscow was lost and with it the Wehrmacht had lost the Battle for Russia."

@kpss6711

@xellossaxon AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU ARE SO FUNNY

@Mentol_

4y↑5

"The Red Army was the worst army in history" - so you want to say that the worst army for no reason defeated the army that was the best? I do not see much logic here.

"Literally every single defensive and offensive tactics of the Red Army was based on mindlessly killing its own soldiers' - can you quote any soviet order that ignores the value of life of a soviet soldier?

@englishguy2010

3y↑1

@Андрей Борцов Order No.227

Over to you 🤣

@Mentol_

@Howard Halifax Can you quote a passage from Order 227 that ignores the value of soldiers' lives?

@englishguy2010

@Андрей Борцов Figured you wouldn't concede defeat there lol. As it's written in Russian I shall have to have it translated, but it does direct that each army must create "blocking detachments" at the rear that would shoot "panic-mongers and cowards". It also decreed that soldiers in penal battalions were to be sent to the most dangerous sections of the front lines.

Wanna concede? Or are you going to keep asking for quotes? 🤣

44 More Replies...

@Crazeyfor67

7y↑275

The narrator is one of the best ever. Thank you sir.

@martintapia9374

4y↑4

I fully agree, a Superb narrator with a gifted voice

@cocotaveras8975

4y↑1

marTin Tapia I concur as well! Makes this documentary all the more captivating and interesting.

@titpisser

4y↑2

Yeah apparently his name is vasily, probably a ruski

@Dan-ih3dm

Blame the weather always underestimating the the Russian tenacity.

@ludaheracles7201

3y↑1

@Derek Owusu Ankhoma Bet you wish you was a Russian boy..

8 More Replies...

@evellish184

5y↑43

this show is timeless, been watching since I was a young boy.

@maxhalsted5381

35w

Myself included

@caesar4857

5y↑129

WHy can't more documentaries be like this? Not one sided (as far as i could tell) and just giving information on what happened.

@TheHelghast1138

4y↑22

Ah yes, the golden age of documentaries... before swamp people and ancient aliens. Those were good days indeed.

@crazylee83wrestling

3y↑6

Now everyone just wants to make $$$$ off of overly-sensationalized crap.

@stevensteelforce2701

it really doesn't matter any more....Russia lost many people but at the end they got a hold of a piece Real Estate used to be called Germany.

@rascallyrabbit8548

@CurbsideUnderwood v8

@ronalddesiderio7625

39w

Amen 👍🏾

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@TheDeJureTour

6y↑202

Now this is a REAL documentary. 1994, wow. They don't make them like this anymore.

@milanstojadinovic7916

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

@hellaacapella

5y↑1

Agreed!

@ludaheracles7201

4y↑1

Congrats to Luga for making such a fantastic series 👏

@impaugjuldivmax

3y↑1

visit epic history channel

@sam8404

2y↑6

@Luda Heracles he didn't make it, he only uploaded it.

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@joshuacarrasquillo9785

8y↑54

As a WW2 enthusiast and an Army Infantry Veteran I truly appreciate what you have put together here. Great work!!!

@deneshbhaskar8650

48w

Stolen valour . U were dishonourable discharged

@user-wz4mf1ip5r

20w

😂😂😂😂

@UltraGaivalas

5y↑90

that's what all documentaries should be - a continuous stream of relevant footage and a single narrator. I despise all documentaries that have their footage and narration constantly interrupted by a bunch of pretentious self-important professors and experts

@davidweston9115

3y↑5

YES! Instead of a camera following someone walking in the forest where a soldier might have dropped a bullet 80 years ago. With the camera focusing on the back of the guys head following like a dog. Brilliant. I don't watch that modern crap, won't pay for it, and won't watch it for free in hotels.

@rolandacevans

3y↑1

Hear hear

@Mr.Bassman

2y↑1

100% agreed, well put sir

@c.w.miller3024

2y↑1

Amen.

@realitymatters8720

So, you think their selfimportance is more important then the knowledge they can give you...
Are you sure its not because you dont understand what they are saying ?
Making a statement like you just did, indicate a complete dumbass !

3 More Replies...

@stevebarber8501

33w↑2

I have watched many documentaries on WWII and this one is far superior in its clear delivery of information. The visuals and clarity of narration and showing of troop movements and maps etc... Give a strong overall sense of the reality of what went down .

@Rickasaurus

6y↑155

I remember getting goosebumps when the opening theme music would start. Best-ever WW2 series. PBS was da shizznit back in the 90s

@georgedoolittle7574

4y↑1

This hints at the weakness in the plan actually...that some "time line" exists in War. Yes time would matter. "Time and again the Germans would close their pincers before the Russians could prevent from being encircled..

@georgewing5514

4y↑1

I like you. ⚡⚡

@pauliegualtieri4314

3y↑5

"Best ever WW2 series"

The World At War: "Hold my stein"

@theinformationbomber7102

I still get it now

@craigbeatty8565

2y↑3

Watch “Soviet Storm,” THAT defines a documentary series.

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@shabbirtaheralidadabhai107

4y↑4

I greatly admire the courage and immense sacrifice of the Russian people against a hopeless situation and the fighting spirit to achieve victory from the jaws of defeat

@neal.karn-jones

1y↑7

I've seen every episode in this series many times. It's the best series on WWII, imo.

@berge7f91

45w↑3

Phase 1 1:07:47
Phase 2 1:22:52
Phase 3 1:29:25
Phase 4 1:35:04
Phase 5 1:43:00
The Battle Won 1:49:39
After the Battle 1:53:02

@loft-elevatinggolf4170

6y↑12

very well done. the entire series is timeless. I actually prefer the old production value. Thank u Vasile - i wished you lived to see Montana~~!

@SuperCragster

10y↑305

I could watch this series of documentaries all day

@CrazyIrishDrunk1

10y↑5

I've bought them all on DVD, available on Amazon. Great series.

@SuperCragster

10y↑2

how much are they.?

@heinzguderian9980

5y↑5

IMPOSTER!!!

@prashantd6252

5y↑1

It's not bad, truly.

@jaykay616

5y↑4

This and The World at War

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@lloydliveryservices

4y↑44

His English speaking is so clearly make people feel in love with his documentary, myself I don't remember how many times I had watch it ,sometimes I just listened to it to help me fall in sleep.

@crazylee83wrestling

3y↑1

That sir is known as King's/Queen's English. Much better sounding than the cockney's in London.

@annehersey9895

2y↑4

Flame, so nice to know I'm not the only one who often uses this series as a sleep aid! The melliferous timbre of his voice is very soothing-even when talking war!

@jimyoung9262

2y↑1

Same here.

@TruthNTime

2y↑1

I often wondered if I was the only one who used this series to fall asleep to.

@Bluesit32

6y↑26

Quite interesting! I never realized how screw Germany really was. Everything really did hinge on the Eastern Front. They needed fuel and oil and the Soviet Union was the best source.

@herptek

2y↑2

Germany was from the get-go in between a rock and a hard place, just as it had been in the first world war. Then, however, Russia collapsed. It could conceivably have happened again.

@minderoded2383

11y↑2

this is a great series. Solid narration over archival footage, the way it should always be done.

@joshgoldbullion

11y↑9

thank you so much to the uploader vasile luga these videos have kept me entertained for a while i used to watch this series many years ago on tv and thought it was one of the best ww2 docs im happy to find them here on youtube great job :) !

@mrichar9

6y↑4

Great series. Very thorough and well executed. Amazing footage.

War is hell. Let's never repeat it.

@davidcoleman2796

We will always have war . It's what we do best .

@amb-yz9ee

50w↑2

I never get tired of learning about this. Just so fascinating.

@nicholasjohnable

6y↑12

This series of Operation Barbarossa is the most comprehensive and captivating account of the invasion. Presented in great detail and with expert narration. Very informative and entertaining.

@craigdylan3953

Entertaining? What planet were you raised on?

@anonaki-mt6xb

24w

Earth, planet of the Apes.@@craigdylan3953

@ronalddesiderio7625

39w↑3

Just the facts .
In a clear and concise manner ❤this series No hidden agendas. No wasted words. Education the way it was meant to be. Watch listen 👂 Learn👍🏾

@abouttocum

6y↑14

god I love this documentary series!
it's so comprehensibleive

@kirbycraft9325

2y↑2

Great series. VERY THOROUGH, AND INFORMATIVE.

@kingkandy

18w

This series is great in that it gives a detailed breakdown of key battles and offensives of World War II. The political context we know well, but the military aspects are rarely covered so thoroughly, which makes this series special.

@alphabeast8700

5y↑27

God Bless and Rest in Peace, Tim Pigot-Smith, a Great Narrator, and Man.

@TheHelghast1138

4y↑1

A month moment of silence for a great man

@stanbrekston

10y↑7

barbarossa was so massive, so violent, so intense, that it is no wonder that it inevitably devolved into the most gigantic battle of all time. it was a colossal war of annihilation. @ 1:16:20, pay particular attention to this very little known battle; most people know that the largest tank battle in history was at kursk. but very few know of the 2nd largest tank battle in history, & that is the battle of dubno & brody. it was a fascinating clash.

@bombarderoazul

10y↑2

The eastern front is not known very well in the west, yet that is where Germany was defeated.

@June28July

10y

bombarderoazul
That goes for world war 2 in general, actually.

@stanbrekston

10y↑3

bombarderoazul well actually germany was defeated on several fronts. stalin kept begging & pleading for the Americans & british to open a 'second front', to take the pressure off of the eastern front, but what stalin didn't realize, was that the Americans had already opened up a second front; & that was the war in the pacific from early 1942 onwards. had the US not cleaned up the japanese in the pacific, who knows where that 'kwantung' army, over a million strong, would have ended up. they could have attacked cccp from the east, & the bombers that was used at pearl harbor, could have just as easily been used on those soviet factories hiding behind the urals that were churning out t-34's & ppsh machine guns. in addition, the US 'lend lease' program sent cccp over 4000 sherman tanks alone, 4000! that's more tanks than the germans went into, 'barbarossa'. in addition, the US sent cccp over 4 million tons of food & opened a daylight bombing campaign on german industry that reduced their number of tanks & machine guns. all in all, while the eastern front was vital to the final victory, it was by no means the only factor.

@ralphbernhard1757

10y

stanbrekston In view of the massive aid to the USSR, I find it strange that the USSR did not allow US bombers to operate from Wladivostok and Kamchatka to bomb Japan in return. Some "partnership". If I had been the USA, I would have secured this as a prerequisite before the delivery of Lend Lease equipment and food.

@stanbrekston

10y

Ralph Bernhard excellent point, sir. even in the midst of a world war when the very existance of the ussr was in question, they displayed conduct that was a prerequisite of their behavior in the 'cold war', like detaining some of our pilots that had to crash land. also i read somewhere, (i think it was either in WW2 or WW2 history magazine), that a russian supply ship, just having left san francisco loaded with 'lend lease' goods from the US, was heading for vladivostock on december 6th 1941. this supply ship actually spotted the japanese task force in the northern pacific, that was about to attack pearl harbor, & they remained silent. maybe they feared that had they sent the US a warning of this force of japanese aircraft carriers arrayed to our northwest, that the japanese would have sunk them. maybe they were correct because that task force let them pass without incident.

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@whynot-tomorrow_1945

8y↑506

god I love this documentary series!
it's so comprehensive : )

@whynot-tomorrow_1945

8y↑15

and omg thank you for not talking about Stalingrad!
If I had a dollar, man...

@Mokimanify

8y↑6

+whynot-tomorrow? But very old and lacks much of the history learned in the past 20 years since the Soviets opened their archives.

@user-wy9ef3ri2r

8y↑11

+whynot-tomorrow? STALINGRAD was another episode from the 1st season ,1st season has 6 ep and there are the most important battles according to the producer's point of view, i have to admit that he made a good choice for top-6 ( 1-battle of france ,2- battle of britain ,3- midway, 4-stalingrad, 5- normandy, 6- battle of berlin ....a rather good choice ,each episode from a very important phase of the ww2)

@thetomshowpt3vs.whatdumbst436

8y↑8

I watch this over and over myself as i used to watch it as a kid.
I know it's a bit dated and don't care. They paint a very detail picture with the info they had at production. So saying its dated and missing things isn't exactly correct.

@Mokimanify

8y↑3

It is good, but since it was released much of the factual info has changed due to research..

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@obergruppenfuhrersang-froi8203

3y↑13

Absolutely love these documentaries. I play them every night to go to sleep, for four years now.

@chrisweare7324

3y↑2

Thought I was the only one that did that .

@annehersey9895

2y↑1

Great voice to lull one to sleep for sure!

@martinavaslovik3433

7y↑5

A really excellent and most educational documentary providing rich detail of the times, the conflict, leaders and forces involved.

@pb9548

4y↑2

This is such a great explanation of the battle! Thank you for posting.

@peteyspaletas2023

1y↑1

Very good presentation. I really enjoyed this. Well done!👍

@cataphract8508

3y↑3

All of these wwll documentaries heavily remind me of my Grandad and my GreatGrandad , they were both full-time professional Army officers in the Greek Royal Army. Miss you guys❗

@robertjelinski5113

19w↑1

Outstanding, bravo!! excellent documentary by an outstanding narrator…Thank you so much.

@ryancase8858

7y↑6

This is the most comprehensive and unbiased WW2 documentary series ever made...

@memento5113

3y↑2

My grandmas father and brother faught in the Finnish war. Thats how my grandmother came to Sweden as a refugee at 1 years old and lived here since. I never met the rest of my grandmas finish family but i'm proud of them.

@anadryantontine

9y↑1

I absolutely love this series, my only real gripe is that the audio track has this awful high tone squealing that is driving me mad. Every time I think it's gone away, or blended into the background, or I don't notice it, it seems to change pitch and how much the tone sways and it comes right back into the forefront of my hearing.

@brcarter1111

5y↑2

Damnit I can't stop watching these... WW2 was one of the most terrible times in human existence where life was cheap. It hurts me to realize that for the same human and financial cost of WW2, every human need could have been met on the planet for the next 200 years. At the same time, the desperation and the drama of the conflict make it incredible.

@indy_go_blue6048

2y↑1

I just finished Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day." He makes a point in the last chapter that on average 27,000 people died each day for 6 years.

@Syria120

1y↑2

Man it’s so sad to see that we don’t get to see these type of documentaries anymore

@jefferytodd7017

6y↑4

One of the best documentary series on WWII that I have ever seen !!!

@rohansharma3941

6y↑6

The best documentary I came across why Hitler actually invaded Russia. It explains really well the need and circumstances under which such a decision must have been taken.

@AlbertIsraeli

Dharma, you understand the “need” of Nazis? Would be nice to see you and your entire family and friends among those, who had what hitler “needed”.

@andrewdoolittle5336

8y↑9

the scope and scale of the Barbarossa Campaign was a complete shock to everybody. All of Europe including Russia expected an invasion of Southern Russia but no one anticipated an outright total invasion of the entire land mass...including the Russians.

@Bradgilliswhammyman

7y↑1

Only way to fully invade a nation and win today would be to use tactical nuclear weapons first to destroy the military completely and the industrial production of city targets.

@MrTaxiRob

5y↑1

Lend-Lease is mentioned briefly at the end, but was in effect from the very beginning of Barbarossa. Seems odd to not mention it until the end, as if the Soviets did everything on their own up until that point. Those factories that they had to move away from the front weren't producing all the matériel used in their defense, they weren't back up and running for quite some time.

@misubi

3y↑1

The level of detail is amazing. This is better than a video game.

@natecristheking2546

3y↑2

Junio del 2021 ¡¡ aquí rememorando Operación Barbarrossa..Lejos el mejor documental de la segunda guerra mundial.. gran contenido y en especial la narración de Tim es excepcional..

@frequencyfluxfandango8504

6y↑1

Yes this is a good series. The presentation is excellent. Narration tone/engaging.
My fave series on this subject. Hard to put the true political causes aside (though they have done as per usual.) Just give us those Details. NOTE: Spare us the usual whitewash about the causes, I say... But Still, a very straightforward account of actions, which is what I like.

@meegz149

6y↑11

I love this documentary! I became enamored with the Eastern Front since watching this back in the mid 90s on PBS

@zabdas83

6y↑1

To think the wehrmact wasn't even properly equipped and organised for either the western and eastern fronts, makes the military achievements even more spectacular & impressive!

@nwk-wt3ty

41w

These are the kind of documentaries that made me fall in love with history.

@ronaldderooij1774

7y↑7

Interesting that crucial moments in history can depend on relatively small factors. Weather, military failure in the Balkans by Italy, indesiciveness wether to go for Moscow or oil etc etc. I know that also huge factors played a role. Underestimation of the Russian resolve, underestimation of the number of divisions and not counting on the moving of the heavy industry to the east of Russia etc. All together made the whole thing impossible. As all military acadamies say: Never invade Russia, no good will come of it.

@mikhailc1081

very good said - "As all military acadamies say: Never invade Russia, no good will come of it."

@asetbilibaev6519

The biggest miscalculation of Hitler was his expectation that Soviet state would quickly disintegrate after few decisive losses inflicted by german armies. Everywhere else - Poland, France, Britain etc - there where inside political fractions and power blocks willing to collaborate with Hitler, but suddenly not in Soviets. Not a single real coup attempt, not a single assassination attempt, not even a slightest sign of opposition to Stalin. Compare it to Hitler with so many attempts on his life, military coups and mutual discontent among the higher ranks of officers. Why so? Ironically, Because of the purges Stalin preemptively executed before the war. He ruthlessly exterminated any slightest possibility of opposition from any branch of the state and population, including army, politic, peasantry, writers, judges, and whatever else relevant part of the society. This saved him and eventually saved Soviets and eventually the world. I am not saying purges were good thing, i am just saying that there was a cold rationale behind it and that, ironically, it was probably the dominant reason why Soviet state never gave up fighting. There just never was a single person who would even dare to say something implying opposition to Stalin. As a result - the so called “colossus on paper feet” never did think to fall, no matter how many humiliating losses Hitler’s army inflicted on them.

@asetbilibaev6519

+ And as soon as Soviets were not going to surrender (due to the reason i explained above) the war became the one of attrition. Obviously, Germany has little chance to win a war of attrition against Russia.

@stanbrekston

11y↑1

my God, at 1:06, you can see that soviet soldier blown up & out of his tank. once again this series has incredible film footage & my thanks to mr. Vasile luga.

@boy18inva

9y↑162

My grandfather told me that he remembered when he was a boy how the Catholic priest in his church was ecstatic at the news of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union. All during the summer and fall of 1941 this priest openly cheered on the Nazis against the Russians as if he was supporting his favorite team in the Super Bowl. He says the other clergy and even the bishop had this same attitude. They welcomed Hitler's crusade to wipe out the Communist atheists.
What I am curious to know is how prevalent this attitude was in the Church, prior to America's entry in the war December 1941. Did the Catholic Church strongly support the war on the Soviet Union? If it is true, than it's certainly something you don't read in the history books.

@DrJones20

9y↑10

Very interesting.

@subscriber77

9y↑20

Virginia, you've raised a very interesting issue indeed, and sadly, one that is hardly ever addressed. As most of us, including agnostics like myself, would acknowledge, Christian religion has played a positive role up to a certain point in history. But like most well-meaning institutions, it lost its way and was gradually usurped by individuals who had little regard for its (alleged) founder's basic teachings. Consequently, over time, the Church was degraded to the point where it simply became a tool used to promote personal objectives. The Catholic Church, in particular, played an infamus role in enabling Nazi war criminals to escape justice. The reason given by this Church was the principle of Christian forgiveness. But I'm convinced that the reason for allowing all those mass murderers to escape justice and continue to pollute the world with their toxic ideology of hate was far less noble.

@TheWoodstock2009

9y↑1

Doy Virginia The catholic church after the war also excommunicated all who partecipate in communist organizations

@christopherbarnett7265

9y↑13

Doy Virginia the vatican hsd its own plan east which it conceived with the ustasé in croatia. they held 137 meetings in which the mass murder of serbs, jews, gypsies were fully known & demanded from pope pius, pius also wanted to spread catholicism in the east against the orthodox, heydrich refused the vatican that possibility - the hitory is not widely known but is discussed in detail in cornwell's, 'hitler's pope'

@zenoist2

9y↑7

Doy Virginia Stalin was a total enemy of ANY religion.
There could only be one religion and it was what Stalin ordered.
In early years in Russia he had preists bishops etc rounded up and shot or sent to Gulag , church goods confiscated for the state, taken by force, etc.
Basically he wanted to rob every single organisation of any possibly critical voice and the Russian church was a very obvious target.
I'm glad Russia has shaken off the awful "communism" they have endured for so long.

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@scottybeegood

7y↑3

I WISH THEY WOULD BRING THIS BACK AND EXPAND THE EPISODES TO COVER OTHER BATTLES AND WARS

@thesixth2330

They did Vietnam

@paulwilcock3787

1y↑2

Great stuff, lots of factual detail, no pathetic moralising

@vegass04

10y↑1

I must confess that this is the first time I ever heard of the Operation Otto and that it was the original plan for attacking Russia. You always hear only about Barbarossa. Very interesting.

@antonienewman9379

5y↑3

The most extensive, comprehensive invasion attempt ever

@jkdm7653

6y↑1

Very good presentation. The first T-34s main gun was a hi-velocity 76mm, not a 75mm. Later T-34s mounted a hi-velocity 85mm main gun.

@rossjones5741

5y↑1

Actually the T-34's first main gun was 76.2 mm, and later the 85mms. Both are very effective against the early German tanks.

@MK-tx3wi

24w

Que batalha gigantesca e decisiva para o futuro da humanidade!!!!.

@enkisonofanu2301

6y↑8

I do not normally watch a 2 hrs video on youtube, but this was too interesting to forgo.

@stanbrekston

10y↑1

@ the 1:06 mark, you can actually see a soviet soldier blown out of his tank. incredible.

@ragingbull6890

2y↑2

Imagine being there in person 45:35 and hearing that crowd scream "Heil", goosebumps!!

@AlbertIsraeli

Goosebumps from admiration or disgust?

@SNP-1999

3y↑2

It is a little known fact that, while about 80% of Germany's army fought on the Eastern Front, in July 1943 only 26% of the Luftwaffe"s total fighter strength was in the east supporting the troops. A further 19% were stationed in the south, in Italy, southern France, Sardinia etc., but a stunning total of 55% were in the west, facing the RAF and the increasing threat of the USAAF. And this was even before D-Day. In July 1943, the western Allies had just invaded Sicily, and in the east the major battle of Kursk was being fought by the Germans with insufficient air support, one of the main reasons for the German defeat during that battle. The growing threat of around the clock bombing by the RAF and USAAF was a major contribution to the defeat of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front, depriving the army of the air cover by the Luftwaffe that it desperately needed. Three quarters of all Luftwaffe aircraft lost in July 1943 were stationed on the Western Front, in the defence of the Reich, and in the South, fighting the British and Americans. Out of 491 operational night fighters in the Luftwaffe, only 30 were stationed on the Eastern Front. Practically all of the most modern weapons, from V1 and V2 rockets, the Me 262 and Me 163 jet and rocket planes, plus others such as gliding bombs, were exclusively used in the west, only ever in small number at the end of the war in the east. These statistics and facts show the great importance that the aiir forces of the western allies played in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

@lukamilas8648

Spot on, and something nobody ever mentions.

@ingurlund9657

8y↑14

This is a fascinating documentary but there are mistakes. When it comes to the Panzer divisions for the invasion they say the number of tanks in each division was more than a third less than in France, at around 160 each. But in fact it was 195 in each on average, a drop of about 20% per division not more than 33%. And they say there weren't more medium tanks to make up for it while saying the mediums only made up barely half the tank force. But in France mediums had made up only 20% of the tank force while they actually made up over half in Barbarossa, 1800 out of 3300. The Germans had also increased the number of towed guns and truck infantry in each Panzer division compared to in France.
The problem was not that the Germans had not greatly increased their strength compared to 1940, they had increased it a lot. It was simply that it still just wasn't enough anyway.

@patsmith8523

They may have been emphasizing the fact that there were not enough German tanks. There were significant numbers of captured tanks that made up the difference. Those tanks were never designed to fight using the German tactics, nor were they capable of facing the T-34.

@mrsqueak74

8y↑3

Dont forget history is written by the victor! Most german historians and now American professors are saying that the Soviets downplayed there tank losses tremendously. By tens of thousands also Kursk was not the biggest tank battle of ww2! As I started to research and actually read about the unreported tank battles I was shocked to find out the Germans was handing the Russians there asses but they could not resupply there forces adequately which was one of many problems that plaqued them.

@patsmith8523

8y↑1

According to the documentary, they had limited supplies when they started and only 10 weeks of supplies at combat levels. I don't think the Germans had insufficient supplies to face the Allies.

@danielstratton1670

Also, the British and French were trying to occupy Norway before Germany, the Germans and Norway for that matter were not going to let that happen.

@lastway7850

8y↑5

France defeat after 30 DAYS, but Brest castle 2 mounths... it castle size 100 m² and have less people and all die for Motherland. It was when Nazi just invade, it was first German retreat.

@RealPerson1000

6y↑207

The eastern front is on a lvl of its own. No other war comes close to the scale of the ost front.

@steveniavarone3683

6y↑42

Very true. Sadly most Americans are ignorant of the Ost Front.

@Yora21

6y↑25

Second Sino-Japanese War of 1935 to 1945.

Recapture of France helped, but was a minor part in a much bigger picture. The real contribution the Americans made to defeating Germany was supplying the British and the Russians with ridiculous amounts of material. The Soviets provided the soldiers, the Americans the resources.

@steveniavarone3683

6y↑10

Yora you are right. Not enough info about the 2nd Sino-Japanese War is shown thru the regular media. Many people don't know about this.

@emmanuelzepernick7209

5y↑1

Real person: I agree.

@calripson

5y↑10

Actually, over 90% of Soviet war production was domestically produced. There were a few key imports such as toluene.

26 More Replies...

@craigseamus4335

7y↑3

god I comprehend this documentary series!
it's so loving :)

@georgewing5514

Yes you do! Yes you do, you wee Irish shrimp. Blessings from Nepal 🇳🇵 🙏

@matthewhye6446

7y↑1

I find it very interesting that there is such interest in World War II. There is also a BattelField documentary on the Vietnam war, I remember watching it on PBS some years ago.

@indy_go_blue6048

If you lived through it, watching docus of America losing that war is like watching your favorite team lose in the playoffs.

@matthannegan6977

Great series- Tim Pigot-Smith narrator is perfect- RIP, also he was get in the movie V for Vendetta, if you want the best overview of WW2 battles this is so well detailed, have not found any series better.
if you want to get a good nights sleep, I listen to one of these, his fine Shakespearean voice will put you into deep sleep ❤

@steaustin8789

I think Luga must have got him in to do the commentary because of his relaxing voice and Luga probably sounds too Russian 😂

@mynamedoesntmatter8652

44w

@@steaustin8789
This is a series from the 70s and 80s. Vasile is the uploader. Jonathan Booth is credited as the narrator.

@gullybull5568

4y↑4

excellent footage.
unbiased and lots to see.

@alachabre

7y↑1

Great series, but there are throughout the series odd mistakes in the narrative. In this one, at 11:09, Tim Piggot-Smith, the narrator, puts the Army Group A break-though at Chalons-sur-Marne on May 12, when it should be June 12.

@robertkrause4861

Two Russian field martials who don’t get a lot of attention but we’re brilliant we’re Vasilevsky and Rokossovsky. Vasilevsky came up with the plan for the double envelopment of the sixth army at Stalingrad along with Zhukov and Rokossovsky was released from an NKVD prison (he was beaten so badly that his teeth were knocked out and he received his false teeth made out of good Russian steel) He commanded one of the armies in front of Moscow in the fall of 1941 that helped save the Russian capital. He commanded the enveloping forces at Stalingrad, he commanded the forces that defended the northern shoulder of the Kursk salient, and he commanded the Russian army group that captured East Prussia. After the war Stalin made Rokossovsky supreme commander of the Polish army.

@hdckdsadd

11y↑5

one of the best series ever

@rameezahmed3231

3y↑2

Never get bored watching this 👌

@bookaufman9643

I think that Heinz Guderian's plan is one of the few that the Germans propose that had a decent chance of success and possibly even a chance of knocking the Soviets out of the war. I don't think that using regular infantry to come in and mop up would have been effective because of the time lapse but I do think that if he had been outfitted with motorized infantry to follow closer behind the tanks then perhaps he could have taken Moscow quickly and put Russia solidly on the back foot with a decent chance of forcing them to their knees. Almost all the other plans get only so far into the Soviet Union before the logistics completely Fall apart but if the infantry could have been moved through convoys of trucks to follow behind then perhaps they could have won the war in the east. It was a matter of speed because they did not have enough oil to get them through a long campaign so those battles of encirclements really weren't a good idea because they took time and time was the number one enemy of the wermacht.

@gbyrne

11y↑1

"Surrounded by men who dare not question his judgement" Russia will never change

@indydude3367

5y↑1

Cheers to the research and writing staff.

@antistalinist4552

2y↑9

As far as battles go, it doesn't or won't get any larger than this, with the exception of Armageddon.

@legionofthedamned157

6y↑41

"Only the dead have truly seen the end of war "

@TheHelghast1138

4y↑3

Plato

@SnipingMachines

4y↑2

Content was pretty good 👌 Keep it up

@cliveweatherley4555

As good as The World at War and All Our Yesterdays. Just superb

@jefferytodd7017

6y↑1

You are right johneamer. The Soviets lost 22 million people at the hands of the Germans. Neither America or England would tolerate even a fraction of that. Our losses, which we consider extreme was 400,000.

@eliolopez3107

6y↑3

Very informative documentary on military strategy. I always wondered how Hitler had so easily kicked the Soviet's butts in the beginning. This doc goes into detail. Stalin was almost as incompetent a leader as Hitler AND Sgt. Bonespurs. Very good.

@rdallas81

Excellent comment, agreed

@josephayers7395

Hurr durr bonespurs durr. Enjoy dementia dipshit biden

@sheep3866

47w↑1

"You have only to knock down the old rotting structure, so that they may make a new one, strong enough to push us back to Berlin."

@BlackJackTU160

10y↑5

My favorite among all documentaries. Superb quality in every aspect.

@kommandanter1980

Dan Nguyen RT

@fuzzydunlop7928

6y↑5

While series is ambitious and very comprehensive, the discerning viewer should note that the information is outdated in many instances, it is very well-made but falls victim to time. Grain of salt, as with all singular sources of History.

@frjoethesecond

It was a great idea to primarily use horses for logistics IMO. They don't need petroleum like trucks do. The limited oil supply was better used for the ships and trains as they are way more efficient for mass transport anyway.

Plus, there was almost no rubber in Europe. The limited supply was better used for aircraft tires and rubber seals than for truck tires.

@larsdejong7396

The most impressive was not that the Soviets stopped the German invasion, but that the German army came so far: since Russia is so huge, the soviets could use a predictable strategy that guaranteed a total victory: simply retreating the Soviet forces, destroying everything that could be of help for the invaders, and then simply performing a counterattack. The reasons these plans failed at first was because of poor training, lack of officers, lack of pilots etc.

@gwmba1989

1y↑1

I really enjoyed this documentary. It presents a more balanced view of the war between Germany and the Soviet Union than other productions. Judging from the information presented in this documentary, it seems as though the Soviet invasions of Poland and Finland from the East were a sign that Stalin was intent on expanding the borders of his country further westwards. I suspect that sooner or later he was planning to break his peace treaty with Hitler and invade Germany. However, the Nazi dictator beat him to it by invading first, hoping to catch the Soviets off guard, thereby securing a quick victory. Of course, despite a series of initial brilliant victories over a shocked and outclassed enemy, the Germans failed to land the knockout blow to finish the Soviets before the intervention of 'Mother Winter' who froze a large amount of the German invaders to death as well as rendered their trucks, tanks and guns completely useless. The Germans desperately needed a quick victory but it was never going to happen against a fanatically determined enemy that were fighting for the defence of their beloved 'Motherland' and the futures of their families. The Japanese decision not to invade the Soviets from the East was also another critical blow to the Germans as it freed up their crack Siberian troops to take on the invaders and drive back the war weary and exhausted German divisions advancing on Moscow. The defeat of the Germans at Moscow, then Stalingrad and after that at Kursk, spelt the beginning of the end for the once invincible German army. Two years after their defeat at Kursk, the German army was driven all the way back to Berlin where they were almost utterly anniliated, virtually to a man. This was a stunning turn around for the Soviets who at the beginning of the war, seemed completely clueless as how to fight the German invaders. Just a little observation on my part: The Russian pilot at 1:35:16 looks like a dead ringer for the current Mayor of Kiev and ex world heavyweight boxing champ, Vitali Klitchko. 😳

@polarvortex3294

It's kinda funny to me that when this video talks about the "powerful armored formations" which Germany used to subdue the French, they show a little Czech tank skittering along, with a cute small-bore anti-tank gun deployed in the foreground. (8:54) And yet, that's quite accurate for the time, and is a sight that was surely seen, and is yet another reminder of how insanely fast armaments improved and changed during a war that later involved Panthers and two types of Tigers.

@AlbertIsraeli

Do you truly believe the reason no European country fought nazis more than two weeks, was tanks an motorcycles?

@User-gn6qz

5y↑21

Anyone else watch this series more than once or twice and also anytime in 2018?

@onionmilk5855

Yes I’m in 2018

@obsidiandwarf

I'm watching in2021, if its any use to you. ( As an aside, I was just thinking how this reminds me of my childhood. No, Not the actual war, but watching a programme called 'All Our Yesterdays' on the tv. I'd have been about seven then. Sunday afternoon dinner and All our Yesterdays. I wonder if thats on you tube... hang on... nope. Can't find it. Shame.)

@mike12skater

7y↑1

Finally I found a good documentary bs out and just explained the facts

@yanlumotungoe2361

1y↑2

The irony of it all is that Hitler studied Napoleon's Russian invasion, yet he made the same mistake of not equipping his troops with winter gear.

@Ryosa

My dad survived the Siege of Leningrad and Germany's invasion of Russia in 1941. He was a Finn. Bombs flew past his head almost daily, but somehow he made it. Amazing story really and I wrote a book about it.

@angusthecat8326

may i ask name of book? is it available on amazon?

@Ryosa

8y↑4

Angus the cat It's called Inger: Father & Son and yes, available on Amazon in paperback and kindle versions.

@goblinclaus9758

5y↑1

it's unbelievable how close it came to a german victory in 41. if hitler listened to guderian and drove straight to moscow and if the germans had a greater proportion of mechanized units the history of the 20th century could have been very different.

@seaside456

As my Grand-Father stated having fought right through World War One,the only good German was a dead one,but you have to admire their efficiency at fighting.They were just unprepared to take Moscow given weather conditions and eventually ran out of manpower.

@bxs0099

10y↑11

I love that this series isn't an Industrial Light & Magic CGI wet-dream.

@lewistaylor2858

would Guderian's plan have had a realistic chance of success? obviously it would create absolute chaos and would certainly break up the Soviet defences but how could they hold onto what they conquer?