live from moscow this is r.t. the headlines now and brush marks a victory day a grand parade in moscow thousands of soldiers marched through red square company by more than one hundred military vehicles and they're called. the nato stages a new attacks against congress office forces in libya the leaders on the international coalition are finding a conflict that cost increase and out of their. own critics say america's push for democracy in the middle east is being distorted by its continued presence in iraq

despite promises to withdraw u.s. is accused of trying to control the regions of zeus is not an outright you. know in the west russia's role in world war two is often somewhat the stones a professor of history at university college cork geoffrey roberts explains to. the difference in perception of the soviet contribution to victory. victory day is very special to all russians almost every family in russia has someone who died fighting the nazis to talk about how that war is perceived now more than sixty five years later i'm joined by professor of history and international relations jeffrey roberts from university college cork a soviet who wrote a number of books devoted to the world war two and joseph stalin professor thank

you very much for being here now your views are often challenging the widely accepted perceptions let's start with the second world war twenty seven million people lost their lives in what here in russia is called the great patriotic war how many people worldwide do you actually know how big this figure is so i think it's a shock it's a short to the people outside of russia and the former soviet union that the cost of that war. you know the statistics or astronomical you compare twenty million soviet we're pushing something less than full of. traceroute you know. and so the traffickers and the world because of all of the countries in fact there are many years all over countries going on here so i think it's shocking as well the surprise and we never saw the sort of forces of the sort of war quite well

known now that it's particularly since the end of the cold war there's been. progress recognition of the soviet role in the second world war i think that most people globally if they're not about the war talk would agree with you. it was primarily soviet union that one was the second were made a great sort of course as was the greatest victory of the war and when the war is only means it won in the social ration in the united states and other countries but nevertheless you know the soviet union was the key to victory. nobs is in some model but as a historian do you feel there is a tendency to rewrite history where there's always a tendency to rewrite history in that particular politician. people are not the story and. every country has its own perspective on the war and every country sees the war from its own perspective in the study miss is true of russia you know so for example one example of russians was stressing of the role of the saw in winning

the war as someone who's as british i was stressed britain's role in the early part of the war in standing alone against it when the soldier was a he was a bit of a launce with nazi germany for was so certain country seized from a different place in a different emphasis i don't see that as a problem if you see that's come natural part of the discussion about all aspects of history that goes on let's take a modern young generation is there a deficit of historical knowledge if you're very definitely yes which is why. the television stations like yours to devote so much time to true history yes i think there's a deficit in russia and then i mean a lot of countries let's take for example the united states if we're talking about a knowledge deficit i wonder just how many americans think that the united states won the second world war singlehandedly i think probably in the case of the united

states it's probably more. the general picture of the war than there is in other countries so it's probably a little bit of a conference in the war in united states going elsewhere not doesn't just in the war on this very quickly complete same britain the as you cited the holy war does of the war and presenting it as it was the americans to run the ball now having said that of course united states to play a very important role in the war was sought unions nineteen support supply. i would say. i would people say that they should recognize our country's roles as well tickles the russian contribution the soviet confirmation to the world last year when russia commemorated the sixty fifth anniversary of the three day i russian research center found that most russians believe that the red army the subnets union could have defeated hitler without western assistance as a historian do you think it's. part of the russians no i don't think it's who but

it's obvious truth of the sort of you could have if it were nazi germany on its own but it would have taken a lot longer and not spread across in the course of the taking the country much longer to recover off the sub second world war so yes it was sort of. alternately needed to win the war but. it's on some particularly united states and great britain. helped you to win the war quick about the boys. in your book stalin's was from world war two the cold war for focuses on stalin obviously in one of your interviews you said he was a key historical figure of the mixed twentieth century but he also said that you had a lot of respect for him why the word respect. i'm not sure used the word oh maybe i did we're used to work respect but some some people accuse me of being a style in which are not so. i haven't studied him very closely for many

years i'm very impressed by studying if you want to call me an oppressed respect and i'm not sure it's still words and what are you selling price was my books dolly's was is that you know with strongly about his leadership with his congregation it's very possible where you may be quite probable that the soviet union would have lost the world not a german i consider him to be that important historical figure if that's true and of course he's. the most important figure of them going twentieth century and one of the most important thing because of the twentieth century itself even more important than that i think but you know if i may be impressed by stuff i'm also very critical of stuff you know particularly the many crimes that were committed by him and black his regime you know should be criticized and praised

measure a price for his role and the correct petrosian will criticised for his dictatorial rule of the sort and so what in your opinion was his role in winning. i think the most important thing about his role was put in he felt he was in the pines. he main tying the cohesion of his leadership and all of the over the the group of people around him and i think you also inspire confidence in conference not just in these. cool and among the soviet elite but among the soviet population in general so you know he's the kind of these the symbol that holds the whole comfort to have a particularly during the critical of the world but not only that he's also a nine study of the soviet war with the whole war with the revolves around him and about his abilities as an organizer as a mr right through as a coordinator as

a leader so i don't really think you can you cannot underestimate star his role in this he was indispensable and i doubt that anyone could have taken his place what about churchill roosevelt how did they perceive. what i perceived him very positively. they were great friends of his they referred to most as and this go on very well with wartime song and so. on that i'm guilty of and that's another point about stuff because you know my positive view of stalin is a world. he's not unique really i mean it's a beautiful that's why they said not just in russia but also among western historians and of course at the time of some of the cheering the war it during the second world war there was widespread recognition of the poles of. stalin was not just a great hero of the soviet people if you were in the second world war he was the great hero or think of the allied peoples as well including. hero true stalin.

churchill and roosevelt but. not if you greatly. appreciated and you see his role in the knuckles that contemporary. pozen if you will gets lost in the second world war in the context of the outbreak of the cold war to the theater breakdown of the grand alliance between the sort of united states well i would say . stalin on the soviet side just another stalin if you wanted. a cold war to. try to avoid a cold or indeed the cold war broke out. they went to great lengths to actually bring the cold war. to an end so on the western side there once a cold war was broken out there was a much more positive engagement with the cold war whereas on the subject saw it there was

a reluctance to become involved in the cold war and you know continuous efforts to revive you know the ground lots one of the great themes of post-war soviet foreign policy is a desire to retire before i launch there is an initiative in russia these days to officially recognize the crimes of stalin states that irene regime some guy was always putting stalin and hitler on a level. do you believe their historical equals. no i don't know i think stallions crimes are different from and. i'm starving wasn't a killer. stallion was. something utopian and he believed that it was necessary to use the audience to achieve as you took it as part of that drive tools this combination tokio a lot of people that people thought people who stalin to see this breed is and the ways and the enemies of the soviet system. kill people

because of their rice and i'm studying how people kill because of what he saw as being their politics and i'm god you. know on balance i think that's that's better than being a genocidal killer like because the thing about stalin is stalling defeated hitler had hit the one will what would have happened there would have been a nazi dome in one thousand europe and ethnic cleansing out of mass and genocide on the shoe on the continental scope for me there's no greater historical criminal than hitler stalin. was guilty. but i wouldn't put him in the side as i am pretty believe that sort of thing and why the shared outside the circle of historians it's the idea that stalin and hitler. equals the sperm of course is very much in the idea of the cold war i think the idea that

took root in the people and then many people in the west maybe you'll find out that they want to continue the cold war in some form and one of the ways they pursued the cold war through despite your logical struggle including about war about stalin and hitler so it's an idea that does have quite widespread appeal but i think that you know most people but most of people would recognise that stalin did a lot of good as as a rule of law as well as a lot of bad. a huge role historically at what was a cause of service to humanity as a whole can actually win in helping to win the second world war professor roberts thank you for this and thank you.

for. a mission free accreditation free in-store charges free from richmond free risk free stews types free. and free blogs just plug in video for your media projects for free media and on to our tetons tom. the price of freedom from the most fascist regime in history. those who fought to win the stand crown. against the tide of history

being rewritten. sixty six years of victory on our cheap. nato stages new attacks against colonel gadhafi forces in libya are the leaders of the international coalition are finding the conflict cost increasingly hard to bear . critics say america's push for democracy in the middle east is being distorted by its continued presence in iraq despite promises to withdrawal and the rest is accused of trying to control the region's resources instead of promoting ideology. marks victory day grand parade in moscow thousands of soldiers marching through red square accompanied by more than one hundred military vehicles and equipped. pulls

up next it's a sports news with russian. hello welcome to sport an hour to some of all top stories this hour russia lose two defending champions the czech republic as the world ice hockey championship spot that. is already assured. in russian football is not about a tasty most beautiful finishing all square in the capital. it's victory day for nova joke of it you al claus dropped all of the all in the madrid masters final weigh in on over the spaniards on clay. and also the bedrooms of the battlefield or went on to become stars on the school's filled with gathering at malls closed in on the stadiums to celebrate and remember the victory

day. and will begin with the latest from the ice hockey well championship says russia going down to the czech republic in the canal to move the group stage game on sunday three two how it ended up in slovakia. playing in the defeat for russia his first game since joining up with the school doctor of the washington capitals were dumped alex will be on a child's play offs both the czechs and the russians were already through to the knockout stages however in group after meanwhile sweden's win over switzerland was an all to see this was eliminated from b.c.s. tournaments and. i'm staying in bratislava whether consonantal hockey league will see another country join its ranks. becoming the first slovakian club to sign up that quest to test themselves against the giants of european games such as sought to live seen here winning gold out of the last month begins from next season up and coming italian side be the long developers are also hoping to get the go ahead

force while the same year. to the russian could build the spoils. i've been shadowing the latest most not mine says scott securing a point of peace and sunday's opening fixture says open early onset of big not slavish credited with the final touch in just two minutes to put them in fronts one to strike four hundred barghoorn and then drew to involve a leg bone just before hometime. brilliant shot from the former liverpool man there bobby a man lived to have secured all three points when say to do bare headed boom ten minutes from time to make to one. hell of a time it's not a one time it's sure and one things to mark the location. from bar one and both sides move up well points from seven games to two. and those clubs now three points behind surprise leaders who climb champions and need have to continue to go all good day but instead jus long gone with the might

see it elsewhere car move off the dropzone off the beaten spartak moscow and will be a few boys actually cross that are. talking english football now when i stay united have all but secured the premier league title alex ferguson's charge as big chelsea on sunday meaning they're now a full six points player of the blues with just two games to go bust haul strikes from javier hernandez and the money a bitch made a difference at old trafford while frank lampard man of lost for chelsea elsewhere also knows slim title hopes had been denied by stoke before that well wolves edge their way out of the relegation zone following a three one win over west brom and later on monday little travel to full on. now rating formula one champion sebastian vettel has added to his overall lead in style by making it three wins from four races and it's a grand prix the german leads in for the majority of the race eventually leaving his stump vision in the dust with plenty of time to spare red bull team mate off

well and ferrari's fernando alonso came second. a large margin lewis hamilton started to finish the race in pool while nico rosberg dropped to three of the stunts of the day from second place on the grid rushes vitale patrols began in seventh and ended up in eighth place in his renault. now in tennis are up all of bell's thirty eight match winning run on clay came to an end on sunday no joke which disposing off the king of quain front of ruffles home crowd in madrid top ranked the doll had beaten the old nine over the previous meetings on clay but no this time around the joke of sustaining his incredible pool man his pointing straight which has now reached thirty four consecutive matches in a dull show these characters well number of brilliant forms like a beautiful love winner at the start of the second set there but overall joke of each to take the needed to says to take the title from the defending champion.

seventy six will finish up as last defeat on clay they expect to nearly two years ago while jock which claims the six title of the season and earned himself a top favorite status ahead of the french. you know them or do i didn't. really get this right for the first place or so you're. pleased to. go to the euro but you know i always believed from the first ball that it was the order i disagree. with great. to the n.b.a. playoffs now where atlanta hawks made it to all in a series against chicago bulls on sunday night while all eyes were on double defending champions l.a. lakers or had to climb back from three zero down in this series against dallas but los angeles say goodbye to the playoffs after being stunned for a fourth consecutive time hundred twenty two to eighty six the score in dallas

the game was practically done by halftime where the mavericks slabbed lakers by its way and see for jason terry with a game high thirty two points including a record nine three pointers for the mavericks southie in them to clean sweep in this series. you know this came the night was all about difference i mean so you know the shooting was great but it would have been able to get that you know shooting without those differences stops and i think for us going forward we got to hang our hat on the difference for the mavericks is not new but we got to get people talking about it now. meanwhile band of the night as i knew you were a league champions the greeks claiming their third title in five years with a win over. the feedom it sure is b.m. until it is school sixteen points and was instrumental in closing the game out for the shamrocks it's now moved after second in the overall on a stable alongside says come law school while real madrid top the list with titles

. and of course victory day is being celebrated across russia from the horrors of war the countries saw a number of sporting greats emerge as rich as one full fledged found out. back in the one nine hundred forty s. a special undercover force terrorized hitler's troops and fought and one of the most deadly battles in world history the battle of moscow which started nine hundred forty one it was an arduous time for all involved but what qualities helped these men to survive the war. when i as the commander had to enlist the locals to my brigade i chose those who weren't complaining that it was too hard for them if they complained i told them immediately they were no good for my team therefore insurance was the most crucial quality many sportsmen volunteered for the arms one division and many would later become champions in discipline such as boxing athletics speed skating and weightlifting sadly only a small number of these veterans will be able to take part in the reunion but every

year those who are still with us come to that in our most stadium where the division was formed in one nine hundred forty one and commemorate those who passed away and celebrate victory day. in one nine hundred forty one when we were retreating we had to make a huge trip back we were literally falling asleep while walking and also carrying rifles behind our backs and hitting your head against a rifle really major wake up so it was very difficult but we made it the main purpose of on spawn an acronym which translates as be independent special purpose motorized brigade was to serve on the home front usually very crude entrusted with the most dangerous missions so just helping units under a tank and defending important crossings equally crucial was that working reconnaissance was partisans and radio work in misinforming the enemy.

one of the members of arms was. his base form a gym that spot a skull pierian he took up gymnastics when he was just fourteen years old and by sixteen he had volunteered of a soviet army and from the beginning sport played a crucial factor in his survival. i recall once we had to go on a serbian mission and we had to hide and stay practically motionless for three days our task was to observe and determine which way the enemy's traffic was going and those guys who weren't athletic would even black out while we well i would say was nothing to us but we could handle it we could do it we were fit enough that helped us a lot after the war got paid in stayed in the army is job was to train the red army recruits in gymnastics to make them fit stern however hear plenty of other

interests here he proudly shows a photo with his friend the legendary soviet great if you are shin and he had a major impact in helping with the right spider to become one of the world's greatest ever goalkeepers. when the novel moscow was caused by uku shin and best cough they invited me to give exercise classes to their football team players so when they were playing i gave them classes in our gymnastics quarters of the denial club mainly i train them to do some acrobatics so that they could for instance fall without hurting themselves. and it is eighty four year he still remains passionate about sports especially gymnastics its ability to use that engine you see if we wanted to be graceful it may be some easy routine but we wanted to be performed at a very high level then it's a side show a door while what happens now is you see it as the do a triple turn a triple somersault and that's a very hard thing to do but it doesn't really impress a nonprofessional when they see it with

a tree day is very important of these veterans who played a pivotal role in the red army during the second world war however it's equally impressive have these men went on to have such exceptional sporting careers and i still remember today for feats of both a battle and sports fields. fancy moscow. that's it for the moment join us next hour for more sports coming up as the rescue and. cutters that so much was about to fail and those eyes in the floor give it really can be i was told what is happen to be a war movement there are plenty of wars being fought though with far fewer protesters was the anti-war movement just real.

they faced this is not a provocation but war of. the forces that machete steppers are you sure it's a pretty picture it speaks of they have no idea about the hardships to face. plate one is this is it awful to need something for any army the life of a usaf is the most precious thing in the world.