it's on the. video on demand. apology. on the column. that's now i hear mostly this is. mark said victory day with a grand parade in moscow thousands of soldiers miles through red square accompanied by more than a hundred men achieve their goals and our problems. nature stages new attacks against colonel gadhafi forces in libya that the leaders of the international coalition are finding the conflicts cost increasingly collatz a back. and critics say america's push for democracy in the middle east is being distorted by its continued presence in iraq despite promises to withdrawal the u.s.

is accused of trying to control the region's resources instead of fermenting ideology. now in the west russia's role in world war two is often somewhat distorted professor of history say university college called the rub is explains all sees it that 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 a professor of history and international relations geoffrey roberts from university college cork a subject ologist 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 the great patriotic war how many people worldwide do you actually know how big this figure is i think it's a shock it's a shock to the supreme. russia and the former soviet union that the cost of. going to the statistics or astronomical you compare twenty million soviet with the british it was something less than four hundred something else you know. so the actual trees and the wolf because it's a book of all the other countries in fact there are many years all over the country is going on here so i think it's shocking as well as surprising but never saw for you the sort of forces of the sort of people who are quite well known now that it's

particularly since the end of the cold war has been. progress recognition of the soviet role in the second world war i think most people globally if they're not about the war it's all would agree with except it was primarily the soviet union that won most of the second will make the greatest sacrifices was the greatest victory of the world didn't win the war zone by any means it won in association with the united states and other countries but nevertheless the soviet union was the key to victory. of novices in mortal but is a historian do you feel there is a tendency to rewrite history where there's always a tendency to rewrite history and the particularly bloody politicians people who are not they still runs. every country has its own perspective on the war and every country sees the war from a sub spectrum in the study mists as true of russia you know so for example one example of the russians will stress you know the role of the soviet union in winning the war as someone who uses british i was stressed britain's role in the

early part of the war in standing alone against it when the soviet union was a neutral come from the kind of along with nazi germany for was so so every country sees it from a different place and it's a different emphasis i don't see that as a problem i see us 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 the history yes i think there is a there's a deficit in russia and then on you know love of country but let's take for example the united states if we're talking about the knowledge deficit i wonder just how many americans think that the united states one of the second world war singlehandedly i think probably in the case of the united states is probably more

in the remnants of the general picture of the war than there is in other countries so that all those other conferences in the war in the united states and elsewhere not doesn't just in the world under scrutiny complaint simply written about as you say the holy war does of the war on presenting it as it was the americans to run the ball now having said that of course united states did play a very important role in the what was the soviet union's nineteen supposed main supply. i would say. i would people say that i should recognize our country roles as well to keep calls the russian contribution the soviet contribution to the world last year when russia commemorated the sixty fifth anniversary of victory day i russian research center found that most russians believe that the red army the soviet union could have defeated hitler without western assistance as a historian do you think it's your prey's on part of the russians no i don't think

it's who brazil gets to the sub you could have if it nazi germany on its own but it would have taken a lot longer much for the process and of course for the taking the country much longer to recover off the sub second world war so yes the soviet union didn't alternately needed to win a war but. it's a launch with particular you know its size and great britain. helped it to win the war look about for the little boys because your book stall is was from world war two cold war folk focuses on salomon obviously in one of your interviews you said he was a key historical figure of the 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 the word respect but some some people accuse me of being a style which are not so but having studied him very closely for many

years i'm very impressed by study you know if you want to call being impressed respect i'm not sure it's just a word and what are used to replace it was you michael starling's was was that you know without struggling. with his contribution it's very possible where you might be quite probable that the soul you would have lost the world not just not consider him to any important historical figure if that's true going to polls he's. the most important figure of the mid twentieth century and one of the most important it was twentieth century or so even more important than that i think but you know i think i may be impressed by styling but i'm also very critical. particularly of many crimes that were committed by him and by his friends you know should be criticised and praised in your price for his role in the great petrocelli war but criticised

for his dictatorial rule of the sort of what in your opinion was his role in winning the second world war i think the most important thing about his role was put in he felt he was in the end. he maintains the cohesion of his leadership and over and over the group of people around and i think you also inspire confidence in supply conference not just he's a cool one among the subby elite among the soviet population in general so you know he's the kind is the symbol. holds the whole come for you to have a signature and critical of him up the work but know that he's also had nine study of the soviet war if that put the whole war with revolves around him about his abilities as an organizer as a nest writer as a coordinate so as

a leader so i don't really think you can you cannot underestimate stalin's role if you please he was indispensable and i doubt that any money 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 him most as i and the three leaders go on very well at the wartime somerset's. and i'm still to and that's another point about. a positive view of starling as a world. it is not unique i mean it's in the united states widely shared 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 model there was widespread recognition of the importance of. stalin was not just a great hero of the soviet people would during the second world war he was the great hero or three of the allied peoples as well including

a regular hero to just ollie. churchill and roosevelt but they certainly. greatly and appreciated in the sea his role in the war knuckles that contemporary. post if you will gets lost in the second world war in the context of the outbreak of the cold war the thigh area the breakdown of the ground the launch material or in the so the united states although i would say. the soviet side was not a stalin if you wanted. a cold war the. try to avoid the cold war and eat off the cold war broke out. they went to great lengths to actually bring the cold war. to an end so the western side knots a cold war it was broken up it was a much more positive engagement with the cold war whereas on the subject there was a reluctance to become involved in the cold war and in

a continuous efforts to revive you know the ground lots one with great feats of post-war sort of foreign policy is a desire to return to the ground a lot and there is an initiative in russia these days still officially recognize the crimes of silence that i tyrion regime some go as far as putting stalin and hitler. a level. do you believe they are historical equals. no i don't think starting this crimes are different from the. so i was starving wasn't. a genocidal pillow. this time was. this the utopian and he believed that it was necessary to use thought it's to achieve as utopia was part of that drive tools it's called machine tokyo a lot of people people people who started to see this being his enemies and the enemies of the soviet system. it started to kill people because of

their rice and style they had people killed because of what he saw as being their politics and ideology. now on balance i think that's that's by comparing the genocidal killer like killer in the course the thing about stalin this stalling defeated hitler had hit the one the war what would have happened there would have been a nazi domenici to europe and ethnic cleansing and mass murder genocide on the confidential scale for me there's no greater historical criminal than hitler stalin . was guilty. of all across i wouldn't put him in the same league as him but do you believe that's an opinion why the shared outside the circle of historians well it's the idea that stalin and. equal as criminals of course is very much in the cold war i think the idea that took root in the people and then many

people in the west maybe will find us that they want to continue the cold war and some fold and one of the ways they pursued the cold war through spike in logical struggle including about closing about stalin and hitler so it's an idea that does have quite widespread appeal but i think that you know maybe not most people but most of people would recognize that stalin did a lot of good as as a rule of law as well as in the. huge role historically at what was a cause of service to humanity as a whole and actually winning or helping to win a second world war professor roberts thank you for this and thank you.

as my name is daniel smith this is joining us on the phone we're here to make a short presentation of all that we can fix project. the first step in the fourth estate is to get information out about the real world coming up to him war on america in the years you're losing because you are going to be in the markers are you. going. to fight that upward and so was this in danger he would hunt me down and kill me. this is exactly one of the reasons why we left the project because it has become more of all this all james bond with than all the actual information. but thank you. the whole big bill around the wold. they be.

hungry for the full slim we've got. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers. malts the victory day with the grounds parade of moscow thousands of soldiers marched through red square accompanied by more than a hundred minute she did calls and problems. nato stages new attacks against examples forces in libya but the leaders of the international coalition are finding the conflicts cost increasingly hall to back. down critics say america's push for democracy in the middle east is being distorted by continued presence in iran despite promises to withdraw all of us is accused of trying to control the regions with little states instead of promoting ideology. makes the late sense from the

world of sports. thank you allison low bulk of your watching the school some day it's on our t.v. headlines russian news through defending champions the czech republic have the world ice hockey championships but the quarterfinals he's already assured. victory day one of a joke of it sure i'll gloss drop on the dollar and the madrid mossies final discussed win over the spaniards on clay. and also the veterans of the battlefield or went on to become stars on the school's field we feature a gathering of phenomena stadium to celebrate and remember victory day. and will begin with the ice hockey world championships as russia went down to the czechs in because not some of the group stage game on sunday three two files were in this one at x i v h game playing his first game full disclosure and joining up with the

national team to the washington capitals where dumped out of the n.h.l. playoffs both the czechs and the russians were already through to the last state however in group meanwhile the swiss were eliminated from the tournament via the swedes. to the russian football premier league now where the spoils have been shown up in the latest moscow dobby and says scott securing a point each in sunday's opening fixture. to stop opened the scoring early on sort of big national average credited with a final touch up to just four minutes there to put them in front. a wondrous drive from andre verona druids and i will love all just before half time this brilliant shot from the form of little man made it one one zero about the young man looked to have secu goal three points once they do have a home ten minutes from time. but determined to navajo one down the aisle to ensuring a point thanks to mark a look at chopped off the good work from bar on both sides move up to its well.

once from seven games after peace to all draw. now those signs now at three points behind surprise leaders see champions in need also have the unity to go solid but instead they drew one one with a look and i see you elsewhere on cards move all the drop zone off the bases for the last two and former russian champions are being beat you boys have seen krasnodar. talking english football now a match the united have all but secured their primary league title they've spoken since charges beating chelsea it means they're now a full six points clear of the blues with only two games left first off strike. and the money of the ditch made the difference at old trafford while frank lampard now to walk for chelsea elsewhere also knows slim title hopes have been denied by still before that wild wolves edge there way out of the relegation zone following a three one win over west brom and in the only hour the only game on monday

liverpool travel to full of that slate to say. barcelona move closer to their third consecutive league title on sunday with a win over a spine you'll know andras and he has to open the scoring made way for the first time all fiery no matter when you're pros after his first shot bounced off a deep found. that forty dollars doubles there from detroit after the break bobby's poor nicky found here are the careful head of the imports you know but somehow he just acquired from the very much is remaining to see you when you spanish title and straight. in tennis rafael nadal's thirty eight match winning run on clay came to an end on sunday nobody georgevitch disposing of the king of clay in front of raffles home crowd in madrid top ranked modahl have been only nine of their previous meetings on clay but not this time around the joke of sustaining his

incredible four man his winning street. which has now reached thirty four consecutive matches the doll showed his character as well playing a number of real informs the beautiful love winner of the start of the second sat here overall jock which dictated play as he needed just to says to take the title from the defining champion. seven six and six for the finals was lost the feed on clay dates back to nearly two years ago well short of each claim bissextile of the season and there indeed self a top a very status ahead of the upcoming franco. you know the more do i do. you do so for the first place or simply the perfect place to. go to but you know i always believe the first rule is that i just read. a great. now reigning formula

one champion sebastian vettel has added to his overall lead in style by making it three wins from poor a sense at the turkish grand prix at the weekend german leading for the majority of the race eventually moving his competition in the dust plenty of time to spare rebel teammate mark and ferrari's fernando alonso came second by a large margin here is hamilton started and finished the race in fourth while the girls big trip to the start date from second place on the grid and russia's tightly control began in seventh and ended up in eighth place in his original. moving stateside and to the n.b.a. playoffs now where atlanta hawks maybe two all in the series against chicago bulls on sunday night but all eyes were on the ball defending champions l.a. lakers or had to climb back from three nothing down in this series against dallas however los angeles say goodbye to the playoffs after being stunned for

a fourth consecutive time one hundred twenty two to eighty six the carnal score in dallas the game was effectively done by halftime where the mavericks lead the lakers by twenty four jason terry with a game high thirty two points including a record ninety three pointers for the mabs helping them to clean sweep in the series. he knows this game tonight was all about difference i mean you see 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 difference for the mavericks and it's not new but we got to get people talking about it now. over in europe out of the nikah some of the new euro league champions the greeks claiming their third title in five years with a win over more carby in sunday's final and with the demetrius on t.v. it's called sixteen points and was instrumental in closing the game out for the shamrock spanners and i guess now move up to second game but overall all are stable

alongside says campbell still well to rearm adrift off the list with great titles. and of course victory days being celebrated across russia from the horrors of war the country side number of sporting greats emerged as richard damp or philip found out. back in the one nine hundred forty s. this special on the kind of force terrorized hitler's troops and fought and one of the most deadly battles in world history the battle of moscow which started in one thousand nine hundred eighty 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 in durance was the most crucial quality many sportsmen volunteer for the arms one division and many would later become champions in disciplines 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 worse come to visit nama 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 arms bomb an acronym which translates as be independent special purpose motorized brigade has to serve on the home front usually recruits were intrusted with the most dangerous missions such as helping units under tank and defending important crossings equally crucial was their work in reconnaissance as partisans and radio work in misinforming the enemy.

when one of the members of obama's bomb a space former gym now spotted skull peered in he took up gymnastics when he was just fourteen years old and by sixteen he'd volunteered for the soviet army and from the beginning sport played a crucial factor in his survival. i recall once we had to go in a survey 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 those guys who weren't athletic would even blackout 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 his job was to train the red

army recruits in gymnastics to make them fit however he had plenty of other interests here he proudly shows a photo with his friend the legendary soviet great if ya shin and he had a major impact in helping the right spider to become one of the world's greatest ever goalkeepers when the novel moscow was caused by your question and best score of they invited me to give exercise classes to their football team players so when they weren't playing i gave them classes in our gymnastics quarters of the novel club mainly i train them to do some acrobatics so that they could for instance fall without hurting themselves. and he's eighty four year and still remains passionate about sports especially gymnastics. you see if we wanted to be graceful it may be some easy routine that we wanted to be performed at a very high level then it's a sight to adore while what happens now is you see an ascii 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 true 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 i still remember today over feats of both the battle and sports fields which i'm told me don't see. and that's it for the moment join us again in a few hours time on our team for more sports stories and coming up right now is the weather stay with us. here is that so much as i was about to feel like you know you have a really good feel what is happening to the war movement there are plenty of wars being fought there with far fewer protesters was the anti-war movement just.

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