this is german commander hines on his tanks capture the brest fortress at that time part of polish territory. this is rare footage joint saw that in german military parades in accordance with the secret deal to divide the german military hands breast over to soviet troops in less than two years' time leon will again launch an assault on breast fortress fighting against the same troops lives in the interim dispenser units will have gained valuable experience in successful offensive operations in europe. and. assure we have the most insane knowledge change to communicate between the tax hedge funds. and that allowed us to react small quickly the the russian tanks couldn't communicate with each other whereas we could for example withdraw and then it's time from the science. june twenty fourth one of the most tragic days for the defenders of the fortress during another attempted assault by nancy hughes the russian officers wife and children as a human shield on this bridge. they told us women and children to lie down on the bridge close to monterrey pieces. can you imagine four or five guns firi

reinforcements to the end they did know they were already well behind enemy lines germans has seized the town of brest within hours. abreast residents lived under occupation for nearly three years when the germans came she was told she was not. a second person. that. even public to listen hospitals could not be used by everybody johns had decent food we're not so lucky. if they don't name every way you could see a sign saying. only oh i. know and. already during the first days of the war many people in breast and its environs started sneaking out of town. in the forests they formed groups of guerrilla warfare. learn new skills those. here in the forest in june one thousand nine hundred. children and women. and if all of us lived here and all of us were helping each of. the partisans stayed in the forests for three. time they carried out reconnaissance and secret monitoring of the enemy in the evening they were engaged in special operations. forces use this railway to bring military hardware to the front line. placed on the track so that nobody could see them. the germans sent reconnaissance parties to

reinforcements down to the end they did know they are already well behind enemy lines germans has seized the town of brest within hours. abreast residents lived under occupation for nearly three years when the germans came she was told that she was not. a second rate person. there's a toilet that will even public toll this in hospitals could not be used but everybody johns had decent food the others were not so lucky joe misspelled the word hostis of the town name everywhere you could see signs saying. it's only oh i . know and it's already during the first days of the war many people in breast and its environs started sneaking out of town. in the forcible russia they form groups of guerrilla warfare by cd because love learn new skills and those of a machine gun are here in the forest dugouts in june one thousand nine hundred one could have. children women work hard you know and if all of us lived here. all of us were helping each other. the partisans stayed in the forests for. a time they carried out reconnaissance and secret monitoring of the enemy in the evening they were engaged in special operations.

reinforcements down to the end they did know they were already well behind enemy lines germans has seized the town of brest within hours. abreast residents lived under occupation for nearly three years

is in the city of brest in paris which bore the brunt of german attacks on the eastern front. being here inside the prettiest fortress on these days seventy years after the start of the great passion war makes you not only see the visual damage to the citadel of pierced the full fronts of that war you can also feel the human coast of those terrible times dance from the wolf of the fortress maybe you cannot see clearly behind that smoke is a living reminder about the roches night thousands of people were buried alive on these four square kilometers on the night of the twenty second of june nineteen forty one defining the biggest fortress was the first battle of the soviet union in the great war but it was also one of its most boy couldn't chapters the nazi invaders expected that they would capture it swiftly but instead they came up against resistance which held out for months four thousand people managed to flee the fortress but most of them were killed shortly after both thousands others were besieged behind the fortress as was the last it was captured at the end of july nigh

visit to brest fortress despite official reports claiming that there were no surviving defenders on president. it's secure repercussions were put in place. on the eve of the top level visit to german soldiers patrolling an area near the fortress had disappeared. hitler and mussolini entered the fortress through a bridge that used to be right here what hitler saw here is known to have made a strong impression on him but even took a stone lying amongst the ruins with them. after the fall of berlin the stone was found in hitler's office at the chancellor of the third reich. church in breast fortress. there are traces of shells on the walls and inside. it was from here that the defenders of breast fortress launched their first counterattack. scores of german and soviet soldiers died here.

held a vigil at four am the time of german army first attack the eastern front recently known to the unknown soldier russia and ceremony was also held in the city of brest in belo rooms which bore the brunt of the first nazi front suits the germans deployed a lot of heavy artillery weapons on the grass fortress that fell to great soviet resistance artes you consider your grandchildren is there for us. being here inside the biggest fortress on these days seventy years after the start of the great war makes you not only see the visual damage to this city out in the forefront of that war you can also feel the human cost of those terrible times dance from the walls of the fortress maybe you cannot see clearly behind that smoke is a living reminder about that the roches night thousands of people were buried alive on these four square kilometers on the night of the twenty second of june nineteenth forty one here also but love to behind several inscriptions like the want ads on a wall i'm dying but i want so we're not leaving us which fewer and fewer witnesses saw the first day of the war and the horse which followed after here is the story. you would like any

history thousands in moscow now reaching for a time when the german army first attacked the eastern front a ceremony it was also held in the city of brest in which all the brunt of the first offensive the nazis deployed an array of heavy artillery and weaponry on the breast fortress failed to break the soviet resistance. is there for us. these days seventy years. makes you know something even. on top of that but you can also use some. time. that is leaving room on the road not it's not about her it's about not thousands of people. not helping them to do the things which. were the soviet like actually more babies so most poignant chutzpah to be dispatching. sweep the south of the. resistance which holds out the weeks. thousand people managed to leave the tower. most of them were killed she touches. the point of the law to cut she won though some reports even suggest that isolated resistance was an accountant even touch. what she like the one with the knife on the wall you lying back i want to run into knots. while looking back seventy years since germany's invasion of the soviet union leading british historian. patrick people helped win

day schoolchildren in the town of brest take part in a ceremony by a local monument to commemorate what happened there. on june twenty second one hundred forty one german fascist forces invaded the soviet union without a declaration of war the defenders of the breast fortress found themselves in a dead end situation it is here that the myth about the invincibility of the german army was broken after the end of the war and the rest fortress as a name became synonymous to perseverance courage and belief in victory for years to come. the early hours of june twenty second nineteen forty one german artillery unleashes a massive barrage from the breast garrisoned. german warplanes some ultimately dropped hundreds of bombs on the fortress soon after infantry assault.