type i think stalin's crimes very different from those crimes under stalin wasn't a genocide. astounding was. a star utopian and he believed that it was necessary to use violence to achieve his utopia i was parked at private schools it was called mission tokyo a lot of people of people people who started to see dismayed he's enemies and the enemies of the soviet system. can't kill people because both of their rice style they have people killed because of what he saw has been their politics and ideology now imbalance i think that's that's better i mean a genocidal killer like kill them because the thing about stalin is you know stalin defeated hitler had hit the one the war what would have happened there would have been the nazi dome in one thousand europe and ethnic cleansing of mass and the genocide on a few concert in full scope for me there's no greater historical criminal than hitler stalin. was killed. i would probably be missing the us a little but do you believe that's an opinion widely shared outside the circle of historians well i think the idea that stalin and hitler

for stalin and the soviets i was not a stalin the soviet union once he had. a cold war the. freud to avoid a cauldron indeed also the cold war broke out. i went to great lengths to actually bring the cold war. to an end so on the western side once the cold war as broken up it was a much more positive engagement with the cold war whereas on the soviet side there was a reluctance to become involved in the cold war and continuous efforts to revive you know the ground lots one of the great themes of post-war soviet foreign policy is that these are to retire but rather once there is an initiative in russia these days to officially recognize crimes of silence and i think korean regime some go it's always putting stalin and hitler on a level. do you believe they are historical equals. no i don't think stallions crimes are very different from those crimes under stalin wasn't. a killer. stallion was an idealist and utopian and he believed that it was necessary to use violence to achieve these television programs taught that drive towards this calling she tokyo a lot of people of peop

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 tho

stalin and the sort of it's not a stalin. wanted. a cold war the. try to avoid a cold or heat off the cold will approach out. they went to great lengths to actually bring the cold war. to an end so the western side of the cold war as broken up it was a much more positive engagement with the cold war whereas on the sort of saw it there was a reluctance to become involved in the cold war and continuous efforts to revive you know the ground lost one of the great. post-war soviet foreign policies of the return so look around a lot and there is an initiative in russia the state still officially recognized the crimes of stalin stuff that i thought. regime some going to always putting stalin and hitler on a level. do you believe their historical equals. no i don't think stallions crimes are different from those crimes under stalin was. a genocidal killer. his timing was. this than utopian and he believed it was necessary to use the audience to achieve peace. tools it's called machine tokyo a lot of people but people it's people who proceed to speed he's in

to stalin and the soviet side it's not a stalin sort of you wanted. a cold war you know. freud to avoid the cold or heat off the cold will broke out they went to great lengths to actually bring the cold war. to an end and so on the western side once the cold war as broken up it was a much more positive engagement with the cold war whereas on soviet saw it there was a reluctance to become you both in the cold war and continuous efforts to revive you know the ground about some of the great themes of post-war soviet foreign policy is that these are it's a return but rather long and there is an initiative in russia these days still officially recognize the crimes of silence and i thought. regime some goes always putting stalin and hitler on a level. do you believe they are historical equals. no i think stalin's crimes very different from those crimes under stalin wasn't a genocidal killer. this time was a mighty this to utopia and he he believed that it was necessary to use violence to achieve is to utopia in this part of the drive tools. it's people who are perceived as he i

stalin and the soviet side just another stalin old soviet union wanted. a cold war the you know. try to avoid a cold or need a cold will broke out. they went to great lengths to actually bring the cold war. to an end so. on the western side the cold war was broken out there was a much more positive engagement with the cold war was on the subject saw it there was a reluctance to become involved in the cold war and continuous efforts to revive you know the ground lost one of the great feats of post-war sort of foreign policies a desire to return so that because of the lines there is an initiative in russia these days to officially recognize 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 talked to i think stalin's crimes are different from those crimes almost all in wasn't. a genocide or pillow. style you most likely this thing utopian. he believed that it was necessary to use the audience to achieve. for all its rules this commission tokyo a lot of people a people people who started to see

for stalin and the sort it was not a stalin. one state. a cold war. play for all i to avoid the cold war to beat off the cold war broke out. and i went to great lengths to actually bring the cold war. to an end so the western side once the cold war was broken up it was a much more positive engagement with the cold war whereas on the sort it saw it there was a reluctance to becoming both in the cold war and continuous efforts to revive you know the ground was one of the great themes of post-war soviet foreign policies of to retire the ground a lot and there is an initiative in russia these days to officially recognize the crimes of silence and i thought. the regime by some goes thought was placing stalin and hitler on my level. do you believe their historical roots. no i don't think stalin's crimes are very different from those crimes i was telling wasn't a genocide or killer. was found in was. this something utopian and he believed that it was necessary to use the audience to achieve if you have this part that for all the tools this call machine topia

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 peo

did before dark thirty one of the great terror of what stalin did was a huge crime against humanity but the shoah stands a load the holocaust adds a load all the d.c. rights the islamists the people in syria and libya and other countries that hate jews like israel to try to get us to think of the second world war simply the quality of evil hitler will say will start jobs will say with russians that is wrong that has to be called back to all the parades that we saw today on red square is intended to preserve history and it really does not the sacrifices by both the allies and the u.s.s.r. in overcoming that fashion said but there is growing concern as you've alluded to in some ways about history being rewritten for political purposes really do you think that that's tree. yes i do very very much so as i say it's attempt to break an equivalence between the crimes of nazi germany of the crimes of stalin soviet union well you could keep your head in russia you could hide away you would survive if you're a jew you'd be hunted darted the ball curves and yugoslavia greece and hungry belgium

some historians suggest that stalin was wary of something like operation unthinkable prompting him to speak up. he knew that something was brewing it's hard to say whether he had a clear knowledge of the details that we now know or that off famous firing by kim philby was operating in britain at the time top foreign office officials they were doing a very effective job which in effect. stephan goldenberg son of a german anti-fascist had joined the soviet army in one thousand nine hundred forty two as a volunteer. in april of one thousand nine hundred five he was a propaganda officer. at the early hours of april sixteenth he was summons to headquarters he was told to announce to the germans through the loudspeakers the start of the wars final soviet offensive in a few hours time. place it says it was assistant at those newcomer general this is impossible with we can't possibly give away military secrets personalized me and said tenants we can have an interest in keeping casualties to me and. the world's most massive preparatory bombardment kenned five o'clock in the morning of april si

on april first stalin called a meeting of his supreme command or he decided that the berlin operation should start in mid april. you sleep when you were i think that if roosevelt hadn't signed on april the twelfth stalin would have agreed to the participation of the western allies forces in the assault on the limb of calling so roosevelt as a kind of current school would prevent the allies from stabbing him in the by. roosevelt's death prompted in the soviet commands to take a resolute action the assault was set for april sixteenth stalin may have had yet another reason for wanting to take berlin without delay in early april the british prime minister ordered the drafting of operation unthinkable. the british military declassified documents relating to it a few years ago. which received these documents relating to operation unthinkable from a british. twenty nine pages tells. britain's joint planning staff started preparations for hostilities against the soviet union a month before the war's end the operation planned by the british implied an attack on the soviet union without declari

studies at new york university also author of the victims were turned survivors of the gulag after stalin not going to do it for now will be back at five for more news until then follow me on twitter at loren lester. they'll. today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of kandahar. berlin the rush dog home to germany's parliament it was right here the final fight of world war two took place. there ever fewer surviving witnesses to the events of those days soviet veterans will never forget what happened sixty five years ago show us the gun fire corpses flame that's how the right start look by the end of april nine hundred forty one. german soldiers fought for every piece of footage and really tried stamps to the last minute against soviet troops. more than fifty thousand soldiers and officers died over russian volition german each of us four for our own model and the russians for their zero on twenty four hours. lasted for two months the red flag with the raids on the top of the lifestyle game a nine hundred forty five. became the

printed in the soviet commands to take a resolute action was set for april sixteenth stalin may have had yet another reason for wanting to take berlin without delay in early april the british prime minister ordered the drafting of operation unthinkable. the british military declassified documents relating to it a few years ago. was received these documents relating to operation unthinkable from a british. twenty nine pages. britain's joint planning staff started preparations for hostilities against the soviet union a month before the war's end the operation planned by the british implied an attack on the soviet union without declaring war on july first one thousand nine hundred forty five forty seven british and u.s. divisions were to deliver a crushing blow to the soviet army the attack was to have the support of twelve german divisions. to say that russia should be forced to succumb to the will of the traits of britain and the united states here is just one quote from the plane of the operation. the elimination of russians could only be achieved as a result of the occupation of suc

since that great victory much as changed stalin grant changed its name to volgograd the soviet union itself collapsed and those who remember the battle and now all. but when it comes to monuments volgograd made sure the heroism of the moment was set in stone was made me a for going up but you have to be careful here this is the most dangerous yes we could be inside a military bunker the metal and concrete certainly make it look like one issue but we emerged to a panoramic view of the city of volgograd stop at least we just popped out of the head of the city's iconic mother russia statue in some ways the statue is a metaphor for the war itself a rough and ready construction as practical as the soviet soldiers who fought here a strength as defiant as the soviet army clung to the banks of the volga size as vast as a black hole that raged around here for many more reminders of bound which are a lot. less stylized and a lot more poignant these soldiers weren't buried in solemn ceremony they lie where they fell and see. these teams of volunteers have been researching and excavating the bat

for example churchill hated stalin hated stalin but said i will make any alliance with stalin because hitler is the devil he's much worse that kind of perception of a common enemy and a common danger that doesn't exist today now we can say it doesn't exist because people are short sighted but it's also the case that that kind of danger doesn't exist terrorism is not the threat not the threat that hitler's and was a member of hitler conquered the whole of europe they enter national terrorists are not an army we've probably exaggerated their importance in talking about a war against terror when what we really need is a police action against terrorism but it is true it is true back to the united states today and kosovo that russia today are not cooperating. to the degree that they should bring on today's dangers which are nuclear proliferation terrorism poverty or international drug traffic they are not cooperating anywhere near the degree that's needed to deal with these problems but to be fair to the leaders and there's no real reason to be fair to them because they haven't led very we

>> well, none of the files about the stalin disk are opened up at all.n came only from an anonymous... the only source i keep anonymous in my book is... >> jon: they don't admit that area 51 exists. our government does not admit there's an area 51. put up the picture of area 51. that's how big the damn thing is, and they say it doesn't exist. >> anyone... if you call up the air force, you can get them on the phone and ask them, and they'll tell you no comment or they won't say it exists. jon january let me just very quickly urge my audience tonight not to drunk dial the air force please. [laughter] you have no idea what that just unleashed on college campuses right now. there are going to be bombing raids at fraternity houses. nuke v.c.u. do you think we will ever quite understand the depth of our military research that has occurred at area 51? >> well, i write about programs that went on in the '50s and the '60 has the have been declassified, but the name "area 51" is always blacked out of the declassified documents. so who knows what is going on there

today the city is called volgograd but sixty eight years ago it was called stalin grads and it was the scene of one of the largest battles in military history and even today its left its mark spoke physical and spiritual on the city here and its population and it's that feeling that i've been examining in my report. dragged back from the past this old soviet light tankers lay under the mud for sixty eight years it proved too late to stop the nazi invaders reaching the city of starving ground but you still are trying to drive it was called a mass grave it's almost soften it could be pierced by machine gun bullets it was part of the soviet armies which goal to nine hundred forty two were desperately trying to protect stalin's city on the volga from a vast access offensive peter was an eighteen year old cadet as the germans closed in he was read stalin's informants order not to retreat one step back whatever the cost. in the first combat. that was a baptism of fire. over the next six months the oil and determination of soviet soldiers saved the city and trapped the invading germans and en

since that great victory much has changed stalin grant changed its name to volgograd the soviet union itself collapsed and those who remember the battle and now all. but when it comes to monuments all good mates. there was a moment the second step so maria was no me as we're going up what you have to be careful here this is the most dangerous you are not serious we could be inside a military bunker a metal and concrete certainly make it look like one but we emerged for programming deal with the city of volgograd stop at least we just popped down to the head of the city's iconic mother russia statue in some ways this statue was a metaphor for the war itself a rough and ready construction as practical as the soviet soldiers who fought here a strength as defiant as the soviet army clung to the backs of all at her size as vast as the battle that raged around here there are many more reminders abound that's real not less stylized and a lot more from these soldiers went very solemn ceremony they lie where they fell unseen. these teams of volunteers have been researching and excavating the b

their lives in the second world war what russia cost the great patriotic war or to comparing our stalin to hitler or to bitterly telling history in another way well joining me to speak more about that is the record that he's historian thank you very much for being with us on this holiday tell us more about why these travels this this attempt to be right history is happening. across the wall the fact of history is that the millions of ukrainians g.r.i.z. . heroically fighting. as a part of the real the army begins and not since they during the second world war great patriotic war. a lot of baltics did the see saw this is the history of the same time the fact of life was there the lot of ukrainians experience only from western ukraine. is an experience only last three years the baltics they were the part of that sense of the. lots of better leads a special. baltic mission the least to detail yes under the can mandell nazis. who did massacres and fight it against the red army and begins the civilians during the great opportunity of cool interrupt you in the twenty first century our europea

it had been stalin's idea and it was originally of a third reich design. >> you have to read the bookif you are scratching your head at home and wondering, you've done a great piece here. >> reporter: after repeated requests and a tense negotiation, she agreed to sit down with me a second time. he told us he never touched the people that were in that craft. >> when he discusses this with me and describes the child-size aviators and he talks about them and he would go like this. my interpretation is whhe held them. he corroborated everything in my book with two discrepancies. i see absolutely no problem with that. >> reporter: you told us that he came to you, that he made these revelations out of a sense of patriotic guilt. >> that is correct. >> reporter: when i asked him, why are you here, why are you talking about this after all this time, he said, quote, to help annie's book. >> bill, you're absolutely taking one sentence out of context. all the information that i have from this source is absolutely credible. >> reporter: how? you're not able to vet any of the things he's telling y

part of the soviet towns which by all to nine hundred forty two were desperately trying to protect stalin sixty from a vast axis offensive he also was an eighteen year old cadet as the germans closed in he was read stalin's infamous order not to retreat one step back whatever the cost. you know first combat we were bones in our offices and were killed that was our baptism of fire. over the next six months the bomb and determination of soviet soldiers saved the city and trapped the invading germans and circle and which destroyed hitler's biggest army. since that great victory much as changed stalin grab changed its name to volgograd the soviet union itself collapsed and those who remember the battle and now all. but when it comes to monument holding back make sure there was a moment was sexist or some way of us name yes we're going out you have to be careful here this is the most dangerous part of what serious we could be inside a military bunker a metal and concrete certainly make it look like one issue but we emerged to a panoramic view with the city of volgograd stop at least we just po

and stalin's contribution to seeming victory. start with his leadership his contribution it's very possible very probable that the soviet union would have lost the world not just him is the symbol. that holds the whole country together to create a critically hoaxes world but now that he's also had money stashed over the soviet era the fact that behavior or if it revolves around the about around his abilities as a little noisy mr eighty didn't say he's the most detailed figure located in the twentieth century one of the most important speeches of the twentieth century or so but you know i'm also very critical of stuff particularly the many crimes that were committed by the mcbride for example or should be criticized for a dictatorial rule of the sort and. i were covering the victory day celebrations across russia throughout the day on the way later this hour we visit the size of one of the bloodiest of the second world war torn off kabul to what was then selling grass a city he's history is still being on that could be tricky is t

and so he was facing stalin's remnants who never forgave them for denouncing stalin in his own party.nd the east german leader and curiously, his leverage grew with the amount of refugees that were flowing out of this country because the greater the danger of east germany imploding, the greater the domestic pressure on khrushchev to do something about it. it wasn't just a danger to the soviet bloc. it was a danger to his own political standing and then the chinese. the chinese were rising. they were trying to oppose khrushchev at that time. they thought he wasn't the worthy representative of world communism so these three things were all against khrushchev and then he was looking at a october party congress. we think well, that's not democratic. what does he have to worry about? but he had seen other soviet leaders lose their jobs at such conferences so everything for him was pointed at that october party congress in getting through and holding onto power. >> and i think you point out very -- after stalin's death, no soviet leader was not secure in his position and they had to worry a

for example churchill hated stalin aided star but said i will make any alliance with stalin because hitler is the devil he's much worse that kind of perception of a common enemy and a common danger that doesn't exist today now we can see it doesn't exist because people are short sighted but it's also the case that that kind of danger doesn't exist terrorism is not the threat not the threat that hitlerism was a member of hitler a conqueror the whole of europe they international terrorists are not an army we've probably exaggerated their importance in talking about a war against terror when what we really need is a police action against terrorism but it is true it is true that the united states today and personal view of russia today are not cooperating. to the degree they should be as i said before the dangers aren't as a menacing not as dramatic not as apparent but the opposition the partnership between the two countries is partly a legacy of cold war ideology but a powerful a go see it's partly a legacy it's partly a result of economic institutions that have a vested financial inte

vast axis offensive he also was an eighteen year old cadet as the germans closed in he was read stalin's infamous order not to retreat one step back whatever the cost. in our first combat we were bombs in our offices and were killed that was our baptism of fire. over the next six months the bomb and determination of soviet soldiers saved the city and trapped the invading germans an encirclement which destroyed hitler's biggest army since that great victory much has changed stalin grab changed its name to volgograd the soviet union itself collapsed and those who remember the battle and now all. but when it comes to monuments volgograd made sure the heroism of the moment was set in stone. were going up you have to be careful here this is the most dangerous. we could be inside a military bunker the metal and concrete certainly make it look like one that we emerge to a panoramic view of the city of oakland thought at least we've just popped down to the head of the city's iconic mother russia statue in some ways this statue was a metaphor for the war itself a rough and ready construction. as

this war on drugs is something out of stalin's russia. and let's stop this war on sex offenders before this gets way out of hand. it is already way out of hand. [applause] i know we are concerned about sexual assault and rape and people assaulting women and children -- i know that. most of the people in prison as sex offenders are not those people. i call them romeo and juliet's. he is 19 and she is 16 or she is 19 and he is 16. that is the most of the mark. let's face it -- we should know, especially in san francisco, that as human beings, we are not really comfortable with sex. some of us do not even know who we are, right? from day to day, right? you know, i mean, sex is a very complicated issue. the idea that sexual behavior and people's aberrations with it or problems with it or confusions should send them to present for life sentences. in wisconsin, they have the same thing in iowa and illinois -- actually have built prisons just for sex offenders. can you imagine? the entire prison are sex offenders, mostly young men. that is what

to the rise of depicts a smiling it was approved by stalin. legend has it that the soviet leader didn't like end of the statue of the sashed forceful and creates a new one. changing city many parts of the pull of on with various since our cafes as a true european city a frisky dining is all the rage in summer months now. is a popular french restaurant chain. away from the high end oligarchy cerise the prices here are as decent as the food. and this is where we're meeting this week's guests. to meet you so it's only alan to be living here most are. almost two years working in about a consultancy and how do you think the russian capital would look before you came here. i guess i know not many preconceptions but i'm a runner so i guess i was hoping that the green spaces around and i was pleasantly surprised they could read about them and how does your life you know associate with people about here every day i mean i live on the road ring and my office is just off so i will be on but about every day and now i'm trying new york marathon not a must