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The Best Episodes of Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow

Every episode of Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow!

Russia’s War provides an important and in-depth account of the nation’s history throughout the period of Joseph Stalin's rule (1924-53). Told in ten parts, this astonishing documentary reveals eyewitness accounts, archival photography, documents and footage, and gives a remarkable insight into what let to the death of sixty-five million Soviets during Stalin’s reign of terror.

Genre:Documentary
Networks:PBSPLANÈTE+

Top Episode Ratings Summary

The best episode of "Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow" is "The Darkness Descends", rated N/A/10 from 0 user votes. It was directed by N/A and written by N/A. "The Darkness Descends" aired on 6/20/1996 and is rated NaN point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Hour Before Midnight".

  • The Darkness Descends
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    #1 - The Darkness Descends

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 6/20/1996

    The first episode covers the rise of Josef Stalin, who gained power despite cautionary statements by Lenin before he died. It discusses the violence Stalin dealt to his own people, including the downtrodden peasants, political foes, officers of the Red Army, and anyone else he considered to be an enemy. Henry Kissinger provides narration for the series.

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  • The Hour Before Midnight
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    #2 - The Hour Before Midnight

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 5/27/1996

    As the series continues, Stalin is wielding his tyrannical power by ruthlessly eliminating the leaders of his Red Army. In Germany, Hitler is planning to enlarge his territory. Henry Kissinger appears as the host for these programs, which make use of accounts from survivors, photographs not seen outside of Russia, and material once kept secret. Stalin makes a decision to align his forces with those of Hitler, resulting in the swift defeat of Poland.

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  • The Goths Ride East
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    #3 - The Goths Ride East

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 6/3/1996

    Under Stalin's regime, many Russians have been killed, from common peasants to high-ranking officers in the Soviet Army. When Hitler's troops march into Russia in a blitzkrieg attack, the surprised Russians fall back. Despite Stalin's decree that no cities surrender, Kiev, Minsk, and Smolensk give in. Stalin denounces the captured Russians as traitors, and sends their wives to labor camps. It follows the progress of the Germans as they advance to the gates of Moscow.

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  • Between Life and Death
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    #4 - Between Life and Death

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 6/10/1996

    Hitler's forces arrive at Moscow without taking into account the severity of Russian winters. It is October, and the first snows have begun to fall. The inhabitants of Leningrad were under siege, and many were to die from lack of food. The Red Army mounts a counteroffensive, as both Hitler and Stalin display brutality toward their own armies. Stalin orders all deserters shot, in order to keep enough troops at the front to protect Moscow. Seldom-seen footage of events enhances the narrative in this series of programs.

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  • The Fight from Within
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    #5 - The Fight from Within

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 6/17/1996

    In the Nazi-captured regions of Russia, the life of villagers went from bad to worse. In this fifth episode of the series, first shown on PBS, the initial optimism of peasants quickly dissipated when Hitler's forces began to display their utter disdain of Soviet citizens. It reveals the role of the Partisan resistance movement, whose first efforts were not sanctioned by Stalin. As their numbers grew, Stalin gave them support, and increased their power, ordering them to kill anyone suspected of disloyalty.

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  • The Cauldron Boils
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    #6 - The Cauldron Boils

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 6/24/1996

    At this point in the war, Hitler is badly in need of supplies, and realizes that the vast oil stores of the Caucasus Mountains would solve some of his fuel problems. He pushes a large faction of his exhausted troops toward this goal, while another heads to Stalingrad for another offensive. Meanwhile, Stalin has told his Red Army that anyone caught retreating will be executed. The use of suicidal Penal Battalions, formed in part from Russia's political prisoners, began, and by the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, over one million Russian soldiers had lost their lives.

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  • The Citadel
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    #7 - The Citadel

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 7/1/1996

    As the Russians began to make gains against the German army, both sides began to see the importance of the region of Kursk. After the harsh Russian winter, both sides had time to regroup during the spring. Russian factories churned out fresh supplies of war machinery, and Hitler unveiled his new plan, known as the Citadel. The July 5, 1943, meeting of the two opposing forces at Kursk became the biggest tank battle ever fought, utilizing six thousand tanks, four thousand aircraft, and two million soldiers.

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  • False Dawn
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    #8 - False Dawn

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 2/6/1998

    The siege against Hitlers forces at Leningrad is finally lifted, and the Red Army is finding success against Hitler's forces.

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  • The Fall of the Swastikas
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    #9 - The Fall of the Swastikas

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 2/6/1998

    No description available

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  • The Cult of Personality
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    #10 - The Cult of Personality

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 2/6/1998

    After World War II, those who hoped for a softening of the Stalin regime policies were disappointed. Instead of easing up on his tyrannical wielding of power, Stalin continued his persecution of Soviet citizens, and imposed his system on other communist nations in Eastern Europe. This episode examines his attitudes toward his own people and his ambition to expand Russian territories. The beginnings of resistance to his policies can be discerned, and, in 1953, Stalin died of a brain hemorrhage.

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