Between Life and Death

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.