Charlton Heston's euphonious narration tells us that before, during, and after World War II, Stalin had the best spy network in the world. The evidence given here is compelling.
Stalin's NKVD has two functions. In order of declining importance: (1) kill anyone Stalin thought might be a rival or enemy, and (2) supply Stalin with intelligence.
Stalin was a real mean SOB and the ultimate in paranoia. He literally had spies spying on spies who were spying on his own spies. And if they didn't give him the kind of intelligence he wanted, he assumed they were in league with his enemies and feeding him false information. He received warnings of a German invasion from multiple sources and dismissed them all because he believed that Germany and England would exhaust each other, at which point Stalin would march in. When he was proved wrong, he jailed some of his informants who had warned him. His best aircraft designers found themselves working from jail cells. He wound up killing more Russians than the Germans did.
The episode doesn't mention it but when the British perfected the jet engine they invited Soviet diplomats to the factory to witness an engine being made. Stalin had the visitors wear gum-soled shoes to pick up slivers of metal shavings from the floor because he naturally assumed the British would mislead him.
There is considerable footage of Uncle Joe -- actually looking like somebody's fond uncle, with his bushy mustache, his hair combed straight back, his vague smile, and his avuncular pipe. The guy looked like his own caricature. It would be funny if twenty million Russians hadn't died under his ministrations.
Stalin's NKVD has two functions. In order of declining importance: (1) kill anyone Stalin thought might be a rival or enemy, and (2) supply Stalin with intelligence.
Stalin was a real mean SOB and the ultimate in paranoia. He literally had spies spying on spies who were spying on his own spies. And if they didn't give him the kind of intelligence he wanted, he assumed they were in league with his enemies and feeding him false information. He received warnings of a German invasion from multiple sources and dismissed them all because he believed that Germany and England would exhaust each other, at which point Stalin would march in. When he was proved wrong, he jailed some of his informants who had warned him. His best aircraft designers found themselves working from jail cells. He wound up killing more Russians than the Germans did.
The episode doesn't mention it but when the British perfected the jet engine they invited Soviet diplomats to the factory to witness an engine being made. Stalin had the visitors wear gum-soled shoes to pick up slivers of metal shavings from the floor because he naturally assumed the British would mislead him.
There is considerable footage of Uncle Joe -- actually looking like somebody's fond uncle, with his bushy mustache, his hair combed straight back, his vague smile, and his avuncular pipe. The guy looked like his own caricature. It would be funny if twenty million Russians hadn't died under his ministrations.
