WWII Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West is a BBC / PBS documentary film on the role of Joseph Stalin during World War II. The 2008 film combines narrative-led documentary segments, interwoven by dramatic re-enactments, with actors representing main political figures of the period. The documentary lasts six hours. It has been aired in the United States in two hour segments.
The documentary carries information newly available to the public, from the Soviet archives, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. British historian Laurence Rees did the research compilation and lead writing for the series.[1]
The series delves into such matters as the British, American and Soviet cover-up of the Katyn Forest Massacre; Churchill's agreement at Yalta that Stalin should keep his gains of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, including Kresy; the Polish population transfers (1944–1946); and the betrayal or persecution of figures such as Marshal Georgy Zhukov, Vyacheslav Molotov and John H. Noble.
The narrative voice-over was performed by the narrator veteran of Ken Burns' PBS series, Keith David. Joseph Stalin is portrayed by Alexei Petrenko, Winston Churchill is portrayed by Paul Humpoletz and Franklin D. Roosevelt is portrayed by Bob Gunton.[1]
Episode One - The one-hour feature on the Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 23, 1939 and the start of Operation: Barbarossa when the Wehrmacht started to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.
Episode Two - The relationships between the Soviet and British allies during the war, stock footage of the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, which caused the USA to enter the war and plans for a Western Front in Europe.
Episode Three - Features the Moscow Conference between Stalin and Churchill on the new front in Europe and taking control of North Africa by the Western Allies and two battles on the Eastern Front: both Stalingrad and Kursk.
Episode Four - The one-hour feature on the Teheran Conference between the "Big Three" on the land to make Poland between the Soviet and German homelands. Stock footage of D-Day on France and the Warsaw Uprising.
Episode Five - Features about the victory against Germany from all three Allied nations, stock footage of the Battle of the Bulge and the push to Berlin which made the Soviets cheer for a parade in June 1945.
Episode Six - This final episode features about the Yalta Conference, stock footages of the Battle of Normandy and the Pacific War, also including Operation August Storm and by the end of the episode, is the demolition of the Berlin Wall.