World War II: 1941 & The Man Of Steel

In the first part of this critically acclaimed BBC documentary, historian David Reynolds uses original telegrams and documents to revisit Stalin’s approach to World War II. The man himself was not considered exceptional: short, tubby, with a ruthless streak and a comical Georgian accent (in the eyes of other Russians). How was he able to put aside his shortcomings and turn the tide of the war?

After a series of devastating defeats and military blunders, Stalin managed to learn from his mistakes. Something that Hitler was incapable of doing, as David Reynolds surmises in the second part of this exceptional BBC documentary. But it was Stalin’s strained relationship with Churchill that was pivotal to the war’s outcome. Did one boozy evening out together cement an alliance between them?