Original subtitles

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is undoubtedly the biggest

twist of the twentieth century it will

change the destiny of millions

of Europeans

and triggered the Second World War

on August 23, 1939 Nazi Germany and

the Soviet Union concluded a pact of

non-aggression baptized with the name of the two

signatories of the ribbentrop molotov pact

it is about the

improbable rapprochement of two sworn enemies

is doomed to the mutual destruction of

hitler and stalin

but this narcotics pact is

for europe only the tragic outcome

of a descent into hell that began

five years earlier

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1

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adolf hitler is convinced of 'obeying a

divine voice which makes him infallible and

who ordered him to build a

brutal ruthless and purebred sprawl

he also promised to

humiliated and disarmed Germany after the defeat of

1918 that it re would find his past power

how far he will go

for the moment he does not know it himself

but in his fictionalized autobiography and

program book mein kampf of hitler

exposes his vision of the world

and when he demands a living space for

the German people

look eastwards,

determined to reduce the Slavs to slavery

and to eradicate communism from the

face of the globe

hitler is burning to start

a fight to the death with the he

soviet union and its master joseph stalin

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stalin is nicknamed by his propaganda

worth throwing the guide

he has reigned since the end of the 1920s

over the soviet union the largest

state on the planet that the rest of the world

calls a plague of fear of

communist contagion

of a terribly anxious and

suspicious nature stalin is wary of the

plague of the outside world

for fear of capitalist contagion

[Music]

he first considered that Hitler was

a capitalist enemy like another

av ant to admit that he represented a

much more worrying peril and hitler

is not his only problem

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in the far east japan, which pursues an

aggressive colonial expansion policy, has brutally invaded

Manchuria and now threatens the

borders of the soviet union stalin

is obliged to concentrate important forces there

while the japanese army

does not hide its intention to continue

its advance at the slightest sign of

weakness of the army

[music]

surrounded by mortal danger stalin wants to

break his isolation and trying to get

closer to his old enemies the

French and British capitalist democracies

given the climate of paranoia that

reigns between the West and the

Soviet Union

here is a sacred bet to take up and to

achieve this feat

Stalin will count on the talent of his

foreign minister maxim

litvinov early revolutionary

maxim litvin of was in 1919

the first representative of soviet russia

let's go when he

knew nothing about diplomacy

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litvin off quickly became an

accomplished diplomat is extremely skillful it is

he who managed to convince the

united states to officially recognize

the soviet union Jews and fiercely

anti Nazis Hitler is for him a thug

you only understand the language of the

force

Litvin off is convinced that all

European countries must form a

military alliance and show

unfailing solidarity

this policy which bears the

evocative name collective security has

even become the obsession of the nov case

and to implement it he hopes

first of all to obtain the support of

France

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] France is a great power agitated

by repeated political and financial scandals

and who suffers from

chronic government instability

the Communist Party under

Stalin's orders anguishes the rulers

while the extreme right sits messes me up and

wants to impose a fascist order

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but his weapon came out victorious in the

war of 14-18 is considered the

best in the world

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who

yves enough wants to resuscitate the

Franco-Russian alliance which had taken the germany

in a stranglehold during the first world war

by hoping that the fear

of nazi germany outweighs the

visceral anti-communism of french officials and

soldiers

lê duy nov immediately finds

unexpected support

i foreign minister

louis barthou

old 72-year-old anti-communist everywhere

no longer has any qualms therefore it

is a question of the security of France

he knows that he needs the

soviet union to prevent the night hitler

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you

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thanks in support of louis barthou

the soviet union is thus

officially admitted to the society of

nations

a great success for litvine off whose

country is no longer treated as an outcast by the

international community is even e

if teeth grind in the

barthou french government negotiate with the nov case

a military alliance which will have to be

signed soon

litvine of could not have dreamed better

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but a few weeks later

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louis barthou and the collateral victim

of an attack which targeted the king of

yugoslavia

in the louis barthou crush

was first accidentally injured by the shooting

of a policeman then evacuated in

disaster

while the medic placed the guard in the

wrong place and caused a

fatal hemorrhage

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and while the coffin of louis

barthou and repatriated to paris,

Maxime Litvinov wonders if it is

not the Franco-Soviet military alliance

that we are going to bury

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since the end of the first world war,

the British have

largely been withdrawn from

European affairs on which he only

keeps a distant gaze is

indifferent

their diplomacy is turned towards the open

sea and preservation from their

immense colonial empire

deeply anti-communist they

perceive at most Hitler as a

nationalist a little elated that a threat

absolutely not their interest

brief the idea of an alliance between

the england and the soviet union

raises for the moment of science

fiction

it is however the mission of which is

invested the man of confidence of

litvinov in london the

soviet ambassador ivan risk

corn who elects devine off knew each other

in exile in london before the

russian revolution and remained bound by a

deep corn friendship that did

not belong at the time to the Bolshevik party

which finally seized power

but to the competing movement it was

a match eric as much to say a traitor a

serious mistake of youth that never fail

to remind him stalin and his

entourage

weiss who is happily married to an

authentic Bolshevik anyama isc a

bright and bubbly woman who

always appears in the most beautiful toilet

at the m London

Jews and fiercely anti-Nazi butky ode to

dance diplomacy he knows how to attract the

sympathy and the confidences of his

interlocutors essential qualities

to win the favor of a

British establishment which is

by nature viscerally hostile to him, ivan

corn who has bonded friendship with the

young conservative minister who

represents great britain at the sdn

anthony id physique of young premier

studies at oxford hidden represents what

the father class british can

produce better he speaks five languages

including russian fluently and there is a little more

open-minded than his maize colleagues

who believe he promises a bright

future and has decided to bet on him

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to believe his hitler propaganda only

desires peace

but one would have to be deaf and blind

to believe it

even the new highways have a

military interest

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1

but for the moment they only

have the only small army authorized by the

treaty de versailles which also forbids

him all modern armaments on

February 26, 1935 ickler orders his second

hermann goering to create a

modern air force and rape for the

first time his international obligations

only two weeks later they

transgress a new interest said by

announcing the reinstatement of military service

the english ministers coming from london

arif will call it berlin aerodrome

this time the british government

finally decides to react the

foreign minister john salmons and

anthony hidden are sent to berlin

to bring hitler to reason

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he arrives at the reich chancellery

confident in the success of their

mission

soon followed by a hitler winding up like

a clock

hitler will bluntly refuse to interrupt

their completely inflexible rearmament of germany

he will even

brag by claiming that his

air force is already at the same level as

the british air force hitler lies like

a tooth puller to sow

confusion

but the two british believe him and

will report this information to their

governments or will suddenly reign a

wind of panic which does not escape

ivan maisky who immediately take advantage

of the british disarray to invite

jones imon and anthony hidden in moscow

moscow as

much to say the planet mars for

british ministers john simone

categorically refuses

[Music]

anthony let's give it is interested and

he is authorized lip service by

his government to accompany corn

maxim litvinov very skeptical about this

minister of this tale order he represents

the future answers him corn which and then

anyway we will not have better while

waiting for the arrival of anthony to give

ivan corn there which litvinov talks with

the British ambassador

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maxim Nov 18 wants to prove to his guest

that communists are frequentable people

first steps he hopes

for an ally nce with england

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the guesses of enamel which leads

with pride anthony gives in the

moscow metro which has just been

inaugurated history to underline that the

Soviets are turned towards progress

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and history to show that 'they too are

attached to traditions

the mythical Bolshoi Theater gives a

special performance in honor of the

British Minister

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but it is the next morning that

the great event must take place to date

no Western official has

never met stalin anthony from

entering the kremlin

accompanied by the british ambassador

the lead nov 8

emma isq

the meeting takes place in molotov's office

head of the soviet government nearby

among stalin's relatives molotov is

suspicious like the plague of the policy

that lidwyn of men with the

corn capitalist states which in spite of his

smile to a ball in the belly

the presence of Stalin always

tends to anguished

about hidden he feels a certain

jubilation at being the first to meet

stalin

once the cameras are out

anthony he improvises a small

friendly speech for the occasion

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yes yes the kup stalin we are six

in this room

suppose 5 of between us concludes a

military alliance and suppose that

comrade corn who decides to attack a

member of our alliance

what would happen it had to

fall on me says corn which towards

which all eyes are turned

now solar stalin and well if

comrade corn who dared to attack us

by combining our military forces

we would give him a well-deserved correction

that's collective security

I see answers tony gives that

's why comrade corn who

always behaves so humbly

jokes molotov to close the

demonstration of stalin

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litvinov et miles who accompanies iden to

the station hoping that his encounter e

with Stalin will bear fruit

but as soon as he returns to London

Hidden will report all

his perplexity to his government and qualify Stalin a

pity there is a tic to the detached

and cruel character for the British

the Soviets remain above all

communists with whom a

rapprochement is impossible

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meanwhile the fears of lidwine

offers concerning france are confirmed

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the new government has buried

the Franco-soviet military alliance

at the same time as louis barthou

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from london corn which informs litvinov

that this are in reality the british

who dissuaded the french from

finalizing the military agreement with the

soviet

since the death of barthou france no

longer has independent diplomacy from the

british

the french general staff totally

panicked by the speed of

german rearmament is convinced of her inability

to defeat Hitler without the help of allies and

when she thinks of a Allies France

relies above all on Great

Britain

but the British, who of course assure

the French of all their

sympathy, stubbornly refuses to

engage in a military alliance

with the French in whom they do

not trust

French diplomacy at all therefore has

only one concern to do everything

to please the angles and it will

now systematically align

with their will

during this time Hitler has entrusted this

man with a special mission with the

British

his name is joachim von ribbentrop

c ' is an unscrupulous upstart is very

imbued with himself a former wine

and spirits trader who has a

late but dazzling career in the entourage

says the air

[Music]

ribbentrop suggests to the British

to accept that Germany reconstitutes

its navy of war and engages in

exchange at the eastern limit so

that the royal navy remains the first

navy in the world in doing so they clare

attempting a coup de particularly

rude poker which aims to pass a

third transgression of the treaty of

versailles

but to everyone's surprise the

british accepts and thus without even

having taken the trouble to warn

anyone who england

authorizes nazi germany to set up a

navy of galley

maize who is dismayed by this

decision which undermines all efforts in

favor of collective security

Stalin sees in it proof of a plot

of the English Nazis against the

Soviet Union

even the 8.9 short of arguments near

Stalin give in to discouragement

you have to remain patient writes corn to him

which I am sure the British

will quickly understand that they did a

big mistake by letting go of

Hitler on September 16, 1935 during the

annual congress of the Nazi party the regime

proclaim the racial laws

and German Jews are now deprived

of their citizenship

which opens the door to all excess

violence and expropriation

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taken on p lie in their own country

those who can take flight or

put their children to safety in France

and Great Britain

no one can now pretend

to ignore the true nature of Nazism,

however, from his

Ivan Corn Embassy, which notes that the

British conservatives refrain

from publicly denouncing these racial laws

except one

literally repelled by

anti-Semitism

winston churchill has for years not ceased

to alert his colleagues and

public opinion

we must stop hitler by all

means

before it is too late

m he preaches in the desert after a

long ministerial career to his

credit judged and gifted but uncontrollable

they pass in his own camp for an

original and

frankly a painful still as isolated Stalin is decided

to let it be known that it will cost a lot of

money to anyone who dares to attack

the soviet union

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the red army represents on paper

a titanic force but the Japanese

and Europeans alike with a certain

arrogance doubt its effectiveness

stalin orders gigantic

maneuvers in ukraine and invites all

foreign observers to it

the red army shows all its know-

how

[Music]

lightning offensive combining infantry

and tanks with air support

massive to literally dislocate the

opposing cold use on the

rear of the enemy of a new weapon

in which the Western armies

do not believe

the paratroopers

the British general who attend the

maneuvers do not believe his eyes and

report to his government no

only the red army has

more tanks and planes than all the countries

of the world put together, but its

technical superiority is overwhelming in all

areas

[music]

march 7, 1936 ickler suddenly orders

the remilitarization of the rheneland the

german border region of

France in which any

military presence is strictly prohibited,

they t for the fourth time

international law and Nazi propaganda

impressed the whole world by

showing the welcome of the German population

[Applause]

[Music]

but at that time Hitler was scared

he only sent 3000 soldiers to whom

he ordered to withdraw immediately

in the event of a French reaction

[Music

] in paris the prime minister albert

sarraut and crowd rage

he orders the chief of the french army

general gamelin to

immediately expel the german troops

but gamelin refuses to obey so much that he

is not sure of being supported by

the English

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in london but that cable to litvinov who

is in geneva

here it is the weekend impossible to

meet a minister but after

reading the newspapers I can already tell you

saying the english are in the mood for

the test ferry clear

[Music]

to the society of nations litvin of

warned serbian and mein kampf

teaches us that germany is determined

to dominate europe by all s the means

we now need a

collective reaction to oppose it

before it is too late and as

no voice joins his

litvinov sharply calls out to anthony

did

I do not see the point of what is

happening here we are just waiting with

our arms dangling if we unite our

forces germany would fall into line

there will be no armed intervention

to oppose the remilitarization

of peace

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

in three years Hitler got rid of the

Treaty of Versailles without meeting the

slightest position

[Music]

and he now feels himself growing

wings

[Applause]

[Music]

and on September 14, 1936 in front of 160,000

faithful

he launched a great crusade against

communism

[ Applause]

hitler has sworn to destroy both the

Jews and the Soviet Union in a

fight to the death against those he calls

Judeo Bolshevism

[Music]

[Applause]

the fascist dictator he mussolini, who

came to power long before the Nazis,

has long considered them a

vulgar anti-Semitic counterfeit of

Italian fascism

but the duce and so stunned by the

successes clearly says that they are beginning to

recognize in him

the dominant male

and the two dictators seals an

alliance which once again strengthens

Hitler's position a

few weeks later he confided to

Ribbentrop the signing of a pact

with Japan openly directed against

the Soviet Union

Hitler also wants to stifle all

attempts at collective security

still in the name of anti communism he

will now try to seal an

alliance with great britain

he appoints a new ambassador in the shade

the inevitable ribbentrop now

direct rival of corn who to win the

favor of england

ribbentrop is determined to obtain this

alliance with england as quickly as

possible

contrary to all diplomatic customs

ribbentrop decided

to i improvise a speech as soon as he arrives

the führer thinks that the only danger that

threatens england and communism

communism is the most terrible

disease because people only realize

the danger when it is too late

that is why the führer wants to become

the friend of great britain

from the very next day the most

anti communist press is scandalized

by ribbentrop's speech by recalling

that great britain is a democracy

in which communists have the

right to live and to express themselves

ivan and anja corn who is amused by the

inflammatory reactions which proves that

the Nazi ambassador really does not understand

the English

[Music]

when the day came to present his

credentials in front of the king

brings maisky ribbentrop gave him the

Nazi salute in front of 500 people instead

of bowing as required by the protocol

does he only realize that he

had just offended all the British

[Music]

as for the diplomat of the embassy e

from germany they are literally

collapsed by the fanaticism of their

new boss who now requires them

to give the nazi salute

every time they meet a

british

in a few weeks ribbentrop will

accumulate so many blunders and

rudeness that the british press will

nickname it bricks a drop a version

2 to drop break make a blunder

meanwhile ivan corn who

tirelessly pursues his lobbying with

the British establishment

[Music]

while anti-communism is one of the

favorite businesses of the newspapers

english

corn who manages to forge

friendships with all the press bosses

and unbelievably

the best-selling newspapers

in england are little by little ceased their

anti soviet

campaigns during a corn party they

finally meet churchill rushing

at him nazism changed everything

armed with the soviet union no longer

a threat we urgently need to

conduct a policy e of collective security

e

the alliance between the soviet union

and england is now to hide

a certainty

it is only a matter of time

[Music]

it is then that neville chamberlain is

appointed prime minister

maize who do not know him well but it

does not take long to learn a lot

more

chamberlain falls into the category of the

ignorant who thinks he is always

right

condescending and brittle towards his

interlocutors he

is a specialist in financial matters

who knows absolutely

nothing about foreign policy

they consider the communists

as perfidious beings with whom one

should have no relation and qualifying

deprived the ambassador mahistre of

dangerous small Jew

but corn who was not mistaken on the

fate of anthony ide who is named

minister of foreign affairs hidden

is now opposed to any

reconciliation with Hitler but

chamberlain has decided to pursue a

policy of appeasement with the Nazis

that he is going to inaugurate with another

minister lord halifax

lord

halifax this one who knows him well and

they paint a portrait of it for the since

nov

aristocrat who utters platitudes

totally indifferent to the fate of

other countries of the world is very hostile to

the 'regard to the soviet union

like a scout halifax sets out on a

private trip to germany

[Music]

halifax must first pay a

courtesy visit to hermann goering

uhring and number two in the

dreadfully intelligent nazi protocol

it is also a being

with childish egocentricity and a

totally out of line spirit

[Music

] during a pleasant morning the

nazi dignitary announces to the

english aristocrat who clearly decided of an

excellent austria

[Music]

halifax them answers that the Great

Britain will not oppose it as long as

it does not cause too much disorder

this response delighted goering who will

hasten to report to Hitler that

the British leave him the field

lib re in austria then halifax must be

received at bercoff hitler's private residence

in the bavarian alps

as soon as he got out of the car he

casually leaves his hat to the one he

takes for a lackey

before realizing his mistake

and hitler him returning his hat from his

trip to

halifax will yield the following impression

the nazis are certainly nationalist and

racist

but if we were in their

shoes we felt the same in disagreement

with the policy of appeasement

anthony den resigns from the

foreign ministry and leaves for vacation

with his wife

is a hard blow for Maisky who has

just lost his only entry into the

government

immediately followed by a second blow of the

bamboo it is sluggish from Halifax who

replaces id

but this deluge of bad news

is nothing next to the

terrifying ordeal that awaits corn which is his

boss

litvin off

[Music]

July 30, 1937 stalin

secretly call for the elimination of all

ele ment against revolutionaries and

set quotas for arrests and

death sentences in each region

of the rss he decided to purge all of

soviet society

no one should be safe he specifies to

nicolola and geof

the executor in leader in charge of

the

Stalin operation sets an example by authorizing

the purging of his own sister-in-law and

brother-in-law, local officials

then engage in a race for

performance to satisfy Stalin and

quickly exceed the quotas

[Music]

la machine is racing and you have the chain

750 thousand people arrested at random

[Music]

foreign affairs

officials themselves are

particularly targeted and many

litvinov collaborators will

disappear overnight

[Music]

some will prefer to commit suicide for

to escape the uncertainty

Stalin also decides to attack the

only international asset which he possesses

in the eyes of the world

the experienced and highly

qualified staff of the army red

all these excellent generals without

exception will be arrested on the

delusional grounds of a fascist military plot

terribly tortured and executed

after confessing their alleged crimes in

exchange for the promise that stalin will

spare their families

[Music]

promise that stalin does not keep order he

will then eliminate four

senior officers out of five and will leave a

red army totally beheaded

it's a disaster for

soviet diplomacy why the english the

french would now ally themselves

with a headless duck and a leader

capable of mutilating his own army

even hitler is shocked this guy is mad

he confides to his entourage

word of expert litvinov's work

makes corn which has become almost

impossible

those who are in contact with the

outside world must constantly justified

reassure lying hold the line

we are facing a fascist plot

l elimination of enemies from within

will make us stronger maxim 9s holster

he finds himself on the list of an

imaginary plot but luckily

for him Lenin's widow is also

on this list is even if he

hates her

stalin recoil which saves the nov quotes

as to corn which he lives in terror

especially since he has things to

reproach himself with to reassure and sometimes

influenced Stalin and did not hesitate to

falsify certain diplomatic reports,

it is high treason and if this

were to be discovered

he would have no chance to get away

for a nazi dignitary to be invited to the

bercoff the supreme honor

you can rub shoulders with the führer in complete

relaxation it is above all the place

where major decisions are taken

the heart of

ribbentrop power is now part of

the father's regulars kof

[Music]

he made his place among the small

circle of fanaticized tvo who compete

in fervor around them were

at the beginning of the year 1938 hitler appoints

ribbentrop minister of foreign affairs

of the third reich

he

[Music]

since there is no one to stop him

hitler seizes austria six months

before the date he had set himself

[Music]

if hitler decided to hasten

the annexation of austria is that

the German economy can no longer

support the frantic pace of

rearmament and rather than slowing down the

pace

Hitler decided to seize as

quickly as possible all Austrian industry

[Music]

the annexation of the austria is only the

first step in a

predatory enterprise where each conquest will

henceforth strengthen its war machine

[Applause]

churchill had held the sab le mans

his own government

soon it will be too late what will

we do when the army German will be more

powerful than the French army

[Music]

maxim litvin of again calls for

the europeans to join the

soviet union to contain hitler before

it is too late

but it is still not the policy

of the british blindly following is by

the French

[Music]

in France edouard daladier is appointed

president of the council

a function which he assumes as a

burden of aladier is a

veteran never disgusted with the war

totally lucid on the imminence of a

new conflict with the germany

once of pugnac character

now a man deeply

depressed since the death of his wife

and who often smells of pastis early in

the day

like all his predecessors for

four years he made the

military alliance with great britain

his absolute priority alliance which

chamberlain stubbornly continues to deny him

as to key foreign ministries

he is now occupied by

a proponent of conciliation at all

costs on clear crutches georges bonnet

reputed to conceal and elusive he is a

schemer and one of his

favorite hobbies is to spread rumors

about each other

in Europe which may have the chance to

escape some weeks

for a well-deserved summer break

[Music]

the holidays will however be very

supervised and laborious for

most young Germans while the

English middle class congregate in

Brighton for sunbathing

interspersed with the more scattered traditional

ivan and anja corn which always spend

the summer on the shores of the Black Sea in

Sochi

Sochi and the seaside resort of

Soviet officials

is the place where you absolutely have to

spend your vacations to cultivate your

relationships

especially in the context of the

endless purges not

[Music]

but that year

there is no trace of the corn which in

sochi

ivan corn who was arrested in moscow

was told that two of his

collaborators had confessed under

torture to very compromising elements

for him before 'be executed

maize who must now confessed his

crimes in writing Stalin will judge

as to the holster nov he was placed under

the supervision of a special

commission ale composed of stalin and his

close guard whose inevitable molotov

molotov remains opposed to any idea of

collective security

let the capitalists and the

fascists kill each other all this does not

concern us a stupidity without name for

him since nov to

be ostrich n 'will not prevent Hitler

from attacking us collective security

and our only option

as to Stalin he is unable to

decide between molotov and litvinov

we do not know what crime maize who

finally confessed but he was returned to

the shadows Stalin believes he still has

need his services at the very moment when

Hitler is going to attempt his biggest

poker move since coming to power he has

decided to annex part of

Czechoslovakia where a

German-speaking population lives in the Sudetenland

[Music]

but Czechoslovakia does not is not alone

it is protected by a double

military alliance with france and the soviet union

since moscow litvinov announces that

the soviet union will hold its

commitments and will defend

Czechoslovakia and call on the French

to a staff conference

call to which the Minister Georges Bonnet

does not even respond to the French as

always waiting to know what

the English will do

for corn which the solution is obvious

it is necessary that Great Britain

are also committed to defending

Czechoslovakia alongside the French and

the Soviets,

it is even a golden opportunity to

finally stop Hitler and that is what

he intends to say as soon as possible to

halifax who made him answer that he did

not have time to receive him

[Music]

ivan corn who then left london

in a hurry towards the

chartwell estate in kent

[Music]

he decided to address himself to the only

person who could listen to him and

convey his request to the UK government

Chartwell and the private residence of

Churchill Corn who finds Churchill

engaged in masonry work and

immediately exposes his request to him if

we will be all the ranks tell him he

hitler will not dare and you ask me

to convey your

suggestion discreetly to halifax replies turkish

they did not discreetly

please

officially convey the request of

the soviet government to the

british government

you want me to be

the spokesperson for the soviet government

yes me nobody listens to me

and churchill returns to london to

be the soviet advocate

near halifax who himself begins to have

serious doubts about the politics of

chamberlain

but jean berlin has decided to act alone and is

getting ready to take a plane for the

first time in his life

[Music]

he is convinced that he comes out

hitler and save the shovel

[Music]

he is greeted at the 'munich airport

paris bon porte

the minister says the air has still not

digested the humiliation of his stay in

london and now feeds a

real hatred against the english he

persuaded h itler that chamberlain was just

a mop unable to face him

[Music]

when the british arrives at the berghof

he is impressed

by hitler's residence but much less by the

dictator himself whom he judges to include

everything in any fact

[Music]

the guests first take tea by

exchanging banalities the

serious discussion will take place in the

private room said clear with the interpreter of the

führer for only witnesses while

ribbentrop removed will spend the rest of the evening at the end of the day

[Music]

for more than two hours hitler will

monopolize the word and vomit his hatred

of Czechoslovakians and their president

leaves the air vowed to capture

alive to hang him with his own

hands the dictator decided to

seize all sizes Czechoslovakian and they

will crush anyone who tries to block

his path at the end of his patience

chamberlain gets up all this does not mean

anything in these conditions better that

I leave immediately ite what

disconcerts hitler chamberlain

sit down and the suddenly

exhausted dictator announces as he agrees to

limit his demands to the territories of the

south east

when chamberlain leaves germany

he has agreed to cede the Sudetenland to

hitler in exchange to the dictator

promised him not to claim any more new

territories in the future

[Music]

and chamberlain confides to one of his

advisers that he seems to him that hitler

is a man who will keep his word

[Music]

[Applause]

nothing concrete remains only '' to

resolve a slight difficulty,

czechoslovakia must agree to let itself be

cut into pieces to do this

chamberlain summons daladier bonnet at

10 downing street

on his exit daladier ashamed but

relieved submitted to

chamberlain

's plan instead of supporting his ally

Czechoslovakian

he will put pressure on him to

agree to peacefully cede the

Sudetenland

corn which finds at the sdn a litvinov

dismayed by this new it

capitulation in the face of hitler

particularly irascible and at the end of its

nerves

litvin of does not admit defeat yet

for years he declares

the soviet union proposes to the other

european powers to unite to

establish collective security

if such had had it been the case that would have

spared us the current crisis today

we are ready to defend our

czechoslovak ally but

france must also keep its commitments for

any response

georges bonnet is spreading the

insidious rumor that litvine of man and which has

no intention to support the

czechoslovak

bonnet ensures even what is

completely foolish hold this

information from the it 8.9 in person

she is sneaky rice of beanies are

little next to the real headache

that occupy the quotes nov

the red army can't come to the aid

of Czechoslovakia until the

Soviets

get permission to cross Poland

and that's the whole problem

[Musi that]

after their seizure of power the

Bolshevik leaders

urgently negotiated peace with germany

and austria hungary

the young soviet power was then

forced to abandon vast

territories along its western border a

few months later the

military defeat of germany and the

dislocation of austria hungary

these territories have taken their

independence finland the three baltic states

and

poland poland which is thus reborn after

being shared for one hundred and forty six

years between three empires and fiercely

attached at its independence

wedged between nazi germany and

the soviet union, poland is

now an authoritarian state whose

diplomacy is led by colonel

pec an astonishing character with

nationalism and the madness of grandeur

fanned by alcoholism

encouraged by hitler le Colonel Bec

also claims a piece of

Czechoslovakia where a Polish minority lives as

much as to say that he It is out of the question

that the Poles allow the

Red Army to pass through their territory

during this time the

Czechoslovak President Edward Benes is

under hellish pressure from the French and the

British who threaten

to abandon him to his fate and blessed

eventually agree to abandon the Sudetenland

thus for his second meeting with

Hitler Chamberlain now feels that

he is able to offer him what they

demand on a platter and without bloodshed

but Hitler will brutally reject the

peaceful solution and in a state

close to hysteria will leave six days

for the whole czechoslovak population

to evacuate the region otherwise he will

attack goodbye in shock

before this incomprehensible ultimatum

jean berlin just has to pack up

and go home

[Music

] the next day czechoslovakia

decides to mobilize his small army

in these Daladier conditions must

resolve to support his

Czechoslovak ally and to mobilize it. ion

of the French army a country still

traumatized by the butchery of 14-18

[Music]

where

this fatal gear does not impress

Hitler who declares in front of his relatives

if France and Great Britain

want to attack me that she does it

I don't care but the only one who

continues to encourage him and ribbentrop

all the others including goering are paralyzed

by the irrational attitude

of their leader

for several weeks goering is working

behind hitler's back by making

desperate appeals to the lonely person

who would be likely to make him

listen to reason

mussolini on September 27, 1938

chamberlain addresses the

british population eddie his despair at having

to prepare for war when hitler

had just obtained peacefully what they

would demand corn which then noted in his

diary

here we are the czechoslovaks will

resist france will have to intervene and

we will support france

now war is inevitable

[Music]

but 24 hours later hitler accepts

in extremis a proposal from his friend

mussolini a conference organized in

munich the next day between

italy germany france and great

britain czechoslovakia is not invited

the soviet union no

[Music]

where

if hitler let himself be convinced by

mussolini he does not take offense in private against

goering which he knows he has

engineered everything

[applause]

[music]

on the other hand ribbentrop who welcomed

chamberlain when he got off the plane

never stops rise in the esteem of

his führer

[Music]

Daladier arrives in his turn convinced that

the shameful sacrifice of

czechoslovakia will offer only a very

short respite before an inevitable war

on

while discussions begin in

munich czechoslovakia abandoned by

all announce that his army gave up

resisting

what the constraints of the atmosphere

[Music]

in london czechoslovakian ambassador

jan masaryk pays a visit to hide

when he arrived images I looked

for words to comfort him

and masaryk answered me by restraining his

sobs

they sold us like slaves

[Music]

and thus are signed under the auspices

of mussolini the munich chords which

authorize it to please to skin a part

of czechoslovakia the only

democratic state in central europe

by the way poland also obtains the

right to seize the song it

coveted

[music]

chamberlain he suddenly became a

hero in great britain and he

silenced all opponents to his policy

of appeasement but not a ball he is

convinced to have saved the peace for ten

years notes mike leigh even if I think

they are wrong about tomorrow

[Applause]

[Music]

[Music]

when they see him the crowd waiting

for him from Daladier, first convinced that he is going

to be lynched for having betrayed

Czechoslovakia

when he understands that

people welcome him as a savior of peace he

grumbles the idiots

[Music]

[Applause]

in the general euphoria no one

worries about the consternation of the

Soviets

the westerners contemptuously ignored

the hand extended by litvin off and

preferred to come to terms with hitler

morally collapsed maxim legend of has

lost all his illusions with his

hands completely empty after five

years of efforts he will now have to

explain himself in front of a humiliated

and more and more anxious Stalin

I told you so slips molotov

the westerners are turning

hitler against us now the proof

is there georges bonnet finds the way

add more by inviting ribbentrop to

paris

the latter, whose german

ambassador thinks he is completely

crazy, demanded to be better received than the

king of england

[Music]

and bonnet signs with ribbentrop a pact

of no -agression

[Music]

ribbentrop is then invited to lay

a swastika wreath on the tomb of the

unknown soldier and to flatter the vanity

of the nejm bonnet will organize a big

b official anquet where the three

Jewish ministers of the French government will

not be invited

[Music]

oh no

[Music]

2

[Music]

since munich hitler is animated by a

feeling of omnipotence and

to start the year well

he invited a polish when

colonelle bec arrives at the bercoff

he still boasts of having

seized an end of czechoslovakia

he will quickly disillusion

hitler will demand the annexation of the

dantzig corridor this strip of

polish land which separates eastern prussia

from the rest of the reich in exchange for a

clear promise to bait him I will

offer Poland all of Ukraine

when I have annihilated the ussr

colonel bec categorically refuses

and hitler decides that he will crush

poland

yes

after having executed three

quarters of the Stalin central committee believes

that it now has a

sufficiently renewed party and puts an end to the

great terror

[Music]

now the purges will return to their

usual rate of 10% per year

in his speech on foreign policy

stalin lets point all his

frustration after munich and his fear

of finding himself alone in front of hitler by

adopting a convoluted formula

he says his refusal to draw the chestnuts from the

fire in favor of the westerners

draw the chestnuts from the fire

ribbentrop turns and returns this

expression of stalin and ends up having

an enlightenment he goes to the berghof

to reveal it to hitler the last

speech of stalin is a call of the

foot says to him he stalin would rather ally

with us rather than remain isolated

i am certain

by signing a pact with him you would have

completely free hands in europe

a pact with the judeo bolsheviks or

clear answers

it is completely absurd he could

not help himself

on march 15, 1939 hitler invaded the rest

of czechoslovakia and gets its hands on

all its arms industry so

six months after their signing

he has just torn up the munich chords

[Music]

and after crossing the baltic sea

hitler seizes the lithuanian port of the

same where a

german-speaking population lives while committing this

new act of international piracy

hitler sends a message to poland

itself it is located only 130

nautical miles from corridor of dand cycle which

hitler demands that they be

immediately ceded to him otherwise they will

seize luynes

[Music]

after all who will dare to stop him from

london corn who informs litvinov that

the british are not only

flabbergasted they are furious because

hitler fooled them in munich

this time the cup is full

[Music]

the reaction of the french is identical

and another feeling arises:

shame shame at having abandoned

czechoslovakia for nothing since it will

be necessary to stop this gangster there

war with germany for the first

time accepted as fatal evidence

on both sides of the channel

[Music]

chamberlain will finally sound the hour of

revolt on 31 m ars 1939 he gave

poland his guarantee that if it were

attacked great britain would come and

deform it from paris relieved

to finally be able to form a

military alliance with the english daladier

immediately offered the same guarantee

to poland

hitler first stung a

hysterical anger and sworn to pulverize

France and England

but he is obliged to admit that

their unforeseen reactions upset

his projects

military logic wants the Franco-

English now to seek to take him

in a vice and mess as quickly as possible

with the he soviet union

suddenly the idea of a pact

with stalin to cut the rug out from under them no

longer seems as absurd to him as it used to be,

just impractical, the

corn which has brought back to the east since nov as

the military alliance between the great

britain and the soviet union is

demanded by nine in ten english according to the

increasingly anxious press

chamberlain should even begged stalin

to dirty immediately t with him

since nothing comes stalin orders

maxim the case nov to take the first

step litvinov thus proposes to france

and great britain an

immediate military alliance in addition to

poland

this alliance will also have to commit

to defend finland the baltic states

and romania the

entire soviet border from the

baltic to the black sea

when maize which is summoned by

halifax he is convinced that the grand

alliance is only a matter of

days away

but halifax pinage is at say that

all this goes a little too

far originally we only wanted to

protect the poland corn which is astonished but

we all know that hitler will not stop

in poland is not it and halifax is

asking for time to studying all

this time as if we had the time

wanted to yell corn at him, which all the more so since

there is always a problem to be

solved geography is stubborn the

soviet union cannot

face germany without the red army

through e poland

received in great britain colonel beck

is absolutely delighted that the english and

french agree to protect him

from hitler but when halifax

asks him if poland would consent

for the good of all let

the red army pass through its

beck territory refuses the world will collapse and

Poland with it but the Russians are not

admitted to Polish soil

and yet no one thinks for a

moment of insisting on pec who is going to

leave Great Britain without the question

of passing the Red Army and have been

resolved

[Music]

corn which invited to lunch his

British supporters whose circle

widens since the guarantee given to the

pole

when discreetly warned of an

urgent telegram

corn which isolates itself the telegram is

unusually signed by Stalin in

person

he announces to him that because of his

disloyal attitude

Maxim Litvin of has been dismissed from his

functions it is his sworn enemy Molotov

who replaces him Molotov Minister of s

foreign affairs without any diplomatic culture

they do not even know the meaning of the word

dialogue it is almost comical says

maize mask who is now convinced that

Stalin is preparing an opening vis-à-

vis Germany an opening that

Litvinov would have refused to all his soul

but which poses no problem for

molotov

[Music]

for the time being in accordance with the orders of

molotov corn who announces to the

british that the

soviet proposal of military alliance remain

valid and besides still awaits

a response

to berlin

ribbentrop interpreter the dismissal of the

jewish him 2009 as a new appeal from the

foot of Stalin but he still does not manage

to convince Hitler

however all anti-

communist propaganda ceases abruptly in

Germany like a smoke signal

discreetly sent to moscow

for seven years Hitler use

Nazi activists to turn up the

pressure with a twitch

and in six is just a pretext hitler

has already secretly set the date for

the invasion of all of Poland

for September 1, 1939

the French British staffs

stepped up their cooperation for its

generals the guarantee given to Poland

means that a war will have to be won

the alliance with the soviet union

and as a British general says

the only thing to do

provided that the politicians do not drag

[Music]

the spring and the beginning of the summer of 1939

is spent in diplomatic maneuver is

in negotiations carried out in the

greatest confusion British French

Soviet s 'convoluted exchange of proposals and

counter-proposals which

fails everything on the case of poland

which continues to refuse the passage

of the red army on its territory

only the french the british

could jointly make

poland bend but they do not

really do efforts in this direction in

reality while europe runs to its

doom

nobody trusts nobody

in addition that molotov e st a

character sometimes bordering on

rudeness which does not facilitate the

devil as for stalin who is

as wary of hitler as of westerners

he feels since munich a very

personal hatred towards jean berlin and mid

july there is no still no

military alliance between france,

great britain and the soviet union

to take nazi germany in a stranglehold

it is in the middle of this

diplomatic mess that astonishing news falls

the newspapers reveal that

during all this time chamberlain was

in the process to try to buy ickler with

a broad economic plan and

advantageous loans buy hitler as

incredible as it may seem

chamberlain remained convinced that it

was possible to come to an agreement with the

nazi dictator

this is a personal initiative

the prime minister whom he had not

informed his cabinet chamberlain even

had to beg halifax absolutely mad with

rage upon hearing the news to stay

at the government

popular pressure is now

irresistible chamberlain must

resolve to send a delegation to

negotiate a military alliance in moscow

since paris daladier immediately joins

the british and the

news of the next

military alliance with the soviet is

announced with relief by all the

press

this once hitler finally authorizes

ribbentrop attempted a rapprochement with

the Soviets in the most absolute secrecy

georg and a simple

economic adviser to the soviet embassy in

berlin to the surprise of being invited to

lunch by the german diplomat karl

moore in a small discreet restaurant

not far from the foreign ministry

in stack off is actually an

agent of the nkvd what the germans

know perfectly

about chenôve he acts on order of

ribbentrop who wrote him a text that

the diplomat must repeat to the

nearest comma as soon as the meal is over,

carlos relaunches

the german e had in the

past excellent relations with the soviet union

that was before the nazis replica

sackhoff yes but if the soviet union

wanted

we could improve our relations

continue we re astakhov the impossible blow

do not act as if hitler had

never written mein kampf knee claims to

laugh when he did not take

seriously a book that was written

fifteen years ago I assure you that our

priorities have changed let

me tell you that it is very difficult to

believe answers gheorghe to stack off

why are you not like us

treating with the greatest contempt by

the english

the argument seems to

hit the mark on a stack off and schlur continues i am

convinced that there is a

middle ground which could satisfy our

common interests

continue says simply a stack off

there is no territorial problem

between our two countries from the baltic to the

black sea that cannot be resolved very

quickly

even your enemies uis with our Japanese friends

can find a solution so that

you feel perfectly

safe

everything is negotiable on the street when it comes

time to take leave astakhov ask

let's imagine that a very high German official is

talking to a very

high Soviet official and what they

would say exactly the same things

as you but of course an answer nour

two days later by top

secret telegram to stack off molotov says he is

interested in the german openings

astakhov transmits achour which transmits to

ribbentrop which transmits to hitler on

august 2, 1939 ribbentrop transmits in

the most absolute secret to molotov

an offer for a territorial arrangement from

the baltic to the black sea, specifying

that it is very urgent and will not remain

valid for very long the

german soviet pact is now on the

table for stalin the proposal

of hitler is simply

irresistible

he immediately sees the opportunity to

recover from a s all the

territories lost after the russian revolution

micky, who ignore all of

Hitler's offer to Stalin, notes that the

English have a very original conception

of the emergency,

it took them twelve days to

designate the members of the

military mission who must go to moscow

[Music]

but what frankly worries him is

that this mission is led

by Admiral Dax

on the English side and General Doumenc on the

French side two brave sophie proud that

Stalin has already nicknamed Admiral Nobody and

General I do not know who

but who had nevertheless insisted on the

designation of prominent personalities

[Music]

2

he had also strongly suggested that the

delegation go to moscow by plane

but the military mission by boat to

the city of exeter the most cargo slow

of the British fleet

[Music]

on the Soviet side

the talks will be led by

Marshal Voroshilov Minister of

Defense

member of the first circle

[Music]

on the neck rs of the first meeting

voroshilov will put on the table the

documents attesting to his full

diplomatic powers and will ask to

see those of drax and du mal doumenc will

present a letter from delegations

signed by daladier as to drax

obviously very disconcerted he

will answer after a long silence he does not

have any document from the software

the British negotiator is not

authorized to negotiate by his government

it is regrettable answers strong shilov who

opens the meeting all the same before

asking the only question which counts

the red army will

have- whether or not she has the authorization to

go through poland to make

war on hitler

doumenc dax and five years of

western diplomacy are now back to the wall

we will meet again when poland

has given its authorization concludes

voroshilov

panic in london or halifax beg

poland to please et cetera et

cetera in warsaw disorderly pressure

from french diplomacy to

colonel bec k who fully understands

the urgency of the situation but asks

for time to reflect

there are only 15 days left before

the invasion of poland secretly

scheduled for september 1

the german ambassador friedrich

werner von der schulenburg surrenders

urgently if molotov to ask him

to kindly receive ribbentrop in

moscow another territorial proposal

is interesting replies molotov but

it is not enough we want to be

sure that you will never

attack germany is she ready to

sign a pact of no aggression with

the soviet union

yes of course replies schulenburg who

adds please time is running out

but stalin has decided to take his

time

to raise the stakes again

after letting the germans marinate

four days molotov summons

schulenburg and gives him a proposal

for a non-aggression pact mister

ribbentrop come to moscow

let's say from august 27 august 27

but it is t too late,

the ambassador at the end of his patience was missing,

Hitler decided to write personally to

Stalin in a direct and friendly letter

he begged him to accept the

arrival of ribbentrop no later than August 23

the next day plays the neubourg chrome

is hitler's letter to molotov who

shows himself impressed the letter says the air

also makes impressions on stalin this

is the very first time that a head

of state has written to him personnel dead salines

responds to hitler that he accepts the arrival

of ribbentrop on august 23

in the wake of the kremlin press agency

reveals to the whole world that a

non-aggression pact will be signed

between nazi germany and the soviet union

in paris edouard daladier reacted coldly

and pragmatic

he will ban all communist newspapers

and soon the

Communist Party itself thus designating

Stalin as the only culprit of this

diplomatic fiasco

[Music]

in London the ground is literally slipping away t

under the feet of Chamberlain who

denounces the betrayal of Stalin when

in reality they intended to

drag out negotiations with the Soviets as long as possible,

still hoping to find a

last minute agreement with Hitler as to corn,

which he learned the news from. the

press like everyone else

the ambassador is completely devastated

but not surprised for five years even the

nazi threat has not made it possible to overcome

the mutual mistrust between the west and

the soviet union

[Music]

ribbentrop is going to accomplish his

diplomatic masterpiece

[Music]

drunk with happiness hitler lent him his

personal plane to go to moscow

[Music]

the ambassador schulenburg awaits his

minister in full dress

ribbentrop demanded to be filmed that his

descent

the thirty members of the

german delegation will wait in the city

[Music]

we

jolanne bourque and ribbentrop will be

driven to the kremlin they expect to

deal with mol otov

[Music]

but it is stalin in person who

receives them the final discussions

of the non-aggression pact does not raise any

major difficulties

stalin has just scratched out the

grandiloquent preamble written by ippon

prop mentioned the natural friendship between

our two country is grotesque as

we have poured

[ __ ] seals on our heads for so many years

only the non-aggression pact will be

made public

in the eyes of the world

Stalin's territorial claims from the Baltic

to the Black Sea for the object of a

secret protocol annexed to the pact

the afer is folded around one o'clock in the morning

never an agreement of this importance

north was concluded in such a short time

land in berlin in the early

evening

[Music]

ribbentrop assured hitler that henceforth

deprived of soviet support

the english will abandon poland

as they have abandoned

czechoslo vaque

[Music]

hitler welcomes his minister as a hero

he could not have dreamed of better

[Music]

now assured of having

completely free hands hitler lets loose his

troops on the polo shirt

[Music]

the dictator remains convinced that the

British will not react except that

chamberlain and daladier still

declares war on him three days later

[Music]

Hitler then turns to ribbentrop

who suddenly passes from the status of hero

to that of dark morons and

asks him and now we are at

war against France and the england

mumbles ribbentrop

by chance for hitler french and

british make the

gross mistake of not going on the offensive

while german troops are

occupied in poland poland is

quickly counted but on september 17th to

the amazement of his generals ickler

orders the evacuation of the

eastern half which is officially invaded by the red army

to protect the

ukrai minorities nienne in reality hitler

and stalin begin to implement

the secret protocols german

and soviet soldier meet along

the new border which

now cut poland - in

two german officers discover on

this occasion that their

soviet counterpart are often very young

inexperienced leaving

initiative obvious results of the

purges

stalin secretly made doors and

four hundred thousand polish judged non

soviet zablit and 25 thousand of them

mainly officers will be

executed by the nkvd is buried in katyn

in belarus stalin then seizes

estonia from latvia and

lithuania and deported 60,000

people in november 1939 he attacks

finland forces him to cede a strip of

territory to secure the city of

leningrad

in june 1940 romania is from

bessarabia to the soviet union

stalin gates 15 thousand more people

it was the last act

of the pr secret otocoles and the

soviet union regained the borders

of pre-revolution russia

at the same time the german army but

western europe on its knees in a few

weeks and great britain

found itself alone against hitler

[ Music]

the germano-soviet pact allows

hitler to eliminate his adversaries one by

one and it also has many other advantages

while molotov and received with great

fanfare in berlin the soviet union

actively participates in the

nazi war effort By delivering to

Germany hundreds of thousands of tons of

grain, metals and oil

Stalin's small commercial gesture the

German Communists who took refuge in the

Soviet Union were delivered to

Hitler years later molotov will claim

that this non-aggression pact was a

stalin ruse to gain time and

better prepare for a war that he knew was

inevitable

nothing could be more false

Stalin and Molotov have completely

entered the game says claire they are

convinced s that the nazi dictator will keep

his word she will leave the

soviet union in peace

without directives from moscow ostracized by

the british because of the corn pact

which does not float through its privileged relations which

it maintains with the

new prime minister

churchill and churchill le warns

very convincing evidence in support of

the imminent invasion of the

soviet union information that maize which

immediately transmits to moscow

at least fifty reliable sources

warn stalin kittler is

preparing to tear up the non-

aggression pact but stalin refuses to

believe them and in fact even execute

some for disinformation

[Music]

[Applause

] even as the first

Soviet lines are disintegrating stalin

remains convinced for a few

hours

kittler was the victim of a coup

and that the attack directed by

rebel generals

rather than admit that Hitler has

just rolled him in flour like the

others o u

and the soviet union find themselves

finally and by force of events

in the same camp as great britain

[Music]

oh

[Music]

the allies had no desire

for embarrassment so Stalin about his

unfortunate pact with iter the

priority was first to win the

war and then to divide the world into a

zone of influence

one day to prove

that the German-Soviet pact was

not only a non-aggression pact

and that Stalin had secretly

shared the territories with the Nazis,

that would deal a terrible blow to his

prestige and that of the

Soviet Union

by luck the only proof in

circulation the german copy of the

protocols this loan was recovered by

the red army in the ruins of berlin

[Music]

well protected in moscow the

secret protocols have been placed among the secrets

of absolute state ribbentrop will be condemned

to death in 1946 for conspiracy crimes

against peace war crimes and

crimes against humanity

maxim litvinov will pass away peacefully

1951

if it was not purged definitively

it is by pure chance will say molotov

molotov will die in 1986 after not having

until his last breath

the existence of secret protocols

which will be officially recognized by

the soviet union in 1989

in february 1953 stalin orders the

final purge of the valves my list

even in isques saves once again his

stalin skin dies indeed a few

days later

[Music]

oh