The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Centre of WWII's Greatest Battle
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Centre of WWII's Greatest Battle
Part of Eastern Front Fortnight (4) on WW2TV
With Iain MacGregor
To the Soviet Union, the sacrifices that enabled the country to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II are sacrosanct. The foundation of the Soviets’ hard-won victory was laid during the battle for the city of Stalingrad, resting on the banks of the river Volga. To Russians it was a pivotal landmark of their nation’s losses, with more than two million civilians and combatants either killed, wounded, or captured during the bitter fighting from September 1942 to February 1943. Both sides endured terrible conditions in brutal, relentless house-to-house fighting.
Within this life-and-death struggle, Soviet war correspondents lauded the fight for a key strategic building in the heart of the city, “Pavlov's House,” which was situated on the frontline and codenamed “The Lighthouse.” The legend grew of a small garrison of Russian soldiers from the 13th Guards Rifle Division holding out against the Germans of the Sixth Army, which had battled its way to the very center of Stalingrad. A report about the battle in a local Red Army newspaper would soon grow and be repeated on Moscow radio and in countless national newspapers. By the end of the war, the legend would gather further momentum and inspire Russians to rebuild their destroyed towns and cities.
This story has become a pillar of the Stalingrad legend and one that can now be analyzed and told accurately. In his book: The Lighthouse of Stalingrad, Iain MacGregor sheds new light on this iconic battle through the prism of the two units who fought for the very heart of the city itself. Iain MacGregor traveled to both German and Russian archives to unearth previously unpublished testimonies by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
Iain MacGregor has been an editor and publisher of nonfiction for thirty years working with esteemed historians such as Simon Schama, Michael Wood and James Barr. He is himself the author of the acclaimed oral history of Cold War Berlin: Checkpoint Charlie and his writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Express, as well as the Spectator and BBC History magazines. As a history student he has visited East Germany, the Baltic and the Soviet Union in the early 1980s and has been captivated by modern history ever since. He has published books on every aspect of the Second World War. Iain is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and lives with his wife and two children in London.
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Stalingrad is a battle that is would take a month of 90 minute shows to cover it, and a lot would still be left out. Sort of like Verdun battle(s) in WW1. Looking forward to WW1 TV also.
That episode was well worth watching. New insights into famous actions are great. Thank you Iain & Woody &WW2TV for bring that to us.
As I listened to the comments between Iain and Woody, I was struck by the similarities of emotion I felt from the human side of this story as when I read William Craig's "Enemy at the Gates" for the first time so many years ago. I remember being moved to tears by many of the quotes from both the Soviet side as well as the German point of view. I had to put the book aside for a time as I actually had become depressed by the narrative. Stalingrad was indeed the "Rattsenkrieg" it described. Iain's discovery of this enormous human tragedy during his visit by all the many reminders he encountered convinced me to order his book right away. I shall await its arrival eagerly.
What an absolute bonkers story that was ,Cheers Iain and Paul, Cant imagine what that must have been like ,absolutely mind blowing.
Wonderful show, gentlemen. Iain's groundbreaking success with primary source materials will shape future historical interpretations of the Battle of Stalingrad.
Missed the liveshow (as usual) but I picked Iain's book up on the basis of this. Really interesting stuff!
Woody/Iain, Every now and then WW2TV come up with an unexpected gem. This presentation was different and absolutely FABULOUS! It was so interesting. Thanks to both of you. Bob
You know, Paul. My bookshelves only hold so much. I’m gonna have to start tossing pots and pans from the kitchen cabinets to replace with books at this rate. Yes, I’ve just ordered Iain’s book. And no, I’ve no idea where I’ll keep it. Haha. Another wonderful show. I’m both ecstatic he got access and saddened the foreseeable future will be so challenging for other authors to gain entry to the Russian archives. Sigh.
My bookshelves are heaving too
Do you have Corningware?
Stalingrad is always interesting and this story is no exception.
Bought the book after the show.
Brilliant as usual , thanks gents .
Absolutely fascinating, both the story and the research, which is a story itself. Re the Germans such as Paulus and Roske, I think you can feel sorry for them as human tragedies. Imagine looking back. You had just one life to live, and you chose to throw it all away following Hitler. Many did not.
The courage grit and grind the Soviets showed here is the true definition of heroic. Back in Berlin Hitler was claiming victory
Sounds familiar to today’s events!
As they said, "It takes a brave man to be a coward in the Red Army". If you were put in a penal battalion, you cleared mines...with your feet!
@@fazole Nonsense. The Soviets viewed mines as just another enemy weapon like machine guns or artillery, and cleared them with engineers where possible or probing infantry. Penal battalions were used mainly as assault troops against tough positions, and were well armed for the task at hand. Read Penalty Strike: The Memoirs of a Red Army Penal Company Commander, 1943-45
Another amazing, eye opening episode on WWII TV.
An excellent discussion of the Stalingrad battle! I really love these Eastern Front shows on WW2TV.
Watching it again, on a rerun really found it fascinating. Such sacrifice on both sides. Going to order Iain’s book thank you both
Hell yes. Thank you from indiana.
Just bought the book after watching this presentation. Can't wait to hear the complete story. Thanks for bringing this story to my attention. Happy to support Iain and his hard work.
Dave also read David glantz 3 book set on stalingrad along with the companion book that has orders of battle and lots of orders and other neat stuff
Great presentation! The #1 battlefield on my wish-list to visit is Guadalcanal (I'm American), but #2 on my list is Stalingrad.
Very moving and revealing presentation. Can’t wait to read the book
I realize that this post is long after the presentation, but I wanted to give a brief report on Iain MacGregor's book which I read recently. It is a very readable book with some very good research that truly paints an eloquent picture of the fight of the 13th Guards Rifle Division for the central crossing point of the Volga. The author does a good job of tying it in with what is happening throughout the city during the many months of the campaign. It is very reminiscent of the well known "Enemy at the Gates" which was one of the first histories I read about Stalingrad. There were times that I had to pause and take a break from the story as I felt the very sadness of the thought of so much death and destruction, much the same as when I read "Enemy at the Gates." I highly recommend Iain's book as an incredible, and intimate look at what took place during the greatest urban battle of the 20th Century IMHO. I hope this will be read by future viewers during the replays of the episode.
Great show
Brilliant!
Great!
fantastic ..!
Wow! The details bring the story to life. What a fantastic show once again Woody! Great way to spend my evening.
Really, really interesting. Thanks so much for bringing Iain on!
Stalingrad has long been an interest of mine. Iain's is a book I must read. Thanks chaps for a great rundown of a battle that could take years to understand and still there'd be more to know. Cheers!
Great presntation. As always, well researched and absorbing. Thanks very much!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks again
I dont mean to diminish the other guys who have spoken on this channel, but that's a proper presentation. historians vs. more PR minded guy I guess. There were mostly pictures in here, with the presenter explaining what it is, thats the way it should be. This way you keep the audience hanging on your lips, never list your bullet points alongside with pictures, this way people mentally check out very quickly. a good presentation can totally contain no text. If you want a presentation people can go over later to remember the bullet points, do it seperately as a handout/download.
look forward to reading his book ... first class !
Thank you Woody and Iain MacGregor for this wonderful discussion! This was absolutely fascinating. Iain proves that there is still very valuable research to be conducted and perspectives to be explored and discussed even with respect to such widely written about battles such as Stalingrad. Brilliant! I'm curious to know what Iain and others think of the exhaustive coverage of the Stalingrad battle (and of course Pavlov's House) by TIKhistory?
Great guest! Instantly thought of my the "Mickey Mouse" Arctic Boots we were issued in the 90's and what my face must have looked like popped out the TC hatch. I bet I am not the only one who could feel that picture. Some things never change.
Great stuff. Have the hunger on me for another Prit Buttar yak.
I also recommend David glantz 3 volume set on stalingrad along with the companion book to the set great reading
I've got this on my wish list on audible, I was wondering if it was worth buying and welp,i think it is
TIK history has by far the greatest documentary on Stalingrad and really should be seen by all…
TIK
@@boyd21my bad I did correct it.
Thanks!!
He really does some amazing work on this and other topics
Pity about his politics - the whole Hitler was a Socialist shtick is tiresome. His history knowledge is fine
just ordered the book
Can you do something to improve audio quality?
Very informative appreciate you posting.
Mine or Iain's?
That was an excellent watch that Paul. What a great guest was Ian. I was glued to that. Learn something more every day as they say, even things you think you knew about, might not be as true as you thought. Excellent.
choikov borrowed the quote “there is no land for us beyond the volga” from vasily zaitsev as fighting words to drive the men in his army
(michael k jones, Stalingrad:, How The Red Army Triumphed)
jones also points out that it was during Stalingrad (oct. 9, while Uranus plans were in progress) that stalin summarily stood down the nkvd commissars as army unit co-commanders…he knew that military commanders needed autonomy to properly deploy their forces at their disposal
'' like the alamo '' ... like Bannockburn ..
👏👏👏💯💯💯
😊😊😊😊👍👍👍👍
There’s a movie made by Russia about this house. The action is crazy over the top but it does show the level of destruction and violence. I don’t recall name.
Could it be life and fate or stalingrad
Woody, Have any of your Stalingrad guests ever mentioned the fact Stalingrad was under a quarantine in the weeks leading up tp the arrival of the 6th Army? And if not why is it historians never mention that it was the primary factor in the civilians not being evacuated prior to the fighting and more importantly the bombing by the Luftwaffe?
I'm not sure to be honest
@@WW2TV Thank you for you honest answer, all I know is I am alive thanks to a doctor from Moscow who went there and set up a lab to make a medicine that was needed to get an "evacuation pass". I know she remained after the siege started and continued to make more so move civilians could be evacuated yet I never hear this part of the story. Were it not for her my Baba would not have gotten out.
What exactly was Stalingrad under a quarantine for? And since not all the civilians were evacuated after the Germans arrived, how come none of them were affected by this disease? Because as you know, most historians report that the Soviet government just refused or dragged their heals until it was practically to late. Genuinely curious.
@@scottkrater2131 Sry so so late to respond I somehow missed your question. Typhus is the illness and it did continue to affect people in Stalingrad during the fighting and after.
did the dogs survive in pavlovs laboratory ?
Will the book be translated into Greek?
No idea sorry
Thought provoking. Seargeant Pavlov, General Montgomery and General MacArthur share in common better reputations than they earned. I'd say Pavlov's was involuntarily conferred upon him, and probably a death sentence if he made known the truth. So, he went along and benefitted. The two generals, on the other hand, would never get in the way of a lie that made them look heroic. That's my opinion.
13:41 vasily zaitsev did not fight in the 13th guards at s’grad
he was with Batyuk’s 284th
(michael k jones, stalingrad: how the red army triumphed, and also zaitsev’s wiki page en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Zaitsev_(sniper) )
Anatoly Chekhov was Rodimtsev’s 13th Guards sharpshooter … more kills than Zaitsev (ibid jones)
in an interview with red army reporters in December ‘42, Zaitsev reported a successful duel he had on the Mamayaev with a troublesome german sniper. in the same interview, Zaitsev credited illiterate fellow-Siberian Alexander Kalientiev (in the same division, died 2 days before Uranus launch) with turning sniperism into a popular and effective tactic. The soviet propaganda machine later blew up zaitsev’s duel into a great victory over the best shooter that’s the fascists could send (ibid Jones)