Let’s see who can come up with this using my hazy recollection.
I remember watching a documentary series with my father when I was a child. It was a multi-episode series about the entire war. It was along the lines of “Victory at Sea” or “The World at War.” I would have seen it mid to late 70s or early 80s. We had cable pretty early but I have the impression that it was on syndicated tv or PBS.
The main identifying aspect of the series was that it was more or all about the Soviet war effort. My father was very middle of the road and not likely to spout better dead than red but I remember him commenting on one particular episode. It was about the Soviet union entering the war against Japan. He was a bit annoyed that it was portrayed as a heroic effort to help the allies against the evil empire. He explained to me it was a landgrab at the end of the war and that they entered into it too late to be a help to anyone but themselves.
Yes that has to be it. The title didn’t seem familiar but when I saw it was narrated by Burt Lancaster that knocked something lose in my memory. The date is exactly right and I see that the New York PBS station was one of the first to buy it so it all fits.
I do see some criticism that it was Soviet propaganda and it certainly was. It starts with Barbarossa with no mention of pact with Germany and the occupation of half of Poland.
shrug It’s Soviet propaganda, but it’s not Stalinist propaganda. It’s a toe reaching through the Iron Curtain, testing the water, seeing if the USSR is welcome to come out and earn a little hard currency. The start of Glasnost.
And just look at hour after hour of film you haven’t seen before!!!
Well, a preview of glasnost, anyway. More like a leftover from detente.
I remember watching that series the summer of 1983, Andropov was in power then.
One segment that sticks in my mind was the interview with the pilot who became an ace flying a Bell P-39, a much maligned and underrated airplane. Taking a hit from a 37mm cannon will ruin your whole day, fer sure!