MOSFILM STUDIOS
THE FALL OF BERLIN
Part One
Script by P. Pavlenko, M. Chiaureli
Directed by Mikhail Chiaureli
Photography by L. Kosmatov
Music by D. Shostakovich
Art Directors - V. Kaplunovsky, A. Parkhomenko
M. Gelovani as Joseph Stalin
Enacting the leaders of the Party and the Soviet Union:
M. Schtrauch, A. Gribov, N. Ryzhov, G. Belov and others
V. Lyubimov as Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasilevsky
F. Blazhevich as Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov
A. Abrikosov as General Antonov B. Tenin as Lt. General Chuikov
B. Andreev as Alexei Ivanov M. Kovaleva as Natasha Rumyantseva
Yu. Timoshenko as Kostya Zaichenko S. Giatsintova as Ivan's mother
N. Bogolyubov as Khmelnitsky D. Pavlov as Tomashevich
O. Frelikh as Roosevelt V. Stanitsyn as Churchill
V. Saveliev as Hitler M. Novakova as Eva Braun Ya. Verikh as Goering
N. Petrunkin as Goebbels N. Plotnikov as Brauchitsch
V. Pokrovsky as Jodl V. Renin as Rundstedt
A sunny day. The birds fly. The flowers grow, and so do I.
The flowers wither in autumn late.
But I ain't a flower - I'll never fade.
I'll grow and grow becoming strong,
I'll grow up and sing a song.
I'll grow up and sing a song
That everyone is my friend
In this sunny land.
Come on!
Good afternoon, Natalia Vasilievna!
- And where is Lenya Gurov? - There he is.
- Lenya! The excursion! - We are being late!
- Coming! - Hurry up!
Lenya, where have you been?
- Over there. - Found anything interesting?
- Lots of flowers! - Let's go to the steelworks.
A sunny day. The birds fly. The flowers grow, and so do I.
Alyosha, how much did you do?
Compared to yesterday's 9 tons per one square meter?
You are famed as a hero.
Oh, stop it.
- What shall I write down? - Write down.
Eleven tons per one square meter.
But this makes a world record!
Be careful, don't approach it too close.
As I already told you, children...
First steelworks were built in Russia by...
Peter the Great.
Right, the great tsar Peter. Only his steelworks were small.
What's going on? An excursion?
And our journalists were not even informed.
We'll write an article:
'A young pretty teacher visited the steelworks.'
- Please don't. - We won't write this,
but we'll bear it in mind. Do you know about Alex Ivanov?
- No. Why? - He set a world record.
Kostya, tell me more about it.
Eleven tons per one square meter!
Kostya, wait!..
Published in 'Pravda' daily?
I can't believe it. Your word of a Komsomol member?
Hi, Lidia Nikolaevna. Is Vasily Vasilievich here?
- Kostya, you know... - I already know.
Ivanov set yet another record.
- What record? - A world one.
Bring a copy of 'Pravda' daily.
- I need to see Khmelnitsky. - Forget about it.
- I need to tell him. - Go and bring the copy.
Why didn't you produce enough steel?
- An echelon with ore was late? - Vasily Vasilievich...
How many wagons lacking?
- I'll take care of this. - Vasily Vasilievich.
We were awarded with the Order,
Order of the Red Banner!
- Who said this? - It's written in 'Pravda'.
- Where is a copy? - I sent it to your home.
'As per the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviets, to bestow...'
An Order of Lenin for Alyosha Ivanov, and for you, too.
- Congratulations! - Toss him!
Toss the director!
Congratulations!
It means we should work even more better.
Ivan Palych, my congratulations.
- Where are you from? - Congratulations!
- You are here on an excursion? - Yes.
Good for you.
Here is another task for you. To make a report about Ivanov
at the club tonight.
- But I know nothing about him. - Don't worry.
Talk to people and pay a visit to his mother,
she will tell you everything.
Ours is a family of steel-makers.
My late husband was a steel-maker
and so was my father.
Our dynasty goes down to our forefathers.
At first our family lived in the Urals.
And then, under Stalin,
we moved to this city.
We were, so to say,
invited here
to set an example.
You told me such a wonderful story, Antonina Ivanovna,
except you didn't say when he was born.
Oh, yes, of course.
He was born together with the new state,
on October 25, 1917, old style,
that was when he was born.
My late husband used to say:
'Exactly like Aurora battleship,
'you shot a valvo aiming at the old regime,
'by giving birth to our son.'
He is such a wonderful son:
like a shell, he'll destroy any obstacle...
Everything is ours:
the steel that we make,
and the machines that we build from this steel...
I'm so happy
to live in this wonderful time.
I'm happy that people like Alexei Ivanov
are in the vanguard
of my generation...
The country grew before his very eyes,
and he grew and became stronger together with it.
You may say goodbye to our concert, Victor.
Listen how she is extolling him.
"A hero, Man of the future...'
Relax, Kostya. You'll sing, and I'll play my new composition -
and she will sing praise to us, too.
She is saying all this because it's her public duty.
And I want to add something else.
To whom do we owe the victories of the present time?
Who opened these great possibilities for us?
You all know the name I'm thinking about now...
And, you know...
It would be the greatest happiness for me
to see him
and to tell him
how I...
But because it's impossible,
I will simply say:
Long live Stalin!
For he gave birth to us
into this great and happy existence!
Long live Stalin!
Great done. Good for you.
I just said what I felt.
And this is his mother.
What an orator. A real nightingale.
You did a big honor to our family.
Alyosha, you could have at least said 'thank you'.
Thank you from my very heart.
Your report left me blushing.
Thank you for your great record.
Allow me, as an affiliated musician,
- to see you home. - No, I will see her home,
as an affiliated steel-maker, so to say.
- Let's go? - The pleasure was all his.
Let's go?
Mother,
go home. I'll be back soon.
What means my name to you? ...'twil die
As does the melancholy rumour
Of distant waves, or of a summer,
The forest's hushed nocturnal sigh.
Who wrote this?
Pushkin.
Well, maybe.
And this one?
A long, unending wall
This building site
The sun of million furnaces
Siberia will ignite.
- Mayakovsky. - Right.
- It's here that you live? - Yes.
- Maybe you'll come in? - No, thanks. It's quite late.
Thank you very much.
Good bye.
You walk in the wrong way.
And where is the gate?
Over there.
I have two tickets to a concert tomorrow. Will you come with me?
Of course. With great pleasure.
Come and pick me up tomorrow.
No. I'll be waiting near the club.
All right.
- Bye. - Bye.
Why do I love you so much,
Oh, bright night.
Oh, what a pleasure and anguish it is to watch you...
Oh, why do I love you so much,
Quiet night.
'tis not me but others
That you fill
With serenity...
The stars and the Moon, the firmament and the clouds...
This light
That moves along the cold granite
Turns the dew on the flower
Into diamonds...
Or, like a golden path,
It stretches along the sea surface...
Airport? We're coming.
- Am I disturbing? - Come in.
Come on in.
Vasily Vasilievich, let me leave on a vacation
or send me away to study. I can't stay here anymore.
Hi. Sit down.
I wish I could clip your ears,
but you're a lucky devil, you know.
You're being summoned to Moscow.
Even the North Pole would be all right for me now.
Who summons me?
Stalin.
I ain't going there,
not in your life. It's impossible!
- Just think what you're saying. - Vasily Vasilievich,
I won't be able to pull myself together and talk to him.
Oh, you are going to talk...
Alyosha... He will be the one talking to you.
And you'll be the one listening and getting wiser,
you lucky man.
Let's go. The plane is waiting.
We're flying together. We'll stick to each other.
Let's go.
Comrade Stalin, steel-maker Ivanov has arrived on your order.
Let him come here.
Do you know why he wants to see me?
Maybe I can skip it all?
I can't go there. Please let me go.
Do I need to report or something?
- You better summon Khmelnitsky. - And this is comrade Stalin.
- Hi. - Hi, Vissarion Ivanovich...
Oh, I'm sorry.
Vissarion Ivanovich was my father,
and my name is Joseph Vissarionovich.
- I know, comrade Stalin. - Come with me...
I was waiting for you, Alex.
I even don't know why. I couldn't sleep.
And I told Stalin how much I love you.
- Are you crazy? - Why not?
And what did he say?
He said: "Don't be afraid of poetry.
"You should love her, and your love will be returned."
You're making all this up. I don't believe you.
I swear by God, this is exactly what he said.
He also said: "And if she won't love you, write straight to me."
Alyosha, I love you so much,
so much that it seems to me
my own life
and all life around me
has become many times better
and more beautiful,
since that day
when I fell in love with you.
Alyosha, Alex...
Natasha...
Look, Alyosha...
What is this?
Natasha!..
What's wrong with you?
Alyosha, darling, what's going on?
Are you all right? Are you hurt?
- Where are we? What happened? - Let's go.
Natasha, darling... Mother! Mother!
Alyosha!
The order the German Army is going to install
is very humane!
The Russian nation
or any Slavs, for that matter, can't live on their own.
We shall install a new order.
We shall install it all around the world.
Three months thereafter...
Alyosha!
Who is this?
Kostya...
Zaichenko.
- And where is Natasha? - What are you talking about?
Germans have approached Moscow.
What?! And where is Stalin?
Stalin is in Moscow.
He is our only hope.
Without Stalin in Moscow, we'll be done for.
Germans near Moscow?
I can't believe it.
It's autumn already. You have been unconscious for three months.
But where is Natasha? Where is she?
She is alive.
Our folks said
Germans hanged some of her pupils.
As for Natasha...
She was driven away to Germany.
Natasha has disappeared.
Alyosha, I must bring you to the plant.
We should organize the production process.
Production process...
Natasha is in captivity...
Germans are near Moscow...
Production process...
My only mission can be only to produce dead sauerkrauts.
Alyosha, where are you to?
Germans are rallying forces.
According to our Intelligence, the 3rd and 4th tank groups
of Gott and Huebner are moving to north-western borders of Moscow.
I see...
They're planning to close the pincers on Moscow.
Their blitzkrieg has failed,
so now they are trying to resort to a concentric assault.
Go on.
In the centre, the 4th German Army is being reinforced, too.
In the south it is Guderian's 2nd army group versus our Tula.
Guderian's ordnance is being replenished.
All in all, according to our Intelligence,
they are gathering about 50 divisions near Moscow.
It seems, the Germans are preparing for a decisive attack.
And because they have concentrated on the flanks
powerful tank groups,
the attack will come from the south and the north simultaneously.
Such is the enemy's plan.
Yes...
Hitler has at his disposal all west-European resources,
with 300 million odd population,
which is no joking matter.
We need to hold out.
By wearing them down,
we need to buy some time
that we need to prepare a counter-offensive.
Yes, comrade Stalin.
We are short of soldiers and armaments.
We would need at least 150 more tanks.
150 tanks...
You can have only 18. Plus armor shells.
- They are fight-worthy. - Very fight-worthy.
Three thousand shells would be good.
Three thousand would not be enough.
But as for now you can have only two hundred.
You will have everything the moment you begin the offensive.
Hitler's tricky strategy
is to cause panic in our ranks.
To keep calm would mean to disrupt their plans.
What about anti-tank trenches?
I hope we'll make them in time.
Scherbakov has been handling this for four days already.
He said we'll make it.
Comrade Stalin, tomorrow is November 7.
What about the parade?
There will be a parade.
Their aviation is going wanton.
There has always been a parade on this day,
and so it will be tomorrow.
Shall I inform members of the Politburo?
Please do.
Do inform them.
Dear members of the Red Army and Red Fleet,
commanders and commissars,
workers
and collective farmers,
intellectual workers,
all brothers and sisters in the rear of our enemy,
all of you who have found themselves under the German sway.
I'm also addressing our glorious partisans...
It is in the dire circumstances
that we are celebrating today the 24th Anniversary
of the Great October Revolution.
The perfidious invasion of German rogues
and the war imposed upon us
have left our country in great danger.
Notwithstanding temporary defeats,
our Army and our Fleet
are heroically rebuffing the enemy's attack
along the entire frontline,
inflicting serious damage upon Germans.
Fascists will never step into Moscow.
For our Homeland! For Stalin!
We can and we must defeat the German invaders.
We have a wonderful Army
and a wonderful Fleet
defending selflessly the freedom
and independence of our country.
All peoples
of our huge country
are the stalwart of our Army and Fleet,
helping them to scatter the evil hordes
of German fascists.
On many occasions already
has our Red Army put to flight
the vaunted German troops.
Greetings from Spain, my Fuhrer.
President Ismet Inonu asked to tell you
about his admiration with your military victories.
Japan is celebrating your victory, my Fuhrer.
The Holy See sendeth their blessing
to German heroes of Moscow.
The Holy See has long ago connected their fate
with your fate, my dear Fuhrer.
Dear Orsenigo!
I can't wait to read an encyclic denouncing Bolshevism.
It is with a greater pleasure
that I would see you on St. Peter's Throne.
You are a true Nazi, Orsenigo.
A storm trooper’s uniform would befit you more than a cassock.
Gentlemen,
Moscow is lying at Germany's feet!
The gates to Russia are wide open!
I'm rewinding historical watch many centuries ahead!
Communism will be done for, once and for all.
And the reward for our victory would be
German borders stretching as far as the Urals.
We'll have Ukrainian grain and coal,
Caucasian oil,
Russian, Ukrainian
and Belorussian slaves.
There they are.
Them bastards are celebrating.
- They seized Moscow. - Impossible...
Silence!
I'm all right.
These slaves will have robust German masters.
Anyway, gentlemen,
it's high time to proceed from compliments
to real help.
Jodl, what is the news from the front?
Haven't my troops entered Moscow yet?
The troops are waned by unending battles.
They need a respite before delivering a decisive blow.
I don't think Russians will give away Moscow so easily.
Don't talk nonsense.
Russian army doesn't exist.
I destroyed it.
Who can ever offer resistance now?
A handful of Stalinist fanatics?
My order was to seize Moscow on November 7.
Which means today. Seize Moscow!
Long live our fatherland,
free and independent!
Under the banner of Lenin - to victory!
It is Stalin's address, my Fuhrer.
They seem to be holding a parade in Red Square.
A parade? How on earth?
Moscow is on its last leg already.
Damn, send one thousand planes,
send them into the air, against Moscow!
Not a single German plane broke through to Moscow.
Not a single German invader entered Moscow.
You're worthless, Brauchitsch!
I made you field-marshal
not for you to lose a war which began so brilliantly.
Let me remind you, my Fuhrer,
the prophetic words of Friedrich der Grosse
warning us against entering Russia...
I don't want even to hear about this!
Bismarck, too, voiced the same warning.
I do not care about Bismarck's behests.
I only know about what I foreordained.
The only word - 'forward!' - is inscribed on my banner!
Didn't you read Mein Kampf?
A war with Russia, my Fuhrer,
is something one knows how to begin,
but doesn't know to how to ever end it.
You promised political degradation of the Soviet Union -
and that's why we came to Russian expanses.
But degradation did not become a fact -
I should say, the opposite happened.
We shall have to wage a long
- and tedious war. - Shut up, Brauchitsch!
Just imagine what a powerful fist
I rose over this Asian country
which has already lost its best commanders.
All European industry and all its vital resources
are under my control.
American business circles are on my side.
Who and what can ever withstand me? Eh?
The only problem is the Russian winter
and not Russians. And you're my problem, too, Brauchitsch.
- You are a faint-hearted coward! - Winter is not what is the matter.
Brauchitsch!
You are a traitor and a deserter!
The victory outlined by me should become reality!
Rundstedt!
Take over the commandment.
My Fuhrer,
I can't accept your appointment.
It is sheer insanity to war against Russia.
If we could not defeat it in 1914,
when it was a backwards country,
the more so we won't be able to do it now.
What?
The strategy of the German campaign in the East
suffered a fiasco...
Oh, really?
Conspiracy!
I will teach you how to wage this war.
I myself will lead the army.
The blitzkrieg doctrine
is described in my book.
One only has to read it properly!
Communism is not only our enemy.
We are in the vanguard, followed by Britain and America.
You don't seriously believe, do you,
that Churchill is sincere in taking Stalin's side.
Generals, you are afraid of Russia.
But we are already in Russia.
We should make use of all resources.
We should drain Europe dry, all of them.
Italy, Romania, Hungary - everything into the furnace!
We should appeal to Spain, France, Sweden and Turkey.
I will head
this Crusade!
Let London and Washington know
that I'm doing their job for them.
Do your hear me?
I'm doing their job!
You are tired, my Fuhrer.
You need to take some rest.
Yes,
you need some rest, my Fuhrer.
Yes,
I do need some rest...
Calm down, Adolf.
You know, Eva, I will destroy Moscow one day.
Only if it were not for winter,
- I would've already seized Moscow. - Yes, darling. You're omnipotent.
You should wash your hair with that elixir every day.
Show me your nails.
Tut-tut...
Mussolini's nails are always neat.
And I will end that war in Stalingrad.
I will end with Stalin - in Stalingrad. How symbolical.
- Don't you think so? - Oh yes, of course.
Only you could come up with such a great idea.
Yes, only I.
You are right.
I'm a genius.
To end with Stalin - in Stalingrad.
I will close gigantic pincers on Russia.
I will tear it asunder, on the Volga River,
I will strangle Moscow.
This is fantastic! An ingenuous plan, my Fuhrer.
My Fuhrer, our resources are coming to an end.
It is next to impossible to launch a massive attack.
Farben Industry provides us with gasoline.
And what about these dumb-headed Englishmen
which are too slow with the deliveries of wolframium?
Or maybe they think I'm shedding our blood for their pleasure?
They must provide us with chromium and wolframium.
Otherwise I will conclude peace with Bolsheviks
and let them penetrate into Europe.
My Fuhrer, I have already summoned Bedston.
Who is Bedston?
Representative of British companies in Sweden.
He is closely connected with the ruling circles of Britain.
- Closely connected? - Yes.
Good.
Reichsmarschall, there is a guest from London.
Bring him in.
I'm so glad, dear Mr. Bedston,
that you accepted my invitation.
When I was approaching your castle,
I took it for the Siegfriedstellung.
Charles Bedston. From England?
Yes.
Feel at home, Mr. Bedstone.
Your collection has grown significantly.
- This is from the Kiev Museum. - How interesting.
And this is from Louvre.
A present from Vienna.
Mussolini's Venetian gift...
Dutch paintings...
With compliments - from Franco...
All world treasures in your castle.
As for now - only European treasures.
To be honest, dear Goering,
I was not very enthusiastic when leaving London.
It is my third visit to you, as you remember.
This time I, an old friend of Britain,
invited you, dear Bedston,
to ask you to do me a personal favor.
Why couldn't you fly to Britain yourself, in Hess' fashion?
Oh, no.
They have not invented a parachute
strong enough to carry me.
This way, please.
My request to you is the following:
Stalingrad Battle is devouring all our resources and reserves.
Americans are coming with a big air raid.
We can go down to a bomb shelter.
These American raids is just smoke and mirrors.
- Please go on. - For a new offensive
we are badly in need of tanks.
As you know, steel-hardening implies chromium and wolframium.
Which we don't have enough from Turkey.
For the sake of saving
the Western civilization from barbarians,
you must help us, Bedston.
Ours is not only the German cause.
You're just poor warriors, Goering.
Do not forget that you are dealing with Stalin,
who is a great commander.
You should do away with that madman of yours.
Germany has invested so much
into Hitler, it is too late
to change him for someone else.
Besides, he is very popular among common people.
Tell me frankly, Goering,
are you going to take Stalingrad sooner or later?
The scales of the war are balancing not in your favor,
while we did everything to help you.
There is no Second Front,
and it's a big question whether we'll open it at all.
You should value this fact.
We do. And we shall take Stalingrad.
Adolf announced about his nation-wide.
Nothing ever can drive us out of there.
You must believe me: we shall take Stalingrad.
When?
As soon as you provide us with chromium and wolframium.
- With how much? - 20 thousand tons, urgently.
- Unthinkable! - Let us not bargain.
We are your stronghold.
If we don't cope with Russia,
you and America will have to start everything anew.
Don't moralize me, Goering.
Where and how?
A representative of 'Vickers-Armstrongs'
will be waiting for a representative of 'Krupp' in Stockholm.
- To our Stalingrad! - To your troops in Stalingrad.
As they say in Russia, hurrah...
Hurrah...
Commander Chuikov.
Hi, friends.
You fought brilliantly!
We saw how you did this.
Especially you, Sergeant.
Your exploit - is an example for all.
Sergeant, on behalf of our state,
I award you with the Order of Red Banner.
Always faithful!
Commander, Sir.
What's all this 'hurrah' about?
Stalin once said: 'The sun will shine on our side of the fence'.
So, this day has come.
The Donskoy and Stalingrad fronts have joined forces.
The Germans are surrounded.
This is the great turning point in the war.
- Commander, Sir. - Yes?
- Permission to speak? - Permission granted.
There is the word circulating
that Stalin has arrived.
That he is here.
There was never a time when we fought without Stalin.
Stalin is always with us.
- Exactly. - Yeah.
Stalingraders did a great a job.
They showed to all these Moltkes,
Schlieffens, Ludendorffs and Keitels.
It was not without good reason
that Germany lived through two major defeats.
- Alyosha! - What?
- Do you know where we are? - Of course I do.
Our club.
It was here that I saw her for the first time.
Our school...
Natasha's school...
Take that!
- You, dirty dog! - We'll need him yet.
- Yes, we will. - You, devil.
Death to Fascists!
- Stop! - Stop, I said!
Yusup, tie him up.
Kostya, Yusup!
And this here used to be my house.
This one?
Over there was our room.
Come with me.
I grew up here, brother.
Oh, my poor old mother,
what they have done to you...
Who are you?
Are you wounded?
My God... Alyosha.
- You're alive! - Kostya Zaichenko!
- You're back? - I'm not back yet.
I'm not back.
I'm going to the West.
- Any news? - What can we say...
They drove Natasha away...
You, bastard, what do you think you are doing?
The war is not about killing children and women, you bastard.
I'm not a bastard. I'm an officer.
The cause of history
is that Germany moves ahead
and the Soviets - backwards!
Who told you this?
Adolf Hitler, my Fuhrer.
Oh, yeah, so this is what he said?
Very well then...
I swear by God - you'll die like a swine!
Don't, Yusup.
We are not going to kill him.
We shall put him to a special kind of execution.
- I don't agree with your approach. - Stop it, Yusup.
- Where are you from? - Berlin, Friedrichstrasse.
When I come to that Friedrichstrasse,
I will turn your house into a pulp!
The war will never reach Berlin!
Wait, Yusup.
Did you hear what I said?
I will turn your Berlin into ashes.
And so what you will cry bloody murder then.
I didn't touch you - you were the ones who came here. I'm kind.
So don't you thwart me, you bastard,
- keep your mouth shut. - I don't agree with your approach.
I want to live and see that day
when someone like him
will say by himself: 'may Hitler be damned
'for giving birth to me,
'and may I be damned for giving birth to Hitler!'
Do you hear
them flying?
Do you hear?
Our planes flying to your Berlin.
Feel this to the fullest:
like begets like.
You will have all of it.
See?
The historical Yalta conference was under way.
Due to unfavorable weather,
the operation was postponed till late January.
But because of disquieting situation
on the Western Front -
in the Ardennes, Germany had begun an offensive against our Allies -
our Supreme Commandment
ordered to begin the campaign
not later than in the middle of January.
During the first 18 days of this campaign
the Soviet Army smashed 45 German divisions
and proceeded 570 km to the West
thus reaching Oder River
near Custrin.
Our commanders,
by carrying out auxiliary operations on the flanks,
have over-extended the enemy's resources.
Thus the mission outlined by the Supreme commandment
was fulfilled.
Following this campaign,
Germany transferred to the Eastern Front
16 divisions. Another 5 divisions
are on their way. 30 more divisions waiting for redeployment.
Which amounts to more than 50 divisions.
In our mind, the Allies’ aviation
should attack the enemy's communications
thus preventing redeployment of troops
from Western Front and Italy - to the East.
They should begin the offensive in early February.
General Eisenhower thinks that
decisive activization is impossible.
Our forces are in a chaotic state,
there are great difficulties connected with supply support.
It's too early,
too early to talk
about beginning this campaign,
when Anglo-American troops have not crossed yet
the Siegfriedstellung,
when there is the Rhine River
and half-finished armies in front of us.
We are in a very serious situation.
But it is right now that the chances are favourable for you.
Germany has suffered a major defeat
on the Soviet front.
They have been stopped in the Ardennes.
You're right, but we need time.
Everything depends on strategy.
If it should be the unending
war of patrols, like it already happened,
one can make no progress even 5 years thereafter.
Make no progress?
Should your specialists
have shared with us the technique of crossing river-lines,
we would have been on the other side of Rhine already.
Besides, this time your blow
cannot have a stronger momentum than it was in January.
Such is the rule of diminishing force,
the relentless rule of the war.
This rule doesn't work in Soviet strategy.
Your troops being
70-80 km from Berlin means nothing at all.
The Germans were even closer to Moscow.
But we know how it all ended.
Our soldiers
have excelled Germans in military technique.
Your offensive would be fraught with a risk:
in your rear, in Kurland,
there are 30 German divisions,
a 500 thousand strong army.
Plus 27 divisions in Eastern Prussia.
And another 20 German divisions scattered in other hot spots.
The worse it is for Germany:
it will leave them with less troops to protect Berlin.
As for the army groups you mentioned,
they are surrounded and doomed to death.
You risk a lot by having this ambition
to be the first entering Berlin.
Should we do it altogether,
that would serve the idea of united nations.
If the Allies' commandment
begin all due military activity in the West,
then you may consider all of us
just one step away from the battle for Berlin.
Gentlemen...
We are not ready for this last battle.
Before delivering this blow
we should agree upon basic questions.
We have already come to this basic agreement
both here and back in Teheran.
I do not think there are any serious contradictions between us.
We have agreed about the occupation of Germany
and control measures after its defeat.
But we did it only in general.
We have specified the size of reparations.
Yes, only conditionally.
As far as I remember, it was an unconditional point.
We unanimously agreed about the veto power in UN
and we specified our common point of view
considering Poland's western borders.
Conditionally,
- only conditionally. - What do you mean?
During the period of 30 years
on two occasions, Poland had been used as the gates
to unleash the war against the Soviet Union.
These gates should be closed once and for ever
by creating there a powerful and friendly state.
There is nothing conditional in this matter.
My mission will not be over
if I do not provide Ukraine, Poland and Byelorussia
with peace they deserved for their heroism.
Haste is not my style.
We should not be in any haste.
The countries need peace.
We can and we must install peace
as soon as possible.
For the longest possible period, too.
Mister Stalin,
I cannot decide the outcome of the war and forget about Japan.
It will happen three months after we defeat Hitler.
I told you that much back in Teheran,
that you can rely on the assistance
of the Soviet armed forces in your war against Japan.
So, in three months.
You think so?
I'm repeating again: in three months.
Agreed.
- Conditionally? - This time - unconditionally.
Sir...
I have the last friendly request to you,
my dear fellow-soldier.
I'm asking you to drink the health of the British king.
The king?
You know very well, Mr. Churchill, that I'm against monarchy.
But I'm your guest, Mr. Stalin.
I'm kindly asking you.
Well, if it is so important to you,
I'm ready to please you.
Whose health you drinking?
I offered a toast for the king.
I drink the health of Kalinin.
End of Part One