Soviet Union: The Rise and Fall - Part 2

Historic Russian battles to repel invaders serve as prelude to the story of events that redrew the map of Eastern Europe and parts of Asia in the 20th century. Following the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution, Communist Russia faces the venom of Nazi aggression. 1940's film footage reveals the harsh reality of total war, as the Red Army and Soviet civilians alike confront a brutal and tenacious enemy. The following decades are darkened by tensions between the USSR and foreign powers, and violent measures taken to silence voices of dissent. Finally, the Soviet people's yearning for a freer society leads to accelerating reforms and the ultimate dissolution of the USSR.

Cast

Daniel Dorse

Narrator

Joseph Stalin

Self (archive footage)

Mikhail Gorbachev

Self (archive footage)

Boris Yeltsin

Self (archive footage)

Nikita Khrushchev

Self (archive footage)

Leonid Brezhnev

Self (archive footage)

Yuri Gagarin

Self (archive footage)

Fidel Castro

Self (archive footage)

John F. Kennedy

Self (archive footage)

Jimmy Carter

Self (archive footage)