Soviet Coup, 1991 III
Soviet Coup, 1991 II
Soviet Coup 1991 I
Barbarossa II
Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.
Content: Before Hitler could attack Russia he had to clean up the deteriorating situation in the Balkans. He rescued the Italian Army which was being beaten up by Greeks, he dragooned the Bulgarians into the Tripartite Alliance with Germany and Italy, and he thought he had browbeaten the Yugoslav government into same fate, but the Yugoslavs were made of sterner stuff. A popular uprising in March overthrew the Yugoslav regime and let it be known that that little country would not be a puppet of Berlin. Hitler absolutely hit the ceiling, launching into a wild rage, and ordered his generals to level Belgrade with bombing and crush the Yugoslavs.
Barbarossa I
Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.
Content: The thieves had already begun to fall out. Hitler and Stalin were quite willing to carve up defenseless Poland in 1939, but with the collapse of France in the West, Hitler began cast his eyes to the East seeking Lebensraum, literally “living space,” a vital part of Nazi doctrine asserting that Germany had as its right possession of the land of those considered racially impure, mostly in the East. This brought Russia and Germany, the two great European military, political, and social superpowers, into fatal conflict.
Grigory Rasputin III
Lead: Because of his influence with Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and the Tsarina Alexandria, the holy man Rasputin made many enemies and may have contributed to a revolution.
Intro: A Moment In Time with Dan Roberts.
Content: In 1915 the Tsar left St. Petersburg to take personal command of the troops at the front. This left Alexandra in virtual control of the government. Because she felt Rasputin miraculously kept their son’s hemophilia under control, she trusted his advice on other matters, government policy and personnel. As the months passed a bewildering, aimless and demoralizing succession of ministers were appointed and then fired. Some were good, but most were incompetent, unqualified or openly corrupt. Many were recommended by Rasputin.
Grigory Rasputin II
Lead: Having insinuated himself into the trust of the royal couple, Father Gregori Rasputin offended nearly everyone else in the pre-World War I Russian government and imperial family.
Intro: A Moment In Time with Dan Roberts.
Content: Rasputin, whose name in Russian described his voracious sexual appetite, was a starets, a holy man who supposedly possessed the power to heal and predict the future. Because he seemed able to cure Alexis the Tsarevich, heir to the throne of Russia, the boy’s parents were devoted to Rasputin, trusting his advice on matters of policy and personnel. When the prime minister brought evidence of the man’s character and sexual escapades to the Tsar the information was ignored. After 1910 Rasputin for a price began to act a spokesman for business interests seeking influence with Nicholas and the German born Tsarina. Rasputin also gained a measure of power in the church as he received promotions and as those who dared to criticize him were demoted or banished.