Joseph Stalin: Red Terror

• Documentary

Episode overview

Examine the brutal reign of the Soviet dictator whose quest for absolute power transformed his nation into a state ruled by fear. The episode traces Stalin’s rise from a Georgian seminarian to Lenin’s successor, revealing how his cunning and ruthlessness allowed him to dominate the Communist Party. Biography explores the purges, forced collectivization, and show trials that defined his regime, exposing the staggering human cost of his paranoia and ambition. Through archival footage, eyewitness accounts, and expert analysis, the program portrays how Stalin’s policies led to famine, mass executions, and the creation of a vast network of labor camps. It also considers his role in World War II and the postwar expansion of Soviet influence. Ultimately, the episode offers a chilling portrait of a man whose iron grip and ideological zeal left millions dead and reshaped the course of the 20th century.

60 minutes