[MUSIC] The Soviet Army was gaining experience, and so was Stalin. Marshal Vasilevsky said about him, Stalin rose to the height of strategic leadership, and was now thinking in terms of modern warfare. The example was the Battle of Kursk. Stalin agreed with his general's idea to wait for the German attack on well-prepared defensive positions, instead of attempting to preempt such an attack, which was his own original plan. And this proved correct. The Battle of Kursk on 5 July- 23 August 1943. You can see, from the map, the German plan to use the bulge of the Russian forces, and to go behind them, and then again, straight to Moscow. This did not work out, because now the Soviet Army understood exactly what they were going to do, and attacked again from the flanks. They wore out the Germans from the defense positions, and then went on a well-prepared offensive. This was a huge battle. About 4 million people participated on both sides, and it was the biggest tank battle in history. About 250,000 Soviet Army men were killed, about 600,000 wounded, but the battle was a complete victory for the Soviet Army. According to German sources, about 100,000 of Germans were killed, according to Soviet sources, about 500,000. Stalin often wrote to his allies, I'm going to the front, or I have been to the front. In reality, he went to visit the frontline or an area close to the frontline only once. The visit happened on 1 to 4 August 1943, in the middle of the Battle of Kursk, but he did not go to that front. He went by train to Rzhev, via Gzhatsk. On 3 August, he met Vasily Sokolovsky, Commander of the Western Front. Then, by train, he went to Khoroshevo, a small village in the suburbs of Rzhev. And on 4 August, he met Andrey Yeryomenko there, Commander of the Kalinin Front. Just as they met, at night, Stalin learned about the recapture of Oryol and Belgorod during the Kursk battle. And from that small house where Stalin spent a night, and which is now his museum, he ordered a salute, a first salute in honor of the recapture of Oryol and Belgorod. He was happy. The strange thing about this visit to the front was that Stalin allowed no pictures to be taken. There was no propaganda material, nothing. It is not clear what the meaning of this visit was, but it did happen. Soviet victories made Western allies realize the importance of the Eastern Front. They did know, even before then, even when the Soviet Army was in retreat, that they had to maintain, assist, and keep that battle going. But when the Soviet Army started to win, from that time on, the alliance attained a particular meaning. Harry Hopkins was Roosevelt's representative in Moscow. He was his closest associate, in many respects. Hopkins came for the first time in July 1941. And he reported back to Roosevelt that despite the retreat, catastrophic retreat, the Russians were fighting, and they were worth supporting. In September, early October 1941, concrete plans of this support were formulated. Stalin himself managed the negotiations. The Western supplies included tanks, planes, trucks, communication equipment, rail cars, locomotives, food. The scale was enormous, it amounted to billions of dollars. In 1945, Stalin admitted to Roosevelt that without Lend-Lease, Lend-Lease was the form in which that assistance was offered, without Lend-Lease, a victory would have been impeded. But more than anything, what Stalin wanted from the Allies was the second front, and the second front was not coming. It was first promised for autumn 1942, but it did not happen. So British Prime Minister Winston Churchill came to Moscow in August 1942 to explain to Stalin why the second front was not opening. The meeting was tense and acrimonious from beginning to end. Only on the last night, somehow, they managed to find a common language. Then it turned out that there would be no second front in 1943. Stalin reacted very sharply. He wrote to Roosevelt, I must inform you that this is a matter not of just disappointing for the Soviet government, but of preserving its trust in its allies. Stalin could afford to be sharp. Now the Soviet Army was on the offensive, and it moved hundreds of kilometers, both to the west and to the south. The Soviet advance in 1943 brought the liberation. You can see the first brown line on the right. That is the extent of Soviet advance, Soviet Army's advance in 1943. So Kiev was liberated on 6th November 1943. But the battle continued, so despite the mutual dissatisfaction, the Allies had to stick it out together. The conference where they discussed the future peace happened in Tehran on 28 November- 1 December 1943. The second front was finally promised for May 1944. By then, the Allies were worried. They thought that, actually, the Soviet Army could conquer the whole Europe, without any assistance at all. In Tehran, Stalin promised to enter the war against Japan as soon as the war in Europe was finished. It was quite obvious that the point of contention between the Allies and Stalin would be the Polish borders. That question had to be left for future meetings. [MUSIC]
