Cold War: Set 1

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Contents 1 General Information 2 Cover 3 Information 3.1 Comrades 1917-1945 3.2 Iron Curtain 1945-1947 3.3 Marshall Plan 1947-1952 3.4 Berlin 1948-1949 3.5 Korea 1949-1953 3.6 Reds 1948-1953 3.7 After Stalin 1953-1956 3.8 Sputnik 1949-1961 3.9 The Wall 1958-1963 3.10 Cuba 1959-1962 3.11 Vietnam 1954-1968 3.12 MAD 1960-1972 4 Screenshots 5 Technical Specs 6 Links 6.1 Release Post 6.2 Related Documentaries 6.3 ed2k Links

[edit] General Information

History Documentary hosted by Kenneth Branagh, published by CNN in 1998 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

Every morning for nearly half a century, people around the world woke up and wondered if this would be the day the world would end. This was life for the millions embroiled in the Cold War, the ideological struggle between East and West for world domination. CNN presents the most global, comprehensive critical exploration of the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that divided the planet. COLD WAR is an epic story told on a human scale through the observations of more than 500 eyewitnesses, from the statesmen who determined world policy to ordinary men and women whose lives it safeguarded... or threatened. Twenty-four one-hour episodes trace the series of events, great and small, that combined to shape the modern age. A landmark historical record, COLD WAR challenges the simplistic notion of two superpowers parrying on the edge of a nuclear precipire. More than one million feet of film shot or recovered, much of it never seen in the West, reveals the arrogance, caprice and tactical genius of world leaders Kennedy, Khruschev, Castro, Kissinger, Gorbachev and their most trusted aides; the significance of a cosmonaut and U-2 pilot, whose names were briefly household words; Potsdam, Checkpoint Charlie, "Dr. Strangelove", MAD, SALT, DMZ and the ABC's of international engagement; and the testimony of an aging generation, finally -- and probably for the only time -- on the record. Producer, director and actor Kenneth Branagh narrates COLD WAR. Sir Jeremy Isaacs, award-winning filmmaker of "World at War", serves as Executive Producer. Series Concept: Ted Turner ; Series Producer : Martin Smith ; A Jeremy Isaacs Production for Turner Original Productions

[edit] Comrades 1917-1945

Though ideological enemies, the Soviet Union and the U.S. are allies against Hitler during WWII. At the end of the war, Europe is divided, and the one-time allies now confront each other. The U.S. has the atomic bomb.
The Russian Revolution of 1917, followed by the Russian Civil War caused a rift between the Soviet Union and the United States. But when President Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933, diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries resumed. The relationship was strained yet again after the USSR annexed the Baltic States and signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany.
Despite their differences the Soviet Union and the United States found themselves allied after the German invasion of Russia in June 1941. As the war in Europe began to wind down and victory was in sight, the two countries had very different views as to what the post-war world would look like. At the Potsdam Conference, just before the atom bomb was dropped on Japan, it became clear that Stalin wanted to put Eastern Europe under the Soviet sphere of influence, setting the conditions for the Cold War to commence. Episode 1 includes interviews from George F. Kennan, Zoya Zarubina, Hugh Lunghi and George Elsey.

[edit] Iron Curtain 1945-1947

The Soviet Union dominates Eastern Europe. Churchill warns of the consequences. Stalin insists that the governments of the Soviet Union's clients states be pro-communist. Impoverished after the war, Great Britain opts out as a world power. The U.S. assumes the mantle of world leadership.
As wartime turned to peacetime, a resurgent United States enjoys economic prosperity while Europe is left to recover from the ravages of war. In the Soviet Union, Stalin has resumed his feared purges and the country is gripped by famine. Germany is forced to cede some of its eastern territory to Poland, and the Germans living in that area are expelled from their homes. Stalin begins to increase his hold on Eastern Europe, installing communist regimes, but decides to stay out of the Greek Civil War.
The United Kingdom, exhausted from the war, sees its once-powerful empire go into decline. As food shortages begin to threaten the stability of Europe, a more assertive United States begins to challenge the USSR's influence in both Turkey and Iran. Episode 2 includes interviews from Lord Annan, Sir Frank Roberts and Paul Nitze.

[edit] Marshall Plan 1947-1952

The U.S. adopts the Truman doctrine, pledging to defend freedom worldwide. Secretary of State George Marshall plans to bolster economic recovery in Europe. Seeing this as a threat, Stalin forbids his satellites to participate. The world effectively divides.
For both selfless and selfish reasons, the United States institutes the Marshall Plan, giving massive amounts of aid to the war-ravaged countries of Europe. Suspicious of American intentions, Stalin prevents countries in the Soviet sphere from taking part in the plan. As a counter to the U.S. plan, Stalin established the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
In Czechoslovakia, communists seize power in a 1948 coup. While Yugoslav leader Marshal Tito was originally allied with the Soviet Union, he decides to forge his own foreign policy path and accepts aid from the Marshall Plan. After the 1948 Italian elections, the CIA and Catholic Church conspire to push the communist party there from power. The Marshall Plan successfully modernizes Western Europe and strengthens its ties to the United States. Interviewees from episode 3 include Vladimir Yerofeyev, Gianni Agnelli and Giulio Andreotti.

[edit] Berlin 1948-1949

In Berlin, the American, British and French sectors form a Western enclave in the Soviet zone of divided Germany. In June 1948, the Soviets blockade the city, but the Western allies successfully airlift in supplies. In August 1949, Soviet scientists explode an atomic bomb, establishing nuclear parity between the two superpowers .
Opposed by the USSR, the United States emphasizes the need to rebuild the German economy. With the introduction of the Deutsche Mark, the Soviets react by tightening checkpoints leading into the French, British, and American sectors of Berlin, ultimately leading to a ground blockade of the city. To keep the city from starvation, the western allies begin the Berlin Airlift, ferrying in supplies by plane. German Communists in Berlin successfully take over the city's municipal government, which causes both the city and country to be divided between east and west. Interviews in Episode 4 include Gail Halvorsen, Sir Freddie Laker and Clark Clifford.

[edit] Korea 1949-1953

In June1950, North Korea invades the South, with Stalin's blessing. The United States, backed by the United Nations, defends South Korea, and then is confronted by communist China. In mid-1951, the war grinds to a bloody stalemate but eventually an armistice is signed. Aggression has contained.
Korea was split between the United States and the Soviet Union at the end of World War Two. The Soviets install Kim Il-sung as the leader of the north, while the Americans place Syngman Rhee at the head of the south. In 1950, with the help of the Soviets, North Korea invades South Korea, pushing U.S. and South Korean forces to a city at the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, called Pusan.
In response to the invasion, a United Nations force, led by the United States, regains the advantage, driving the communist forces towards the Chinese border. Feeling threatened, and at Stalin's behest, Chinese leader Mao Zedong attacks. This leads to a stalemate in the center of Korea. After protracted negotiations, an armistice is signed. Communism in Korea is contained, but the country is left divided. Interviews in Episode 5 include Lucius D. Battle, Paik Sun Yup and John Glenn.

[edit] Reds 1948-1953

Following Stalin's domination of Eastern Europe and the loss of China, American democracy falls victim to anti-communist hysteria, but survives it. Eisenhower is elected President. In the Soviet Union, Stalin reinforces the climate of terror on which his rule is based. When he dies, in 1953, the Soviet people mourn the end of an era.
Fear of one another permeates the eastern and western leadership, trickling down to the citizenry. The House Committee on Un-American Activities in the United States begins investigating alleged communist infiltration in the entertainment industry and diplomatic corps. In the USSR, an increasing cult of personality is being built up around Stalin and a more repressive police state is taking hold. In response to Yugoslavia's independent foreign policy, the Soviet Union pushes a series of purges in Prague as a warning to other satellite countries that may stray from Soviet policy. Fear and repression in the USSR hits its zenith right before Stalin's sudden death in 1953. Interviews in Episode 6 include Arthur Kinoy, Ralph de Toledano and Boris Pokrovsky.

[edit] After Stalin 1953-1956

Thaw is conceivable with Stalin's death. Khrushchev outmaneuvers Malenkov for power and visits the West. Germans, Poles and Hungarians attempt to rise against Soviet rule. In 1956, an uprising in Hungary is ruthlessly crushed by Soviet tanks. The U.S., pledged to contain rather than overthrow communism, does nothing.
After Stalin's sudden death, Nikita Khrushchev takes over the Soviet Union, reversing some of Stalin's oppressive policies. Khrushchev also reestablishes relations with Yugoslavia and in a secret speech given to the Soviet leadership he denounces Stalin's harsh policies. Meanwhile, West Germany begins to rearm, leading the USSR to establish the Warsaw Pact in response. Trying to maintain Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, Khrushchev sends troops into East Germany, Poland, and Hungary to put down revolts. Interviews in Episode 7 include Anatoly Dobrynin, Charles Wheeler and Sergei Khrushchev.

[edit] Sputnik 1949-1961

In the mid-50's the Soviet Union seems to be forging ahead. In October 1957, the first Soviet satellite Sputnik orbits the earth-to the dismay and fear of the U.S., frustrated by its own ineffectual space program. In 1961, the Soviets launch Yuri Gagarin into space. America will have to meet the challenge.
Unbeknown to the United States, the Soviets had spied on the U.S. development of the atom bomb, and quickly created their own after the Second World War. This sparked a nuclear arms race between the two superpowers. With the successful Soviet launch of Sputnik, America responds by increasing its development of nuclear armed missiles. A fear takes hold in the United States that the nation is falling behind the Soviets in terms of technology. John F. Kennedy is elected President of the United States in 1960, as the Soviets seem to have a commanding head start in the space race. Interviews in Episode 8 include Joseph Rotblat, Boris Chertok, Andrew Goodpaster, Herbert York and Gherman Titov.

[edit] The Wall 1958-1963

The fate of Germany remains unresolved. West Germany has been admitted to NATO. Within East Germany, Berlin is divided between East and West by an open border. Thousands seize the chance to flee the communist system. To keep their people in, the East Germans, with Soviet backing, build The Wall.
As West Germany and West Berlin become more affluent, East Germans begin to flee their country for their more prosperous neighbor. Khrushchev demands that the British, French, and Americans leave West Berlin, but they decline and the opportunity for a peaceful resolution is dashed when the Soviets walk out on the Paris Summit of 1960 because of the U-2 incident.
On the night of August 12, 1962, East German security forces begin to build the Berlin Wall. In response, a tense standoff between U.S. and Soviet forces ensues. In 1963, President Kennedy delivers his famous "I am a Berliner" speech. Interviews in Episode 9 include Anatoly Gribkov, Valentin Falin, Stefan Heym, Egon Bahr, Raymond L. Garthoff and Conrad Schumann.

[edit] Cuba 1959-1962

Khrushchev decides, with Castro's agreement, to install short and medium-range missiles in Cuba, only 90 miles from the U.S. The U.S. detects missiles sites and blockades the island. The superpowers confront each other; rather than embark on nuclear war, they each step back. It was close
Fidel Castro seizes power as a result of the Cuban Revolution and becomes an ally of the Soviet Union. He begins to nationalize American assets in Cuba, which leads to the United States introducing an economic boycott of the island nation.
The United States sponsors a failed counter revolution on the island with the Bay of Pigs Invasion. The Soviet Union begins to move medium range nuclear missiles into Cuba which sparks the Cuban Missile Crisis. The crisis leads to a U.S. blockade of Cuba, and a near war with the Soviet Union. The crisis ends after secret negotiations between the United States and USSR lead to a deal to remove American missiles from Turkey and Soviet missiles from Cuba. Interviews in Episode 10 include Fidel Castro, Walter Cronkite, Pierre Salinger and Theodore Sorensen.

[edit] Vietnam 1954-1968

Vietnam has been divided since the end of French colonial rule. The North is run by communists, the South by anti-Communists. Ignoring warnings against involvement in a nationalist struggle, the United States commits its armed forces. American protests against the war mount. The U.S. realizes this is not a war it can win.
Vietnam's former colonial ruler, France, was forced out of the country after losing the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Refugees began to flood into South Vietnam from the north, after communists there began a strict land reform program. The Viet Cong, with Soviet help, tries to reunify the country through force. America, supporting South Vietnam, becomes more involved after the Gulf of Tonkin incident.
As American casualties continue to grow, so does the unpopularity of a war that seems unlikely to be won. After the Tet Offensive, President Lyndon Johnson's clout is severely damaged. A policy of bombing North Vietnam, while also seeking to negotiate a peace, does not work. Interviews for Episode 11 include Robert Macnamara, William Westmoreland, Nguyen Vo Giap, Bui Diem, Jack Valenti and Clark Clifford.

[edit] MAD 1960-1972

Throughout the 60's, the U.S. and the Soviet Union are locked in a nuclear stand-off; each realizes that bombings the enemy could provoke retaliation and self-destruction. Nuclear strategy evolves into Mutual Assured Destruction, or MAD, in which both sides are guaranteed certain annihilation in the event of nuclear war.
America's policy of targeting Soviet military bases as a deterrent to war is shown to be ineffective during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A new deterrent policy is thought up by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, called MAD, or Mutually Assured Destruction.
Both Americans and Soviets begin testing and building more nuclear weapons, including submarines that are able to strike should one side destroy the other. Adopting a defensive strategy, the Soviets create an anti-ballistic missile. The United States develops multiple independent warheads to counter this. The danger of the arms race is shown in the Palomares incident. Yet there is some hope of de-escalation after both sides sign the SALT Treaty. Interviews in Episode 12 include Russell E. Dougherty, William Kaufmann and Harold Brown.

[edit] Screenshots

[edit] Technical Specs

Video Codec: x264 CABAC High@L3.1
Video Bitrate: 2 214 Kbps
Video Resolution: 720x400
Display Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Frames Per Second: 29.970 fps
Audio Codec: AC3
Audio Bitrate: 448 kb/s CBR 48000 Hz
Audio Streams: 6
Audio Languages: english
RunTime Per Part: 46 min 31 s
Number Of Parts: 12
Part Size: 887 MB
Source: DVD
Encoded by: DocFreak08

[edit] Links

[edit] Release Post

• MVGroup.org (torrent)

[edit] Related Documentaries

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[edit] ed2k Links