Empire of the Red Tsar

The story of the Communist take over of the Eastern European states towards the end of the Second World War as the Soviet Red Army sweeps though Eastern Europe.  For three years the Czech people did manage to maintain a multi party democracy but in 1948 the Czech Communists organise a coup to seize total control of the state.  This would be followed by the creation of a police state and purges of many including even of fellow Communists.  A biography of the Czech Communist leader Gottwald.

To be published on Saturday 30th November

The Free territory of Trieste

Due to American pressure and lack of support from Stalin, Tito was forced to withdraw Yugoslavian military forces from Trieste in the summer of 1945.  However in 1946 a confrontation between Yugoslavia and the United States began, two American planes being shot down.  Yet lack of support from Stalin again forces Tito to back down.  The Free Territory of Trieste is created, a biography of American military Governor Alfred Bowman. In 1954 Trieste is handed over to Italy.

The Battle of Trieste

In the first of a two part episode on the crisis over control of the Adriatic City of Trieste, the episode deals with the race to capture the City at the end of the Second World between the Western allies and the Yugoslav communists.  it would be a race that the Yugoslav Communists would win and would pave the way for crisis over control of the City of Trieste and surrounding area that would continue until 1954 and cost the lives of American and Yugoslav servicemen.  A biography of General Peter Drapsin the commander of the Yugoslavian Fourth Army and commander of the Yugoslav forces in Trieste in the summer of 1945.

To be published on Saturday 16th November

The Battle of Grammos

In August 1949, the largest and mostly costly battle of the Greek Civil War occur in the Vitsi and Grammos mountain range in North West Greece.  The Greek Communist are defeated by the Greek National Army.  Stalin fearfully of an alliance between Yugoslavia, Greece and the United States that could overthrow the Albanian Communist Government, Stalin orders the Albanian and Bulgarian Communist Government to disarm the Greek Communist fighters.  The Greek Civil War comes to an end.  A brief history of Greece since the Civil War and a biography of George Grivas..

To be published on Saturday 9th November