Supplies to the Soviets

Clip opens with trucks and heavy machinery being loaded on to ships to go to Russia. The commentary stresses that this cooperation will continue after the war and there is already a contract to supply mobile power plants. The camera pans across a vast sea of cargo, and ends with a plea to support aid to Russia. In the years before WW2 relations between Britain and the Communist USSR (often referred to as Russia although it was much more than just Russia) were very poor. In fact, they were so bad that in 1939 the Soviet leader Stalin made an alliance with Nazi leader Hitler, even though they were political enemies. In 1941 Hitler betrayed Stalin and attacked the USSR. British leader Winston Churchill immediately allied himself with Stalin and sent supply convoys to the USSR. This film was an account of the methods with which the Soviet Union received supplies during the Second World War, and the importance of the continuance of such trade after the hostilities have ended. The context of this clip is most interesting. Perhaps relations between the British and USSR were already weakening as Germany was losing the war. This film certainly gives no hint of that, and seems to suggest Britain could actually gain from supplying aid. Is there a hidden agenda here?

Channel: UK National Archives Video Length: 46s Date Found: Sun, Apr 06 2008 9:36 AM Category: History Date Produced: View Count: 21