The Unknown War is an American documentary television series, detailing the drama of the Eastern European front. It covers the period of history from June 1941, when Germany launched its surprise attack on Russia, through to the end of WWII.

The series is hosted by Academy Award Winner Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster

Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...

, who spent three weeks in eight cities in Russia, for location filming. Film footage from Soviet archives comprises a major portion of the series, supplemented by film from both the United States and British archives.

The Unknown War is a sprawling, 20-part documentary history in film of the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 conflict between Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 and the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. Each episode is about 48 minutes, similar in format to The World at War. The footage was edited from over 3.5 million feet of film taken by Soviet camera crews from the first day of the war, 22 June 1941, to the Soviet entry into Berlin in May 1945. Most of these films have never been seen outside this documentary series.

Produced with Soviet cooperation after the release of The World at War, which the Soviet government felt paid insufficient attention to their part in World War II. Released in 1978, The Unknown War is sympathetic to the Soviet struggle against Nazi Germany. It was quickly withdrawn from TV airings, some say after complaints by historians as to its accuracy, while others link the withdrawal to the growing tensions between East and West after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Episodes

1. June 22, 1941
2. The Battle for Moscow
3. The Siege of Leningrad
4. To the East
5. The Defense of Stalingrad
6. Survival at Stalingrad
7. The World's Greatest Tank Battle
8. War in the Arctic
9. War in the Air
10. The Partisans
11. The Battle of the Seas
12. The Battle of Caucasus
13. Liberation of the Ukraine
14. The Liberation of Belorussia
15. The Balkans to Vienna
16. The Liberation of Poland
17. The Allies
18. The Battle of Berlin
19. The Last Battle of the Unknown War
20. A Soldier of the Unknown War