About this episode

Professor Donald Rayfield discusses the impact of Nazi and Stalinist regimes on Crimea during World War II.

Professor Donald Rayfield picks up Crimea’s story in spring 1942, when Germany turns south for the Black Sea and oil. Some Tartars can't imagine anyone worse than Stalin. Some can't imagine anyone worse than Hitler. Tragically, they are both right though in different ways. Donald explains the realities of the German occupation, from the early “orderly” phase to the arrival of SS units whose mission is extermination of the Jews. Astonishingly some Jews are spared as the ever 'scientific' Nazi...

People in this episode

Host: Russell Hogg

Guest: Professor Donald Rayfield

Topics covered

• World War II
• German occupation
• Crimea history
• Stalin
• Hitler
• Jewish extermination
• Tartar perspectives

Keywords

• Crimea
• Nazis
• Stalin
• Hitler
• German occupation
• Tartars
• Jewish extermination
• World War II

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Crimea, Germany, Black Sea, Stalin, Hitler

More episodes of Subject to Change

• Crimea (part 2): from the Golden Horde to Catherine the Great · June 15, 2026 · 56 min

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