Bringing History to Life

In 1933, Adolf Hitler seizes power in Germany, where he has seduced the population with golden promises of a restoration of the Great German Empire. He allies himself with Mussolini's fascist Italy, Stalin's communist Soviet Union and the military dictatorship in Japan, which has the same dreams of grandeur as Germany. In this series, you get a thorough review of World War II - from the birth of fascism through the war's many dramas to the aftermath, where the victors deal with the war's worst criminals.

Welcome

WHAT HAPPENED TO HITLER? • On 1st May, 1945, Germany officially declared that Hitler was dead. Shortly afterwards, his earthly remains were consumed by fire, but speculation has remained ever since that the Nazi leader did not die at all, but rather fled Germany to safety in the last few hours of the war.

Who was aboard U-3523? • For decades, historians have been looking for the whereabouts of Nazi submarine U-3523, which disappeared without a trace in May 1945. Rumours claimed that the vessel was on its way to South America with leading Nazis aboard. Now, finally, the vessel has been found, but what can the wreck tell us?

HIMMLER’S OCCULT WORLD • Since World War II, rumours have spread about SS leader Heinrich Himmler’s obsession with the occult. Himmler was preoccupied with the idea of creating an SS cult and ordered the Reich’s scientists to the most remote corners of the world in search of the Aryans and the origin of the German people.

HUNT FOR THE GOLD TRAIN • In 1944, a train rolls out from a station in Budapest bound for the Alps. Its carriages carry huge amounts of gold and diamonds stolen from the Hungarian Jews who were sent to the extermination camps. Neither the train nor its valuable content ever reach their destination.

HITLER’S FATAL DECISIONS • Hitler’s judgement became progressively worse during the war. One possible explanation for his increasingly odd decisions was an escalating use of medication. Originally intended to ease stomach cramps and eczema, the cocktail of drugs grew to include cocaine and sleeping pills.

GERMAN SECRET WEAPONS • Nazi engineers worked secretly on developing aircraft, rockets and other weapons that were ahead of their time. The secret projects were designed to change the fortunes of war, and one could have done so: a nuclear bomb. Today, no one knows how close the Germans came to having atomic weapons.

THE PATH TO POWER • Seduced by propaganda, violence and glittering promises, the Germans elected Hitler into power and gave him a mandate to change the world. How an entire nation could have fallen for his charms is still a wonder, but the reasons lie in the economic crisis and a longing for German grandeur.

THE VANISHED • While the Allies roar victoriously through Germany, top Nazi officials begin to look for escape opportunities. Thousands of officers and senior party members – including several war criminals – escape to South America. Many are never seen again.

Bringing History to Life