Hitler: The Rise and Fall

Explores the gradual rise of Hitler and National Socialism, from his beginnings with the German Workers Party to the infamous Beer Hall Putsch of 1923.

Members of Hitler's inner circle Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring carry out the Führer's brand of terror.

Explores how Hitler's popularity began to wane after the tide of WW2 began to turn, and explores how his legacy still persists in the far right.

The opening episode investigates the first three decades of Adolf Hitler's life to discover what transformed a down and out Austrian into the undisputed leader of the Nazi Party. World-renowned experts analyse the defining events of Hitler's early life, including his heartbreak at witnessing the death of his beloved mother and his time as a failed artist living on the streets of Vienna. Based on groundbreaking research, we reveal the true story of Hitler's years serving on the front line in World War One - exposing how Nazi propagandists would later exploit a comrade's courageous act to portray Hitler as a war hero. As the social outcast later sets about transforming the fledgling Nazi Party, we explore the key attributes and style makeover that fuel his political ascent. In the aftermath of the failed Beer Hall Putsch, experts pinpoint Hitler's leadership qualities as he turns defeat on its head and, during his time in prison, writes the most infamous book in history, Mein Kampf. They also unpick the transformation of his image, including analysis of the incredible photos taken by his personal photographer Heinrich Hoffman in which Hitler practises a series of dramatic gestures to enhance his speeches. State of the art colourisation helps bring Hitler back to life as he prepares to face down his rivals at the Bamberg Conference - where the Heil Hitler salute becomes compulsory and the stage is left set for his ruthless rise to political power.

This episode investigates Adolf Hitler's breathtaking political rise from right-wing crank to the messiah of Germany. Hitler sees absolute power as his divine destiny. As he rises from the ashes of a crushing election defeat in 1928, leading experts analyse how he rebrands himself to become Germany's Führer by 1933. His fabled speech-making skills are put under the microscope by a behavioural analyst and a propaganda specialist explores his gifts as a pioneer of political spin. We investigate how Hitler overcomes a career-threatening scandal when his niece is discovered dead in his private apartment, shot with a bullet from his own pistol, and explore Hitler's first meeting with his mistress of twelve years, Eva Braun. We explore the propaganda blitz that transformed Hitler into a messiah figure, descending from the skies in his personal plane to captivate his audience; and explore the mind of a man who would execute his closest comrade in a night of brutal mass murder. Having dissected his irresistible public rise, experts peer behind the doors of the Reich Chancellery to reveal the private Hitler. They attempt to square a dysfunctional leader paranoid about his own security with the celluloid god immortalised in the ultimate propaganda film, Triumph of the Will. Cutting edge colourisation shows Hitler as never seen before: a Nazi movie star at the peak of his performance powers. History's greatest actor has conquered Germany. Now he's ready to take on the world.

This episode explores inside the mind of a dictator as Hitler tightens his iron grip on Germany and turns his sights to conquest. The Führer has ambitious plans to restore Germany to greatness. But to fulfil his vision, he must inspire his country's people to follow him without question and conceal his true motives for expansion from the world. Leading Hitler experts investigate his mindset during the defining moments in his first four years in power - starting with his ambush of Germany's World War One victors when he rips up the treaty of Versailles and declares that Germany is rearming. As Hitler's vision of himself as heroic leader grows, we reveal his extraordinary self-indulgence - transforming the Berghof, a simple Bavarian farmhouse, into a state of the art mansion worthy of a Hollywood celebrity. We explore how Hitler's audacity and bullying tactics enable him to expand Germany's borders without firing a shot. At the same time, he dupes foreign leaders and the German people into believing he is a man of peace. As national pride swells, so does Hitler's self-belief. State of the art colourisation techniques bring the Führer back to life as his dictatorship grows and he assumes command of the armed forces. The Führer is now worshipped as a saviour. And when a Nazi official is murdered by a Jew, Hitler gives the green light for revenge against his most hated enemy - revealing his true colours and laying the foundation for his horrific racial program.