Last Secrets of the Third Reich
This powerful series delves into the Nazi regime’s “Last Secrets” with interviews of the remaining survivors of the Third Reich as well as contemporary experts. Featuring previously inaccessible archives and new documents, it concentrates on aspects of the period that were neglected in the past and alters the way we see the Third Reich. Produced under the supervision of Guido Knopp and the ZDF Contemporary History Dept., the series exposes previously unknown inner workings of Hitler’s regime. Did Hitler fear he had Jewish blood? What did his architect Albert Speer really know about the Holocaust? Was “Desert Fox” General Rommel involved in the Hitler assassination plot of 20 July 1944? And what was Himmler’s actual role in the mass murder of Jews? The program is also known under the title “Nazi Underworld.”
Episodes
Runtime: 45m
The self-propagated myth of the noble, selfless 'Führer', who was ready to make sacrifices in the service of his people, is as persistent as it is false. Today we can prove how Hitler dipped into public funds and was given access to vast sums of money for his personal use. Far from the image of the frugal leader, Hitler profited from his position and became a very wealthy man.
Runtime: 45m
Hitler did all he could to keep his colorful family background a secret... and there was much to hide: mental illness, bigamy, dissent, and suicide. Any of this information would have tarnished the public image that had been created by elaborate propaganda. Now, personal records and extensive written memoirs allow new, surprising, and shocking insights into Hitler's family background.
Runtime: 45m
Heinrich Himmler: SS national leader, chief of police, minister of the interior, and commander-in-chief... Hitler's most powerful disciple remains an enigma even today. Why did Himmler secretly order an extensive research project about witches? Why was he interested in the occult? The biggest question though: was Himmler, and not Hitler, responsible for the order for the mass murder of Jews?
Runtime: 45m
Erwin Rommel was Hitler's favorite general and faithful follower, but in the end, Rommel eventually supported his leader's assassination. Like many other leading officers, he initially tolerated the increasing terror activities of the Nazi regime and preferred to look the other way. Unlike most others, Rommel refused to carry out extreme orders and realized that Hitler had to be removed.
Runtime: 45m
Hitler's private life was amongst the Third Reich's best-kept secrets. The public only found out about his wife posthumously, and Eva Braun was far from the only woman in Hitler's life. Previous lovers, influential admirers, wealthy sponsors... somehow Hitler had a hold over all of them. What could have motivated these women to flock to Adolf Hitler?
Runtime: 45m
Albert Speer, Hitler's architect, master builder, and armaments minister, laid the backdrop for Nazi ideology in stone and concrete. He was the man in charge of Germany's extensive armaments, and yet Speer somehow managed to retain his reputation as 'the good Nazi'. Speer's carefully cultivated image of the innocent bystander is revealed for what it is: a construct of lies and deceit.
