Rise of the Nazis Episode Rating Graph

Hitler has suspended democracy and is bringing all of Germany under Nazi control. But to gain absolute power and control of Germany's military, Hitler must be named successor to the ageing President Hindenburg before he dies.

In the 1960s and 70s, WW2 is a distant memory, but a few diehards are determined to hunt down thousands of Nazi war criminals, some of whom are living in plain sight.

It is 1933 and Adolf Hitler is the chancellor of Germany, but he does not have absolute power as there is still a democratic parliament, a head of state and the rule of law. Hitler calls a general election to increase Nazi representation, but a fire in the Reichstag building is blamed on communists – prompting thousands of arrests of left-wingers. Hitler then calls on President von Hindenburg to act and a decree is passed giving the Nazis emergency powers to ban free speech and the right to protest.

Facing defeat on the Eastern Front, Hitler retreats. Deep rifts emerge, and his inner circle vies for power. The resistance gets a student voice, and an enemy within plots to kill Hitler.

In April 1945, most of Germany is occupied by invading Allied forces. As the Soviets near Hitler's hiding places, the Nazi regime starts to disintegrate.

The Nazis have lost in Moscow. Hitler and Stalin take charge of their armies - with no-one to hold them back. In Stalin, Hitler has met his match - it's now a fight to the death.

In the winter of 1944, Germany is losing the war on all fronts, but Hitler refuses to contemplate surrender. Instead, he calls leading military generals to a secret location and orders them to start preparing a massive surprise attack against the Western Allies as part of his policy of total war. It's an attack he believes will finally break them.

At the end of March 1945, Nazi Germany is on the brink of collapse, and with Berlin under daily bombardment, Hitler has permanently retreated to his bunker.