Birth Of A Führer: The Rise And Fall Of Adolf Hitler | The Life Of Adolf Hitler | Timeline

this channel is part of the history hit Network [Music] [Music] following the humiliation of defeat Germany between World War one and World War II was a country that had lost its sense of purpose its status in the world had seen Revolution and poverty brought about by the Wall Street Crash of 1929. by 1933 it was a country that longed for strong leadership that would restore law order and a sense of identity one man understood the needs of the German people and presented himself as a savior in a world that was on the brink of collapse he knew also how to manipulate the images that the public saw so that he would appear always As A Man Apart a man chosen possessing a Monumental almost magical quality that Drew the hopes and Trust of the German population the cameras followed his every move he fed the popular desire for an invincible symbol of national pride in a way no politician had ever been able to his rise from a rabble Rouser on the streets of Bavaria to the Pinnacle of power in Berlin and conquest of most of Western Europe is one of the most extraordinary and Savage stories of our time millions of Germans saw in him the Messiah he felt himself to be and followed him at first blindly and then under increasing duress into destruction unable to comprehend that they were simply numbers in his distorted vision of the world dispensable to a man incapable of forming fulfilling personal relationships one of the most fascinating questions in the history of the 20th century is how did Adolf Hitler come to create a regime that would hold the world in a group of Terror the likes of which had never been seen before [Music] thank you [Music] foreign at the time of Adolf Hitler's birth his mother was staying in an inn the gasthofs and Palmer at Brown Alam Inn in Austria he was born at 6 30 in the evening of the 20th of April 1889 the fourth of six children of elois and Clara Hitler elois had been an illegitimate child and had taken his mother's name shikhilgruber for the first 39 years of his life in 1886 he adopted the surname of his stepfather Johann georgheedler Clara was his third wife and only two of the children Adolf and Paula survived the difficult early years and lived into adulthood there was strong affection between them as she reported later and bickering adolf's father was financially comfortable as he worked for the Imperial Customs Service as a government official he was devoted to duty pompous proud of his status and strict with himself and others Adolf was frequently beaten by him I never loved my father Hitler said later in life adding unsurprisingly that he was afraid of him and his terrible temper and recalling that he counted silently the blows of the stick once he had resolved never to cry again when being whipped it is easy to find the boy in The Man Who Would demand unfinching obedience from his new super race he was not a good student and despite his father wanting his son to follow his career path as a customs official Adolf was more interested in art he was considered lazy except when reading and talking about his war books then his enthusiasm was plain to see the relationship with his mother was entirely different she was a kind and devout Roman Catholic who adored and supported her son as he also adored her in 1903 his father died of a lung hemorrhage freed from the long years of Parental abuse he was now no longer able to be disciplined and was expelled from school which he eventually left age 16 with no qualifications in 1905 Hitler moved to Vienna to become a painter living partly on the money given by his mother he was twice rejected by The Academy of Fine Arts as being untalented and unfit for painting but with the encouragement that his talents lay in the architectural profession despite the bitterness he felt at the refusal this encouragement gave him a belief in his talent as an architect that stayed with him and later his architect Albert spare became one of his closest advisors [Music] then you'll love history hit our extensive library of documentary features everything from the ancient origins of our earliest ancestors to the daring mission to sink the bismar history hit has hundreds of exclusive documentaries with unrivaled access to the world's best historians we're committed to Bringing history fans award-winning documentaries and podcasts that you cannot find anywhere else sign up now for a free trial and timeline fans get 50 off their first three months just be sure to use the code timeline at checkout he began to paint pictures from postcards in an attempt to earn his living as an artist to supplement the financial help from his mother he did sell some of his paintings when he first arrived in the Austrian Capital Hitler was aged 18. he was overwhelmed by the opulence of the hotels Villas shops and the architectural Splendor that surrounded him he went to the Opera and the theater Clara Hitler was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 47 and Adolf stayed by her side during the final stage of the illness the family doctor said that he had never seen a closer attachment by a son adding that Adolf Hitler was the saddest man he had ever seen Clara died just before Christmas 1907. following the death of his mother Hitler returned to Vienna but he was excluded from the life of the city his mother's death and his own failing sent him into depression and by 1909 he was walking the streets and sleeping in the open he finally found shelter living in a men's hostel for the homeless whilst he was there he began to earn a modest income from the sale of his paintings of old Vienna [Music] the society that Hitler aspired to join was ruled over by an aging Emperor Franz Joseph emperor of the austro-hungarian empire he had been on the throne for 60 years and symbolized the divisions of a society where money separated the workers even from the middle classes Hitler watched Street marches taking place as the red flag was carried through Vienna the sight of these made the young Hitler depressed and he feared for the future Austria as part of the austro-hungarian empire was also a society where the German population felt under Threat by Slavic races the Catholic Church seemed also to favor the Slavs with the result that a distrust and dislike for the Catholic religion was widespread amongst Germans the desire for a United German Fatherland was strong Vienna's population was growing and amongst the mix of races to be found there was a large Jewish community their presence their strange appearance caused unease amongst the middle classes he would not have been alone in sensing dislike of these strange figures with their Market stalls even though he expressed lifelong gratitude to the Jewish Doctor Edward block who attended his mother by his own account the more I saw the more sharply they became distinguished in my eyes from the rest of humanity whether Hitler came across the works of the Englishman Houston Stuart Chamberlain in Vienna is uncertain but his book the foundations of the 19th century which he wrote in German was very popular in Germany at the time which was hardly surprising as Chamberlain maintained that the German race should be dominant in the world the Germans were he argued the most highly gifted of the Aryan group of peoples and the Aryans are preeminent amongst all peoples and therefore the Lords of the world he pointed out the racial differences of the Jews and spoke in derogatory terms of them warning that racial mixing would mean moral and physical degeneration and the end of Aryan world power Jews and other racial aliens had to be removed from Germany he argued Chamberlain had a particular influence on Alfred Rosenberg the Nazis philosopher Hitler and Goebbels expressed the desire for a cult of race blood and battle once the final Victory had been achieved his thinking now thoroughly tainted sensing himself an outcast Hitler was still in the hostel when in 1913 he inherited the remaining money from his father's estate and moved to Munich in time to avoid conscription for the imminent first World War his Fierce interest in all things German meant that he did not want to fight for Austria to many people the Jews represented the grasping capitalism that brought about poverty and the unfairness of democracy a war to re-establish the world order seemed desirable when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28 1914. the war everyone wanted was just months away the Germans mobilized on the 30th of July Hitler was eagerly ready to fight when World War one hostilities broke out in August he volunteered to join a Bavarian regiment the 16th infantry Reserve regiment recording later that he had been gripped with stormy enthusiasm Fallen to his knees with an overflowing heart to thank God for the Good Fortune of being permitted to live at the time it was probably bureaucratic oversight that allowed him into the German Army officially he should have been returned to Austria as a foreigner on the 29th of October 1914 Hitler's regiment was engulfed in the battles with 70 losses his enthusiasm waned in Mein Kampf Hitler did not mention that he was in fact A dispatch runner from the first day on and not an infantryman in the trenches his luck however was already an Evidence when a shell exploded in the regimental HQ minutes after he had left almost wiping out the entire staff [Music] thank you [Music] his comrades found Hitler strange as he sat for hours in a corner reading or brooding despite his lack of humor and the fact that he never joined in with the usual moans or jibes he generally got on well with those around him his defense of all things German was fanatical he would come to passionate life when talking of a new Germany that his comrades were drawn in as he persuasively described his vision of an Austria reunited with a Fatherland in which foreigners and democracy had been removed most of his listeners were in agreement in the 36 battles that he would take part in he earned a reputation for great personal courage a senior officer described him as an exceptionally Brave effective and conscientious Soldier he was promoted to Lance corporal in November 1914. although he was never to progress further because he was not considered to be leadership material by his Superior officers although he did receive the Iron Cross second class that year for rescuing his Deputy commanding officer Under Fire in late 1916 a shell exploded near the runner's Dugout injuring him in the thigh the others beside him were also wounded or killed he spent two months in hospital near Berlin on a visit to Munich he was shocked morale was low he wrote later and every clerk seemed to be a Jew in 1918 he received the Iron Cross first class an award seldom given to a corporal it was probably not awarded for capturing 15 French soldiers single-handedly as he claimed later but for bravery and delivering important dispatches in over four years at the front and even then he had to Badger the regimental Commander for weeks to get it during the night of October the 13th 1918 a mustard gas attack near Eep partially blinded him his war was over during his recovery in northeastern Germany he learned of capitulation at the front in France and revolution on the German streets workers in Berlin had been on strike to protest at the continuing war and against Democratic institutions for him ending the war was the greatest villainy of the century did all this happen so that a bunch of wretched criminals could lay hands on the Fatherland he wrote The Shame of indignation and disgrace burned my brow hatred grew in me hatred for those responsible for this deed those responsible were in his eyes the politicians of the democratic Weimar Republic socialists and Communists for the industrial strikes in the arms factories and Jews though it was said quite wrongly had not supported the war he would later make them all suffer for their assumed treachery Hitler along with many others felt that Germany had been stabbed in the back the legend of the Dolce dose was born socialists and Bolsheviks agitating for strikes and especially Jews were held responsible for the German defeat the Jews were considered unpatriotic a claim that was completely unfounded Hitler wrote my own fate became known to me and I decided to go into politics Hitler had it seemed decided that he was the only one able to save Germany after the war chaos came to the streets of Germany Hitler was stunned by what was taking place anti-war sentiment and revolution had gripped Germany the democratically elected Chancellor Philip scheidemann refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles and resigned the signing of the treaty finally took place under the chancellorship of Gustav Bauer on June 28 1919 when the Kaiser abdicated on November 9 1918 and fled to Holland a power vacuum arose and there was Mutiny fighting in the streets the unrest was fanned by the Versailles treaty the reparations demanded by the Allies from Germany that kept it financially weak in Bavaria the Revolutionary fever was at its greatest with revolutionaries thinking themselves on the edge of a new world order paramilitary gangs set up by former army officers and made up of demob soldiers angered at the sudden defeat in the war were sent to quell the Communist unrest break up the workers councils and put down risings by communists the Army had taught them that obedience and martial law was the way to ensure stability and they intended to impose that attitude onto peacetime Germany now foreign minister was accused by an obscure extreme right-wing party the German Workers Party of being part of a Jewish communist conspiracy and was assassinated by Ultra nationalist officers Friedrich Ebert a Social Democrat took over as Chancellor supported by the Army and the fry Corps which now crushed the burgeoning Revolution and brought order back to the country this was an uneasy grip on Power and few people felt loyal to the government Hitler was 30 when he returned to Munich the future as a civilian frightened him and he was open to the influence of the unrest and uncertainty of the post-war era he managed to stay in the Army only being demobbed on the 31st of March 1920. and he supported the ideals of the thigh core groupings before long he had been chosen by his army superiors to be a political instructor and was sent to be trained by the education and propaganda Department his ability to make effective public speeches quickly became apparent and mindful of this Talent he was sent by the rice there the German Army to observe and infiltrate the meetings of revolutionary groups on one of his undercover missions in September 1919 he was sent to listen to an extreme right-wing nationalist group that met in one of the Munich Beer sellers this was the same German Workers Party that had agitated against valtter now far from decrying them he agreed with their anti-semitic nationalist sentiments Hitler had found his ideological home on the 12th of September 1919 he gave his first speech to the gathered adherent of the party its success can be seen in the fact that he was invited to join the committee there were perhaps 40 members at the time and such men as Hitler were always useful he was a byproduct of German history filled with helpless anger and shame at Germany's degradation and this angry passion soon swept up his listeners he had wanted to create a party of his own but within months Adolf Hitler had ousted the original Party founder and was leader of the German Workers Party here he was to meet Hermann Gering and Rudolf Hess two men who stayed loyal to him throughout the lifetime of the Third Reich although Hitler suggested the name of the socialist revolutionary party the name was changed in 1920 to the National Socialist German Workers Party the nsdap the Nazis had begun their long march to power Hitler was responsible for the design at the swastika symbol and then for a propaganda newspaper the photographer Heinrich Hoffman joined the party in 1920 and Hitler made him official party photographer he studied the photos Hoffman took in order to polish his gestures his inflections and so perfect the impact of his speeches these speeches in the beer sellers of Munich Drew more and more enthusiastic interest at this time Hitler's intention was to bring to power General ludendorff a renowned world war one officer less than three years after joining the party it was clear that Hitler was a central figure amongst the free Corps and German nationalist groupings and as a result the nsdap had been able to recruit thousands of new members a private Army was formed the sa who in their Brown Shirts were organized by The Man Who Would later be their leader ernstroom they roamed the streets breaking up socialist and communist demonstrations and terrorized Jews Hitler's popularity was increasing all the time as was his self-aggrandizement as the savior of the German race his Greed for power was now only matched by his scorn for the others in the movement who he considered to be reaction or is mired in the past anyone who disagreed with him was unceremoniously dispensed with by violence if necessary his name was mentioned more often in influential circles in society and acceptance here fed his aggressive arrogance Dietrich Eckhart a man who is believed to have influenced Hitler's theories and beliefs had introduced Hitler to the wealthy in society people who would later fund the Nazis Hitler was even given instruction in public speaking while staying with an industrialist sympathizer he grew in confidence to such an extent that he felt able to Stage a coup d'etat in Munich many right-wing groups wanted to march on Berlin echoing Mussolini's march on Rome and Eric ludendorff and Hitler were among the enthusiasts for such a move they had the agreement of Gustav Carr the right-wing head of the Bavarian state government General losso and Colonel saiser who were also part of the government it was the 9th of November 1923 together with 600 members of the sa and accompanied by Rudolf Hess Hermann Gering and Alfred Rosenberg Hitler burst into the burger boy beer hall in Munich where Gustav Carr the Bavarian State commissioner was giving a speech a machine gun was set up a proclamation was issued stating that Hitler together with General lutendorf General losso and Colonel Sizer had formed a provisional national government it was all wildly premature jumping onto a table Hitler fired into the ceiling Carr had originally supported a coup attempt but now he withdrew his support whilst Girling gave a speech to calm the people in the hall who were now being prevented from leaving Hitler and Hess had Carr and the others taken into a side room and demanded they support the coup or be executed Carr refused to be intimidated Hitler had him arrested together with losso and seisler ludendorf finally persuaded them to agree to the putch and Hitler left the building ludendorff then released his captives who lost no time in arranging to put down the coup attempt next day with the government Gathering its forces fighting broke out Hitler asked for help from Crown Prince of operation of Bavaria as a mediator and ordered the arrest of the Bavarian city council as hostages said later that he thought Hitler to be insane Hitler realized that the putch was failing he had no answer to the problem it was ludendorff who shouted out via mashiran we are going to March [Music] worm and Hitler's men some 2000 in total marched along the street with no particular aim until ludendorff once again took charge and led them to the Bavarian defense Ministry at odion's plots in front of the Feld herrenhalla they met 100 soldiers blocking their way then the firing broke out [Music] Max Elvin Von scheibner who had made the detailed plans for the coup and had linked arms with Hitler were shot in the lungs and died instantly as Hitler and the others walked towards the police Hitler said later that he had been the only Irreplaceable loss that day and devoted the first part of Mein Kampf to his associate panicked by the bullet and the death of rishta Hitler fled ludendorff continued to walk into the fire he lived to be put on trial even up to his death in 1937 he never wanted anything to do with Hitler again considering him a coward for running away both Gering and Hitler were injured but gurring was able to escape whilst Hitler was arrested Gering suffered bullet wounds to his leg and became increasingly dependent on morphine for the rest of his life in prison Hitler became so severely depressed that his friends had to try and persuade him not to commit suicide he was to be tried for treason and he decided to use the opportunity to speak to the world outside of the courtroom he would stand up for his beliefs and for himself as Savior of the Fatherland he would do what he was to become famous for attack in terms of his future as a politician his scheme worked better than he could have hoped reported in the newspapers he was acclaimed and lauded and ludendorff was subsequently ousted from leadership of the party this episode in his later life served wonderfully in maintaining the myth of his past and each year a Victory Parade was held and a wreath laid in honor of the 16 men who had died during the abortive coup [Music] Les foreign [Music] oh [Music] The Five-Year prison sentence handed down to him by a judge sympathetic to his cause proved to be a lame facade he was given comfortable rooms good food and allowed to wear his own clothes in Landsberg jail he had the time to forge his plans for the future and he wrote them out in a book Mein Kampf my struggle dictated to his Deputy in the party and fellow inmate Rudolf Hess Mein Kampf sets out Hitler's ideology of anti-Semitism belief in the master race and the idea that some men are destined to be rulers and others to be ruled together with his belief in laban's realm space in which to live in the east of Europe and especially Russia and of course the necessity to overthrow the Treaty of Versailles [Music] Hess had introduced Hitler to the political geography theories of Karl househofer having been his scientific assistant househofer promoted the ideas of German expansion laban's realm not by claiming colonies outside of Europe but by claiming land in the East where he said German is Destiny lay foreign [Music] Hitler came across eugenics this Theory put forward the idea of improving the human race by selective breeding the final important Cornerstone of Nazi ideology was in place the failed putch had changed his mind on violent revolutionary change if the German people wanted legal change then although this would take longer that is what he would give them he realized that if he were to reject Revolution as the path to power he needed to make the National Socialist Party known throughout the country after just eight months he was a free man following his release Hitler spent his time at obazalsberg the mountainous area above bestest Garden near Munich forgotten as a politician far from the power he craved as the Weimar Republic stabilized and brought a new sense of hope to the German people it also brought in a new age and new culture that he despised Berlin now enjoying its Heyday was the epicenter of all that he loathed communist agitation Jews and everywhere he bitterly noted jazz his niece gayley provided him with some distraction and they had a brief affair during which time Hitler's jealous possessiveness of her became pathological and led to him controlling her so tightly she was virtually a prisoner she was found dead in Hitler's apartment but whether her death by shooting was suicide or not remains a mystery Hitler had to rebuild his party and began as he had ended before the coup with propaganda some states had banned him from speaking and he used this fact to his Advantage displaying the clever use of propaganda that helped bring him power and that he later used shamelessly to cover his real intentions and he blame and falsehoods on others thank you [Music] the man who was to become one of his most loyal supporters and take Nazi propaganda to new heights came into contact with the party in 1923 and joined in 1924 his name was Joseph Goebbels he remained with Hitler until the very end in the Berlin bunker in 1945. he too misjudged Hitler at the start with us in the west wrote Goebbels there can be no doubt first socialist Redemption then comes National Liberation like a whirlwind Hitler stands between both opinions but he is on his way to coming over to us completely Hitler did not Goebbels was appalled and disillusioned that Hitler saw socialism as a Jewish creation maintaining that the Jews were the real problem not the capitalists but in a show of his abilities to persuade Hitler who greatly valued goebbel's talents won him over completely in a private conversation now Goebbels found a sparkling mind that he could follow a political genius who had thought through everything Hitler was both simple and great at the same time he wrote and he who forsakes the fuhrer will wither away [Music] foreign [Music] Hitler to grope his way to power more quietly and avoid violent confrontations with the state so he presented himself as a law-abiding member of society clothed in sober dark suits a man who cared for the future of the country and therefore its children his aim was now to persuade rather than force and as he began his work on the Germans he began his work on himself his appearances were not yet as smooth as they were to become later nor did he yet possess the authority he wished for but within three years the National Socialist Party was showing the tight Organization for which it would become renowned more and more local groups were formed and with an eye to the Future it was the youngsters that came in for his particular attention excitement friendship status within a strong group paired with discipline and a life outside of the restrictions within the family all appealed to the German boys some two-thirds of the storm up tylon the sa were under 30 years old even those who are not connected to Hitler's minority party found it hard not to be impressed by the rigorous organization and determination of the national socialists [Music] thank you [Music] the festival atmosphere of color and music with flags everywhere was reminiscent of the era of the Kaiser slowly Hitler expanded his power base president Abbott had died in 1925. the conservative first world war hero Powell Hindenburg was his successor he was later to allow Hitler into power and was not the first nor would he be the last to believe that Corporal Hitler could be controlled by those who knew what government was about in 1929 America came to Hitler's Aid the Wall Street Crash plunged Germany into deep recession [Music] this was where the national socialists scored points they did not spend all their time haranguing those in power they cleverly offered a sense of identity of community of optimism they organized self-help programs work pools and soup kitchens their reasoning and solutions seemed more and more acceptable to Germans struggling to survive their status grew and so did the numbers of members as the numbers of those unemployed soared to 3 million in 1930 and up to 6 million by 1931. [Music] Hitler knew that he could turn events to his favor he publicly expressed concern for the hardship whilst trying to keep the situation unstable through his essay thugs in Berlin where Joseph Goebbels was now Gaul lighter or head of a Nazi District the national socialists were targeting the Communist areas of the city ants tail man seen here was leader of the Communists riots and fighting were almost continuous with injuries and fatalities every week [Music] the Weimar Republic fought back but with war reparation still being demanded by the Allies its Authority and ability to control the situation was weakening rapidly when Gustav strezaman foreign minister died in 1929 there was no longer anyone strong enough to withstand the pressure [Music] Hitler and his party were seen by German industrialists as a means to counteract the threat of communism someone needed to turn the masses against the Socialist movements and for the factory owners Hitler was the man for the job money was given in support so that the agitation and threatening demonstrations of strength by the sa could continue [Music] foreign [Music] the new Chancellor Heinrich Bruning introduced unpopular measures to try and tackle the social problems his measures were rejected by the reichstag Parliament and Hindenburg a traditionalist whose sympathies always lay with the right felt that this was a failure of Parliament and decided on new elections it was a fatal decision in the 1930 elections for the reichstag the Nazis won 18.3 percent of the vote and became the second largest party more and more people saw in Hitler what he saw in himself the savior of Germany support for his party grew the middle classes were drawn to him through fear of Communism and his vision of a strong Germany [Music] the party of the right led by Alfred hudenberg wanted to Annex Hitler's popularity for themselves and a joint rally was organized at Bard hartsburg in autumn 1931. it misfired and Hitler used it for his own aggrandicement he was not prepared to compromise he wanted power but on his terms and for himself alone he was not beholden to business for fans he was not open to negotiation in court cases involving his supporters this was the line he always followed Changed by constitutional means the lawyer Hans Frank who later became governor general of occupied polish territories was always at hand to help Hitler Hitler also took out German citizenship to enable him to become a candidate for the presidency [Music] in 1932 he undertook a propaganda tour of seven towns which he visited by air over seven days that year there were five elections Hitler used all the means available to him to undermine democracy and with no other party able to promulgate a stronger vision of Germany's future as Hitler he was becoming Unstoppable that year His Image seemed to be omnipresent and his speeches eagerly listened to it seemed that he already was the leader of the country the national socialists certainly became the most powerful party in Germany as Hitler emphasized again and again that he was one of the people he had been through the hardships himself and because of that the future was going to be different how different was already plain to anyone who wanted to listen foreign [Music] to the people is the linchpin of society he offered a world free of class Von Schleicher inadvertently helped Hitler on his way to power he bore a large part of the responsibility for bringing down the burning chancellorship and when his successor Franz von papen of the center party was forced to resign Schleicher was appointed Chancellor having formed a close relationship with President Hindenburg but his willingness to work with the Socialist part is annoyed Hindenburg papan still seeking power held secret meetings with Hitler and Hindenburg and the president refused schleicher's request for emergency powers and dismissed him for advocating a return to the monarchy of the hohen Solon family Schleicher had become a target for assassination in Hitler's eyes and he had Schleicher shot and murdered together with his wife during the night of the Long Knives on the 30th of June 1934. the government could do nothing to prevent the wave of sympathy for Hitler as discontent on the streets was counted by the police Authority waned Hitler and his cohorts waited for their chance [Music] [Applause] [Music] to walk forward foreign [Music] [Applause] just now at the moment they were poised for power president Hindenburg rejected Hitler's demand for the chancellorship and there were Rumblings of discontent in the party hierarchy and as Hitler never cared to be restricted by finances the party was in debt but the turnaround was Swift businessmen paid off the party's debts and following the election of November the 6th 1932 in which the national socialists lost seats Franz von papen had persuaded president Hindenburg that Hitler could be controlled in government and should be given the chancellorship [Applause] [Music] the national socialists had three ministerial posts the conservatives ate it was a fatal decision that brought about the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the end of democracy the seizure of power was complete on the 30th of January 1933 Hitler became chancellor of Germany his supporters celebrated on the streets Germany felt that change was coming there was not long to wait [Music] as a triumphant Hitler and a failing Hindenburg showed themselves to the crowds the sa were already attacking their enemies here Hitler attends a funeral for an sa man who died during the fighting during that first night as usual death was more interesting to Hitler and his cause than life [Music] that I'll break sorry foreign foreign [Music] was horrified by Hitler's rise to power a telegram that he was reported to have sent to Hindenburg Red by appointing Hitler Chancellor of the Reich you have handed over our sacred German Fatherland to one of the greatest demagogues of all time I prophesy to you this evil man will plunge our right into the abyss and will inflict immeasurable woe on our nation future Generations will curse you in your grave for this action Hitler always with one eye on the propaganda potential of the old General later tried bribery to win him over and was sent away empty-handed by an enraged ludendorff within a week there was a clamp down on the opposition parties with left-wing meetings banned even moderates were assaulted and threatened by mid-February the Communist Party had been suppressed and members of the reichstag arrested Hitler's first speech as Chancellor was given on February the 10th foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] they don't take the line release the truecalled the thousand five guys they kneel then start your wife and four films Island floods is [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] on the 27th of February the rice tag went up in Flames with the blaze destroying the Great Hall the Nazis had the excuse they needed for the first stage in the crushing of the democratic state the Communists were blamed for the fire a Dutchman marinus Van Der Luba was arrested for arson and found guilty at his trial and executed by guillotine the following year three others accused with him were acquitted one of those was Georgi dimitrov a Bulgarian who calmly told the court that Girling and the Nazis had been behind the fire after the fire gurring was reported to have boasted that he had arranged the arson attack and later confessed that he had drawn up a list of those to be arrested even before the fire took place after the fire other Communists were arrested and murdered and constitutional rights suspended under the reichstag fire decree under its terms personal freedoms were suspended house searches and seizure of property made legal within two weeks some ten thousand arrests had taken place in Prussia alone this was martial law in all but name and Stillman leader of the Communist party was one of those arrested tailman after 11 years of solitary confinement was taken to buchenwald where in 1944 Hitler gave the order for him to be shot the last hurdle for Hitler was the forthcoming election of March the 5th 1933 the brown shirts were on the streets to intimidate the voters and State Radio ordered to broadcast Hitler's speech from koenigsberg 50 000 members of the sssa and style Helm were sent to monitor the voting in Prussia the results were disappointing 43.9 percent of the votes went to Hitler 17 million people this meant that the papan Hitler Coalition had just a 16-seat majority on the 21st of March 1933 the new rights tag met in Potsdam at the Garrison Church where Frederick the great was buried Hindenburg also attended unaware as were most onlookers of what was really happening A Relic from a bygone age he lent to Hitler the aura of the great German heroes from the past it was a soothing sight to those who are tired of the struggles foreign marched along the same route symbolic of the old and new regimes but no socialist or communist parliamentarians were invited the worst of the nightmare had not even begun [Music] Meister Ed [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] next day trade Union offices were stormed the terror had been Unleashed on March the 23rd Hitler was speaking to the reichstag to push through a piece of legislation that would lay another Stone on the path to his dictatorship this was the enabling act which would give the cabinet and therefore hit to himself authority to enact laws without referring to the reichstag parliament to make sure that Hitler got his way the SS and sa surrounded the Khal opera house which was where the reichstag was now meeting gerving who was president of the reichstag ruled that any absent Deputy would be considered as present in this way he ensured the presence of two-thirds of the total number of members that was required for the vote and it was impossible for socialist SPD members to boycott the proceedings as planned [Music] but whilst Hitler was still trying to keep the image of adhering to the Constitutional rules upright his sa men underworm were simply deposing the state governments and occupying buildings as they did in Munich on the 9th of March Hitler had finally been able to exact his revenge for the failed coup of 1923. the Glide Shelton the coordination of all aspects of German life so that tight control could be exercised over every citizen was not only seen in the laws being swiftly enacted but in the organizations such as the World War One veterans style Helm steel helmet which was integrated into the sa and finally dissolved in 1935. the unions were crushed in May When leaders were imprisoned and the unions merged with the German Workers front which all workers were forced to join as yet the Jews were unharmed but on April the 1st 1933 Jewish doctors lawyers and businesses were subjected to an official boycott [Music] then on May the 10th as bonfire Flames curled around the books of Thomas Mann Sigmund Freud and many others in every town that had a university Goebbels spoke in Berlin foreign it would only be a matter of time before other fires would burn there where they burn books said the 19th century German Jewish writer Heinrich heiner human beings will finally burn too Einstein theater director Max Reinhardt Thomas Mann and many others who understood what the Nazis intended emigrated Germany was left in the Stranglehold of The Barbarians [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause] and there Cannon greatly signed to listen I see the two come rest slows on the Earth [Applause] I slave in a natural position [Applause] guys Arthur I receive assistance amongst the books that the Nazis burned in 1933 were the works of Heinrich heiner the German Jewish 19th century poet who wrote when you hear a crashing such as never before has been heard in the world's history then you know that the German Thunderbolt has fallen at last at that uproar the Eagles of the air will drop dead and lions in the remotest deserts of Africa will hide in their Royal dens a play will be performed in Germany which will make the French Revolution look like an innocent idle the first concentration camps were erected in Spring 1933. with 5 million unemployed Hitler knew that he had to contain the growing depth of restlessness he began a program of Public Works tirelessly touring the country laying Foundation stones and engendering enthusiasm for himself and his policies with every mile of Autobahn that was built life in Germany was improving and Hitler was the man responsible yet he was not clear of his problems the Army and the sa underworm were competing for power for their own organizations worm wanted to see himself as head of a single German Defense Force and disband the official German armed forces the reiswear he wanted the Nazis to seize power by force whereas Hitler was determined to erode democracy from inside its defenses Hitler found himself standing against the sa whose tendency for Street violence aggravated him the situation worsened as worm's belligerence grew [Music] in this film Hitler has arrived at an sa meeting flanked by his personal guards the SS it was a show of power that worm would have done well to take heat of yet the speech is heavy with praise for the sa members Hitler needed them to remain on his side not so the sa leadership for them the end was in sight by the end of June 1934 worm had overplayed his hand he wanted to be minister of defense and demanded that the rice there and its professional officers that he saw as lacking in Revolutionary Spirit be assimilated into the sa which now contained almost 3 million members Hitler feared a coup attempt from his old street fighting comrade when worm presented the minister for defense vanophon blomberg with a memorandum demanding the sa become the nation's armed Force Hindenburg threatened to impose martial law if Hitler did not act Hitler was only too pleased to act from the 30th of June until July the 2nd Hitler sent out his SS and gestapo on assassination missions and worm and many of his sa comrades were summarily executed Hitler didn't stop there Von papen was arrested Schleicher and even leaders of other conservative parties were executed as were many who had voiced opposition to the Nazis [Music] foreign who had opposed Hitler's 1923 putch attempt paid now for that decision with his life as the SS hacked him to death this was the night of the Long Knives it enhanced the gestapo's reputation for Terror and left no one in any doubt that the same fate awaited anyone who dared to cross the Nazi leader [Music] one-time Nazi member was put under arrest by Hitler who personally gave the order for his murder Strasser was assassinated by the Gestapo in his cell y before his death he had written to a friend whatever happens Mark what I say from now on Germany is in the hands of an Austrian who was A congenital liar a former officer who was a pervert and a clubfoot and I tell you the last is the worst of them all this is Satan in human form the SS unit known as tottenkopf became an independent organization the now powerless sa gave Hitler a pledge of allegiance on July the 13th 1934 Hitler Justified The Purge in a nationally broadcast speech to the reichstag in this hour I was responsible for the fate of the German people and thereby I became the Supreme judge of the German people I gave the order to shoot the ringleaders in this treason and I further gave the order to cauterize down to the raw flesh the ulcers of this poisoning of the weld in our domestic life let the nation know that its existence which depends on its internal order and security cannot be threatened with impunity by anyone and let it be known for all time to come that if anyone raises his hand to strike the state then certain death is his lot [Music] Dolphus the Austrian dictator felt the brutal truth of these words when on July the 25th he was assassinated by eight Austrian Nazis during a coup attempt Dolphus had banned the Austrian Nazi party and formed an alliance with Mussolini against Germany thus making an enemy of Hitler see in Detroit [Music] when Hindenburg died on the 2nd of August 1934 Hitler knew that his hour had come bils had arranged a funeral ceremony and cleverly wove the traditions of an imperial past represented by Hindenburg and the attendant Prussian landed nobility the rice there and the Nazi SA Hitler bowed before Hindenburg as cynical and politically duplicitous as ever no one stood between him and absolute power the office of President Hitler declared would be merged with his own and he became furre and rice counselor [Music] Hitler was now a dictator to whom the Army on the orders of Defense Minister Von Bloomberg had to swear their oath of Allegiance foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] the 5th of September 1934 Hitler attended a rally in Nuremberg flying into his cheering supporters under the watchful eye of the cameras of Laney riefenstyle Goebbels had found one of the most willing foot soldiers for his propaganda War Hitler was portrayed as Godlike the closest thing to a Roman Emperor it was possible to be for her efforts Riefenstahl was rewarded with the German film prize gold medal in 1935. thank you oh my God Adolf Hitler needed manual workers but he needed to have all men trained in military-style formations anyone who refused to participate in Hitler's re-education programs could expect a visit by the SS in 1934 Hitler had pronounced that the battle between German racial ideas and the slav masses could no longer be avoided this would lead to permanent Mastery of the world his aims were clear to anyone who wanted to listen no one except the Nazis wanted to believe him [Music] yes it was the turn of the Socialists to be rounded up the repression continued with renewed vigor new laws removed German citizenship from all those of Jewish origin marriage between non-jews and Jews was prohibited Jewish businesses were closed and looted and Jews were banned from working in the Civil Service the Arts or farming [Music] in 1935 Hitler introduced conscription in contravention of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles the Western Powers did not oppose the move believing that Germany had a right to maintain Armed Forces for its own defense the 100 000 men allowed under the treaty grew to 500 000. but that was just the beginning Hitler wanted the largest most efficient Armed Force in the world for his expansion plans but he built his army gradually so that no one would feel they had a real reason to stop him until it was too late the sarland in Southwest Germany occupied by France and Britain after World War one was restored to Germany after a plebiscite in March 1935. this was also the year that Martin Borman Hitler's powerful and manipulative private secretary and fixer bought some land around the orbazaltzburg mountains near Munich which eventually became the berghoff Hitler's country retreat the next stage of Hitler's plan involved the military for the first time German troops reoccupied the demilitarized Rhineland on the 7th of March 1936 another breach of the pasai treaty Hitler displayed the brinkmanship that was to take him to Glory when after German troops had crossed to the west of the Rhine he was informed that French troops were on the border he told his generals the German troops would stay unless the French made a move they did not these actions pleased many Germans of course and with stability restored and the endless trouble seemingly over Hitler stood high in their estimation he had reduced unemployment from 6 million to 1 million foreign Capital was being invested in Germany despite knowledge of what was happening beneath the propagandalize Hitler continued to show two faces on the one hand the leadership was Keen to emphasize its caring side the labor front organized affordable holidays and travel for workers whilst behind the scenes Hitler and his fellow Nazi leaders were preparing to use the people they purported to look after for their true role in Hitler's State as Warriors for his megalomania [Music] [Music] as the majority of Germans enjoyed the quiet years until 1939. under Heinrich Himmler the SS and gestapo increased their Stranglehold on the population the SS grew into a gigantic organization filled with those who were the ideological Pinnacle of German Nazism using violence and suppression to form the society Hitler wanted eventually the rest of Europe would be subjected to the same Terror young people were the lifeblood of the Thousand-Year Reich and Hitler bound them into his ideology from an early age their enthusiasm for ideals was ruthlessly exploited the Hitler Youth for boys and the association of German girls was militarized and prepared the young for the task ahead the push for laban's Rome more babies were needed to fill the new laban's realm So Family Planning clinics were closed [Music] in Mass rallies with the Youth of Germany it was impressed upon them that their Duty was the community the common good the individual existed only in its duty to serve that Community the young were his race of superior beings who would bring about his new world a world that was rooted in the mythical past symbolized by the blood Banner from which power was supposed to flow into all the other flags the signs of this Hitler fantasy world were easily found the dangerous manifestations of a man unable to deal with the natural world and therefore determined to bend it to something he could understand and subdue [Music] as unchallenged creator of this world he could travel in style giving his simple speeches always fated opinionated his distorted fantasies presented with no limit set Berlin held little of interest for him and he was seldom there he preferred the Easy Life Of The Traveling hero to the onerous duties of Chancellor Hitler seemed to be everywhere proclaiming his only mission in life was peace the Olympic Games of 1936 were intended to prove the superiority of the new Nazi way although Terror and re-armament were walking hand in hand and the rest of the world believed this to be so Germany was presented as a place of contentment at ease with itself and its neighbors Hitler's new life was the stuff of his dreams forged in poverty in Vienna now he was able to indulge in the good things that money could provide [Music] architecture was one of his pleasures and Albert spare was one of many architects who would be presented with sketches of his ideas to rebuild German towns spare was responsible for the new chancellery in the Monumental style that Hitler favored it took a mere nine months to build yet not one single cabinet meeting ever took place in the new building it has been said was everything that Hitler wanted to be and the fear identified with his clever and sophisticated architect never losing his regard for him in July 1936 Hitler sent planes and troops to help Franco in the Spanish Civil War this was to be the first test of the fighting ability of his men by September Hitler had given his permission to form the Germans into the Condor Legion against gering's initial opposition Hitler wanted the Luft buffer to play their part in the war and it was in Spain that the bf-109 proved its worth in the hands of Pilots such as then imelders and Adolf Gallant tanks were sent as was the 88 millimeter anti-aircraft gun that was used to devastating effect during World War II although there was International public condemnation following the bombing of Guernica on the 26th of April 1937 no one seemed to hear the alarm bells ringing or see the contradictions between Hitler's public expressions and the actions he took and if they did hear they turned away Hitler's brinkmanship was bringing him ever further along the path to his ultimate goal Hitler was pleased with the war in Spain and had ordered three major military operations there by the time it finished in 1939 he was able to help Mussolini in Spain and so ease Italy into a closer alliance with Nazi Germany whilst keeping Britain and France in conflict with Italy a victory for Franco would mean another fascist State on France's borders with the help of Hitler and Mussolini Franco won his dictatorship the war also found Hitler in indirect confrontation with his future adversary Stalin as the communist leader sent Technical and Military help to the Republicans Britain and France imposed an arms embargo and this seriously hampered the Republican struggle it was Hitler's first real indication of the reluctance of the western powers to get involved in armed conflict in 1938 Hitler commissioned a new car for his master race the result was the people's car the Volkswagen this was one of the last peaceful contributions to German history before Hitler began to finalize his plans for what the years of power had been leading towards the acquisition of land in the East and therefore inevitably War by February he had abolished the ministry of war and sacked 16 generals from now on he proclaimed I take personal command over the Armed Forces over 40 other generals resigned [Music] Hitler had been brought up a Catholic and although only nominally still a member when he died he knew how to use Christianity to keep the churches and religious wing on his side when addressing the reichstag on March the 23 1933 he had said the national government regards the two Christian confessions meaning Catholicism and protestantism as fact is essential to the soul of the German people we hold the spiritual forces of Christianity to be indispensable elements in the moral elevation of most of the German people [Music] [Applause] blue in the wrong thing is how long Hitler would have tolerated religion is unclear but it is doubtful that it would have had any place in his new world filled with the men and women of the master race whilst in the he had come across the writing of former monk Lance Von liebenfels and his theories of the Aryan races as godmen the development of blue-eyed blonde Aryans the sterilization of what he termed lower races and the incineration of the Jews in Vienna Hitler collected The Works of levenfels and the two men's views certainly corresponded greatly but the connection embarrassed the fuhrer once he was in power and he banned liebenfels from publishing his writings once Hitler was dead liebenfels branded him as being from inferior racial stock Hitler openly disparaged interest in the esoteric or ancient German God worship stating it seems to me that nothing would be more foolish than to re-establish the worship of wotan our old mythology ceased to be viable when Christianity implanted itself nothing dies unless it is moribund yet there were many ancient German symbols visible during the many parades that Hitler watched and he was aware of the potent effect for propaganda of the symbolism associated with pagan gods and tales of heroism by powerful warriors he wished to inspire in the modern Germans the same ore towards himself and the Nazi cause English language yes Europe had chosen to ignore the warning Hitler had sent when the luftwaffe took part in the 1936 Spanish Civil War yet in Mein Kampf he had written man is a fighting animal a nation being a community of Fighters is a fighting unit any organism which ceases to fight is doomed to destruction in 1938 another warning came Austria was annexed without a shot being fired the austrians welcomed the move the unification of the German people was one more step along the road to eradicating the humiliation of the Versailles treaty although Britain France and Italy raised their voices against the annexation Hitler was allowed his triumphant entry into Austria following the invasion by the German Army on the 12th of March Hitler basked in the glory [Music] Hitler had long sought closer ties with Mussolini's Italy but the Italian leader had remained at arm's length despite Hitler's initial admiration for the Italian fascist leader and his movement they had met in Munich during the early years of Hitler's National socialists among other things Hitler had borrowed the fascist salute from his Italian neighbor Mussolini had been right to suspect his larger neighbor in the North Hitler was not looking for an equal partner all he required was support against his enemies for as long as he needed it however at this meeting in 1937 the bond seemed as close as it was possible to be the Torchlight procession seemed an omen and fire appeared increasingly to be the favored element of the Nazis appropriately the darkness was sought and approved by Hitler who was himself wrapped up in the mysticism with himself as the representative of the god that was his benefactor more and more content to allow himself to be worshiped [Music] Hitler was now confident enough to demand more land he wanted the sudeten land the Border areas of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by Czech Germans Conrad Heinlein leader of the Sudan German party went about making claims from the Czech government that in his own words could not be satisfied and instigated two coup attempts before fleeing to Germany in France and Britain there was great unease at the course Germany was embarked upon and Winston Churchill who wrote a book in 1938 entitled why England slept was critical of the policy of appeasement that so many others supported a week before Munich he warned the partition of Czechoslovakia under pressure from England and France amounts to the complete surrender of the western democracies to the Nazi threat of force such a collapse will bring peace or security neither to England nor to France [Music] Hitler's demands were to be negotiated at a conference in Munich attended by prime minister Neville Chamberlain Edward daladier Hitler and Mussolini the Czech government was not invited for Hitler this was not a conference but merely a confirmation of what he and Mussolini had already agreed upon Hitler said bluntly that unless the Sudan land with its 80 percent german-speaking population was incorporated into Germany there would be War IE knew already that Hitler was seeking domination in Europe but he finally ceded to Chamberlain's desire for avoiding War Chamberlain and the ladier now had nothing to do but sign the already prepared agreement Hitler was playing the game on his terms and winning every move playing to the desire for peace in everyone but himself he held the upper hand Czechoslovakia had been sacrificed to Chamberlain's fears two days after the signing of the Munich agreement on the 30th of September 1938 and Chamberlain's welcomed home with his imagined peace German troops were in the sudeten land Hitler saw another piece of his jigsaw fall into place and the war of flowers as this period came to be known was about to come to a violent end but for now he could claim that he had simply righted the Injustice of the Treaty of Versailles restoring German people to the Fatherland many in Britain were in sympathy with that perception he had no more territorial claims in Europe he told the world and the world was happy to believe him Hitler represented more to the Germans than power he became the object of sexual fantasy an almost mystical being in whom his adoring people invested the mythical potency sown by his own imagination he became the ideal Untouchable Incorruptible invincible by remaining A Man Apart calm and rock-like amidst the vast crowds admiration became adoration that was no less than religious fervor bordering on the fanaticism he harbored and advocated the masked crowds gave him the sense of his own infallibility in which he reveled foreign [Music] now that he had rebuilt the country in His image he returned to the other central theme that had driven him on no opportunity had been lost to place blame for the ravages of poverty and political backstabbing firmly where he wanted it with the Jews the Enemy Within when Herschel grungespan the son of a Jewish Family expelled from Poland shot Ernst Von rat an official in the German Embassy in Paris on November the 7th the dye was cast Jewish newspapers were banned vanrat died on the ninth and Hitler left a dinner in commemoration of the beer hall Pooch of 1923 Goebbels gave a speech making it clear that spontaneous demonstrations in protest against the death should not be hindered the intention was clear in November 1938 the synagogues began to burn [Music] Kate Czechoslovakia before he could turn to Poland he ordered president Hatcher to Berlin in March he threatened the president with bombardment of Prague by the luftwaffe unless he agreed to the occupation of the country that same day the final non-violent Invasion during Hitler's dictatorship took place when German troops entered Czechoslovakia on the morning of March the 15th the shock waves went around the world only now did the realization sink in that Hitler did not want peace and the only way to stop him was to face him with troops Europe unprepared for war was going to have to fight for freedom Hitler was 50 one month after occupying Czechoslovakia he was a man convinced that his dreams were within his grasp my enemies he said contemptuously of the men he had met in Munich are little worms the celebration was to be a final display of his might before the real fighting began a chance to Rally the nation once again and fire their enthusiasm for him make them willing to follow him wherever he led them the Cowardly Democrats as he thought of them were invited to watch the four-hour procession of arms in the hands of the most modern Army on Earth he was no longer hiding his intentions he was boasting whilst the people reveled in the new German might and their chancellor who had restored their status in the world so that they could peacefully take part in world affairs Hitler having spent six years grooming them had already planned their future and the future that he had planned was one of unceasing conflict in the fight for Domination and laban's realm the banners and pomp only served to feed his egotism what he saw before him were the men who would give their lives for his appalling fantasies armies do not exist for peace but solely for exertion in war he had said the pageantry appealed to his sense of the Monumental mimicking the operatic exaggerations of Wagner which fed his image of himself and the world that was to come whilst he planned he presented Anna Vancouver figure to the world the world he was creating was filled with cruelty hate and death [Music] foreign [Music] in Ava Brown's private films taken in Hitler's Mountain Residence at the berghoff at bestest Garden in the Bavarian Alps Hitler was always surrounded by the same small cotery of friends and advisors limbtop Goebbels Himmler and heidrich Albert shper was there too as Hitler's architect of choice spare recalled a sense of emptiness shrouding the house and its oppressive atmosphere from his Mountaintop Hitler could see a cross to where Frederick Barbarossa the medieval German Warrior Emperor was said to be buried Hitler was a man obsessed with bringing the heroic German past into the present to make his own glory shine brighter death was what had always given life to his fantasies death would soon bring him triumphs death would give him the pleasure that nothing and no one else ever could death brought him euphoria although he was Secure with his cronies Hitler was seldom seen with the group rarely joining in with the merriment he seemed still to be as unable to cope with emotional closeness as he had always been and in this respect Ava Brown was no more privileged than the others only the Inner Circle knew of her relationship with Hitler to the outside world she was one of many who worked for the government his adoring female admirers were not allowed to know that he kept a mistress Ava Brown had been an assistant working for Hitler's photographer Heinrich Hoffman in Munich and met Hitler for the first time when she was 17. she was a happy and bubbly personality that attracted Hitler immediately although at the time she did not know who he was she was flattered that the older man was interested in her but the liaison was kept a secret from her parents not least because her father was scaling about Hitler when he found out he wrote to Hitler to discouraged the relationship no one knows what the nature of the relationship was but as Hitler's rise to power swiftly progressed she became dispirited and then suffered depression wanting to spend more time with him than he had to offer she attempted suicide twice during the early years the first time in November 1932 when she tried to shoot herself with her father's pistol she narrowly missed the artery in her neck and Hitler although campaigning for the election to become Chancellor rushed to be with her she survived much to Hitler's relief who did not want a scandal to break over him at such a Time Ava only became aware that Hitler's niece gayley had also been Hitler's girlfriend after gaily had committed suicide in 1931 but the relationship with gaily had continued for two years after Hitler met Ava Gailey it appears discovered a letter from Ava to Hitler just before she died she then shot herself in the heart Hitler was distraught at gaily's death and there was always a picture of her in a room at the berghoff Ava never knew who the woman portrayed was Hitler was said to have revered the painting the seeds of inhumanity said his photographer Heinrich Hoffman began to grow in him after galey's death galey's mother Angela Hitler's half-sister was his housekeeper at best Garden but disapproving of the relationship with Ava Brown she eventually left from 1931 onwards two years after their first meeting the two began to see more of one another what he felt for Ava is unknown though it is certain that she was more than just a bedtime distraction for him he used a pet name for her Chapel Hitler however was also seeing other women such as Anna hafenshtangel a society Beauty and Renata Muller a German actress who also died under unknown circumstances perhaps suicide the speculation as to whether Hitler was capable of loving his women companions cannot be satisfactorily explained Otto Strasser brother of Gregor who was murdered during the night of the long night in 1934 maintained that Hitler did not know what normal love was and that his sexual Tendencies were abnormal gaily killed herself as a result of that he alleged Hitler's secretary wrote Hitler always maintained that Germany was his lover and that sex was never a feature of his life after he came to power other sources dispute that claim as for children he was scathing about having children of his own the children of a genius he said would find it difficult to live up to their parent they usually turn out to be idiots Hitler later allowed men to have sex with Partners they were not married to in his opinion it was more important that good Aryan children were born than that Society morals should be maintained a motherhood cult was brought into being that culminated in the labens-born organization set up by Himmler for SS wives and unmarried mothers the organization adopted children with the aim of producing Superior Aryans in 1936 Ava became part of his household though she never slept in the same rooms as Hitler and they were never seen in public together she also had separate rooms in the Berlin bunker and Hitler's residences in Berlin she was described as being simple but bringing lightness into Hitler's life her Delight in being photographed and predilection for sunbathing naked made Hitler Furious nonetheless at the beginning they shared common interests films and gossip about actors and actresses which Hitler also enjoyed both she and Hitler are Keen viewers of movies despite the differences this girl who Hitler did not even want to change her hairstyle was devoted to him he it was noted became jollya when he heard her voice when he neglected her she was reported to be in tears her Diaries of 1935 are filled with her loneliness and constant waiting for Hitler to have time for her as the administration of his Reich took up more of his time Ava was left to herself more and more often yet she was the mistress as she described herself and companion of the most powerful man in Germany and as she saw it the world and enjoyed the status and lifestyle it gave to her so she accepted that this was how life had to be Hitler allowed her to wear makeup which was scorned in the Third Reich and to smoke and drink he would spend hours drinking tea with her in her rooms or in his study where there would be champagne chocolates fruit and flowers but he could not reciprocate the intensity of the emotion that Ava brought to the relationship in fact it irritated him and he could be very Cavalier in his dealings with her he ought never marry an intelligent woman he said adding that only very simple women should be his companions Ava had changed from the happy young woman she had been before she met Hitler she was reported by one eyewitness to be clamped up when Hitler was around but when others were there or when she went to dances she once again became the Carefree young woman that she was [Music] on May 28 1935 when the reply from Hitler that she had hoped for did not arrive Ava tried to commit suicide Again by taking an overdose of sleeping pills she failed Hitler again afraid of Scandal went to her bedside carrying a puppy afterwards he treated her better giving her the royalties from the Hoffman photographs of him from which she was also given a Mercedes car and a villa in a Munich suburb to keep her away from public scrutiny he told her that she was the only woman he wanted but as he inched towards War a moody Hitler became once more less considerate towards Ava she was in any case never allowed to be present at official functions always being ordered out of the room beforehand should she and her friends arrive back before a meeting was over they would have to sneak in through the tradesman's entrance on occasion Albert spare kept her company exiled in her room and wrote that he developed sympathy for this unhappy woman as the War Began to go badly Hitler would have been willing to let Ava go if she wanted to find another man there were unsubstantiated rumors of an affair with himless liaison officer SS obergottenfura Hermann fegerline she was certainly attracted to him but for Ava Hitler was the only man she wanted to be with in the end a political marriage took place between Ava's younger sister Gretel and Hermann fegerline but when fegerline was caught apparently preparing to escape to Sweden with his mistress as the war was coming to an end Hitler ordered that he be executed Ava's widowed sister was pregnant Hitler considered releasing figure line but whether he was shot after a court martial or not he disappeared gradel's daughter committed suicide in 1975. Hitler was also known to have been a vegetarian although it is argued that he did eat meat on occasion Goebbels mentioned that Hitler thought meat-eating harmful to humanity and intended to deal with the problem once the war had ended one report tells of Hitler averting his eyes when cruelty to animals occurred on screen and whilst human life seemed of no interest to the fuhrer the Nazis anti-cruelty to animal laws were at the time unequaled and Blondie The Alsatian dog that Martin Borman had given to him was still with Hitler in his bunker in Berlin in the last days Blondie was given a cyanide capsule as a test of their effectiveness before Hitler took his own life Hof was his preferred residence here he said was where the momentous decisions were made these often took months to arrive at he was never quite certain it seemed the berghoff was also used for official functions the only moments that seemed to please him were when he was imitating his guests otherwise Hitler was alone with the inner loathing and anger that eroded his Humanity he played the game a favorites with his cohorts always keeping them aware that their favorite status rested on his good will who would be permitted to walk with him on his morning stroll and what was the significance of the choice but his inner circle were protected from the world that Hitler was creating outside his private life was safe from the degenerate workings of the state he had created and that was how he wanted it to remain foreign [Music] Hitler was able to order his personal doctor Carl Brunt that an advisory committee should be set up to devise a program to kill disabled children Hitler's chancellery would act as secret administrator for the program Hitler knew that even now these plans would cause an outcry if they became public later that year the state governments were required to register the disabled by 1942 drugs lethal injection or starvation would kill children with disabilities up to the age of 12. 1 these alone [Music] Poland had rejected Hitler's attempts to make it a satellite state on three occasions Now supported by rittentrop his foreign minister he decided that invasion was necessary but he could not risk war with Russia as well as the British and French who had agreed to help Poland in the event of German aggression the final piece of the puzzle to enable Hitler to attack Poland was to neutralize the Soviet Union Stalin was blinded by his distrust of the West allowing himself to be maneuvered into a treaty by a man who harbored as much loathing for the Russian people and their leader as he did hatred for the Jews and whose stated aim was to expand German territory into Russia Hitler was not yet ready to take on the Soviet Union but it was in his mind simply a question of time the two foreign Ministers of Germany and Russia provided the proof of his manipulatory skills when they signed a non-aggression pact between the two countries in Moscow in the early hours of August 24 1939. Stalin had fallen into Hitler's trap duped by the promise of military technology in return for wheat oil and other raw materials which arrived in Germany during the first year of The Pact vital contributions that helped to keep the country on its course of full-scale militarization but even as a second pact was being negotiated in 1940 Hitler was planning Stalin's downfall no one was safe from Hitler's intrigues and greed for single-handed power or the lies he was prepared to tell to achieve his goal on the 3rd of September Hitler was finally able to give a speech with the text that he had fervently been waiting to give for so long concerning the only thing in life that mattered to him the Destroyer schleswig-holstein had opened fire on Poland finally Hitler felt ready to enter into a conflict with his neighbors Fortune had favored his arrogance and brinkmanship it was to do so for the foreseeable future Hitler's brutally effective wehrmacht swept the Polish Army aside success was so rapid that Hitler was able to visit the front lines just a few days later he was impressed by his generals whose Swift crushing of Polish resistance had been completed much more quickly than he had envisaged his fantasies had become Europe's nightmares France and Britain's declaration of war on Germany was a threat without consequences that could not prevent Poland's collapse within two weeks as the smoke blackened the skies Hitler's megalomania took shape and he declared that this fate awaited anyone who crossed him the Roundup of opposition and polish Jews began immediately proving that his threats were not without consequences German and Soviet troops met at Brest vitovsk after the capitulation Poland was in the hands of two of the worst dictators who had ever come to power the mass murders of civilians by the SS and special units which had instructions to murder influential members of The Establishment and members of the Intelligentsia took polish civilian losses to an estimated two hundred thousand during the campaign then the next phase of Hitler's plan could begin the killing of the Jews followed by the deaths of those unfit for labor or breeding and he could begin to gather the slave laborers from amongst the inferior races and Nazi opponents who would help to build his new Thousand-Year Reich there had been some 12 million of these by the time the war was over of whom two-thirds came from Eastern Europe Martin Borman became Hitler's closest advisor after the flight and arrest of Rudolf Hess in may 1941. he was promoted to head of the party chancellery he was Hitler's most trusted Nazi companion controlling access to the fuhrer and apparently keeping from him the descriptions of the worst excesses by the SS against the Jewish people on the 9th of October 1942 he wrote that it was Hitler's belief that the Jewish problem could only be solved through the special camps in the east [Music] the appeal of striking at Britain's ships that were needed for the country's survival was inescapable for Hitler had it not been the British blockade of Germany in World War one that had helped to defeat Germany's forces now it was his turn to begin a blockade of Britain but his support for the U-boats was half-hearted and initially he thought of them as purely defensive weapons Admiral Carl donitz was therefore never given the financial and political support he needed to carry out his War as successfully as he thought possible nonetheless Britain was unprepared and the losses were considerable Hitler's sense of his own greatness and infallibility increased on the day that the vermacht began their assault in the west Winston Churchill took over as prime minister of Britain and her Empire Hitler's determination had brought another man of equal determination to oppose him Denmark unable to defend itself against such a mighty neighbor was overrun in four hours but was just a stepping stone for the vermacht to Norway when the British had attacked the German ship the altmark in neutral Norwegian Waters in February 1940 Hitler knew that Britain would not respect Norwegian neutrality if it was not in her interests to do so he ordered that his own Invasion plans be swiftly finalized in April the British rushed troops northwards once they realized what was happening but Hitler's plans had been well carried out Norway collapsed Hitler's generals felt that they were not ready for conflict with France and Britain but Hitler buoyed by success was astute enough to know that his chance was now whilst the Allies were unprepared Chief of Staff of German High command had presented a plan of invasion to Hitler that would have been very difficult to carry out haldo was at the time conspiring against Hitler and was carrying a gun in his pocket ready to shoot him when the time came sadly it never did Holland and Belgium fell under the German Onslaught the bef and French were split by a German armored advance to the French coast and herded onto the beaches at Dunkirk where they awaited death under luftwaffe bombs Hitler was now interfering in the plans of his general staff believing that he alone had the ability to win Wars his own indecision that was to plague his order so often over the course of the war caused an event that led eventually to his own downfall years later he ordered that the Panzer stopped the Advance on the British between the 27th of May and the 4th of June 1940 more than 338 000 French and British soldiers were taken from the beaches it is unlikely that the true reason for Hitler's decision will ever be known the probability is that hoping to conclude a pact with the British and avoid any further fighting before he turned East once more Hitler was making a conciliatory gesture the other possibility is that his attention was taken for those vital days in finishing the invasion of France whose defeat was so important as it was another step on the path to wiping out the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles also gerving had claimed that the luftwaffe would be able to finish the job on the Dunkirk beaches without help and Hitler allowed himself to be persuaded by a tactic that would spare men and armor whatever the reason the order proved in retrospect to be fatal for Hitler at the moment of his greatest Triumph when he announced that it was better to allow a beaten Army home to show the people what a beating they had suffered he had sown the seeds of his own destruction his arrogance had got the better of him and the ease of his success led him to overestimate his own strength and underestimate that of his opponents then France collapsed in the face of the vermacht and luftwaffe onslaught it was Hitler's most glorious Triumph field martial villain title was moved to call him the greatest military leader of all time Europe was staring into the abyss [Music] thank you [Music] France's capitulation in 1940 was the greatest thrill the Fiora could have wished for and the newsreel show a man almost dancing with joy to Crown his revenge on the French he ordered the signing of the Armistice to take place at compiña where the German capitulation had taken place in 1919. [Music] thank you Hitler sat in the same seat as Marshall fosh had done after World War one and in the same Railway carriage he was satisfying one of his deepest wishes to revenge and eradicate the humiliation of defeat by France and the shame brought on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles thank you after the signing Hitler drove through Paris for three hours France was now of no more interest to him it had fulfilled its part in his drive for power there was more yet to be done elsewhere [Music] in Berlin he was greeted as he would have wished as a Conquering Hero returning from a famous campaign A Man Apart a man of decisive action a man of his word who had restored Germany to Greatness and who would lead it surely to prosperity and uphold its status in the community of Nations now the Germans felt there would surely be an end to the fighting there would be no more war Hitler's boldness made him overconfident and he decided that following the evacuation at Dunkirk Britain would either fall to his troops or capitulate beforehand he preferred the latter scenario not wanting to lose more troops than necessary against a weakened country that could do no more than offer token resistance the luftwaffe was ordered to increase bombing raids on Britain Hitler allowed himself to be misled by Hermann Gering head of the luftwaffe into believing that England could either be brought to the negotiating table or bombed into submission there was also a more pressing enemy to confront that no one outside of his high command yet knew of Russia that was where the greatest amount of laban's Realm was to be found however with Churchill as the first uncompromising opponent he had encountered Hitler was confronted with a problem so he decided on an invasion of Britain Operation Sea Lion this would be completed he felt before the winter had he learned from this piece of overconfidence he may not have made the same prediction the following year before the wehrmacht invaded Russia the one condition attached to the invasion of Britain was that the RAF and Royal Navy had to be dealt with first Gering assured Hitler that the Luft baffle was equal to the task but to his intense frustration as the Battle of Britain was fought over Southern England and the English Channel seemed unable to sweep the RAF from the skies Britain was suffering badly but it was Hitler's anger and arrogance that clouded his thinking and forced him to order ill-judged actions that ruined his chances of occupying Britain this would not be the last time that the fever lost sight of his strategic aims and by believing in his infallibility became His Own Worst Enemy a German bomber pilot lost his way over Mainland Britain and chased by an RAF pilot jettis and his bomb load over London there was minimal damage but Churchill ordered a retaliatory attack on Berlin Gering had said that no enemy bomber can reach the industrial area of the Hua if one reaches the roar he continued you may call me Maya Hitler was incensed by the Berlin raid and ordered that the luftwaffe changed its tactics to hit British cities the blitz had begun but for all its Terror Hitler's abrupt change of plans saved Britain the RAF airfields that had been the targets for the German bombers were given a breathing space to recover and rethink tactics the luftwaffe are now flying further Inland had to use their Fighters as escorts and the RAF began to turn the new situation to its advantage Hitler had snatched Victory from his luftwaffe and his Thousand Years through his own anger as the Autumn of 1940 arrived it seemed increasingly unlikely that the RAF and Royal Navy could be defeated and uncertain about how to get his men across the channel unscathed Hitler wavered then on the 17th of September 1940 with winter weather making seaborne Invasion unsuitable Hitler canceled the invasion what could Britain do to harm him he argued Britain could be bombed into submission and was of no danger to him now there was no longer the prospect of fighting on two fronts a fear that had haunted him after Germany's defeat in World War One he was impatient to get into Russia and the vital stage of his push for Aryan domination and laban's Realm utously ignored the one man who was able to do what he himself had done Inspire and put steel into the resolve of his Nation it was a grave oversight [Music] The Pact with Russia produced the positive effects that Hitler had expected but he was now in a hurry acutely aware that unless he acted swiftly the advantage that he possessed insofar as he was ready for war and Russia was not would evaporate having struck at the Western countries from Norway to France and seen them succumb to the vermacht in August 1940 General marks was given the order to prepare the initial Invasion plans for one of the largest campaigns in history the invasion of Soviet Russia Hitler Drew up the final plans for Operation Barbarossa the phony friendship with Russia had long reverted to Bitter public enmity in the Army propaganda periodical zignal Hitler's regime ready as always with excuses and blame set out the justification for The Invasion those in Authority in Moscow reported the magazine who had concluded a pact of Friendship with National Socialist Germany were being two-faced they positioned 160 divisions of the Red Army along their Border in order to attack Germany when her back was turned once the right moment had come Adolf Hitler ruined these plans German troops had been sent in secret to the Russian border two-thirds of the Vermont had been assembled no one knew what was happening Stalin had been warned by Churchill but thinking that Churchill was trying to split the Russian German pact refused to believe the messages finally there were over three million axis troops including 500 000 Finns and 150 000 Romanians lined up for the invasion they were arranged into three Army groups that would surge into Russia heading north towards Leningrad into Central Russia towards Moscow and to the South to capture the all-important Russian oil fields of the Caucasus although there would now be two fronts as Britain was still fighting Hitler felt Destiny calling him to eradicate the Bolshevik poison as he called it and could not resist he would he said kick open the door and the whole rotten structure would come Crashing Down on the 22nd of June 1941 vermacht troops swept over the Border the German people were informed at 5 30 in the morning Hitler had the ideological war he wanted he would crush communism at the same time as he would gain vital space in which the new Germans could live Russia would collapse as rapidly as the West had done and Moscow would be his within three months then Leningrad and Moscow would be obliterated this was what he had planned this is what seemed to be happening in the campaign by the master race against an inferior breed as Hitler described them in Russia Hitler could have his anti-semitic and anti-communist racist orders carried out on a vast scale and in the shortest possible time the Russians like the polls before them were to be pushed from their land made slaves or murdered scarcely had the bear muffed entered the Soviet Union then squads of ss and gestapo came in behind them each Army group with its own special action einzatz Grupo of the SS responsible only to Heinrich Himmler Hitler was certainly a Man true to his word however the enormity of the vision overwhelmed him and propelled him into a war which he was not mentally capable of conducting unless there was no or inadequate resistance Churchill knew no more about Russia and its ability to defend itself than Hitler did the purges in the armed forces by Stalin had in fact severely weakened the Red Army to the point where no officer dared to issue an order for fear that it would be seen as wrong with lethal consequences for the officer Hitler visited Russia soon after the invasion this was after all the war that he had envisaged since he had first entered the National Socialist Arena Russia was his personal War Hitler against Stalin the loathe communism against fascism he was in control of all other conflicts Britain and North Africa these he would sideline by this spectacular display of unbridled power he would save the world from the degeneracy into which it had fallen and Russia was to be the jewel in his crown was an outspoken impetuous General whose unbridled temperament led to his managing to aggravate every single senior commander who had anything to do with him he had been one of the men to grasp the significance of Swift armored thrusts on the battlefield and used the principle to devastating effect in France in 1940. he was not taken in as Hitler was by the enormous number of prisoners in the early weeks of Barbarossa the capture of objectives was more important to him and Moscow was a vital objective perhaps the most vital objective not Kiev in the South he voiced his opinions and Hitler furiously turned on him beginning a feud that led to guadarian's dismissal in December 1941. Hitler was greedy for territory and ignored guderian whereas the other generals wanted to capture towns especially Moscow to add to their own Prestige and vide with each other for the honor the fuhrer wanted to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus Moscow was not his first priority deceived by the ease of the invasion Hitler made a grave mistake guderian along with the greater part of the second Panzer group was detached from army group Center to go and assist Army groups South and the Panthers commanded by Von kleist in the battle for Kiev the success at Kiev seemed to prove the strength of Hitler's military strategy a staggering three-quarters of a million Red Army soldiers were captured the fact that out of every 100 men just three would be alive at the end of the war vividly points out the brutality of German captivity starvation and execution awaited Russian prisoners of war the sub-humans three million Soviets had been lost after just 12 weeks of fighting in July Army group South joined in the success of the other groups when they encircled 100 000 Soviets then helped by the second Panzer Group which Hitler had extracted from army group Center they followed this with another 650 000 prisoners outside Kiev these Russian captives would be amongst the first to feel the barbarity of the Invaders if any fell ill or even fell over they were shot where they lay those Red Army soldiers from the Central Asian Republic suffered the most under the brutality of their captors in a cynical and vain attempt to try and stifle the rumors of atrocities the Germans in Kiev released some of their prisoners of War foreign on July the 16th as a result of the seemingly astonishing success of Barbarossa Hitler was eagerly telling field Marshal Keitel and others in the Nazi leadership of his plans to starve to death the urban Russian population and captured Red Army soldiers as there had been little protest against the execution of Jews in the first days of the invasion the program would be expanded so that not only the Jewish population but also anyone who objected to the plans of the new regime would face the executioners resettlement of Germans into the new territories would not be long in coming none of this was known to the Vermont soldiers or the ukrainians who welcomed them as liberators Hitler felt his invincibility grow it was a heady moment for the Third Reich and a period of intense anxiety for the rest of the world [Music] Stalin was reaping the disaster he himself had caused through his pact with Germany he had isolated Russia and enabled the wehrmacht to sweep through the rest of Europe he had decimated the number of officers in the Red Army in his previous purges Marshall gayogy zhukov probably the most outstanding of his commanders had been replaced when he had warned that the Germans were pushing to encircle Ukrainian armies now Stalin needed extreme Terror helped by the atrocities of Nazi Annihilation tactics to keep his men fighting with heavy losses for the Russians the fighting surged onwards in the South and culminated in the fall of the city of rostov at the mouth of the Don River on November the 21st to Hitler the maps told of Glorious success as he proudly showed Mussolini the results of his warped ideologies in the Ukraine he should have taken time to talk to his troops had he ever listened the fighting troops could have told him a very different story thank you Hitler had originally blunted the attack in the north by using the 16th Army to assist Army group Center in operation typhoon the attack on Moscow there were no substantial reinforcements to make up for losses now Hitler reversed his earlier decision and units from army group Center were sent North to help in the push to Leningrad this seesaw effect only served to weaken each of the thrusts at vital points in their advances still Hitler's optimism appeared Justified as the wehrmacht advanced on all fronts Leningrad he ordered to be besieged as he did not wish to lose men in street fighting despite the Autumn mud the Vermont fought its way to within 40 miles of Moscow on October the 3rd 1941 Hitler declared that the enemy in the East had been struck down never to rise again by November after five months of fighting Hitler had lost nearly one quarter of his army General Edward Wagner quartermaster General reported that the Vermont was at the end of its resources and about to be confronted with the dangers of deep winter [Music] as in the center and Southern sections it was obvious that the German Army in the north despite their spectacular advances had not achieved any of their objectives Leningrad was a city in agony oil and coal supplies had been exhausted by the end of September and without warmth as winter set in the water pipes froze and burst drinking water was almost non-existent those who died could not be buried in the frozen ground rations were reduced to one-third of the total required by a normal adult and cats dogs and birds were killed to provide food for the slowly starving population Even Rats were caught and eaten and stories of cannibalism were not unknown as November passed into December the number of deaths Rose dramatically eleven thousand died in November in December it was 53 000. [Music] when the Soviets launched a counter-offensive at army group Center in December hopner commanding the fourth Panzer group fell victim to Hitler's overblown self-belief in his own abilities as did General bralhich whose command Hitler took over accusing him of being a vain cowardly wretch and nincompoop 35 generals fell under Hitler's ax one sentenced to death for withdrawing franzhalder became commander-in-chief Hitler's message was clear to all those who did not stand fast as he ordered from now on Hitler always suspicious of his generals dominated the wehrmacht in the south then he plans to hold their positions for the winter in their weakened state were shattered a Red Army counter-attack struck the Germans the first of many heavy blows that rolled them back and Von runstadt asked for permission to withdraw his troops Hitler's refusal was irrelevant as the Germans were soon forced to evacuate rostov when the Russians hurled troops at the astonished their mutt soldiers it was the first vicious warning that the Vermont was not invincible and fatally was ignored by Hitler now asked for permission to set up a front line for the winter some 80 miles behind rostov Hitler removed him from his command replacing him with Von Bach The Retreat had to be carried out anyway to 40 miles west of rostov the first of many retreats in the south Von Bach mistakenly thought that Army group South was now safe until the next year [Music] the limit of the advance for 1941 had been reached exhausted and overstretched the there Mart could go no further but the fewer's arrogance and contempt for the Russian people made him ignore the dangers Hitler who thought himself to be a supreme strategist and Commander had left his men without winter uniforms the front line stalled Hitler's infallibility was shown for what it was a worthless facade the soldiers began to realize that their lives meant nothing to the fuhrer that truth was to be made even more brutally clear as Hitler pursued his fantasies no matter how many lives were lost [Music] [Music] Hitler's Moscow dream was shattered on the 5th of December the Red Army counter-attacked under zhukov's command the onslaught smashed into the German lines and there was no option but to retreat [Music] the fighting was remorseless and without sufficient transport artillery guns and Equipment had to be left behind faced with the prospect of a retreat that would equal Napoleon's disastrous withdrawal Hitler took command on the 19th of December following the resignation of commander-in-chief General von brachich he issued the order that the retreat should be halted Von Kluger became the new commander-in-chief of army group Center but could not save the situation the Red Army battered against the German lines and steadily pushed the Vermont back it was thanks to Stalin's over-ambitious attempt to roll back the entire Russian front that Army group Center survived into January foreign [Music] Germans were killed or captured in the first month of the Russian counter-attack The Dread of captivity kept the soldiers fighting hard as they knew that prisoners were hardly ever taken by the Russians and those that were captured were treated appallingly the situation was desperate the men of army Group North besieging Leningrad had to endure the worst of the Russian Winters which were far more ferocious in their sector than elsewhere Hitler refused to believe the worst refused to believe that his plans had failed and his whole concept for laban's realm indeed his entire Reich was crumbling in December Hitler made another catastrophic decision born of his distorted sense of invincibility which persisted despite frequent signs of his instability and problematic decision-making a German Japanese pact had been signed in 1936 and then revived and celebrated on November 25 1941. on the 14th of December Japan attacked and bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in an act of arrogant foolishness Hitler declared war on the United States [Music] Hitler's hatred for the Jews had led to the concentration camps being built as far back as 1933. since then they had been erected all over Poland and Germany in Auschwitz and bernbelsen Dachau and buhenwald the manifestation of Hitler's distorted thinking his contempt for human life could be seen for the unbridled evil that it was the inhumanity defied description even Nazis were silenced when confronted with the vile reality [Music] [Music] in Russia as the Victorious vermouth conquered more and more land the gestapo and SS as Hitler's executioners shot and mistreated countless numbers of soldiers and civilians [Music] Army group South had now crossed the Don River and by the middle of August had reached krasnada getting as far as the first oil fields near mycop in November the oil field at Baku and Gosney were just a few hundred miles away the Panthers would never reach them Not Having learned the lessons of the year before blinded by arrogance and ignorance Hitler allowed the German lines to become overstretched once more each assault was carried out with smaller and smaller units the result was inevitable a 2 000 mile Advance was about to collapse although the Red Army was fighting for survival the Germans had reached the limits of their ability to wage war from September 1942 Russian plans were drawn up for an offensive against the troops attacking Stalingrad which was ripe for a pincer movement that would entrap the Germans fighting there the design for the attack was largely zhukovs [Music] aware of the dangers Chief of Staff seitzler flew to meet Hitler and ask for a withdrawal even before he knew of the Russian offensive prophesying a disaster unless something was urgently undertaken Hitler scathingly refused as far as he was concerned this was just another local difficulty that would be overcome [Music] he thought the Russians had no reserves left the die was cast [Music] in October the Germans made another attempt on the city advancing towards the vulgar artillery pounded the town and the luftwaffe bombed without cease still the numbers of Russians did not decrease Stalingrad disintegrated into Rubble under smoke and Flames the Russian reinforcement soon reached three quarters of a million troops [Music] on November the 10th Von paulus asked Hitler for permission to withdraw it was refused on November the 19th the Russian counter-attack began [Music] a thunderous artillery bombardment was followed by the Infantry charging in The Vicious fire and fighting resulted in the German lines being penetrated just hours after the attack had begun [Applause] foreign [Applause] by the end of 1942 Hitler was faced with the collapse of everything that he lived for as wommel was being pushed back in North Africa and the vermouth was pushed back in Russia the first bomber stream with 1 000 bombers had appeared in the Skies over Germany the U-boats were still unable to cut the Atlantic Lifeline to Britain Hitler felt that a curse had been put on him but his worst fears were about to be overwhelmed by what was the turning point of the war Stalingrad [Music] after months of the most brutal fighting even this brutal War had produced Field Marshal Friedrich Von paulus against Hitler's wishes surrendered on the 2nd of February 1943. the once Mighty sixth Army was lost of 250 000 men in the Stalingrad pocket ninety thousand went into captivity Hitler had urged them to fight like Heroes his next worry was how to eradicate the shame of defeat paolus had been made of field Marshall and expected to commit suicide for the glory of the Reich no other German field Marshal had ever surrendered paulus had defied the fuhrer and Hitler was powerless to change the situation or exact Revenge after Stalingrad Hitler saw his dream crumble almost day by day as the losses amongst the Vermont increased and the Russians began to offer more effective resistance in North Africa field Marshall Ervin Rommel was losing the battle against Montgomery the Americans through Operation Torch were also in North Africa and the Allies had landed in Sicily and pushed their way on up through the Italian mainland everyone but Hitler could see that the war was being lost despite the extraordinary fighting ability of the vermouth soldiers the year had shaken Hitler's picture of himself gone was the strutting Warlord his whole character had rapidly begun to decline he was not often seen in public but his face and eyes betrayed his inner turmoil when he did a few occasions he left his Retreat were to attend the funerals of Germany's fallen heroes death he said was just a brief moment and then came freedom from everything when at his headquarters he was withdrawn more often alone he seemed bitter and the drugs he took were affecting his ability to think clearly when in company he Unleashed on his listeners long lectures on dog training and the evil in the world Pennington Von tresco decided that the time had come to end Hitler's rule a british-made bomb disguised as a quantrol bottle was taken onto Hitler's plane as he left for Smolensk in Russia to visit the front on March 13 1943. the bomb failed to go off Hitler also escaped another attempt one week later by a friend of tresco's whose Pockets were filled with bombs that could not be detonated when Hitler left early Hitler had decided to retire to Lintz in Austria where building work on his residence continued throughout the war his burial place would be in the bell tower of a huge complex which would include a museum [Music] throughout the winter and late spring of 1944 the Russians moved further and further west in May 80 000 German prisoners were taken from the Crimea Hitler aggravated the already insurmountable problems with his senseless orders to Stand Fast ignoring the Mobile Defense suggested by his generals such orders effectively led to death sentences for his forces each time he issued them even as the Allied invasion force of 155 000 men was crossing the channel in June 1944 no one could be certain that the iron grip the Nazi regime held over the wehrmacht coupled with the fighting Spirit of the German soldiers could be overcome Eisenhower in charge of European operations had prepared two speeches one to announce success and one to admit to failure believing that an attack would come from Dover and strike in the padukalay the Germans were caught off guard and the sea was rough when Eisenhower gave the green light romul was in charge of the defenses in the west that had gone home to celebrate his wife's birthday foreign once the Allies had gained a foothold and begun to fight their way Inland in northern France Hitler no longer stood any chance of keeping the war away from Germany his clouded mind could not accept the reality that his staff officers were describing to him and he obstinately refused to believe them failure was not acceptable his generals became increasingly alarmed at the irrational decisions he would make changing his mind and then unsure as to whether he had made the right decision [Music] thank you on June 22nd 1944 operation migration a gigantic Russian offensive broke over the entire Eastern front and led to the disintegration of army group Center in just two weeks neither Hitler's ordered to stand firm nor the appointment of General modal as commander of army group Center could change the inevitability of the situation both men seem to have lost contact with the rapidly changing events in the field on June the 23rd a lightning Russian offensive was underway and had soon surrounded Army group Center suffering 450 000 casualties the group was effectively wiped out with the front line torn apart the two remaining Army groups had to retreat as fast as they could in order to prevent capture or destruction [Music] foreign [Music] Hitler the Corporal had never been a favorite of the Prussian military Elite although most had followed him in his loathing of the Versailles treaty they had planned overthrow attempts since 1938 but Hitler's success and continued British hesitation made them delay their plans now with German towns being decimated they wanted to avert a Russian invasion and put in place a government with which the Western Powers would be prepared to negotiate a peace settlement they decided that they had to act again to kill Hitler and the Gestapo was working its way closer to the conspirators time was short [Music] General Friedrich Albrecht of German High command recruited Colonel Klaus Graf Shenk Von schdelfenberg to carry out the assassination he had been made Chief of Staff to General Friedrich Fromm also part of the conspiracy which gave stauffenberg the opportunity to attend the military conferences with Hitler on the 11th of July he hid a bomb with a timer in his briefcase and flew to meet Hitler at his headquarters in rustenburg East Prussia he decided to abort the attempt when he found that Himmler who was to be killed at the same time as was Hermann Gering was not present on the 15th he was again at rustenburg and was forced a second time to abort the mission when Hitler left the room on July 20 1944 at 12 30 another fewer conference began and this time fonstaufenberg primed the bomb he left the room shortly before the explosion at 12 40. Hitler's trousers were blown off but the bomb had been moved by Heinz brunt before it exploded and placed beside a heavy Table leg Hitler survived his luck was still a factor in his grip on power three officers and a secretary were badly injured and died later as did brunt who lost his leg in the blast the arrest of the conspirators and many thousands of others began immediately Hitler visited the military hospital where those who had been injured were treated his Escape made him believe the war would be won after all it was he said a Divine moment in history he demanded that all the conspirators be hanged like cattle many took their own lives others were hanged Fromm had executed stauffenberg and Albrecht on the night of the 20th in the courtyard of the bendler block building where the conspiracy had been planned it was an attempt to deflect suspicion from himself but Fromm was arrested a day later and sentenced to death for inaction Hitler had wanted the conspirators alive Hitler personally agreed that Fromm could be shocked as it was more honorable [Music] General guderian was made Army Chief of Staff following the assassination attempt in his elevated position he could vent his anger at those such as fonkluger who had barricaded his way in the past or push National Socialist ideology more vehemently onto his officers but he was unable to change the outcome on the Eastern Front the Russians surged forward as Unstoppable as once the Germans had been before long they were on the borders of Eastern Prussia on the way to Berlin Ervin Rommel Hitler's favorite General was implicated in the plot to kill Hitler Rommel had first been approached in early 1944 and in February agreed to support the conspiracy in order as he said to come to the rescue of Germany but he wanted Hitler arrested and put on trial not assassinated Hitler had ordered Rommel to deport all Jews in France Rommel disobeyed the order and even wrote letters of protest at the treatment Jews were receiving perhaps his status as one of Hitler's favorite generals helped him he also disobeyed Hitler's Commando order of 1942 whereby all Allied Commandos were to be immediately executed in future Hitler wrote all Terror and sabotage troops of the British and their accomplices who do not act like soldiers but rather like Bandits will be treated as such by the German troops and will be ruthlessly eliminated in battle wherever they appear Rommel was implicated by Caesar Von hofaka under gestapo torture and also by other conspirators and Hitler afraid of the consequences of such a high-ranking and popular officer being tried gave him a choice The People's Court and almost certain conviction and death or suicide and his family spared [Music] Rommel said goodbye to his family and took cyanide Hitler in keeping with his fear of being discovered to be the creature that he was made sure that a burial with Nazi pomp was given to the field Marshal Rommel had not wanted any of the Nazi paraphernalia on his coffin but Hitler was not about to let a chance for Nazi glorification of death to pass unnoticed he ordered a day of mourning and sent field Marshal Von unstead as his representative to the funeral and now as the Allies Advanced onto the French Capital he ordered that Paris be left in rubble after the German Retreat the city he demanded must not fall into the enemy's hand except lying in complete debris the order was ignored by the military governor general Dietrich Von coltitz in August 1944 the free French were allowed to enter a city hardly touched by War [Music] on the 20th of September 1944 Hitler who no longer had control of himself let alone his armies gave command of the remnant of army groups South in Russia to General freisner an academic move for the end result despite the bitter resistance of the Vermont soldiers now fighting to avoid the destruction of their Homeland was as sure as it could be in a last desperate attempt to salvage his Nazi Hitler ordered his last full-scale offensive against the allies for anyone aware of the situation on the ground the attack was destined to be a waste of German lives for no gain it was to take place in the Arden where the great German breakthrough had taken place in 1940. foreign on the 16th of December 1944. Hitler had left Berlin for his headquarters in southern Germany he thought that if the Western border was protected he could then also protect his eastern border and have time to develop more sophisticated weapons and that the British and Americans would ask for peace terms independent of the Soviets the conflict became known as the Battle of the Bulge the Americans were unprepared for the attack despite warnings that an offensive was imminent and it took the Allies until the 25th of January 1945 to stabilize and halt the attack by that time Hitler's SS had committed two massacres of U.S soldiers now even Hitler realized that his luck had run out his famous risk-taking no longer brought results and on January the 7th 1945 with a bear marked abandoning their armor through lack of fuel he ordered all forces in the Arden to withdraw by April 1945 the Russians were outside Berlin and the Allies on German soil in the West Hitler was running the war from his bunker beneath the right chancellery in Berlin and his advisers urged him to leave but as the war closed down on the capital he was only a shadow of the man who had come to power his left hand trembled and he was lost in fantasies as he urged his generals to move non-existent armies to the front to win a victory that was impossible to attain [Music] ordered a scorched Earth policy filled with scorn and contempt for a German nation that he said had forfeited its right to survive arms Minister Albert Speer was given the task of implementing this policy he disobeyed the fuhrer [Music] the Russians law Yer final offensive against Berlin on April 16 1945. as Russian shells reached the center of Berlin on April the 20th Hitler celebrated his 56th birthday Hitler refused to give up there was nothing left for him to lose he seldom left the bunker except as here to encourage the young boys of the Hitler Youth to fight on the state of his mind was only too plain if we can't win he said we shall drag half the world into the abyss in Berlin the SS kept the old men and teenagers fighting against the overwhelming might of the Russians as once beautiful Berlin was blown to Rubble when Hitler was told it had not been possible to launch an offensive that he had ordered to be carried out by vaffan SS General Steiner to attack the flanks of the first belarussian front he flew into a rage at the incompetence and treachery of his Commanders in an attempt to save the situation Himmler tried to agree or Surrender directly with the Allies sending Hitler into a rage whilst Gering in bechter's Garden suggested that as deputy and successor to the fuhrer he should take over the running of the country as Hitler was isolated in Berlin Martin Borman denounced the treachery of the two men mindful of his own ambitions furious Hitler called them traitors sacked them expelled them from the Nazi party and had Gering arrested Eva Brown was with Hitler in the bunker in these last weeks they had known each other since 1929 and she had been a member of the household in his Mountain retreat at beta's Garden in the Alps from 1936. fearful of losing the support of his female admirers Ava's relationship with him had remained a secret to the world against Hitler's orders she traveled to the bunker in Berlin in early April his appearance shocked her he was no longer The Arrogant dictator who had strutted in Czechoslovakia and conquered Paris he was bowed and had aged but she refused to leave him in the last hours as the Russians closed in on the bunker she was as he rightly said one of the few people that had remained loyal now on the 29th of April 1945 when the dreams and fantasies were crushed in the rubble of the German capital Hitler knew the cruel game he had been playing was over he married his longtime companion I feel myself betrayed and deceived by those in whom I placed my trust wrote Hitler on April 29th Hitler dictated his will to Martin Borman and in an act that indicated how close the two men had become and how divorced from reality Hitler was named him as next leader of the Nazi party [Music] Hitler's brinkmanship had taken Germany and its people over the edge and Into the Depths now he had only one wish the nation had proved itself Unworthy of the task he had set for it the country and the people were therefore worthless to him his only desire was that Germany and the remaining Jews should be destroyed with him Germany was to be totally obliterated so that not one house was left standing for the Allies to conquer his generals finally and too late disobeyed the fuhrer for the first time anyone could recall Hitler kissed Ava on the mouth just before they went to his rooms on the 30th of April 1945 Ava Brown 33 years old bit on a cyanide capsule it is probable that Hitler then shot her in the head historians assumed that he too took Cyanide and then shot himself in the temple the bodies were taken outside and burned in the rice chancellery Garden [Music] [Music] the Russians found the bodies when they arrived together with the corpse of Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda and their six children themselves the victims of Hitler's contempt for human life they had been poisoned by their parents Hitler showed no understanding that he had ever been wrong in his eyes defeat was due to betrayal by the officers of the weirnacht [Music] for him the Jewish race was at the end as at the beginning responsible for all that was wrong with the world the war ended in Europe and Hitler's Thousand-Year Reich with its concentration camps and dreams of a master race ended with it in the East the Japanese were still fighting for victory for their own version of the master race until Harry S Truman the new American president ordered the atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki the nightmare shadow of a world ruled by an unstable megalomaniac had passed [Music] Hitler's cohorts the men he had been close to and who had shared his vision of the future were tried at Nuremberg and many were executed Martin borman's remains were found many years later in the earth in Berlin Himmler committed suicide as didgering during his trial he had said to the psychiatrist Leon Golden's own to me there are two Hitlers one who existed until the end of the war in France the other begins with the campaign in Russia in the beginning he was genial and pleasant he would have extraordinary willpower and unheard of influence on people the important thing to remember is that the first Hitler the man who I knew until the end of the French War had much charm and good will he was always Frank the second Hitler who existed from the beginning of the Russian campaign until his suicide was always suspicious easily upset and tense distrustful to an extreme degree Hitler had the willpower of a demon if he hadn't he would never have achieved anything Adolf Hitler had caused the agonizing death and injury of Untold Millions the wholesale destruction of European cities and countries with Once beautiful German cities such as Berlin Hamburg and Dresden left blackened ruins [Music] finally unwilling to account for the evil of his actions he escaped into death leaving behind a scarred and traumatized world [Music]

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Views: 2,808,351

Keywords: Timeline World History, Timeline, Full Length Documentary, History Documentary, World History, learn history, history facts, ww2, germany ww2, adolf hitler, hitler's childhood, early life of hitler, hitler biography, nazi germany, america ww2, britian ww2, france ww2, blitzkrieg

Id: pLFjw0zKcgQ

Length: 175min 52sec (10552 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 18 2023