1933. The Nazis are in power. Now they want to turn
their twisted ideologies into reality. And spin master Joseph Goebbels
turns on the Jews. Goebbels's developed a pathological,
deeply felt hatred of the Jews. But his most dangerous enemies... THE TUNNEL TRAGEDY
OF MÖGELDORF ...are within the inner circle. Among them is Hermann Göring. Göring had the ability to bug
telephone calls, and he used his powers to devious effect. And Heinrich Himmler,
who wants antisemitism by stealth. If things were done, it's much better
if they were done away from public view. As they jostle for power, these three men will push Germany
towards its darkest hour. This is the inside story
of Hitler's henchmen, the jealousy, power struggles
and fawning sycophants that would create a monster and fuel the
most brutal horrors of the Third Reich. [cheering] [archive] Heil! Heil! By 1933, the Nazi Party
has risen from obscurity... ...to become the most popular
political party in Germany and its leader, Hitler, is now Chancellor. Finally, he is able to drive forward
his ambitions for Nazi Germany. But behind the façade
of a united party leadership, Hitler's inner circle of closest advisors
will soon begin to fracture. Hitler's loyal aide Hess
is made deputy Führer. But his influence will be quickly
outstripped by the others. The bureaucrat, Heinrich Himmler,
has already risen to head of the SS. He now begins his takeover
of the German police. And war hero Hermann Göring gains
charge of the largest state in Germany. This will put him in direct conflict... ...with the Nazis' ruthless spin master,
Joseph Goebbels. And it is Goebbels who will take
the initiative first. Goebbels has been instrumental
in getting the Nazis to power. His propaganda machine
has legitimised the party and won over the German public
by promising peace an end to poverty. Germany is in the depths
of the Great Depression, and fixing the economy, he said,
would be their number one priority. The Nazi slogan was Brot und Arbeit,
bread and work. Basic things that the Germans
had grown accustomed not to having, they promised to restore. But the economy may just be
a smokescreen. Once in power, they focus
on a long-standing obsession. Goebbels is invited by Hitler
to discuss the item top of their agenda. The Jews. He had built the party
on rabid antisemitism. "Our problems,
they're always Jewish in origin. This is a great plot
to take over the world, and we Germans are suffering from that. It's an international movement
but we in Germany, because of our grim conditions
post-war, we are the victims. So our way forward
is to get rid of the Jew." Goebbels has come to detest the Jews
possibly even more than Hitler does. Goebbels developed a virulent,
pathological, deeply felt hatred of the Jews and came to identify the Jews as the source
of all of Germany's problems. They both want to send a clear message
that the Jews are the enemy of Germany. The plan, to stage a nationwide boycott
of Jewish businesses. A grand gesture. Goebbels is tasked with uniting
the public behind the campaign. While Goebbels throws himself
into the task, not everybody is on board. Hermann Göring is keeping
a conspicuous distance. Unlike most of the inner circle,
he isn't passionate about antisemitism. Göring had grown up with
a Jewish godfather, Hermann Epenstein. He was a rich aristocrat who owned
a castle in Salzburg, Austria. Göring very much enjoyed growing up with this luxurious lifestyle
of aristocracy and was very fond of Epenstein. Göring was more
this kind of old conservative elite, and not this new believer that the Jews
as such is a danger for the German people. I wouldn't say that Göring
was not antisemitic, he was definitely, but his interpretation of that
was more pragmatic. While Göring keeps his distance, this gives his rival the perfect
opportunity to grow closer to the Führer. He aims to get the German public behind their planned boycott
of Jewish businesses. Goebbels has complete control
of the propaganda against the Jews. It's Goebbels who writes all these
incredibly vitriolic antisemitic articles in the press that will further propagate
the idea that Jews are in Nazi eyes, evil. His preparations for the Jewish boycott
are now complete. As the day arrives,
the SA stormtroopers... ONLY BUY FROM GERMANS! ...take menacing positions
outside Jewish shops. DON'T BUY FROM JEWS! Placards are erected
while others scrawl... GERMANS! DEFEND YOURSELVES! ...antisemitic graffiti
on the walls and windows. JEW Their job: to make it clear
Germans should obey the boycott. GERMANS! DEFEND YOURSELVES! Signs were appearing
all over Jewish businesses saying, "Don't buy from the Jews, the Jews are
our misfortune, go back to Palestine." This was absolutely virulent
state-sponsored antisemitism in the absolute raw. But for Goebbels,
it's not the success he hoped. Göring isn't the only person ambivalent
towards the boycott. JEW Many Germans don't support it. DON'T BUY FROM JEWS!
BUY IN GERMAN SHOPS! DEFEND YOURSELVES! When the SA stood outside the shops,
some were deterred physically, others went through and said no,
I have an order I've come to pick up. GERMANS! DEFEND YOURSELVES! And the SA weren't entirely clear as to whether
they could physically block people. So if you had enough nerve
and you were unhappy anyway with the idea of the SA doing this,
you would go through. DRESSES
COATS [Richard] There were many Germans
who carried on in defiance of the SA men
standing on the door. This was a moment when Germany
had not yet moved to becoming a full terror state and people
could get away with this, just about. [Michael] What they wanted to prove
was a massive support for the boycott and they didn't get it.
I mean, I would call it a flop. [Toby] This was
a great disappointment to Goebbels, so he had to swallow his outrage,
in a way, and accept that they were thwarted
on that front for the time being. Nonetheless, as propaganda minister, Goebbels can spin the failure
as a success. He issues public statements
celebrating the boycott FACTORY CELL TELEFUNKEN and he threatens that others
could happen at any time. But it's a bluff. While the party faithful are
in full support of his antisemitism, he realises he needs to convince
all of the German people. To do that,
he must first gain their confidence. Open antisemitism is,
for now, pulled back. He'll need to play the long game. Goebbels and other antisemites in the
Party had to really start thinking again about how did you get
the German people on board. It had to be done drip by drip. [cheering] To change the will of the people, Goebbels needs more powerful tools
of propaganda. He sets his sights on nationalising
all of German media under his control. Newspapers, the newly evolving
movie business, and radio. It will not only help him brainwash
the German population, he will also create
his own personal media kingdom. [archive, ranted German speech] He wants his propaganda
inside every living room in Germany and broadcast in the streets. His first step is to seize control
of all the stations nationwide. But there's a problem. Hermann Göring. In 1933, we see two members
of the inner circle start getting
into a bit of internecine warfare. GERMANY IS FREE! These two are Goebbels and Göring. GERMANY IS FREE! Each state in Germany
controlled their own radio stations, but now Goebbels
takes charge of all of them. Except for one. The state of Prussia. By far the largest, this is the state that Göring has direct control of
as Prussian Interior Minister. Göring wants to have his own empire. And his empire, of course...
the centre of his empire is Prussia. Goebbels passionately argues his case
to have control over Prussian media. Goebbels is really keen to de-federalise
all these little German states and bring them all together
into one unified German reich. But Göring confidently
stands his ground. Göring sees this
as a land grab by Goebbels and he tries to counter it, and Goebbels writes in his diary
that he's absolutely livid with Göring, and this is just another example of these
two men fighting each other all the time. Goebbels considers taking the matter
straight to Hitler, but realises that with Göring,
it's wise to bide his time. For now, Göring gets his way. Unlike Goebbels, who wants Jewish policy
at the forefront of public consciousness, others, like Heinrich Himmler,
are keen to do the opposite. He favours discretion and deceit. Following street brawls in Munich, hundreds of Communists and Jews
have been arrested as agitators. But Himmler calls a press conference
to defend these actions. He claims that they are being kept
in prison for their own protection. He stresses that the Jews in his custody
are suffering no prejudice. Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS,
says the Jews are citizens, German citizens
like any other German citizen. This is a strange thing for Himmler
to say, given he's been antisemitic
since the 1920s. I think he's really at this point
anxious to make sure that, you know, antisemitic policy
is not highlighted too much, not publicised too widely
because they're not quite sure yet what the German public
is going to think about this. While Himmler presents
a public appearance of law and order, behind the scenes,
the reality is far different. A concentration camp is established specifically to detain enemies
of the Nazi state, near Munich, in Dachau. The majority
are left-wing political opponents, along with some Jewish activists. Within days, the Nazis indulge in an orgy
of violence against the prisoners, resulting in four Jewish deaths. Many more will follow. When the Dachau concentration camp
first opens, conditions really are not good. Here are people who are regarded
as enemies of Germany, people who have undermined
Germany for 15 years prisoners are abused, they're strung up
with their hands behind their back, they're whipped,
and some people die in the camp. Himmler knows many of the German
public may disapprove of this brutality, so issues orders
to cover up the scale of the violence. [Thomas] The violence that happened,
the torture that happened, the executions that happened
in these camps were totally edited out. He recognises the importance
of keeping his actions under the radar, hiding the true horrors. Something he will do
with increasing success. In the face of his two rivals,
Goebbels wants to take his campaign against the Jews to a wider audience. He steps up efforts to persuade Hitler that he needs control
of the entire radio network. And he starts a sustained attack on the
one man who stands in his way, Göring. Goebbels dislikes Göring's lifestyle. He dislikes the flamboyance,
he dislikes the opulence and so on. [Guy] He becomes this somewhat
ridiculous, comic and flamboyant figure with his ever-enlarging chest
filling up with ever-more medals on ever-more
opulent and ridiculous uniforms. This lavish lifestyle of Göring made him
an easy target for Goebbels to attack. Goebbels steadily poisons Hitler
against the Reichsmarschall. Goebbels tried to find ways
of persuading Hitler that the flamboyance, the lifestyle and so
on was not properly National Socialist, certainly not socialist. But Goebbels has to be careful
to not be too obvious. [Michael] Because of the nature
of Hitler's style of government, any attack upon a colleague or an opponent within the party
or government had to be oblique. The technique of relevant omission is key. You won't mention a person by name
but you'll say, "Many in the party, mein Führer,
and in the government are unhappy with the ostentation that's developing. We're losing sight of the true purposes
and principles." And Goebbels plays Hitler perfectly. When Hitler makes a speech to the Party
attacking grandiosity... ...there seems little doubt
that this is a thinly veiled attack on his Reichsmarschall. Goebbels is absolutely delighted that Hitler attacks ostentation
because he sees this as against Göring. And so, in his diary that night,
Goebbels gleefully writes that Hitler has mentally given up
already on Göring, that he's now a nobody and, you know,
he's just a standing joke. You know, Goebbels is absolutely thrilled. And Goebbels scores two victories, as Hitler also commands Göring
to hand over his Prussian radio. Goebbels has outmanoeuvred
an important rival, and now has full control
of the German airwaves. But Göring
is a very dangerous man to cross. [Guy] As Commander-in-Chief
of the Prussian Police, Göring is able
to kind of change this organisation into something called
the Secret State Police, the Gestapo. And this, of course, becomes this very
powerful intelligence-gathering network which tries to gather information
on anybody and everybody, even including
members of Hitler's inner circle. The Gestapo turn on Goebbels, watching his every move,
waiting for him to slip up. Blissfully unaware
he's being spied upon, Goebbels presses forward
with his propaganda ambitions. With radio now under his total control, he wants to ensure
that everyone will tune in. Goebbels wanted everybody
to have a radio set, every family, every tenement at least, to have a radio
set which they could tune into. One of the ways that Goebbels hopes
to unite Germans together is that they will all share
a set of programmes each day, and in between there'll be drip, drip,
drip of those little bits of propaganda. [Guy] So, what does Goebbels do? First, he updates all the transmission
hardware so he can now transmit
to the maximum number of households. Second, he starts ordering radios
to be mass-produced and in the first year of this alone,
a million new sets are being produced. Of course, the German consumer
is delighted because he or she thinks this is
an example of a booming economy. We've got this, you know,
this new consumer good. But that's actually Goebbels
putting himself into people's homes. And just to make sure
that people are tuning in, he also puts radio wardens
in most neighbourhoods who can go around to make sure that you are dutifully listening
to the party broadcasts. DAILY EVENING PAPER Next, Goebbels' targets the printed press. SILVER MIRROR He passes the so-called Editors' Law. This officially shifts editorial powers
away from the owners of newspapers and hands it to the state. THE TUNNEL TRAGEDY
OF MÖGELDORF [Toby] He would gather together editors
and correspondents of all the leading newspapers, and he would give them effectively a summary of the line they were expected
to take on all major issues. Goebbels now has
all the propaganda tools in place to spin the Nazis' achievements and ideology
to all of Germany. The Nazis have risen to power,
promising a strong, successful Germany. So Goebbels tells the nation
what they want to hear. ATTENTION, A STRIKE IS TAKING PLACE
LOCKOUT Goebbels showcases
Nazi job-creation schemes, including a huge construction programme,
building new motorways. And he ensures the cameras capture
the Führer leading from the front. The message is loud and clear: together the people and the Nazis
are building a new and better Germany. The young men who were unemployed
and listless and rootless, let them be the pioneers
who build the motorways, build the autobahn,
so they will be contributing something very positive and valuable
to the growth of Germany as well as earning good money
for themselves. [Thomas] Where they really succeeded was in creating the promise
of better times in the future. They managed to create the promise
that people who have been full of gloom would get a job,
that they will be able to go on holidays. They will lead a life better than anyone
ever has in their lives. The Nazis cement the spirit of unity
by launching the Volksgemeinschaft, the People's Community, a social-
engineering project of epic proportions. It's a utopian kind of vision. It's a vision that we'll put aside class
differences and we'll join together in this wonderful classless society
called the Volkgemeinschaft, or the national community. For Goebbels, this ideal of a united,
harmonious community, where individuals served a greater good,
this became a kind of guiding star. They are building an image
of a united community, enjoying rising employment
with a strong, proud notion of Germanhood. Bit by bit, they are laying
the foundations for their vision
of a Germanic master race. The first time, I think, in history, there had been such an attempt
to create a racial state and the Volk is a central concept
in that. But Goebbels' carefully crafted image
of a Germanic utopia is built on shaky ground, because despite the propaganda, everyone knows
that the economy is not going well. The Nazis' economic miracle
isn't working. Although unemployment is down,
wages are low. Spies are sent out into the community
to report back on public opinion and the mood is worrying. The euphoric support
is beginning to subside. It is time for Goebbels
to reintroduce his go-to scapegoats. The failing economy isn't the fault
of the Volksgemeinschaft, it's the fault of outsiders. The idea of the Volk means a sense
of identity, a sense of community. Now, if you're not part of that community,
you must be opposed to it, you can't be half and half, and your racial ethnic background
marks you as one or the other. Now Goebbels can drive a wedge
between the hard-working German Volk and the poisonous outsiders,
in other words, the Jews. It's a masterstroke of mass psychology. The attack upon the Jews, the scapegoat
notion, the identifiable enemy within, does distract
from the internal economic problems. They are to blame for the crisis
in the first place. Goebbels' propaganda stokes a wave
of street violence against the Jews. But behind the scenes,
it's met with surprising opposition. Including Adolf Hitler himself. The mob attacks are causing public unease
and damaging the economy. Support for the Party is at risk. So reluctantly, Hitler orders
a clampdown on the violence. But Goebbels is determined
to keep pushing his agenda. And he soon sees the prime opportunity. The annual Nuremberg Rally,
the biggest feature of the Nazi calendar. A huge propaganda event and a chance to set out
the Nazis' latest policies. Hitler has declared that the rally must
focus on the battle against Communism. But Goebbels thinks now is the time for
a seismic move against the Jewish race. He pushes the issue, in what could be a dangerous play
against the Führer's wishes. And he delivers a blistering attack
on the Jews. It's at the 1935 Nuremberg Rally
where we're reminded what a powerful and vile orator
that Goebbels was because it's there that he starts
really railing against the Jews, and he declares them enemies of the state. Goebbels wanted the Jews
out of German society. He wanted them
out of German cultural life. He wanted them
out of German economic life. He wanted Jewish children
out of German schools. He wanted them all
physically out of Germany. If he's trying to force the Führer's hand,
it could be political suicide. But it soon becomes apparent
that the rally is firmly behind him. [Guy] Largely thanks to Goebbels, the Nazi crowd is now
baying for action against the Jews, and they want action immediately
and they want it now. Goebbels' gamble pays off. Hitler concedes and appeases the crowds by bringing antisemitism
to the top of the agenda. Behind the scenes, the Nazis hurriedly
draft antisemitic legislation they call the Nuremberg Race Laws. The laws strip Jews of their citizenship and outlaw marriage between them
and other Germans. The Jews will now be legally classed
as outsiders. But when it comes
to the definition of a Jew, the legislation opens up a can of worms. [Richard] With the Nuremburg laws,
there was a great deal of confusion really about who actually qualified as a Jew. Of course, there were many people
who were half-Jewish or quarter-Jewish, and how did you deal with these people? [Michael] Even the Jews themselves could
not and cannot give an exact definition of what a Jew is, at what point does
somebody become a Jew, is it grandparental, is it parental,
is it by choice, in religious terms, is it through marriage? There are obvious cases
but there are less obvious cases. So they started a debate. Who is a Jew
and where do we have to draw the line? There is much disagreement, with Goebbels pushing
for the most extreme option. Goebbels was very frustrated with
all this because from his point of view, you know,
Jewish blood was Jewish blood. German blood was German blood. If you had Jewish blood,
you were a Jew, you were Jewish even if you had
a small amount of Jewish blood. But it's feared that actually
the German people aren't gonna go along with persecuting people who are, like,
1/16th Jew, that's not gonna work. Finally, a compromise is reached. It laid down that anybody
with three grandparents who were Jewish
was by definition a Jew, and therefore not entitled
to full citizenship, not entitled to employment rights, not entitled to legal rights,
not entitled to education. It is a major victory for Goebbels and a terrible milestone for the Nazis
on the path to the horrors to come. But in amongst the drama,
there's a noticeable absentee. Göring isn't even invited. He is preoccupied
with the build-up of his air force and Goebbels has taken care
to keep his rival on the sidelines. Göring wasn't involved
in drafting the laws and wasn't really consulted about this. Göring felt a little bit put out. He ought to be consulted
on all big questions. It's another dent in Göring's pride and further spice
to the simmering animosity between the two Nazi heavyweights. Goebbels had secretly lobbied
against Göring's preening flamboyance and he had seized control
of his radio network in Prussia. But Goebbels also has an Achilles heel and Göring decides that now is the time
to put Goebbels in his place... ...by exposing his private life. Goebbels' media empire has now
branched into the film business and as well as promoting his propaganda, it's also allowing him to indulge
in some personal perks. Even though he was married,
Goebbels was not a faithful husband. He was very intelligent,
he was a good conversationalist, and he was, you know,
very attractive to a lot of women. Also, he had a lot of power which,
of course, is a famous aphrodisiac and in control of the media, he's also
in control of the movie business. What do the movie businesses
typically have? A lot of attractive women, so where does
Goebbels find himself quite often? Down in a movie studio. [Frank] He had numerous affairs
with leading actresses and he propositioned many leading
actresses all the way through. And he was very successful in this. It's not long before Göring's spies
find out about these affairs. And Göring has exclusive access to one of the most powerful surveillance
technologies of the time, the wire-tap. [Guy] Göring had the ability
to bug telephone calls, and he did this
to his fellow members of the inner circle. Of course, the one man he particularly
delighted in doing it to was his old enemy Goebbels, and he would cackle with glee when he
read the transcripts of these phone calls between Goebbels
and his latest conquest. Goebbels' closest attachment is with
a beautiful Czech actress, Lida Baarová. He has been besotted with her
since they met in 1936. The glamorous Baarová
plays the roles of sexy temptresses. The irony, of course, is
that German women weren't allowed to play the role of sexy seductress because it was
seen as demeaning German women. So, they just had to get, you know, lesser
people like Czechs to play these roles. Now, that's not gonna stop Goebbels from enjoying the attentions
and the affections of Baarová. Goebbels develops quite an intense affair
with the beautiful Lida Baarová, and photographs show
she was very attractive. One could see why he was drawn to her. Goebbels' torrid affair gives
Göring all the ammunition he needs. He passes his dossier to the Führer. Göring is fundamentally a swine because he passes on
these transcripts to Hitler because he knows that Hitler
has no time for marital infidelity. And Göring knows what these reports
will mean for Goebbels. Hitler was the best man
at Goebbels' wedding and is especially fond of his wife,
Magda. The knowledge of the affair
puts Hitler in a compromising position. But while Magda doesn't know,
Hitler holds his counsel. But it isn't long before Magda hears that her husband has fallen in love
with another woman. The two become distant
and increasingly bitter. [soundtrack only] Their marriage is on the rocks. And when Goebbels' boss is as morally
fastidious as Hitler, that is bad news. Göring has Goebbels exactly where
he wants him, as events come to a head. Magda seeks the advice
of a surprising confidant... ...the last person
Goebbels wants her to talk to. This is Goebbels' umpteenth affair, but Magda now
is just absolutely fed up with it. So, she goes to tell a close friend. And that's Hitler. She goes to Hitler
for marriage-guidance counselling. The news is music to Göring's ears. Magda travels
to the southernmost part of Germany, to Obersalzberg,
Hitler's mountain retreat. Her husband's career
now hangs in the balance. [Guy] Magda and Hitler,
they were incredibly close. Hitler would often go around
to the Goebbels' household and he would spend most of his time
talking to Magda. [Toby] When it came to Hitler's attention that Goebbels was bringing shame and
embarrassment and humiliation to Magda, I think this is what he found
quite intolerable. Hitler summons Goebbels. He gives Goebbels a stark ultimatum,
to sort his marriage out or resign. Goebbels found himself confronted
with a very painful choice: his loyalty to Hitler, his commitment
to his role as Propaganda Minister, to his public role in the Nazi Party
was still very strong. [Guy] Where did Goebbels' loyalties
therefore lie? Do they lie to Lida Baarová,
a beautiful Czech actress, or do they lie to Hitler
and the future of the Nazi vision? He feels he has little choice
but to end his affair with Lida Baarová. And he has even starker news for her. Because she's also tainted
in the ideas of Hitler, there's no way Baarová should be allowed on the screens
of the Third Reich-controlled cinema. Goebbels has no option
but to also end her career. For Baarová, it really is a double whammy, she's lost her boyfriend and her lover
and she's also lost her acting career. Göring has dealt his rival
a devastating blow. From that point on, I think we can say Goebbels is never quite the same
in the Führer's estimation. I mean, he maintains his position but he's
been damaged by the divorce proceedings. Goebbels has gone from hero to outcast
in the blink of an eye. The whole affair left Goebbels
feeling wretchedly cast down. Göring has muted a major rival
in the Party. But nothing stays still for long
in the inner circle. Goebbels' fall is Himmler's opportunity. And although Himmler is more discreet
in his plans, he grabs his chance to carry
the Nazi torch against the Jews. AUSTRIANS Since the 1920s, Hitler has dreamed of reuniting Germany
with his motherland of Austria. And since coming to power,
the Nazis have applied increasing pressure on the Austrian government
not to stand in his way. Finally, in March 1938,
German troops advance into Austria. The country is effortlessly absorbed
into the German Reich. Many Austrians welcome the union but those who oppose it
are swiftly dealt with. Himmler and his SS forces quickly
establish control over the region and he makes his move on the Jews. There are nearly 200,000 of them here. Himmler intends to turn Austria into a testing ground
for antisemitic policies. The Anschluss of Austria gave Himmler a real opportunity to experiment a bit
with Jewish policy. And in the early months of the occupation, the Jews were subjected
to a whole range of unpleasant things. Their properties were taken.
Their businesses were bought out at knocked-down prices and so on. Jews were humiliated. Many Jews were
taken off, seized and taken off to camps. And for Himmler and his henchman,
Reinhard Heydrich, their own brand of fiercely efficient
antisemitism is paying dividends. The centrepiece of Jewish policy
in Austria was really to get rid of the Jews. It wasn't yet to exterminate them,
but to get rid of them. Find ways of getting them
to leave the country, with their wealth,
of course, behind them. And this was very successful. TOBACCO SHOP Within weeks, they drive
vast swathes of Austrian Jews out of the newly expanded German empire. That success cements
Himmler and Heydrich's reputations, while Goebbels, still in disgrace
from the Baarová affair, must stand by and watch them
take the glory. But then, a dramatic incident hands
Goebbels an opportunity to make his mark
on the war against the Jews. A Nazi diplomat called Ernst vom Rath is shot and critically wounded,
the attempted assassin was Jewish. First to react is Himmler. He sees the aggression as the beginning
of an all-out assault by the Jews. He secretly briefs his SS troops
to prepare for a fight. Himmler delivers this really powerful and
violent speech in response to the attack, and he claims it's not just, you know,
diplomats who are under threat by Jews, but the Jews wanna kill all Germans
and not one German is safe at all. Behind closed doors,
Himmler's rousing speech pushes the Nazis' antisemitic agenda
into even more radical territory. And what does he suggest should happen? Himmler's solution is very simple
and it's very violent, and he says, we're gonna drive out the Jews
with increasing ruthlessness, soon there'll be no place
left in the world for Jews. It seems that Himmler will be the man
to lead a discreet war against the Jews. But Goebbels will soon seize back
the initiative. On November 9th, senior Nazis
are gathered for an anniversary dinner, when Hitler receives dramatic news:
vom Rath has died. [Guy] Hitler addresses the crowd
and he's absolutely furious and he's reported to have said, "Hold back the police. The Jews should
feel the anger of the German people." Now, what does this mean? To some,
it means actually what he is saying is this is an authorisation for an attack. It is clearly a green light
for something to happen. It is all the encouragement
Goebbels needs. He saw this as an opportunity for him to not only push forward
the antisemitic agenda but also to raise his own profile
within his rivals. Goebbels declares war on the Jews. But his war won't be waged in private,
by Himmler's SS, but out on the streets,
the German people must engage. He's got a chance to redeem himself
in the eyes of his beloved Hitler, and so he addresses the crowd
and whips them up into a real frenzy, declaring that it's all world Jewry
that's to blame, the Germans must defend themselves. And so therefore he's really trying
to get a bloodlust going. [Toby] Goebbels had been
like a dog straining at the leash. He'd been itching for years
and for months for this opportunity. He wanted a nationwide,
very public manifestation of hostility towards the Jews. Goebbels' call-to-arms
gets a passionate reception. But this unleashing
of open street violence goes against everything Himmler
has been arguing for. Himmler had spent quite a long time
constructing a terror apparatus which was actually
a quiet terror apparatus, operated very ruthlessly
and very efficiently but it wasn't in people's faces
all the time. [Thomas] Himmler really believed
that anti-Jewish policies needed to be done in a systematic,
dispassionate fashion and that street violence
really should not play a major role in it. [Richard] Goebbels didn't believe that.
Goebbels really did want a gesture. He wanted somehow or other
for the German people to demonstrate that they shared
that National Socialist conviction that the Jews were the enemy. Over the next few hours, a flurry of telegrams fly back and forth
between Nazi departments. The momentum is such that Himmler
knows he is powerless to oppose it. Himmler has to play a role because
he's the chief of German police. And the police have to know
what they're supposed to do and they're, of course,
encouraged not to interfere, you know, let the SA and the Hitler Youth
and so on have their way. Nevertheless, Himmler and his deputy,
Reinhard Heydrich, do what they can to limit
the potential damage. Heydrich issues strict instructions both to the Security Police
and the SA stormtroopers. The supposed rules of engagement
are very swiftly drawn up and the idea is that no German property
must be looted or destroyed in any way, and in fact, that, you know,
anything of value seized from the Jews can't just be stolen and looted, it must
be handed into the proper authorities. Any Jewish property shouldn't be
just set alight or burnt or destroyed, it actually should be preserved. Mindful of the potential
for a political disaster, Himmler tries to distance his SS
from the imminent riots. He instructs the SS
not to wear their black uniforms. They should dress as ordinary civilians. Göring is out of town while this unfolds, and with Himmler outmanoeuvred,
Goebbels can unleash hell. The violence he orchestrates
will go down as one of the most shocking and savage
in modern history: Kristallnacht. Less than two hours after news
of vom Rath's death, the riots begin. Somehow the stormtroopers didn't get
these supposed rules of engagement, which was there supposedly
to preserve anything of value, and instead
there was absolute carnage. Houses, property, possessions were
burnt, destroyed in every way possible. [Roger]
Synagogues are burnt to the ground. Jewish properties and shops
are looted and destroyed. [Guy] But it wasn't just
property that was being destroyed, it was people who were being destroyed. People were being beaten to death
with clubs, with axes. It was a real pogrom
and it was sanctioned by the state, there is no doubt about that. Hundreds of synagogues
are burnt to the ground. Houses and businesses are ransacked. Nearly a hundred Jews are murdered. Over 30,000 are dragged off
to concentration camps. For them,
the horrors have only just begun. If Goebbels wanted
a public demonstration of support for the war on the Jews,
then Kristallnacht gave him just that. But it is at a heavy price.
The level of damage is shocking. Göring is livid. Not only was he kept out of the loop, but he is horrified by the looting
and mass destruction of valuable property. Göring was obsessed
with material possessions and so the idea that all these nice things
were being smashed up was complete anathema to him. 7,500 Jewish businesses
had been destroyed. And an enormous amount
of valuable property has been looted. This could be hugely damaging
for the economy. Himmler is also furious
that things got so out of hand. To him, the idea of kind of thuggery
on the streets belonged to the old days
of the Nazi movement and was certainly not something the Nazis
should be doing now they were in power. And he lobbied very hard to sack Goebbels. [Richard] This was a critical moment
for Goebbels. Himmler hoped he could put
enough influence on Hitler to, you know, really say finally enough is enough,
you've gone too far. [Guy] For Goebbels,
Kristallnacht could blow back against him. It's just provided an enormous opportunity for all his rivals to circle around him
like vultures. [soundtrack only] Hitler steps into the furore
and makes his feelings explicitly clear. Ultimately, Hitler takes the side
of Goebbels, and in a very public display of support
for his Propaganda Minister... It seems Goebbels is off the hook. But despite Hitler's support, it is clear that Goebbels' rivals
are going to make him pay. Göring complains that all this damage
needs to be paid for and it'll come somewhere
from Goebbels. Göring wanted Goebbels
to come up with a solution. How are we going to find the money
to repair all the damage and so on? Where's this money
going to come from? But backed into a corner,
Goebbels is at his most brilliant. He offers
a simple and powerful resolution. Goebbels then presents the most
fiendish and unpleasant solution possible. He says, I'll tell you what,
the Jews can pay for it because, ultimately,
they're the ones responsible. In a moment of wicked inspiration,
Goebbels saves his political career. The group agree to levy
a one billion Reichsmark fine on the Jews in order to cover
the costs of the destruction. So they have to pay for the damage
that's inflicted on them by the state, which, of course,
is horrendous for the Jewish people. It's sort of piling
agony upon agony for them. Goebbels has now twice survived what
could have been the end of his career, despite the efforts of his bitter rivals
inside the inner circle. But more important than his survival,
his actions have set a precedent. The public horrors of Kristallnacht have set the tone for ever-increasing
brutality against the Jews. As a Nazi, it is now not enough just
to hate them, you have to destroy them. But they learn to do so more discreetly. They wanted to accelerate
the elimination of the Jews, drag them out of Germany and so on,
taking away their property and so on. But it was all going to be done
at one removed. People were not going to be
easily able to see what was going on. From now on, Himmler will take charge
of the Jewish question. His assault on the Jews
will be more discreet. But his brutalities
will be far more shocking, as his launches his party
into unprecedented acts of horror.
