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Night of the Long Knives

Documentary

46

Nov 20, 2008

As Adolf Hitler brutally consolidated his dictatorship in Germany and wiped out all opposition, the most serious threat to his rule came from an unexpected source – one of his oldest comrades who led the massive paramilitary army.

Full Episodes

Season 1, 13 episodes

Season 1

How Hitler's Bodyguard Worked,

Discover the methods Hitler’s Bodyguard used to help him cheat death on so many occasions during his tyrannical rise to power.

46m Nov 16, 2008

Early Attempts on Hitler's Life,

As Adolf Hitler clawed his way closer to power, his extremist policies brought him a host of enemies, some of whom were only too eager to see him dead.

46m Nov 18, 2008

Kill the New Chancellor,

In January 1933, Hitler achieved his goal of becoming Chancellor of Germany. For his Bodyguard, Hitler’s brutal rise to power had already earned him many enemies.

46m Nov 19, 2008

Night of the Long Knives,

As Adolf Hitler brutally consolidated his dictatorship in Germany and wiped out all opposition, the most serious threat to his rule came from an unexpected source – one of his oldest comrades who led the massive paramilitary army.

46m Nov 20, 2008

Jewish and Émigré Attempts to Kill Hitler,

Prague's Black Front poses a particular threat shortly after Hitler becomes Chancellor as German Jews try to strike back against Nazi officials. But Hitler's security proved equal to the task of keeping him alive.

46m Nov 21, 2008

Kill Hitler Before War Starts,

By 1938, Hitler was on the road to war. His senior generals devise a plan that would have him arrested and likely killed.

46m Nov 21, 2008

Bombs and Paranoia,

During 1938, Hitler annexed Austria and the German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia into the Third Reich. Faced with whole populations of hostile people, the 'Desert Fox' elite army unit was formed.

46m Nov 24, 2008

Dangerous Car Journeys,

Adolf Hitler loved cars. But it was travelling by car through crowds, which could easily harbor assassins that he was at his most vulnerable – and his bodyguard at their most alert.

46m Nov 25, 2008

Flights into Danger,

Hitler employed a former World War 1 air ace Hans Baur as his personal pilot, and the Fuehrer was so impressed by his skill that he never allowed anyone else to fly him again.

46m Nov 26, 2008

Hitler's Dangerous Train Journey,

As Hitler began the aggression which swiftly engulfed Europe in a devastating war, he realized that he needed a mobile military headquarters from which he could direct his armies and follow their progress.

46m Nov 27, 2008

Attempt to Kill Hitler at the Wolf's Lair,

Tour the Wolfschanze – his Wolf’s Lair near Rastenburg - was the most famous of Hitler’s military headquarters.

46m Nov 30, 2008

Nearly Assassinated at the Berghof,

For Hitler, the Berghof, near the town of Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps, was a very special place. What had started as a small Alpine cottage soon became the powerhouse where Hitler developed the plans that would injure and kill millions.

46m Dec 1, 2008

Poison Gas Plot in the Bunker,

Hitler’s last gasp offensive, the Battle of the Bulge, had been defeated and he fled back to Berlin. Now, as the Soviet juggernaut smashed its way into the heart of the Nazi capital, Hitler was left to make the choice – should he kill himself?

46m Dec 2, 2008