The Nazis

Although there are any number of outstanding documentaries related to the heinous atrocities and heroic triumphs that arose during the 20th century's darkest period (roughly 1933 to 1945), this acclaimed BBC production is easily the most ambitious and detailed series to focus specifically on the rise and fall of the Third Reich. Written and produced by Laurence Lee, the opening volume sets the series tone and style right away in its exploration of the nascent Nazi party's rise to power. Acknowledging that the social ills (unemployment, rampant inflation) Germany faced during the 1920s and early '30s were, in good measure, a result of the punitive war reparations exacted by France and England for WWI, the program examines the bitterness (however irrational) German troops felt at the sudden armistice at the close of the first world war, which--according to their paranoid fantasies--was arranged by "Marxists and Jews." As the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazis, for short) steadily grew in power under the leadership of Adolph Hitler, who headed the party from 1921 on, the combination of hard times and boiling resentment in ex-military members proved valuable mental ground in which Hitler was able to sow the seeds of hatred and discontent. In 1928, the Nazis commanded a mere 2.6% of the vote; less than five years later, on January 30, 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. After the appointment, one contemporary warned that "this accursed man [Hitler] will take our Reich into the abyss." Subsequent volumes in the series, chronicling Hitler's maniacal administration and relentless destruction, bear out that prophetic comment in 1933. Combining excellent archival footage, often haunting interviews with elder ex-Nazi party members (the radiant look on one man's face as he recalls seeing "Hitler's most beautiful side" will make your skin crawl), and a strong central narrative, The Nazis is a powerful, in-depth portrait of a truly evil empire that holds the dubious distinction of being the only group in history to embark on the "mechanized extermination of an entire people." Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)