Indiana Jones, the swashbuckling lead character in the Hollywood movie franchise, thwarted the Nazis from stealing treasures and religious relics including the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant. The movies created a cultural phenomenon – but few of the millions who’ve watched his fictional adventures would realise the shadowy Nazi characters were based on fact. Heinrich Himmler’s special branch of the SS – Das Ahnenerbe – were tasked with finding treasures, artefacts, and religious relics of power like the Holy Grail, that might secure them victory in the war and prove Aryan supremacy beyond any doubt.
The Secret War was a six–part television series produced by the BBC in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum documenting various technical developments during the Second World War. It was aired during 1977 and presented by William Woollard. The programme opening music was an excerpt from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The closing music was by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. The 'seventh' episode often included with video versions of the series was not part of the original series but produced separately.
A documentary which explores the remarkable parallels between the careers of Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill, as well as their personal rivalry and animosity.
Six one hour episodes each focusing on a key individual that traces the trajectory and design of Hitler’s thousand year Reich. From the beer halls of Munich to the horrors of the Final Solution, these individuals were truly Architects Of Darkness of the Nazi Third Reich.
Witness the Vietnam War, its roots, its battles, its heroes and the price paid in the name of freedom. This stunning, detailed collection shows the war with heartbreaking realism. It looks at troubling questions about America's Justification for the conflict, the horrors of jungle warfare and the human calamity of the war. Ultimately, it profiles the courage of the soldiers who put their lives on the line in the name of patriotism.
Maurice Papon, a high-ranking official under the Vichy regime, oversaw the deportation of hundreds of Jews from the Gironde prefecture in 1942. After the war, he enjoyed a prestigious career as a prefect, member of parliament, and minister without ever facing any repercussions.
In 1981, the newspaper “Le Canard enchaîné” revealed his role during the Occupation, backed by documents, leading to a complaint for crimes against humanity. After 16 years of legal proceedings, his trial began in 1997. Accused of complicity in the deportation of 1,600 Jews, he claimed he was merely obeying government orders and acting under coercion from the Nazi occupiers, while the prosecution emphasized his conscious responsibility. Sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in 1998 following a trial lasting more than six months, he was released in 2002 for health reasons. This trial, a belated symbol of the accountability of public officials, continues to fuel reflection on individual responsibility.
This exhaustive collection encompasses all the events that occurred during World War II. Covering an astonishing amount of ground, events in France, London, Munich, Stalingrad, the Pacific, and many others are all covered in intimate detail. Some of the stories offered by veterans create a startling portrait of the events as they unfolded, as well as adding a personal touch to this amazing program. In short, this is an insightful way to gather a welter of information on this important chapter in world history.