Myths die hard, and the history of the 20th century is no exception to this rule. Even today, we hold popular beliefs that we take for Evangelical truths. Thus, we believe that Hiroshima caused Japan to surrender, that the Marshall Plan saved Europe, that Adolf Hitler was a military genius, or that Mao Zedong was a necessary evil for China’s modernization. Of course, these judgements contain some truth; but, too broad-stroked to be accurate, they contradict the historical reality by denying its complexity. What if the truth was slightly different? Through an exploration of great national or international myths, this full archive documentary collection revisits the key moments of the 20th century with a new perspective in order to provide a new, smarter and more subtle interpretation, bringing elements to light that have been forgotten or sometimes overshadowed.
The Nazi era from 1993 to 1945 is illustrated through archived material, with insights and anecdotes provided by world-leading experts and commentators.
An elegantly produced documentary divided into eight parts and running nearly seven hours in length, The Romanovs beautifully encapsulates the epic story of the Russian Dynasty over the course of over three hundred years.
The early 1960s. The Soviet Union is experiencing a bright Khrushchev-era, full of hope. A group of young diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs come face to face with world-changing global events. Before long, these wide-eyed idealists find themselves deep in the breathtaking world of spy games, mortal dangers, and brilliant political maneuvering.
Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, after his March on Rome. He would hold it in his grasp until his death in 1945, establishing a dictatorship that lasted more than 20 years. Long considered a buffoon and a second-rate dictator, Il Duce invented fascism that was imitated by Hitler, who viewed the Italian as his political master. He wanted to transform his country into a warrior nation and promised Italians a return to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. He governed by violence and trickery and was one of the first populist leaders of modern times, leading his country into the catastrophe of the World War II. But who was Mussolini, this former teacher who came from the extreme left to become a newspaper editor and creator of the Fascist Party? Why did he ally himself with Hitler? Were the Italians really behind him? With archives and interviews with the last-surviving witnesses of the era, this portrait takes a look back at one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century.
Secrets to Civilisation is a groundbreaking History series which explores the recent explosion in data about our planet's past, offering a completely fresh perspective on the ancient world from the Bronze Age to the fall of Rome.
Nearly 1,000 years ago, the Vikings left Scandinavia and settled across Europe - giving their name to Normandy along the way - before their Norman descendants seized the English throne at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. But what do we really know about them? By combining expert analysis with compelling drama, 'The Last Journey of the Vikings' (Swedish title: 'Vikingarnas sista resa') tells a new and often surprising story about this complex people.
Polina Lebedeva, daughter of the childless prince Alexei Petrovich Golovin, is the most enviable bride of the Yamburg district. During the ball in honor of her birthday, Alexei Petrovich dies of a heart attack. This grief is only the beginning of hard trials, destined for the girl ..
May 1945: With the end of the war and the surrender of the Third Reich, the world discovered the full horror of a genocidal system on a scale never before seen in the history of humanity. The elimination of millions of individuals had been meticulously planned by a regime whose organization and methods were just beginning to be understood.
Focuses on the lives of British women recruited as secret agents in occupied France during World War II. The series follows their training, missions, and the dangers they face while working with the French Resistance.
Inside the minds of the heartless, corrupt, and cruel individuals who've seized control of their country through the infliction of appalling pain on their fellow man. From Kim Jong-il, to Osama Bin Laden, to Hitler, uncover the madness behind the merciless dictators responsible for unimaginable human atrocities that still haunt the world.