The Abyss – Rise and Fall of the Nazis

Deceit and Delusion 1923-1928

In 1923, the NSDAP had grown to 55,000 members, and its party leader, Adolf Hitler, was portraying himself as the strong man of the right-wing extremist scene. But what was he up to?

Democracy Without Democrats 1929-1933

At the end of the 1920s, the "rural people's movement" protested against social decline. The protest became a radical movement, whose anger was exploited by Hitler and the NSDAP.

The Racial State 1933-1934

As soon as he took office, Chancellor Adolf Hitler dropped his mask and nipped any opposition in the bud. In less than two years, he turned Germany into a dictatorship.

Hidden in Plain Sight 1935-1938

Hitler's aggressively anti-Semitic policy is supported by millions of Germans. Jews are discriminated against, deprived of their rights and persecuted in plain sight.

Up in Flames 1936-1940

On September 1, 1939, German troops invade Poland. SS men follow behind them with orders to murder the Polish intelligentsia. Thousands fall victim to them.

The Gates of Hell 1941-1942

On June 22, 1941, Hitler's army attacks the Soviet Union. In the shadow of the war, Germans commit mass murder against the Jewish population.

Genocide 1942-1944

In occupied Poland, "Operation Reinhardt" begins in 1942. Within a few months, the Germans murder more than two million Jews in camps that serve only one purpose: mass murder.

Downfall 1943-1945

The defeat at Stalingrad in 1943 was the turning point in the war. While the Gestapo nipped any resistance in the bud, the death marches back to the Reich began in 1944.

The Reckoning 1945-1948

The Second World War ended in 1945, but the violence continued. Survivors and victors wanted to hold the Germans accountable. But who is to blame?