Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy (1998)

How Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime made use of ancient mysticism and occultism to win the war. The Nazi's also used occult mind control techniques to brainwash Germans to perceive themselves as the master-race.

Directors:

Tracy Atkinson, Joan Baran

Writer:

Lester Thomas Shane (as Lester Shane)

Stars:

Malcolm McDowell, Michael Kater, Peter Padfield

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Malcolm McDowell	...	Narrator (voice)
Michael Kater	...	Self - professor of history
Peter Padfield	...	Self - historian
J.H. Brennan	...	Self - author of the 'Occult Reich'
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke	...	Self - historian, Oxford University
George L. Mosse	...	Self - professor of history (as George Mosse)
Henry Metelmann	...	Self - former member of the Hitler Youth
Wolfgang Rüdiger Hess	...	Self - son of Rudolf Hess (as Wolf Rudiger Hess)
Mark Weitzman	...	Self - director, Simon Wiesenthal Center
John Matthews	...	Self - author on Grail mythology
Nigel Pennick	...	Self - author on pagan lore
Gottfried Wagner	...	Self - great-grandson of Richard Wagner
Richard Grunberger	...	Self - German historian
Wilhelm Hoettl	...	Self - former SS officer
Charles Harvey	...	Self - astrologer

Storyline

How Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime made use of ancient mysticism and occultism to win the war. The Nazi's also used occult mind control techniques to brainwash Germans to perceive themselves as the master-race. Astrology, Reincarnation, a new blood religion. In this chilling yet fascinating glimpse at recent historical events, discover how Nazi beliefs were based on a perversion of ancient myths, pagan lore and the occult. In their quest to create an Aryan super race, the Nazis left no myth or religion unexploited, using astrological forecasts to plan battles; pendulums to locate allied battleships; the prophesies of Nostradamus to frighten the Allies, and sacred symbols, such as Nordic runes, to inspire their warriors to battle. Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy explores the disturbing ways the Third Reich linked occult practices with political aims and created a reign of terror unparalleled in history.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi occultism | totalitarian state | political criminal | reference to heinrich himmler | reference to adolf hitler | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Did You Know?

Goofs

In several places, the stock footage being shown does not match the narration. For example, there's mention of how the Nazis had to get rid of the SA, yet they show pictures of marching SS troopers and a discussion of how mentally challenged children were exterminated is shown with footage of the Warsaw Ghetto.

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Connections

Features Triumph of the Will (1935)

User Reviews

Very interesting

I honestly thought at first that the documentary must have exaggerated the role that cult practices played in the Third Reich- it starts off by claiming that the Nazis believed they were the descendants of Atlantis, which left me smirking. But the film does a very good job of tying the "Nazi religion" into the Nazi death camps, eugenics programs, and propaganda. It does flag a bit when dealing with astrology near the end, and I would have liked to have learned more about the psychological effect of the realization that the "Master Race" had been defeated. But much of the film is fascinating. It also includes clips from films of Nazi rituals and events that are just jaw-dropping. They make the Nazi party look like the biggest cult of the twentieth century- which, according to the film, it pretty much was.

One point that I would have liked the film to have clarified is that Otto Rahn's death is believed to have been a suicide. Rahn had been assigned to a year of guard duty at Dachau and afterward seems to have been disturbed at the realization of what his nation had become.

Other than that, this is an excellent film- disturbing without being exploitative, and full of details but rarely boring.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

A Conspiração Nazista

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinnabar Pictures, Discovery Channel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1