The Nazis: A Warning from History 

An examination of how a cultured people could have allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.

Stars:

Samuel West, Adolf Buchner, Jutta Rüdiger

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Samuel West	...	Himself - Narrator 6 episodes, 1997
Adolf Buchner	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Jutta Rüdiger	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Günther Ruschin	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Danuta Grocholska	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Mario Mondello	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Herbert Richter	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Karl Boehm-Tettelbach	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Charles Bleeker Kohlsaat	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Christine Von Amsberg	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Fridolin Von Spaun	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Ulrich de Maizière	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Wilhelm Gunsilius	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Eugene Leviné	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Wilhelm Moses	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Emil Klein	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Romuald Pilaczynski	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Viera Silkinaite	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Irma Eigi	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Walter Fernau	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Walter Frentz	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Bruno Hähnel	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Anna Jeziorkowska	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Riva Losanskaya	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Wolfgang Teubert	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Hans von Herwarth	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Franz Jagemann	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Otto Klimmer	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Alfonsas Navasinskas	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Alois Pfaller	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Juozas Gramauskas	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Stefan Kasprzyk	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Henryk Skrzypinski	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Johannes Zahn	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Fritz Arlt	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Josef Felder	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Petras Zelionka	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Estera Frenkiel	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Jacques Leroy	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Wolf Falck	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Eugen Zielke	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Maria Faulhaber	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Erwin Massuthe	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Waltraud Reski	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Alfons Schulz	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Samuel Willenberg	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Rudi Bamber	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Gerda Bernhardt	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Uwe Bitzel	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Herbert Döhring	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Robert Gellately	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Walter Kammerling	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Ian Kershaw	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
J.A. Graf von Kielmannsegg	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Erna Kranz	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Resi Kraus	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Anna Krautwurmová	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Günter Lohse	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Frank Roberts	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Susie Seitz	...	Herself 6 episodes, 1997
Reinhard Spitzy	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Manfred Von Schröder	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1997
Artur Axmann	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Neville Chamberlain	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Galeazzo Ciano	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Édouard Daladier	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Hans Frank	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Joseph Goebbels	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Arthur Greiser	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 1 episode, 1997
Hermann Göring	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Reinhard Heydrich	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Heinrich Himmler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Emil Hácha	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Wilhelm Keitel	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Benito Mussolini	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Otto Ernst Remer	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Albert Speer	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997
Werner von Blomberg	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 6 episodes, 1997

Storyline

An examination of how a cultured people could have allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.

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Plot Keywords:

pre world war two | nazi ideology | hitler | nazism | revanchism | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History | War

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German French Polish

Release Date:

8 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Natsit - historian synkkä varoitus

Filming Locations:

Prague, Czech Republic

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&E Television Networks, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

292 min (6 episodes)

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

During the "Chaos and Consent" segment, the tune "Happy Days Are Here Again" which is associated with drinking (it was FDR's Prohibition-repeal campaign song) is played while showing Hitler raising a glass stein within a crowd of stein-holding pub visitors. The visuals, music, and certainly the narration imply that Hitler might have been a drinker, yet (as cited in non-fiction histories by William Shirer and by Albert Speer) he was a well-known alcohol-abstainer.

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Quotes

Narrator: At the same moment as the pact was being signed in Moscow, Hitler stood with his guests on the terrace of the Berghof and stared at the sky.

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Connections

Featured in The 50 Greatest Documentaries (2005)

User Reviews

A thorough, heart-ripping piece of work

I've seen my fair share of documentaries about World War II and Nazism. Some were good and some downright awful. But this one gets at some issues that are often addressed poorly by other investigations.

One question this six-part series attempts to answer is how did Germany fall under Hitler's spell? How was it possible? Perhaps one of the best moments is in laying the ground work for answering this complex question by detailing the circumstances and climate of the time. It certainly solved some mysteries for me concerning the hatred of Germans toward communism and Bolshevism.

The interviews themselves are hard hitting. I am amazed that some of these former Nazis agreed to be interviewed and unblinkingly told why they acted as they did. Some give excuses but many simply state it...as if daring anyone to deny them their right to feel that way. It is simply amazing and stunning to watch. And to realize that even in the light of how horrific their actions were, they still would have acted in such a manner. It defies description.

The series' creators seem to understand that in no way can they tackle all the issues of Nazism so they pick their issues with care. I especially appreciated hearing how the ethnic Germans returned to their newly expanded homeland, causing the SS to have to throw out the Poles living there. It was an aspect of the annexation I knew nothing about until now.

My only complaint was that there was so much I am sure they had to leave out. But what is included is first-rate, well done and definitely skillfully pieced together. The graphics are also top notch. I must also applaud the creators for choosing original music or period music and not the usual synthesizer overdubs one hears in most documentaries.

Kudos, too, to narrator Sam West, who does a top-notch job.