Storyline

Explores the Third Reich from a contemporary perspective to investigate how the Nazis managed to conquer Germany and then half of Europe in the wake of World War I.

First Aired

2021-05-08
Last Aired

2021-05-09
Creator
Genre

Documentary, War & Politics
Seasons

1
Episodes

10
Status

Ended
Language

English, Deutsch
Network

ZDFinfo

Keywords:

holocaust (shoah) world war ii national socialism miniseries third reich (iii reich 1933-45) nsdap (nazi party) nazi germany historical documentary

Stream and watch The Abyss – Rise and Fall of the Nazis

Season 1

1. The Seeds of Violence 1918-1922

At the beginning there is the promise of old greatness and new order, at the end there is the murder o...More

At the beginning there is the promise of old greatness and new order, at the end there is the murder of millions. What lies in between is a warning from history.Less

45mins 2021-05-08

2. Deceit and Delusion 1923-1928

In 1923, the NSDAP had grown to 55,000 members, and its party leader, Adolf Hitler, was portraying him...More

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?Less

45mins 2021-05-08

3. Democracy Without Democrats 1929-1933

At the end of the 1920s, the "rural people's movement" protested against social decline. The protest b...More

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.Less

45mins 2021-05-08

4. The Racial State 1933-1934

As soon as he took office, Chancellor Adolf Hitler dropped his mask and nipped any opposition in the b...More

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.Less

45mins 2021-05-08

5. Hidden in Plain Sight 1935-1938

Hitler's aggressively anti-Semitic policy is supported by millions of Germans. Jews are discriminated ...More

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.Less

45mins 2021-05-08

6. Up in Flames 1936-1940

On September 1, 1939, German troops invade Poland. SS men follow behind them with orders to murder the...More

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.Less

44mins 2021-05-08

7. 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 mas...More

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.Less

44mins 2021-05-08

8. Genocide 1942-1944

In occupied Poland, "Operation Reinhardt" begins in 1942. Within a few months, the Germans murder more...More

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.Less

43mins 2021-05-09

9. Downfall 1943-1945

The defeat at Stalingrad in 1943 was the turning point in the war. While the Gestapo nipped any resist...More

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.Less

45mins 2021-05-09

10. The Reckoning 1945-1948

The Second World War ended in 1945, but the violence continued. Survivors and victors wanted to hold t...More

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?Less