Hitler: The Lost Tapes

Exploring the public and private life of the infamous dictator, featuring the photos and videos of two photographers who dedicated their lives to documenting Hitler - Heinrich Hoffmann, his official photographer, and Hoffmann's photographic assistant Eva Braun, who went on to become Hitler's wife. The archive footage includes 1,300 recently digitised, rarely seen photos taken by Hoffmann and material garnered from Eva's personal photo collection, along with more than four hours of her home videos - mostly filmed at Hitler's fortified chalet in the Bavarian Alps.

This episode examines the archive of Hitler at home, looking at both public propaganda photographs and also more private cine-camera footage. It reveals how official photographer Heinrich Hoffman's carefully curated image of the off-duty Führer playing with dogs and children was used strategically and effectively both within Germany and abroad to distance the dictator from his violent and cruel policies.

This episode examines how Hitler presented himself to the world as a single man, devoted only to Germany. In private, he needed the companionship of women, most notably his niece Geli Raubal and his mistress Eva Braun. Both their lives would end in suicide. Eva Braun's home movies provide valuable insights into Hitler's inner circle.

After the humiliation of World War I, Hitler was determined to crush communism. His ambition drove him to war in a bid for German global domination.