History
Station:
Smithsonian Channel (CA)
Status:
Ended
Start:
2013-04-08
Rating:
0/10 from 0 users
On rare occasions natural and human forces collide in a spectacular way to provoke disaster and change the world forever. These are history's Perfect Storms. In this series, we travel the world to investigate the biggest and most consequential disasters of all time. These events are the black swans of history: extremely rare and massively impactful. To understand why they occurred and what it was like to experience them first hand, you have to pick them apart piece by piece. Today, cable news networks provide exhaustive 360-degree coverage of natural and human disasters. They utilize on-the-ground investigation and scientific analysis; present dramatic storytelling about survivors and victims, heroes and villains; and employ powerful tools like 3D animation, field-testing, and satellite imagery. Perfect Storms will use these same high tech tools, dramatic storytelling, and investigation.A cyclone that stopped the Roman Army cold. A hurricane and "dragon twist" that wiped out major cities. A supervolcano that triggered the Dark Ages. These are history's perfect storms, forces of nature that impacted us in ways far beyond the physical havoc they wreaked. Join us as we investigate these catastrophes, why they occurred, and what it was like to experience them firsthand. Scientific analysis and historical documents bring them to life, revealing stories of survival, heroism, and devastation.
TV Show Ended.
S1E4 - The Lost Legions: Germany
9 A.D. Three Roman Legions are ambushed and wiped out in a remote German forest during a massive thunderstorm. The severed head of Roman General Varus is sent back to Rome in a box and the Roman attempt to bring Germania into the Empire is stopped dead in its tracks. The battle helps create the boundary between Latin and Germanic Europe that exists to this day.
Air Date: 29 Apr 2013 11:00 (CDT)
S1E5 - God's Wrath: Lisbon
An earthquake in 1755 off the coast of Portugal destroys most of the city of Lisbon and impacts thinking during the Age of Enlightenment.
1755. A powerful earthquake shakes the city of Lisbon for an astonishing 5-6 minutes. Survivors climb out of the rubble and flee to the riverbank only to be engulfed by a massive tsunami. Then the fires start. The city burns for eight days. Tens of thousands die and Portugal is crippled as an imperial power; but out of the rubble new ideas and scientific study take route. Helping to usher in a new age, The Enlightenment.
Air Date: 06 May 2013 11:00 (CDT)
S1E6 - Hitlers Frozen Army: Moscow
Rival dictators Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin strive for victory at any cost as German and Russian soldiers clash on the Eastern Front in October 1941. Two gargantuan armies collide on battlefields west of Moscow. Calling the shots are two dictators. For the Nazis: Adolf Hitler. For the Soviets: Joseph Stalin. Both men ignore the advice of generals and insist on victory at any cost. Caught in the middle: an astonishing seven million soldiers. It is the largest battle in human history and perhaps the most consequential. By mid-October, the Soviets are on the verge of collapse, but when "General Mud" and "General Cold" arrive a few weeks later, the Nazi advance is stopped dead in its tracks.
Air Date: 13 May 2013 11:00 (CDT)