mharlos I just finished re-watching this series on DVD (I had previously seen it telecast about 15 years ago).The warning -- that is, the lesson of Nazi history -- is only explicitly addressed for a brief moment. But at the same time, it is vividly present throughout, and I think will be especially valuable for younger viewers who are likely to know very little of the story of those times. It is not presented as a chronology of the war, but it rather succinctly (in less than five hours) gives a clear depiction of the descent into depravity.The series also offers some historical theses: first and foremost, that because the Nazi regime was so much dominated by its single charismatic personality, and because he was a visionary much more than a leader, what went on within the regime was often chaotic and confused (despite Nazism portraying itself as the paragon of order and efficiency).For me, the most memorable and valuable distinction of this documentary is its collection of interviews with people (all elderly by the time of interviewing in the 1990s) who participated in the persecutions. Often, documentaries about the Nazi regime have interviews with people who were passive witnesses, or resisters against the regime who had less cause to fear disclosure of their actions and less to feel ashamed of. I used to watch every documentary in English I could find on WW II, and never saw perpetrator interviews like these. And because of the age of the people involved in those times, I doubt that anything like this could have been accomplished since.Very stark for me is a meeting (on a park bench) with the author of a letter of denunciation which, along with several other such letters, led to the death of young German woman, for the crime of "being different." The calm (and yet surreal) conversation about this letter, more than 50 years after the event, offers a profoundly disturbing look into the face of evil.

MRavenwood It is ironic that in their attempt to prove Germans a "Superior Race" Hitler and Nazi supporters demonstrated themselves to be more sub-human than the "sub-humans" they so cavalierly murdered and profited from. It was most interesting to me in this series to see interviews of the "by standers" of the war. One citizens that benefited from and supported the forcing of Jews into Ghettos had no remorse at withholding food he had access to from starving people after they could no longer bribe him with diamonds for bread. I rejoice that he and others have admitted on camera exactly how they feel. You see that, while a Nazi soldier would have been shot for disobeying orders, there was no coercion at all for many of the people who betrayed their fellow citizens who were Jews. They did it freely and from their evil hearts. It is also clear that people wanted to be proud. They wanted to be big shots. They wanted anyone other than themselves to be the unpopular ones as the Germans were after World War I. So they developed this egomaniacal belief of their complete perfection and invincibility. When one sees the pattern of belief and thinking of the ordinary German citizen of that time, it becomes a delicious irony, rather than a tragedy that the Communists took over East Berlin. Many of those very same people who ended up behind that Wall had cheered when the German Jews were hauled away to be gassed. The Jews were specifically hated because of the belief they were all Communists. And it is once again ironic that the Germans who sought so much to regain their proud, good image after World War I etched a more permanent stain on themselves in trying to remove the first one. Almost like a shameful tattoo.

carly-51 this is a compelling documentary on a very emotive subject, as a historian i found this documentary to be of great interest and full of accurate and important information. I would highly recommend reading "Auschwitz" and the updated version of "Nazis : A Warning from History" (due out 2nd March) by Laurence Rees who played a big part in the making of the documentary. One of the things i found the most interesting about this documentary was the fact the they used a lot of primary sources including, rare film footage, pictures and they spoke to a lot of people involved in the Nazis regime. It was very interesting to hear how they felt about what they did under Hitlers regime nearly 60 years later.

Swangirl 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.