From an unremarkable painter struggling to survive in Vienna, Adolf Hitler rose to become master of Europe, creating one of history’s most powerful dictatorships and empires. How did he accomplish such a feat? What drove him to such a passionate embrace of violence, unleashing a genocidal war of conquest that defined the 20th century? What role did chance play in this story – were Hitler and the Nazis only saved by the short-shortsightedness of his rivals? This episode will provide answers to some of history’s most important questions.

Image: Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler poses for the camera (1930); Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-10460/CC-BY-SA 3.0