The Monster

S2, E5: In this episode, fresh expert analysis unpicks the darkest arts of Hitler's personality as the tide of war turns against him. Having declared war on the USA, Hitler sees an opportunity to escalate his vendetta against the Jews and enact the Final Solution. He manipulates his long list of enemies into proof of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy. It's the pretext for an unprecedented level of violence and horror - but as millions die in concentration camps, Hitler meticulously and deviously covers his tracks. Hitler's state of denial soon brings him into conflict with his own generals. When his exhausted forces hit a wall of Red Army soldiers they can't defeat, his solution is to fire the generals and appoint himself as their replacement. But he's neither skilled nor trained for the job. And when his soldiers pay for it with their lives, the Führer has no empathy. After the surrender at Stalingrad, Hitler slides into a dark, isolated world, hiding from the truth. Anyone who brings him bad news is dismissed. His only relief is escapism and he consumes himself with the childish excitement of rescuing his fascist ally, Benito Mussolini, from imprisonment. Ultimately, it's a reunion that simply confirms how far both have fallen. Dealt blow after blow, Hitler runs away to hide in the German Alps behind a haze of drugs. Retreating into a bizarre world of delusion and denial, he surrounds himself with luxury, as the nation he professes to love starts to burn.