Hitler's Bodyguard

This program shows how Hitler's Bodyguard helped him cheat death on so many occasions. They expanded from a handful of thugs recruited to protect political meetings and fight opponents on the streets, to many thousands - including some of the most fearsome secret police and paramilitary forces the world has ever known.

In January 1933, Hitler achieved his goal of becoming Chancellor of Germany. For his Bodyguard, Hitler's brutal rise to power had already earned him many enemies, and the savage in-fighting between Nazi chieftains for control of Hitler's Bodyguard was as bloodthirsty as the attempts to kill the new Chancellor were thwarted.

As Adolf Hitler brutally consolidated his dictatorship in Germany and wiped out all opposition, the most serious threat to his rule came from an unexpected source - one of his oldest comrades who led the massive paramilitary army, which had played a vital role in bringing him to power.

Prague's Black Front poses a particular threat shortly after Hitler becomes Chancellor as German Jews try to strike back against Nazi officials. But Hitler's security proved equal to the task of keeping him alive.

By 1938, Hitler was on the road to war. His senior generals devise a plan that would have him arrested and likely killed.