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The Occult History of the Third Reich, narrated by Patrick Allen and directed by Dave Flitton, is a 1991 four-part History Channel documentary regarding the occult influences and history of Nazi Germany and early 20th century Germany.
| The Occult History of the Third Reich | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
|
| Theme music composer | Elizabeth Swados |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Gaynelle Evans Mark Fichandler |
| Producers | Alexandra Aikman Tracy Atkinson Joan Baran Alison Kerr David McWhinnie Wendy Smith |
| Editors | Deborah Barkow Tom McArdle Justin McCarthy Neil McLauchlan |
Contents edit
The documentary was originally shown and released in four parts in 1991.
- Adolf Hitler
- The SS Blood and Soil
- The Enigma of the Swastika
- Himmler the Mystic
Television and DVD release edit
Following broadcast, it was subsequently re-released on DVD in 1998 by Madacy Occult History of Third Reich 1 and again in 2004 in four parts by Pagasus The Occult History Of The Third Reich: Volume 3.
Synopsis edit
The documentary contains mainly black-and-white as well as some color archival footage, with narration explaining the influences of alternative belief systems (occult, paganism, mysticism, etc.) on the Nazi ideology and Hitler's personal philosophy. It also documents the history and development of ideas and symbols used by the Nazi Party and of the Nazi eugenics program.
In the early 20th century, the young Adolf Hitler was just one of many German-speaking people attracted by a new Germanic mythology that combined ancient legends and esoteric cosmologies with cutting-edge theories of genetic science. In the hands of the Nazis, the result was a new ideology that saw racial purity as the key to human destiny.
This was a belief system of arcane rituals and potent symbols, with the ancient swastika appropriated for the Nazi cause. By the time of the Third Reich, Hitler and the Nazis had evolved an entirely new faith, complete with holy book, venerated relics, and a priestly elite in the form of Himmler's SS. It was a religion based on obedience, power, and the cult of the leader, with Hitler himself conceived in Messianic terms.
See also edit
Further reading edit
- Angebert, Jean-Michel, The Occult and the Third Reich: The Mystical Origins of Nazism and the Search for the Holy Grail, McGraw-Hill (1975). ISBN 978-0070018501
- Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas, The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology, New York University Press (1992).
External links edit
- The Occult History of the Third Reich at IMDb
- Dunning, Brian (11 January 2022). "Skeptoid #814: Nazis and the Occult". Skeptoid. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
