Rise of the Dictators - Season 1
Season 1
Examines Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and their authoritarian successors, showing how they seized absolute power and used it. Demonstrates democracy's vulnerability and authoritarianism's persistence.
Episodes
Tearing Down the Old
Tease out the common denominators that lead to tyranny. Map the rise of some of the 20th century's best-known dictators and discover how they seized power, exploited governing systems, and gutted existing power structures to gain total control.
Cult of Personality
Uncover the sinister ways that dictators convince their followers to worship them as heroes. Watch how they weave mythical narratives around their abilities, selling themselves as saviours who should hold absolute power over the people.
Follow the Money
Investigate the dirty money, corrupt donors, and shady deals that prop up dictators. Look at the networks of people who benefit from an authoritarian's power, then learn why acquiring more and more assets is every dictator's ultimate motivation.
Holding on to Power
Examine the mix of negotiation, coercion, and force that dictators use to maintain their iron grip. Discover how they play rivals against each other, control the military, ingratiate themselves with followers, and sway the masses with propaganda.
Expanding Their Reach
Grapple with the addiction to power that drives many dictators to push past their own borders and into other countries. See how these strongmen justify their grand ambitions and why expansionist plans are a recipe for death and destruction.
How Dictators Fall
Consider the factors that inevitably cause dictatorships to crumble. Look at how hubris destroys cults of personality, see how factions fracture military dictatorships, and weigh the devastating miscalculations that turn the tide against tyranny.
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