Hitler and Stalin: Roots of Evil

Overview

Hitler and Stalin: Roots of Evil delves into the parallel rise of two of history’s most ruthless dictators and the ideologies that plunged the world into terror. The episode traces Adolf Hitler’s path from embittered veteran to Führer of Nazi Germany and Joseph Stalin’s ascent from revolutionary to absolute ruler of the Soviet Union, revealing how both men exploited fear, propaganda, and violence to seize and maintain power. Biography examines their shared traits — paranoia, cruelty, and a hunger for domination — alongside their profound differences in method and ideology. Through archival footage, expert analysis, and survivor testimony, the program explores how their regimes inflicted unimaginable suffering, reshaped global politics, and left legacies of destruction that still haunt the modern age. Ultimately, the episode offers a chilling study of ambition and brutality, showing how two men became enduring symbols of evil.