The story of how in just 13 years, Hitler led a fringe sect with less than a hundred members and outlandish ideas to be the dominant force in German politics. More
The story of how in just 13 years, Hitler led a fringe sect with less than a hundred members and outlandish ideas to be the dominant force in German politics. More
Available Episodes
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Introducing... History's Secret Heroes
Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.
31/5/2023
10:28
16. Make Germany Great Again
Hitler is now Chancellor but what matters is that Hermann Goring is Minister of the Interior with 50,000 policemen at his disposal. They immediately crack down on all Communists, placing their Members of Parliament into ‘protective custody’ – detention for their own safety – in a new camp near a Bavarian village called Dachau. But when the Reichstag, the Parliament Building, catches fire, Hitler decides this Red Uprising must be nipped in the bud. But who started the fire?
Starring Tom Mothersdale as Adolf Hitler, Aditomiwa Edun as Sefton Delmer, Scott Karim as Hermann Göring and featuring Oscar Batterham as Rudolf Diels, Head of the Prussian Political Police.
The company:
Ernst Röhm & Gregor Strasser - JOSEPH ALESSI
Emil Maurice & Rudolf Diels - OSCAR BATTERHAM
Gottfried Feder & Otto Meissner - EDWARD BENNETT
Helene Bechstein - NANCY CARROLL
King Ludwig & Franz von Papen - WILLIAM CHUBB
Dorothy Thompson - LAURA DONNELLY
Sefton Delmer - ADITOMIWA EDUN
Kaiser Wilhelm & Karl Alexander von Müller - NICHOLAS FARRELL
Leni Hanfstaengl & Anni Winter - MELODY GROVE
President Hindenburg - DEREK JACOBI
Putzi Hanfastaengl - COREY JOHNSON
Hermann Göring - SCOTT KARIM
Rudolf Hess - GEORGE KEMP
Else Janke & Mimi Reiter - SORCHA KENNEDY
Oskar von Hindenburg - JACK LASKEY
Sinclair Lewis - FORBES MASSON
Kurt Eisner & Joachim von Ribbentrop - MICHAEL MALONEY
Hermine Hoffman - LYNNE MILLER
Adolf Hitler - TOM MOTHERSDALE
Magda Goebbels - SHANAYA RAFAAT
Captain Mayr - TOBY STEPHENS
Geli Raubal - TANVI VIRMANI
Joseph Goebbels - ALEXANDER VLAHOS
General Ludendorff and Kurt von Schleicher - ANDREW WOODALL
The Narrator is JULIET STEVENSON
Sound designer – ADAM WOODHAMS
Studio Manager – MARK SMITH
Casting Director – GINNY SCHILLER
Original Score – METAPHOR MUSIC
Executive Producer – EDWARD CROZIER
Writer and Director – JONATHAN MYERSON
Producer – NICHOLAS NEWTON
A Promenade Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
1/3/2023
27:20
15. Forwards with God
With Franz von Papen now willing to act as Vice Chancellor, alongside Hitler as Chancellor, can he convince Alfred Hugenberg to bring his 51 Nationalist MPs into coalition with the Nazi Party? Von Papen believes that together they will box Hitler in, that they will be “hiring him” – in fact, the Nazis demand is for merely two cabinet seats. But suddenly there’s talk of a military coup to forestall this - will President Hindenburg finally agree to appoint Hitler as Chancellor?
Starring Derek Jacobi as President Hindenburg, Tom Mothersdale as Adolf Hitler, Aditomiwa Edun as Sefton Delmer, and featuring Forbes Masson as Alfred Hugenberg and Edward Bennett as Otto von Meissner, the President’s Chief of Staff.
Cast:
President Hindenburg - DEREK JACOBI
Adolf Hitler - TOM MOTHERSDALE
Sefton Delmer - ADITOMIWA EDUN
Gregor Strasser - JOSEPH ALESSI
Heinrich Himmler - OSCAR BATTERHAM
Otto Meissner - EDWARD BENNETT
Franz von Papen - WILLIAM CHUBB
Putzi Hanfastaengl - COREY JOHNSON
Herman Göring - SCOTT KARIM
Oskar von Hindenburg & Theodor Duesterberg - JACK LASKEY
Joachim von Ribbentrop - MICHAEL MALONEY
Alfred Hugenberg – FORBES MASSON
Magda Goebbels - SHANAYA RAFAAT
Joseph Goebbels - ALEXANDER VLAHOS
Kurt von Schleicher - ANDREW WOODALL
The Narrator is JULIET STEVENSON
Sound designer – ADAM WOODHAMS
Studio Manager – MARK SMITH
Casting Director – GINNY SCHILLER
Original Score – METAPHOR MUSIC
Writer and Director – JONATHAN MYERSON
Producer – NICHOLAS NEWTON
A Promenade Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
27/2/2023
25:09
14. How Was the Venison?
The current Chancellor, General Kurt von Schleicher, and the previous, Franz von Papen, are both determined to unseat each other – once allies, they are now sworn enemies, plotting in corridors. President Hindenburg would rather see von Papen restored to the post but, like von Schleicher, he cannot form a governing majority. Meanwhile the President’s son, Oskar, once a close friend of von Schleicher, starts to see a way through...and it involves the Nazi Party.
Starring Derek Jacobi as President Hindenburg, Jack Laskey as Oskar von Hindenburg, Tom Mothersdale as Adolf Hitler and featuring Aditomiwa Edun as Sefton Delmer.
Cast:
President Hindenburg - DEREK JACOBI
Oskar von Hindenburg - JACK LASKEY
Adolf Hitler - TOM MOTHERSDALE
Sefton Delmer - ADITOMIWA EDUN
Gregor Strasser - JOSEPH ALESSI
Heinrich Himmler - OSCAR BATTERHAM
Otto Meissner - EDWARD BENNETT
Franz von Papen - WILLIAM CHUBB
Putzi Hanfastaengl - COREY JOHNSON
Herman Göring - SCOTT KARIM
Rudolf Hess - GEORGE KEMP
Joachim von Ribbentrop - MICHAEL MALONEY
Magda Goebbels - SHANAYA RAFAAT
Joseph Goebbels - ALEXANDER VLAHOS
Kurt von Schleicher - ANDREW WOODALL
The Narrator is JULIET STEVENSON
Sound designer – ADAM WOODHAMS
Studio Manager – MARK SMITH
Casting Director – GINNY SCHILLER
Original Score – METAPHOR MUSIC
Writer and Director – JONATHAN MYERSON
Producer – NICHOLAS NEWTON
A Promenade Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
22/2/2023
24:11
13. Hitler? Whatever Happened To Him?
By 1932, the Nazis have 230 Members of Parliament, the largest single group but no-one will invite them into coalition and President Hindenburg refuses to even contemplate appointing Hitler as Chancellor. Yet Hitler flatly refuses any arrangement where he is not Chancellor – Vice-Chancellor will not suffice. But so many of his party members, his stormtroopers have been waiting for government jobs, government salaries – they’re pushing hard for the compromise. Can Hitler hold them off for long enough to secure total power?
Starring Derek Jacobi as President Hindenburg, Scott Karim as Hermann Goring, Andrew Woodall as von Schleicher, Tom Mothersdale as Adolf Hitler and featuring Aditomiwa Edun as the Daily Express Berlin Correspondent, Sefton Delmer.
Cast:
President Hindenberg - DEREK JACOBI
Sefton Delmer - ADITOMIWA EDUN
Adolf Hitler - TOM MOTHERSDALE
Gregor Strasser - JOSEPH ALESSI
Heinrich Himmler - OSCAR BATTERHAM
Otto Meissner - EDWARD BENNETT
Franz von Papen - WILLIAM CHUBB
Putzi Hanfastaengl - COREY JOHNSON
Herman Göring - SCOTT KARIM
Rudolf Hess - GEORGE KEMP
Oskar von Hindenberg - JACK LASKEY
Joachim von Ribbentrop - MICHAEL MALONEY
Magda Goebbels - SHANAYA RAFAAT
Joseph Goebbels - ALEXANDER VLAHOS
Kurt von Schleicher - ANDREW WOODALL
The Narrator is JULIET STEVENSON
Sound designer – ADAM WOODHAMS
Studio Manager – MARK SMITH
Casting Director – GINNY SCHILLER
Original Score – METAPHOR MUSIC
Writer and Director – JONATHAN MYERSON
Producer – NICHOLAS NEWTON
A Promenade Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
The story of how in just 13 years, Hitler led a fringe sect with less than a hundred members and outlandish ideas to be the dominant force in German politics.