Viasat History

After Rome's First Punic War victory, Carthage's power was diminished. In 218 BCE, driven by vengeance, Hannibal led a daring invasion across the Alps, striking at Rome's heart with tactical genius.

Hellenistic pharaohs fought the Seleucids for centuries; Ptolemy IV faced Antiochos the Great at Raphia with 100,000 men and war elephants. Discover the combatants, naval strategy and consequences.

Gladiator Spartacus led 70,000 slaves in rebellion against Rome in 73 B.C.E. / B.C., ending with 6,000 crucifixions; philosopher Hypatia was murdered in 415 C.E. / A.D. during religious conflict.

A strong decisive leader will emerge when the conditions are right, but there's a process to winning over a population; they need to sell themselves and build a cult of personality.

Hermann Göring, Hitler's designated successor, was one of the regime's most visible leaders; as the war slipped away, so did his influence ending in a final act of defiance at Nuremberg.

By the end of WWII, the tank had evolved from its trench-crossing beginnings; it had turned into a vision of armoured warfare that carried on through the Cold War and into the present day.

Hitler offers a scapegoat: the Jews.

A strong decisive leader will emerge when the conditions are right, but there's a process to winning over a population; they need to sell themselves and build a cult of personality.

They move under the cover of thick forests or hide in the icy snow and go by a number of different names from Bigfoot to Sasquatch to Yeti, but do these giant apelike creatures actually exist?

Karl Dönitz, Hitler's loyal naval commander, led a deadly U-boat war beneath the seas and unexpectedly inherited the crumbling Third Reich as he ruled a defeated nation for ten fleeting days.

After Rome's First Punic War victory, Carthage's power was diminished. In 218 BCE, driven by vengeance, Hannibal led a daring invasion across the Alps, striking at Rome's heart with tactical genius.

Hellenistic pharaohs fought the Seleucids for centuries; Ptolemy IV faced Antiochos the Great at Raphia with 100,000 men and war elephants. Discover the combatants, naval strategy and consequences.

Gladiator Spartacus led 70,000 slaves in rebellion against Rome in 73 B.C.E. / B.C., ending with 6,000 crucifixions; philosopher Hypatia was murdered in 415 C.E. / A.D. during religious conflict.

The question now is how to force capitulation.

Karl Dönitz, Hitler's loyal naval commander, led a deadly U-boat war beneath the seas and unexpectedly inherited the crumbling Third Reich as he ruled a defeated nation for ten fleeting days.

After Rome's First Punic War victory, Carthage's power was diminished. In 218 BCE, driven by vengeance, Hannibal led a daring invasion across the Alps, striking at Rome's heart with tactical genius.

Hellenistic pharaohs fought the Seleucids for centuries; Ptolemy IV faced Antiochos the Great at Raphia with 100,000 men and war elephants. Discover the combatants, naval strategy and consequences.

Gladiator Spartacus led 70,000 slaves in rebellion against Rome in 73 B.C.E. / B.C., ending with 6,000 crucifixions; philosopher Hypatia was murdered in 415 C.E. / A.D. during religious conflict.

The question now is how to force capitulation.

What is a tank? From the early concepts to the first tank prototype, we examine how the battlefields of WWI set the scene for the mechanised warfare of WWII.

Karl Dönitz, Hitler's loyal naval commander, led a deadly U-boat war beneath the seas and unexpectedly inherited the crumbling Third Reich as he ruled a defeated nation for ten fleeting days.

From plantation widow to fearless buccaneer, Marie-Anne Dieu-le-veut takes to the seas alongside her pirate husband. Her boldness inspires Mary Read, who disguises herself as a man to survive.

When his father died in 958 A.D. / C.E., Danish king Harald Bluetooth inherited a fragmented kingdom threatened by Otto I's empire but succeeded in turning it into a unified Christian kingdom.

In 229 B.C. / B.C.E., Rome's fleet of 200 ships and 20,000 legionaries crossed the Adriatic, Queen Teuta's piracy sparked conflict, and Liburni allies faced assimilation while the Delmati resisted.

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.

Karl Dönitz, Hitler's loyal naval commander, led a deadly U-boat war beneath the seas and unexpectedly inherited the crumbling Third Reich as he ruled a defeated nation for ten fleeting days.

What is a tank? From the early concepts to the first tank prototype, we examine how the battlefields of WWI set the scene for the mechanised warfare of WWII.

The question now is how to force capitulation.

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.

The Habsburgs were the most powerful family in Europe for centuries; why was their destiny so fatal, and were all their tribulations connected to some kind of curse?

One of the richest men on Earth, Aristotle Onassis left a string of broken hearts in his wake, but no romance would catapult him into the limelight like his marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy.

Tanks continued to evolve and older tanks found a new life on the Pacific battlefront; with the end of WWII in Europe in sight, anything went in the peak of experimentation of tank design.

By the end of WWII, the tank had evolved from its trench-crossing beginnings; it had turned into a vision of armoured warfare that carried on through the Cold War and into the present day.

Friedrich Paulus and Erich von Manstein, two generals who charted opposite paths through the Nazi war machine - one broke under pressure, the other clung to his reputation.

Erwin Rommel earned fame for his tactical brilliance, while walking a tightrope between duty and personal ambition under Hitler's rule. As the tides turned, he's pulled into a plot against the Führer.

Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl created propaganda that helped mythologise Hitler and seduce a nation into extremism. After the fall of the Third Reich, she spent a lifetime denying responsibility.

Nazi naval commander Karl Donitz claimed after the Second World War that he'd only been a sailor following orders, but we set out to prove that he earned his bloody role as Hitler's successor.

Known as the Butcher of Poland, Hans Frank warped the law to encourage persecution, enslavement, starvation, and genocide - we want to know more.

We discover how Hitler's master spy Wilhelm Canaris was both a committed Nazi and a double agent who provided secrets to the Allies and helped Jews escape from Germany.

We visit Italy to investigate Benito Mussolini, the brutal dictator whose violent path to power set the template for the rise of Nazi Germany.

Hitler's DNA is discovered for the first time in history as experts investigate what it reveals about his heritage and his formative years.

Experts investigating Hitler's DNA uncover psychiatric conditions and find a genetic mutation that disrupts sexual development.

Friedrich Paulus and Erich von Manstein, two generals who charted opposite paths through the Nazi war machine - one broke under pressure, the other clung to his reputation.

Erwin Rommel earned fame for his tactical brilliance, while walking a tightrope between duty and personal ambition under Hitler's rule. As the tides turned, he's pulled into a plot against the Führer.

Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl created propaganda that helped mythologise Hitler and seduce a nation into extremism. After the fall of the Third Reich, she spent a lifetime denying responsibility.

Lali and Gita Sokolov's story stands as a powerful tribute to human endurance; this documentary sheds light on their incredible love story while revisiting the horrors of Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

Hitler used confrontations between economic crises and street violence to provoke the need for more authoritarian power; the "ordinary man with political genius" became the 'Chancellor of Peace'.

Decoding tools reveal exchanges between the Führer and his allies; Hitler morphs from political leader to military strategist; the masters of the Reich unleash a world war in seven years.

The Allies plan how to break through Hitler's Atlantic Wall for years. The D-Day fleet is the biggest assembled in history, responsible for one of the bloodiest and most extraordinary battles of WW2.

Hitler's audacious plan to turn the tide of the war; colourised archive depicts the Germans' opening salvo artillery barrage and George Patton's arrival in Bastogne to break the German siege.

Churchill turns to his formidable bomber force to break the deadlock.

Hitler offers a scapegoat: the Jews.

The Grimaldi family has held their posts as sovereigns of Monaco with the utmost grace, but one thing they have missed time and again is good luck in the love department.

The future of the Romanov dynasty was in danger.

We discover an intriguing new theory about Göbekli Tepe in southern Turkey; one of the world's oldest mysteries dating back over 12,000 years, we still don't understand who built it or why.

The remains of 7,000 humans were discovered in the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta's Neolithic temple; could the temple reveal the mystery of who they belonged to and what happened to its owners?

A team of experts investigate the methods Hitler used to indoctrinate Germany, turning it into a finely-tuned war machine; we visit Goebbels' Propaganda Ministry and the holiday park of Prora.

Geli Raubal and Eva Braun, two women brought into Hitler's private life. One met a tragic end during his rise to power, the other followed him to a deadly finale.

Carin and Emmy Göring enabled Hermann Göring's ambitions in the Nazi regime. One a beloved companion committed to the Nazi vision, the other a star of the stage with little taste for politics.

Magda Goebbels embraced Nazi ideology with devotion and saw herself as a mother of the nation. In a horrifying act of loyalty, she enacted one of the most atrocious crimes a mother can commit.

How could a nobody become a dictator, bringing down a democracy in just a few years?.

How did Hitler succeed in transforming a republic into a "Führer state" in such a short time?.

Hitler had outwardly emphasised his will for peace, yet he committed his top commanders once he came to power to a war of extermination that would secure the German Reich's supremacy in Europe.

Nazi naval commander Karl Donitz claimed after the Second World War that he'd only been a sailor following orders, but we set out to prove that he earned his bloody role as Hitler's successor.

Known as the Butcher of Poland, Hans Frank warped the law to encourage persecution, enslavement, starvation, and genocide - we want to know more.

We discover how Hitler's master spy Wilhelm Canaris was both a committed Nazi and a double agent who provided secrets to the Allies and helped Jews escape from Germany.

We visit Italy to investigate Benito Mussolini, the brutal dictator whose violent path to power set the template for the rise of Nazi Germany.

Geli Raubal and Eva Braun, two women brought into Hitler's private life. One met a tragic end during his rise to power, the other followed him to a deadly finale.

Carin and Emmy Göring enabled Hermann Göring's ambitions in the Nazi regime. One a beloved companion committed to the Nazi vision, the other a star of the stage with little taste for politics.

Magda Goebbels embraced Nazi ideology with devotion and saw herself as a mother of the nation. In a horrifying act of loyalty, she enacted one of the most atrocious crimes a mother can commit.

We look at the conversations at the heart of German power; the deciphering of archive images allows us to understand the motivations of the Nazi regime in their conquest of Europe.

We look at the Nazi hegemony from 1941 to its decline in 1945; deciphered archives show us the greatest offensive of the 20th century in the East as well as the apocalypse of a ruined Germany.

During WWII, countries all over the world leverage their industrial might to perfect the art of tank manufacturing; will quality or quantity matter more when it comes to armoured warfare?

The tank became the key to victory during WWII; Germany unveils its latest evolution of the German panzer, the Panther, but is it ready for battle, and is it enough to overcome the Soviet T-34?

Tanks continued to evolve and older tanks found a new life on the Pacific battlefront; with the end of WWII in Europe in sight, anything went in the peak of experimentation of tank design.

By the end of WWII, the tank had evolved from its trench-crossing beginnings; it had turned into a vision of armoured warfare that carried on through the Cold War and into the present day.

How could their tragic destinies share so many similarities?

Millennia-old stone monuments - the so-called megaliths - are scattered across Europe; they come with no written sources and how and why these structures were built remains a mystery to this day.

Wilhelm Keitel, Hitler's top military yes-man, signed orders that unleashed war crimes and mass murder across Europe; blindly obedient to the end, he ended up answering to justice at Nuremberg.

From plantation widow to fearless buccaneer, Marie-Anne Dieu-le-veut takes to the seas alongside her pirate husband. Her boldness inspires Mary Read, who disguises herself as a man to survive.

When his father died in 958 A.D. / C.E., Danish king Harald Bluetooth inherited a fragmented kingdom threatened by Otto I's empire but succeeded in turning it into a unified Christian kingdom.

In 229 B.C. / B.C.E., Rome's fleet of 200 ships and 20,000 legionaries crossed the Adriatic, Queen Teuta's piracy sparked conflict, and Liburni allies faced assimilation while the Delmati resisted.

As the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe strike in force, the French seem trapped.

WWII has begun; new tank strategies take the world by storm and completely change the way wars are fought. As war engulfs Europe, each country learns to adapt to mechanised warfare in its own way.

Wilhelm Keitel, Hitler's top military yes-man, signed orders that unleashed war crimes and mass murder across Europe; blindly obedient to the end, he ended up answering to justice at Nuremberg.

From plantation widow to fearless buccaneer, Marie-Anne Dieu-le-veut takes to the seas alongside her pirate husband. Her boldness inspires Mary Read, who disguises herself as a man to survive.

When his father died in 958 A.D. / C.E., Danish king Harald Bluetooth inherited a fragmented kingdom threatened by Otto I's empire but succeeded in turning it into a unified Christian kingdom.

In 229 B.C. / B.C.E., Rome's fleet of 200 ships and 20,000 legionaries crossed the Adriatic, Queen Teuta's piracy sparked conflict, and Liburni allies faced assimilation while the Delmati resisted.

As the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe strike in force, the French seem trapped.

WWII has begun; new tank strategies take the world by storm and completely change the way wars are fought. As war engulfs Europe, each country learns to adapt to mechanised warfare in its own way.

Wilhelm Keitel, Hitler's top military yes-man, signed orders that unleashed war crimes and mass murder across Europe; blindly obedient to the end, he ended up answering to justice at Nuremberg.

Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, built an organisation of terror rooted in racial fantasy and Nordic mythology. As Nazi Germany crumbled, his desperate bid for power ended in disgrace.

A documentary directed by Sam Mendes, reliving the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.

Albert Speer presents himself as an architect with style and decency, but his career leads deep into the centre of a murderous regime.

Dictators are charismatic, narcissistic and sadistic, but they most of all crave power; keeping a grip on power once you have it takes a mix of negotiation, coercion and force.

Wilhelm Keitel, Hitler's top military yes-man, signed orders that unleashed war crimes and mass murder across Europe; blindly obedient to the end, he ended up answering to justice at Nuremberg.

WWII has begun; new tank strategies take the world by storm and completely change the way wars are fought. As war engulfs Europe, each country learns to adapt to mechanised warfare in its own way.

As the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe strike in force, the French seem trapped.

Dictators are charismatic, narcissistic and sadistic, but they most of all crave power; keeping a grip on power once you have it takes a mix of negotiation, coercion and force.

Archaeologists' discovery of King Tut's tomb taught us about a lost civilisation. When death befell several members of the team, rumours of a curse on the tomb spread like wildfire around the world.

The Habsburgs were the most powerful family in Europe for centuries; why was their destiny so fatal, and were all their tribulations connected to some kind of curse?

El Dorado is the city of gold; evidence of it can be found all over South America from Peru to Guyana and Colombia, but only one of these leads traces back to the origins of the legend.

Friedrich Paulus and Erich von Manstein, two generals who charted opposite paths through the Nazi war machine - one broke under pressure, the other clung to his reputation.

Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, built an organisation of terror rooted in racial fantasy and Nordic mythology. As Nazi Germany crumbled, his desperate bid for power ended in disgrace.

Experts look to uncover the truth behind the mystery of Mary Magdalene's life after witnessing the resurrection.

Albert Speer presents himself as an architect with style and decency, but his career leads deep into the centre of a murderous regime.

1940: France has fallen and Hitler orders Operation Sealion - the invasion of Great Britain - to commence, but first the Luftwaffe must defeat the RAF for seaborne landings to succeed.

During WWII, countries all over the world leverage their industrial might to perfect the art of tank manufacturing; will quality or quantity matter more when it comes to armoured warfare?

Friedrich Paulus and Erich von Manstein, two generals who charted opposite paths through the Nazi war machine - one broke under pressure, the other clung to his reputation.

Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, built an organisation of terror rooted in racial fantasy and Nordic mythology. As Nazi Germany crumbled, his desperate bid for power ended in disgrace.

A team of experts investigate the methods Hitler used to indoctrinate Germany, turning it into a finely-tuned war machine; we visit Goebbels' Propaganda Ministry and the holiday park of Prora.

Albert Speer presents himself as an architect with style and decency, but his career leads deep into the centre of a murderous regime.

1940: France has fallen and Hitler orders Operation Sealion - the invasion of Great Britain - to commence, but first the Luftwaffe must defeat the RAF for seaborne landings to succeed.

During WWII, countries all over the world leverage their industrial might to perfect the art of tank manufacturing; will quality or quantity matter more when it comes to armoured warfare?

Friedrich Paulus and Erich von Manstein, two generals who charted opposite paths through the Nazi war machine - one broke under pressure, the other clung to his reputation.

We cover the German Amerikabomber and the Boeing B-29 "Superfortress," epitomizing altitude and firepower pursuits

July 1944: American forces plan a major offensive named Operation Cobra. They would attack near St Lo, achieve a breakthrough, then unleash General Patton and the US Third Army to exploit the opening.

We time-travel into Berlin's most fateful year through the eyes of the German people and Allied soldiers; this is a story of liberation, defeat, and reconstruction.

Dictators often want to extend their power beyond their country's borders; this generally means military aggression and the deaths of vast numbers of soldiers and civilians.

Friedrich Paulus and Erich von Manstein, two generals who charted opposite paths through the Nazi war machine - one broke under pressure, the other clung to his reputation.

During WWII, countries all over the world leverage their industrial might to perfect the art of tank manufacturing; will quality or quantity matter more when it comes to armoured warfare?

1940: France has fallen and Hitler orders Operation Sealion - the invasion of Great Britain - to commence, but first the Luftwaffe must defeat the RAF for seaborne landings to succeed.

Dictators often want to extend their power beyond their country's borders; this generally means military aggression and the deaths of vast numbers of soldiers and civilians.

Their reign would prove short-lived for a dynasty, but it was the most tumultuous in the nation's history.

Generation after generation has been marked by tragedy; is there a debt to pay for their money-motivated actions?

Erwin Rommel earned fame for his tactical brilliance, while walking a tightrope between duty and personal ambition under Hitler's rule. As the tides turned, he's pulled into a plot against the Führer.

We cover the German Amerikabomber and the Boeing B-29 "Superfortress," epitomizing altitude and firepower pursuits

July 1944: American forces plan a major offensive named Operation Cobra. They would attack near St Lo, achieve a breakthrough, then unleash General Patton and the US Third Army to exploit the opening.

We time-travel into Berlin's most fateful year through the eyes of the German people and Allied soldiers; this is a story of liberation, defeat, and reconstruction.

When Japan's expansion in the Pacific reaches fever pitch, Roosevelt must act. Instead of having them back down by cutting off oil supplies, he pushes them to attack the US fleet in Pearl Harbor.

The tank became the key to victory during WWII; Germany unveils its latest evolution of the German panzer, the Panther, but is it ready for battle, and is it enough to overcome the Soviet T-34?

Erwin Rommel earned fame for his tactical brilliance, while walking a tightrope between duty and personal ambition under Hitler's rule. As the tides turned, he's pulled into a plot against the Führer.

We cover the German Amerikabomber and the Boeing B-29 "Superfortress," epitomizing altitude and firepower pursuits

July 1944: American forces plan a major offensive named Operation Cobra. They would attack near St Lo, achieve a breakthrough, then unleash General Patton and the US Third Army to exploit the opening.

We time-travel into Berlin's most fateful year through the eyes of the German people and Allied soldiers; this is a story of liberation, defeat, and reconstruction.

When Japan's expansion in the Pacific reaches fever pitch, Roosevelt must act. Instead of having them back down by cutting off oil supplies, he pushes them to attack the US fleet in Pearl Harbor.

The tank became the key to victory during WWII; Germany unveils its latest evolution of the German panzer, the Panther, but is it ready for battle, and is it enough to overcome the Soviet T-34?

Erwin Rommel earned fame for his tactical brilliance, while walking a tightrope between duty and personal ambition under Hitler's rule. As the tides turned, he's pulled into a plot against the Führer.

Viasat History. This documentary is a rediscovery of Nineveh, capital of one of the greatest civilisations - the world's first genuine superpower, the Assyrians. Why did this great city disappear?

A seafaring people called the Rapa Nui flourished on Easter Island hundreds of years ago, but they succumbed to a series of deadly events that saw the entire civilisation destroyed.

In southern Peru stands an Inca city uninhabited for several centuries but still virtually intact: Machu Picchu. We discover the secrets behind its construction and the genius of the Inca builders.

Dictatorships are almost universally unsustainable; a dictator's thirst for power invariably leads to greater and greater oppression, leaving a nation broken and so all dictatorships eventually fall.

Erwin Rommel earned fame for his tactical brilliance, while walking a tightrope between duty and personal ambition under Hitler's rule. As the tides turned, he's pulled into a plot against the Führer.

The tank became the key to victory during WWII; Germany unveils its latest evolution of the German panzer, the Panther, but is it ready for battle, and is it enough to overcome the Soviet T-34?

When Japan's expansion in the Pacific reaches fever pitch, Roosevelt must act. Instead of having them back down by cutting off oil supplies, he pushes them to attack the US fleet in Pearl Harbor.

Dictatorships are almost universally unsustainable; a dictator's thirst for power invariably leads to greater and greater oppression, leaving a nation broken and so all dictatorships eventually fall.

The tragic histories of the political dynasties of the Bhutto family in Pakistan and the Nehru-Gandhi family in India are often compared to that of America's Kennedy family.

A series of personal misfortunes seemed to confirm the family was struck by a curse.

Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl created propaganda that helped mythologise Hitler and seduce a nation into extremism. After the fall of the Third Reich, she spent a lifetime denying responsibility.

The Moche flourished in the Andes mountains of Peru for 650 years (100-750 AD); through conquest and expansion, the "Greeks of the Andes" quickly became the most important pre-Incan culture.

A seafaring people called the Rapa Nui flourished on Easter Island hundreds of years ago, but they succumbed to a series of deadly events that saw the entire civilisation destroyed.

In southern Peru stands an Inca city uninhabited for several centuries but still virtually intact: Machu Picchu. We discover the secrets behind its construction and the genius of the Inca builders.

The Japanese were driven back across the ocean island by island in savage hand-to-hand fighting.

Tanks continued to evolve and older tanks found a new life on the Pacific battlefront; with the end of WWII in Europe in sight, anything went in the peak of experimentation of tank design.

Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl created propaganda that helped mythologise Hitler and seduce a nation into extremism. After the fall of the Third Reich, she spent a lifetime denying responsibility.

The Moche flourished in the Andes mountains of Peru for 650 years (100-750 AD); through conquest and expansion, the "Greeks of the Andes" quickly became the most important pre-Incan culture.

A seafaring people called the Rapa Nui flourished on Easter Island hundreds of years ago, but they succumbed to a series of deadly events that saw the entire civilisation destroyed.

Bulgaria is a treasure trove of history and culture; join Bettany as she embarks on an adventure meeting local people, sampling their cuisine, and learning about their cherished customs along the way.

The Japanese were driven back across the ocean island by island in savage hand-to-hand fighting.

Tanks continued to evolve and older tanks found a new life on the Pacific battlefront; with the end of WWII in Europe in sight, anything went in the peak of experimentation of tank design.

Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl created propaganda that helped mythologise Hitler and seduce a nation into extremism. After the fall of the Third Reich, she spent a lifetime denying responsibility.