Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution

This episode sets the stage for the series and examines the radical increase in violence against all opponents of the Nazi state. In particular, it explores the German armys invasion of the Soviet Union during the summer of 1941 and connects this campaign to the first gassing experiments in Auschwitz, Poland, which were aimed at Russian prisoners of war, not Jews.

The Nazis marshalling of Jews from across Europe - including the Channel Islands- gained momentum in 1942. Unable to cope with the huge influx, Auschwitz and Treblinka were modified with bigger gas chambers and crematoria. But inspirational stories of courage and compassion could still be found among this appalling catalogue of inhumanity, including that of German officer Albert Battel, who risked his life to save detainees.

SS Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Eichmann ordered the deportation of Hungarys Jews following occupation in 1944, precipitating the most intensive period of slaughter in Aushwitzs history. The Allies, meanwhile, faced dilemmas: should they divert valuable resources to bomb transport routes to the camp? And should they consider Eichmanns offer of one million Jewish lives in exchange for certain provisions - the ""Blood for Goods"" deal?