MILITARY CHANNEL'S NEW SERIES "NAZI COLLABORATORS" UNCOVERS THE UNTOLD STORIES OF THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOCKINGLY SIDED WITH THE THIRD REICH
- NAZI COLLABORATORS premieres on Tuesday, October 4 at 10 PM ET -
(Silver Spring, MD) - History at times prefers to forget, write off or cover up stories that are too embarrassing or too inconvenient for some. But Military Channel's compelling new series NAZI COLLABORATORS sheds light on the individuals and organizations outside of the Third Reich that assisted - knowingly or unknowingly - the Nazis in their evil quest to conquer Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This series exposes the truths behind the often overlooked stories of World War II, including Jewish political leaders who helped manage the relocation of fellow Jews from the Polish ghettos to concentration camps; puppet "fuehrers" in occupied territories like Croatia, Holland and Belgium; as well as the shocking alliance between Germany and the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which subscribed to the belief that their enemy's enemy is their friend in the struggle against Britain. While historians debate the rationales of these collaborators, which ranged from self-preservation to twisted reasoning of faith, all of them contributed to the Nazis' deadly war efforts. Featuring rare footage from that terrifying era, contemporary interviews with eyewitnesses and historians, and historic reconstructions to illustrate key events, NAZI COLLABORATORS premieres on Tuesday, October 4 at 10 PM ET on the Military Channel.
"Many of these stories have been passed over by history, but NAZI COLLABORATORS brings to light the startling partnerships forged in the wake of the Third Reich's devastating hunger for power," said Ed Hersh, senior vice president of content strategy for Military Channel. "These stories range from the heartbreaking to the infuriating, but all of them deliver on the Military Channel's promise to expand our viewers' understanding of the events and people who shaped the world we live in today."
NAZI COLLABORATORS features 13 episodes including:
· THE IRA CONSPIRACY - Tuesday, October 4 at 10 PM ET
The Irish Republican Army's collaborated with the Nazis on an audacious plan for an invasion that would topple the British government.
· TRAITOR IN CHIEF - Tuesday, October 11 at 10 PM ET
Pierre Laval was the French Prime Minister who turned on his nation, pledged his allegiance to the Nazis, and ultimately paid the price for his treachery.
· HITLER'S INSIDE MAN - Tuesday, October 18 at 10 PM ET
Chaim Rumkowski was considered a traitor after he was handpicked to lead the Jewish council governing the Lodz ghetto and assisted the Nazis with the sinister logistics of the Final Solution.
· JEWS WHO FOUGHT FOR HITLER - Tuesday, October 25 at 10 PM ET
Facing discrimination or worse, many Germans who were considered to have Jewish ancestry chose to go along with the Nazis and risk their own lives for Adolf Hitler.
· HITLER OR DEATH - Tuesday, November 1 at 10 PM ET
Belgian Leon Degrelle was a strong supporter of Hitler and ended up betraying everything that he once believed in - his faith, his country and his people.
· HITLER'S EXECUTIONERS - Tuesday, November 8 at 10 PM ET
The awful truth is that some of the worst offenders responsible for the Holocaust were not German, and few were worse than the Latvian Viktor Arajs, who formed his own unit known as Arajs Kommando and assisted with the genocide of over 30,000 Latvian Jews.
· BEAST OF THE BALKANS - Tuesday, November 15 at 10 PM ET
The Croatian fascist movement was established by the Nazis as the puppet regime controlling the "independent" state of Croatia and devoted members like Dinko Sakic oversaw brutal concentration camps.
· HITLER'S PATSY - Tuesday, November 22 at 10 PM ET
Vidkun Quisling was the self-proclaimed Norweigan Fuehrer, whose loyalty paved the way for a quick political rise, but whose incompetence led to a hard and much faster fall.
· GOD OR EVIL - Tuesday, November 29 at 10 PM ET
Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, met with Hitler to discuss how Germany might help with the creation of a Palestinian homeland free of British rule.
· THE ZEALOT - Tuesday, December 6 at 10 PM ET
Anton Adriaan Mussert was leader of the Dutch Nazi Party and used by Hitler's appointed Reichskommisar to rally support for the Nazi cause in Holland.
· THE DEVIL'S DUE - Tuesday, December 13 at 10 PM ET
The Greek government was completely subordinate to the Nazi occupation authorities and, while the country's resistance movement was legendary, many assisted in the Nazis' efforts to perpetuate the Holocaust.
· HITLER'S KILLER POLICE - Tuesday, December 20 at 10 PM ET
When the Nazis entered Ukraine and Lithuania, they were often greeted as liberators from Soviet occupation, and these countries proved to be fertile grounds to recruit militia units for some of Adolf Hilter's atrocities.
· THE GREAT DECEIVERS - Tuesday, December 27 at 10 PM ET
After Finland defended itself from Stalin and did not receive support from Britain and France, the Finnish leaders had to turn to Nazi Germany for assistance as "co-belligerents" against Russia.
NAZI COLLABORATORS is produced by WMR Productions and IMG Entertainment with Matthew Barrett as executive producer. For Military Channel, John Terp is producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Ed Hersh is senior vice president of content strategy, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.
About Military Channel
The Military Channel brings viewers compelling, real-world stories of heroism, military strategy, and significant turning points in history. Currently available in more than 57 million homes, the network takes viewers "behind the lines" to hear the personal stories of servicemen and women and offers in-depth explorations of military training, aviation technology and cutting-edge weaponry. As the only cable network devoted to military subjects, it also provides unique access to this world, allowing viewers to understand the full spectrum of experiences intrinsic to the armed forces, as well as the long-held traditions of the military. For more information, please visit military.discovery.com.
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