Ep 2. Hitler's Evil Scientists

Inside Hitler's Killing Machine is a gripping documentary series that delves deep into the inner workings of the Third Reich's vast machinery of death. In the second episode of season 1, entitled "Hitler's Evil Scientists", viewers are taken on a chilling journey into the twisted minds of the Nazi regime's leading scientific minds.

The show begins by exploring the overall climate of scientific inquiry in Germany in the first half of the 20th century. From the early days of Einstein and Planck to the rise of the Nazi party, the country's scientific establishment was renowned for its groundbreaking research and innovative thinking. We see how the Nazis, with their focus on racial purity and a fanatical belief in their own superiority, were keen to harness this intellectual capital for their own evil purposes.

The episode then moves on to explore some of the key figures in the Nazi scientific machine. We see how the infamous physician Josef Mengele was responsible for carrying out unspeakable medical experiments on innocent prisoners in the concentration camps, including the notorious Auschwitz. We hear from survivors of Mengele's horrific experiments, who recount their experiences of being subjected to everything from forced sterilization to being injected with lethal diseases.

Other key figures in the Nazi scientific machine are also brought to life in vivid detail. We learn about the warped ideology of pseudo-scientist Ernst Rüdin, who was central to the regime's campaign to sterilize "racially inferior" people. We see how the likes of Werner Heisenberg and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, two brilliant nuclear physicists, were both courted by Hitler and eventually came to play a role in the drive to create a nuclear weapon.

Throughout the show, we also hear from a range of experts in the field of Holocaust studies and Nazi history. Archival footage and photos are interspersed with interviews, as the camera takes us on a journey into some of the darkest corners of human history.

One of the key themes that emerges from the episode is the sheer scale of the Nazi scientific machine. From the vast network of concentration camps to the army of researchers and technicians who toiled in laboratories throughout Germany, the Nazis invested huge resources in their quest for technological and scientific domination. We see how this drive for power and control led to the creation of some of the most horrific weapons of war the world has ever seen, from poison gas to the V-2 rocket.

Despite the enormity of the subject matter, the show is skilfully edited and structured, leaving plenty of room for individual interviews and personal stories. We see how the experiences of people like Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, whose family were killed in Auschwitz, are still being felt decades after the end of the war. We hear from experts such as historian David Cesarani, who provides valuable context and analysis of the Nazi obsession with science and technology.

Overall, "Hitler's Evil Scientists" is a harrowing but essential addition to the Inside Hitler's Killing Machine series. By shining a light on some of the most sinister and perverse aspects of the Third Reich's regime, the episode helps to deepen our understanding of how such atrocities could have been committed - and why they must never be repeated.