The Curse of The Swastika , a classic British Pathe documentary from 1940, illustrates the insidious
rise of the Nazi Party from its post World War One origins through Adolf Hitler s conniving to become
the leader of the party and eventual dictator of his self-styled Third Reich. The twisted logic of the
scapegoating of the Jews, the development of the dreaded Nazi concentration camps, the
construction of the Siegfried Line and the dynamic tensions and botched compromises of all European
inter-war politics that led to the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland before the eventual
declaration of war with the invasion of Poland are all explored. The Battle of the River Plate in
December 1939, the preparedness of French troops for the Battle For France and the sinking of the
Graf Spee by Admiral Harwood and the British Navy feature heavily in this call to arms giving us a
unique slant on the reasons for the start of the Second World War and The Curse of The Swastika.
This historic documentary is accompanied by no less than eight complementary bonus features. Run
Adolf Run is a cartoon poking fun at Adolf Hitler and this is followed by in-depth looks at the
subsequent Nazi annexations and invasions of Germany s neighbouring countries. Finally, as the war
turned against the Nazi War Machine in 1944, there is an in-depth look at the plot to assassinate
Hitler by a group of his own officers.
Bonus Features :-
Run Adolf Run (1 minute)
The Berghoff, Berchtesgaden (1 minute)
Hitler Annexes Czechoslovakia (3 minutes)
The Nazi War Machine (6 minutes)
The Nazis Invade Poland (6 minutes)
Luxembourg And The Netherlands Are Invaded (2 minutes)
The Nazis Invade Belgium And France (3 minutes)
The Hitler Assassination Plot (8 minutes)