01x01 - Seize Power

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] Absolute power.

Come on. You know you want it.

You just don't know how to get it.

But I do.

There's a playbook.

A series of tactics

that history's most infamous tyrants used

to achieve unimaginable power.

Each in his own unique way.

[theme music plays]

Now, there is one small catch.

This path does involve

making some unpleasant choices.

But nobody said ruling was easy.

Care to look inside?

-[Hitler] Sieg!

-[crowd] Heil!

[narrator] When I say the word "tyrant,"

what comes to mind?

[margin bell dings]

No. Too simple.

[crowd cheering]

[narrator] Tyranny is government

for people who want results.

When you look at human history,

freedom is not the norm.

We love being ruled.

[crowd cheering]

When you're living in a difficult time,

there's an appeal to someone who comes up,

finds their moment, and says,

"I alone can fix it all."

[narrator] History's most

successful tyrants do just that,

transforming their societies

from top to bottom.

By following their path step by step,

you can too!

There's a playbook for tyranny.

If you want to be a tyrant,

you just have to do those few things.

That's it.

[narrator] But before you can do anything,

you need to break out from the crowd

and grab the reins of power.

That's where our story begins,

with the failed landscape artist

who reinvented himself

into the most powerful man on Earth.

-[Hitler] Sieg!

-[crowd] Heil!

[narrator] Here he is. Adolf Hitler.

Just one month

after becoming Germany's absolute ruler.

[speaking German]

[narrator] So, how exactly

did Adolf Hitler become Adolf Hitler?

[trumpet blaring]

And what lessons can you take from him

on your rise to power?

[man] Hitler in his twenties

was a disenchanted, broke,

friendless, failed artist.

I interviewed someone who had met Hitler,

and she said,

"I found him remarkably unimpressive."

"He seemed very weedy.

He had a clammy handshake."

How is it that this man

ends up having this charismatic hold

all over this incredibly large country

in the middle Europe in the 20th century?

[narrator] It's actually quite simple.

If you want to rule,

you first have to believe that you can.

[man 2] Tyrants do have

a kind of megalomaniacal confidence

in their own abilities.

They have to have that.

They often see themselves as liberators.

They are frequently convinced

that only they can save the world

and make the world a better place.

[narrator] In other words,

they're special.

And as you'll see, Hitler wasn't

the only one who felt that way.

Roll the film.

According to North Korean legend,

at the moment of Kim Jong-Il's birth,

a new glowing star lit up the sky,

a double rainbow appeared,

and winter turned into spring.

S*ddam Hussein claimed

that he was anointed by God

to rule Iraq forever

and pointed to the times he escaped death

as proof of his divine favor.

While Haitian dictator

François Duvalier claimed

that he himself was an eternal being

whose voodoo powers

caused the JFK assassination.

Who's to say they didn't?

[ominous music plays]

But where might you find the source

of your otherworldly belief?

[machine g*n fires]

Hitler claimed that he found his

in a most unexpected place.

The blood-soaked trenches of World w*r I.

One day while on duty,

he hears a strange voice with a message.

[man shouting]

[narrator] "Move."

Several of his comrades

are k*lled immediately,

but Hitler emerges without a scratch.

Later, as the w*r nears its end,

Hitler and his unit fall victim

to mustard gas at the Battle of Ypres.

[coughing]

[glass shattering]

[narrator] While recovering

at a nearby hospital,

a pastor gives Hitler the bad news.

World w*r I is over.

Germany has surrendered.

In shock, he completely loses his sight.

A case of hysterical blindness.

Then from the depths of his despair

springs a grand vision

for his nation's future.

From this point forward,

Hitler never doubted his special purpose.

[Waller] Hitler once said famously,

"I walk with the self-assurance

of a sleepwalker toward my destiny."

Once he had his mission for Germany,

he was on autopilot.

Nothing would distract him from that aim.

[narrator] That's the sort of confidence

that any future tyrant needs to get ahead.

Although some might use a different term.

The potential dictator is

usually highly narcissistic.

Believe themselves

to be the center of the universe,

and everything must happen

according to their will.

And this is very different

from ordinary people.

[narrator]

Maybe that's not such a bad thing.

[horse neighing]

But before you can realize your destiny,

you still have

some big challenges to overcome.

For one thing,

you don't have any followers yet.

In order to launch your rise to power,

you'll need a message

that stirs people's souls,

and there's one surefire place to start.

[light music plays]

In a perfect world,

your society wouldn't need to be guided

by the firm hand of a tyrant,

but look around you. People are angry…

[siren wailing]

…and looking for someone to blame.

You're t*rror1st monsters!

The genius is understanding

the nature of the resentment

that already exists…

and presenting yourself

as the means to overcome that,

as the means to get even

with the people that you resent.

[narrator] You want to get your

people's attention? The playbook is clear.

Show them that

their enemies are your enemies…

…and that you are the one

who will take them down.

Like these guys did.

From an early age,

future Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

gave fiery speeches

against the Western-backed monarchy

he called "corrupt,"

and was received as a hero

when he toppled them in a coup.

The father of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung,

came to prominence reminding his people

of the humiliations they suffered

at the hands

of the occupying Japanese Army.

And as Idi Amin rose to power,

he focused

the Ugandan people's frustrations

on their former colonial master, Britain.

We see that they are deposed in Uganda,

that the British imperialism is over.

[crowd cheering]

[machine g*n fires]

After the First World w*r,

Germany has got hyperinflation,

mass unemployment,

and people are taking bucketloads of money

to buy a loaf of bread.

[narrator]

And among Germany's disillusioned masses

is 30-year-old Adolf Hitler,

who was about to take a fateful step

on his path to power.

Munich 1919.

[ambient sounds]

Adolf Hitler is an unemployed artist

with just a few coins in his pocket

and strong opinions

about where everything went wrong

and who to blame.

[ominous music plays]

Hitler gets a job

as an army intelligence officer.

[ambient music and chatter]

His first assignment: observe a meeting

of an anti-Semitic right-wing group

called the German Workers' Party.

Hitler's bosses expect him to lay low,

take notes,

and report back to headquarters.

But Hitler was never great

at taking orders.

[Hitler speaking German]

[narrator] Years of rage

and frustration pour out.

He rails against the Jewish-led conspiracy

holding the proud German people down.

Now before we go on,

I'm going to let this guy tell you

about the conspiracy theory

Hitler was selling.

Hitler says that basically,

the financiers of Wall Street

and the Communists in Moscow

are all one part of the same Jewish plot.

[cackles maniacally]

And it seems absurd, but that's

what Hitler convinces the German people.

[crowd cheering]

[narrator] Absurd or not,

Hitler's words strike a chord.

Now a party member,

Hitler obsessively

perfects his performance.

The content of his speeches was--

A lot of it was hatefulness.

[Hitler shouting in German]

[Ruth] Of the need

to cleanse Germany of Jews.

It was vendetta

against Germany being humiliated.

It was national pride,

that Germany needed to rise again.

[crowd cheering]

[narrator] Before long,

Hitler is named leader of the party,

which takes on a new name.

The National Socialist

German Workers' Party,

otherwise known as "the Nazis."

Hitler now has

a platform to vent his outrage

and a loyal group of followers

hanging on his every word.

[Ruth] Many Germans found that

he was saying what they thought secretly

but had never been able to express.

[speaking German]

[narrator] Why does this work so well?

It's because you are

giving people permission to be themselves.

Common grievance brings people together,

and it feels very good

because you have solidarity,

and you have a strong leader

leading you against that minority

or that threat from the outside.

[narrator] Hard to believe

people would be so quick

to blame others

for their misfortune, right?

Let's not try and make out

that German people in the '20s

are worse people than we are today.

If you feel genuinely

that there's an enemy within,

then you would want your politicians

to do something about it.

It's very easy for us to sit back

and go, "I would never, you know,

fall for the seductive charms

of a tyrant like Hitler."

I promise you you would.

[narrator] But to achieve absolute power,

you'll need more

than a compelling message.

You also have to sell the messenger.

Let the playbook be your guide.

[upbeat piano and violin music plays]

As a tyrant, yours will become

the face of your nation,

and how you present that face

will be all up to you.

But at this early stage of your journey,

the playbook offers very specific advice

on how to fashion your image.

Show your people you are one of them.

Need some examples?

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini

proudly referred to himself

as a "man of the people,"

frequently playing up his humble roots

as the son of a small-town blacksmith.

At the start of his reign,

Idi Amin drove himself

around Uganda in an open Jeep

and was known for showing off

his accordion skills in public events.

While Muammar Gaddafi publicly

stayed in touch with his Bedouin roots

by dressing in tribal robes and demanding

to stay in a tent when he traveled.

[operatic music plays]

Who better to make

a nation's dreams come true

than somebody who feels what they feel,

dreams what they dream?

[Waller]

It's a hallmark of successful tyrants

that they achieve this fusion

between themselves and the masses.

They come forward and say,

"I am you. You are me."

"We're a kind of collective organism."

Hitler often used

to say this in his speeches.

[Hitler on radio] I am only interested

in the German people alone.

I only belong to them alone.

For these German people I give of myself.

[narrator] Now when you're setting

yourself up as a "man of the people,"

it's the little things

that make all the difference.

[woman] Hitler didn't dress up

in a lavish fashion.

He always wore a uniform.

The fact that he came out of the trenches

in the First World w*r

believing that w*r makes a man,

you realize it was really important

for wooing the masses

and solidifying his support.

[narrator] So what about that…

-[bell dings]

-…mustache?

[Guy] The mustache metamorphosizes

from this very sort of long thing

that you see in the First World w*r

in earlier images of Hitler.

[narrator] Something compelled him

to change up his look.

One theory is

that he trimmed his deluxe Kaiser Wilhelm

during the w*r to fit under a gas mask.

Another is that he was using his razor

to copy a contemporary German hero,

Hans Koeppen.

Maybe Hitler wasn't thinking

about shaving his way into immortality.

But sometimes, a future tyrant

just gets lucky.

[Guy] It ends up becoming

the classic toothbrush mustache,

which was used by lower-middle-class men

throughout Europe.

So what Hitler was showing,

"I am from this kind of background."

[narrator] Now that you've cemented

your bond with the common people,

you might be feeling like

your date with destiny is at hand,

but not so fast.

If you wanna make history,

you'll need to grab people

at an even deeper level.

Their subconscious.

[machine g*n fires]

[Wendy] Coming out

of these beer halls in the 1920s,

the n*zi party is growing,

but there were dozens

of these right-wing parties

vying for control.

[narrator] Like with any product,

for your budding movement

to break from the pack,

you'll need a great marketing strategy.

[man] 192 thousand bottles

march through here every day.

[narrator]

And Hitler was a natural-born ad man.

[man] It's almost as

if the machine gives them life,

turns them into symbols of ourselves,

queuing up for the future,

moved by forces beyond our control,

getting on board

for a destination that remains vague.

Hitler knew the power of the image.

He recognized the power of branding.

You didn't just have to have the man,

but you also had to have

the iconography to go with it.

[narrator] And when it comes to symbols,

you have to admit

this one is pretty powerful.

[upbeat music plays]

There is almost no more famous brand

than the swastika

in a white circle on a red banner.

It is probably still the most potent icon

that's ever existed on this planet.

[narrator] But as compelling

as the right symbol can be,

your real power is your people,

and they need to be dressed

for your success.

[camera shutter snapping]

Hitler put this page of the playbook

into action with his brown shirt militia.

[Wendy]

That very act of obtaining the uniform

and being part of something

greater than yourself,

being part of a movement,

was very significant

in the kind of German psyche.

That uniform that meant sacrifice,

that meant duty,

that meant obedience and loyalty.

[classical music plays]

[narrator] In other words,

when you're wearing a uniform,

it means you're on the team.

-[indistinct announcement]

-[cheering]

And who doesn't wanna be on the team?

Conformity is definitely

one of the chief goals

that tyrants strive for.

The reason they sometimes succeed,

shockingly, is that they're able

to convince their followers

that this isn't really conformity,

it's unity.

[narrator] By branding and unifying

your growing movement,

it will soon become impossible to ignore.

[crowd cheering]

[Hitler speaking German]

[Guy] Hitler draws people in

through that political pageantry.

With swastikas,

marching people in uniforms,

torch-lit rallies, powerful speeches,

you're gonna be tempted.

If we're all going to be in it together

and we're all gonna take part

in this play, let's join in.

[narrator] Sounds fun.

But just because you're offering

a good show and a sharp look

doesn't mean

your rise to power is at hand.

You're going to need

to scale up your operation.

And the right staffing decisions

will make all the difference.

Heil!

[all] Heil!

-[n*zi leader] Heil!

-[all] Heil!

Nobody… nobody governs alone.

Not Idi Amin,

not Louis XIV who said "L'etat c'est moi,"

"I am the state."

Nobody rules alone.

[narrator] When it comes to seizing power,

you'll need a team you can trust

to amplify your message

and watch your back.

To prove my point,

Moammar Gaddafi's inner circle

of fellow army officers

helped him launch his coup

against the Libyan King

and form the government

he would run for over 40 years.

S*ddam Hussein relied on

direct family members

or members of his tribe

as his main base of support

throughout his reign.

Joseph Stalin elevated key supporters

inside the Soviet Central Committee,

which allowed him

to eventually purge his rivals

and seize total control.

But when you're building a team

to secure power in the first place,

not just anyone will fit the bill.

Like every leader,

you need people with a diverse skill set

who can bring your vision to life.

An expert organizer to help run

and expand your movement efficiently.

A ruthless military man

who can enlist others

to violently enforce your whims.

A trusty assistant

to maintain your busy schedule

and record your pearls of wisdom

for posterity,

and a decorated hero

to help you impress

the deep-pocketed elites

because revolution isn't cheap.

And, of course, you always have

to keep your eyes open for new talent.

But as your movement grows,

some might be tempted

to challenge your authority.

So never forget

the one requirement that stands above all.

What you want is people

who you can count on to be loyal.

[narrator] And for that,

Hitler could always count on this guy,

who became his most loyal follower of all.

Joseph Goebbels.

Goebbels adored Hitler.

He heard Hitler speak at an event

and became enamored

and just said, "Okay. He is the one."

Goebbels understood

the power of modern media,

of cinema, of controlling the media,

and he understood the power

of just hammering and repetition.

Joseph Goebbels

became his propaganda chief.

[speaking German]

[narrator] Sure, talent is great.

But what really matters is

that your followers always put you first,

even when things get really bad.

Goebbels was such a true believer.

At the end in a bunker in 1945,

he and his wife

poisoned their own six children,

and then he poisoned himself,

because he could not imagine

a world without Hitler.

[narrator] Now, that's loyalty.

If you've been following

the playbook's guide to seizing power,

you've identified your divine mission,

tapped into your people's anger,

crafted an "every man" image,

and branded an unforgettable identity

for your movement.

And now you have

a loyal inner circle rarin' to go.

But to take that final step of power,

you still need

an opening to take your shot.

And when it does arrive,

you better not miss.

[loud crash]

As pressure mounts to seize your moment,

timing is everything.

You have to have

a cobra-like patience before you pounce.

The ability to play a long game, to wait.

[narrator] Trust me.

Your patience will be rewarded.

Let me show you.

When S*ddam Hussein was

Iraq's vice president,

he spent a decade building

a secret service loyal to him

before using it

to help seize power from his boss.

Joseph Stalin spent seven long years

cozying up to Lenin

before the father of Russia

finally put him in charge.

Uganda's Idi Amin

patiently stacked the army

with members of his tribe, the Kakwa,

who then helped him topple the president.

Hitler almost blew his shot

by ignoring this lesson

and jumping the g*n.

[machine g*n fires]

[Guy] The Beer Hall Putsch.

[machine g*n fires]

Hitler mounts

this kind of crazy, half-baked coup,

essentially tries to lead the mob of Nazis

down the streets of Munich

and trying to seize

Bavarian political leaders,

hold them hostage,

force them to relinquish power.

There's lots of miscommunication.

They eventually leave the beer hall,

and then they're fired upon by the police.

It's a huge error.

Hitler gets sent to Landsberg Prison.

He's written off

by the press all around the world.

There's this classic cutting

in the New York Times, which says,

"It is expected that Herr Hitler

will shortly retire from public life."

[narrator] And so he does,

never to be heard from again.

[vaudeville music plays]

[narrator] Oh, right.

[Guy] He's there with one

of his most loyal acolytes, Rudolf Hess.

And it's Hess who convinced him

to start getting down

his kind of manifesto.

And this manifesto, of course,

becomes this book Mein Kampf,

"My Struggle."

[narrator]

And yet setting his goals to paper

and getting released from jail

after nine months

did not immediately

turn around Hitler's fortunes.

Things actually got worse.

[upbeat music plays]

[Wendy] The Roaring '20s was a time

of free expression and opportunities.

The way people were dressing

and their lifestyles,

and women were more liberated.

That was exciting!

[narrator] Hardly.

The last thing you want as

an aspiring tyrant is a happy population.

[Wendy]

The '20s were quiet years for Hitler.

It was a political struggle.

[narrator] But luckily,

the good times don't last forever.

In October 1929,

the US Stock Exchange crashes,

and markets around the world follow suit.

Shortly after the Depression hit,

that's when the n*zi party took off.

[Wendy] Before the Great Depression,

it was not a foregone conclusion

that they were going to be

the dominant party.

July '32 was the peak moment of popularity

of the n*zi party at 37%,

so Hitler actually is

appointed chancellor.

[machine g*n fires]

[crowd cheering]

Hitler's seizure of power

when he comes into office

as chancellor is not absolute.

He's not head of state.

There's still a president above him.

He's got to start taking opportunities

that are gonna strengthen

his grip on power.

[narrator] Nothing says opportunity

like a good crisis.

[thunder rumbling]

The Reichstag fire enabled him to pounce.

[narrator] What could be worse

than seeing the heart

of your government burning to the ground?

Yet when Hitler arrives on the scene,

he seems less shocked than oddly inspired.

"You're now witnessing the beginning

of a new era in German history,"

he tells a reporter.

He speeds to the offices

of the n*zi party's official newspaper

and works until dawn.

The next day, Hitler's headline

blames communists for the Reichstag arson.

Some have

a different theory of what happened.

They believe

that it was actually n*zi operatives

answering to Hitler himself

who set the blaze

in order to increase

sympathies for their cause.

Ignoring the whispers,

Hitler demands the government ministers

sign an emergency decree he's cooked up,

turning Germany into a police state

under n*zi control,

then takes it

to President Paul von Hindenburg.

Von Hindenburg is no match

for Hitler's will

or the swirling national crisis.

The official decree gives Hitler

sweeping power to imprison opponents,

dissolve every political party

but the Nazis, and muzzles the press.

Hitler was looking for an opportunity

to end civil liberties

and crush the opposition,

and he found it.

Potential dictators instinctively know

that when people are threatened,

they look

for strong authoritarian leadership

and support a strong man.

[narrator] The stage is set,

and now it's only a matter of time.

Seventeen months later,

von Hindenburg dies,

and Adolf Hitler becomes

both chancellor and president of Germany,

just 16 years after realizing his destiny

in the trenches of World w*r I,

and he's just getting started.

To those who have made it this far,

congratulations!

You've built a movement

and seized the reins of power.

But now for the bad news.

You're not the underdog anymore.

You're the man,

and that means

there's a giant target on your back.

So how do you consolidate power

and keep your rivals in check?

As you continue your tyrant's journey,

let S*ddam Hussein answer the question

on the minds of every new

and vulnerable tyrant.

How do you keep the wolves at bay?

[theme music plays]