Secrets of War

- Season 1

(1998)

Nazi Commanders, Reinhard Heydrich and Wilhelm Canaris were the top two spymasters in the Third Reich; rivals who were masked in mystery and sworn to secrecy. But in the end, one man would kill for Hitler and the other man would betray him.

Story of the Enigma Machine, the cracking of the Enigma codes and British disinformation campaigns.

Women became unlikely heroes who fought behind enemy lines in every conflict of WWII. Female spies unearthed secrets, supported the French Resistance and destroyed the morale of the enemy. Many have sacrificed and paid the ultimate price in order to provide the Allies with confidential intelligence.

They were the weapons of fantasy and of terror. Born of great desperation and used under the cover of darkness, special tools of spies and espionage agents delivered war to the heart of the enemy on the shadowy, invisible battleground.

Priceless art, personal assets and national treasuries was an extraordinary amount of loot, prized by Hitler as much as territory. Learn more about the Nazis and their heavily organized plunder of these riches that would ultimately become the most gigantic heist in history.

The Battle of the Atlantic pitted Germany's lethal U-boat fleet against every weapon the Allies could muster to protect their vital supply routes to Great Britain. Learn more about the code breaking and code stealing that took place during the longest and most crucial battle in WWII.

Sworn to Secrecy examines the Sitzkrieg or "Phony War" of World War II. After Hitler's invasion of Poland, the Western Allies and Nazi Germany were technically at war. For seven months, however, neither side engaged in major military land operations.

June, 1940. England fights alone against aggressive brutal attacks. The Germans have yet to be stopped in their lightning plunge across Europe. The British are outnumbered, but they have a secret weapon four years in the making.

Deception is a device used to confuse an enemy, forcing him into making a fatal mistake. From decoy tanks and phony radio broadcasts, to the spy whose lies led Hitler to his own downfall, these special tools can be the most deadly weapons of all.

The Desert Fox outfoxed by the Ultra secret.

The Third Reich built weapon systems that were far beyond anything the Allies had or could have imagined in World War II. From operational jet planes to guided missiles and smart bombs, these weapons could have altered the outcome of the war; if only they were deployed properly.

As the future of Europe and the world hung in the balance, an intricate web of lies tied up German army divisions across Europe concealing the greatest assembly of men and machines in military history that led to the most critical battle in WWII, D-Day. Learn more about the tools of deception used that made the invasion of France a success.

Sworn to Secrecy examines the French Resistance. After Nazi Germany's invasion and capture of France, brave French citizens take it upon themselves to wage a guerrilla campaign against their occupiers. Eventually they play a role in assisting the Allies and help to liberate their country from the Germans.

Learn more about the classified mission to rescue an American hostage and the man hunt for a dictator that led to the boldest US military strike since Vietnam, the surprise invasion of Panama in December of 1989.

Uncover the best kept secrets of the air campaign in the Gulf War. From the classified spy plane missions to the clever use of deception, learn more about the controversial yet strategic plans to destroy Iraqi targets.

From the German undercover agent who worked for Iraq, to the discreet role of the U-2 spy plane and the hunt for mobile scud missile launchers, discover the real stories of Secret Operations and spies behind enemy lines in the Gulf War.

From primitive balloons to supersonic spy planes and amazingly sophisticated satellites, get an insider's look at the pioneers of aerial reconnaissance and the profound impact they have had on modern warfare.

Learn more about newly discovered documents that revealed Stalin's influence over China's Mao Tse Tung and Korea's Kim El Sung and the other hidden factors behind the first conflict of the Cold War.

Russian Nuclear Secrets of the Cold War.

Discover the secret telegrams that reveal how Stalin had a personal role in air battles with UN pilots and how Britain unwillingly aided the communists.

During the Vietnam War, American pilots fought the enemy in the skies. But were these enemy pilots North Vietnamese? Or from another communist country?

In Vietnam, the American Army was struggling to engage an elusive enemy. Learn about the Viet Cong's secret methods to hinder America's attempts to seal off South Vietnam.

As the armies of World War One struggled under an onslaught of terrifying weapons, the German government broke the stalemate and issued in a new era of warfare by turning to covert operations.

From Germany's Big Bertha in World War One to Iraq's top secret Project Babylon, secret cannons designed to hit their targets miles away, handheld rifles that packed the power of the atom and super guns designed to launch satellites into space have become the ultimate projection of force.

As regular American units fought under rules of engagement enforced by their political leaders, unconventional Special Forces fought classified battles, often "across the fence". Learn how their covert missions were carried out in North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The Six Day War was a battle no one really wanted, and a victory far greater than anyone expected. Israel, outnumbered and outgunned, fought on the field of espionage. Take an insider's look into how secret agents gathered vital information for a daring first strike and crafted an ingenious plan to capture a Russian jet.

Richard Sorge, a German journalist and communist tasked to set up a spy ring in 1930s Tokyo, and Leopold Trepper, a successful construction company head who secretly led the Red Orchestra communist spy network from Nazi-occupied Paris, were just two of Kremlin's numerous top spy operatives loyal to ultimately just one man, Joseph Stalin, a paranoid dictator of USSR who spied as intensely on his Allies as he did on his enemies. Features exclusive interviews with former NKVD intelligence officers and other eyewitnesses to the most ruthless dictator of the 20th century. ...

The story of the formation of the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor to the CIA. From the recruitment and training of secret agents to undercover missions, OSS agents played an important role on the "Invisible Battlefield" in WWII.

The story of America's code-breaking efforts against seemingly impenetrable secret Japanese military and diplomatic communications. The heroic struggle of Army code-breakers, headed by William Friedman, and the Navy's secret "on-the-roof-gang" help win the Battle of the Pacific.

Get a closer look at chemical and biological agents, the deadliest of secret weapons. From mustard gas artillery shells used along the trenches in WWI to the U. S. gas stockpiles in the Pacific during WWII, to the Iraqi gassing of the Kurds, chemical warfare has long been buried in a cover of secrecy.

An examination of one of the burning questions of WWII: How did the Nazi's hide their atrocities and what did the Allies know as the "final solution" was implemented across Europe? Secret documents, messages and cables shed new light on one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.

From his "grand deception" against Stalin to his spy operations in America, Adolf Hitler shared many secrets with his intelligence masters. An examination of Hitler and the eventual betrayal of his chief spymaster.

The all-important race to develop an atomic bomb led to some of the most daring Russian spy operations in the United States. Exclusive interviews with Russian agents detail the inside story of the Soviet atomic spy ring.

Go behind the scenes of FDR's use of political and military intelligence operatives. From O.S.S. chief William Donovan to the scheming Switzerland-based Allen Dulles, learn how American spymasters helped Roosevelt keep an eye on his enemies.

The secret US plan for the invasion of Japan was shrouded in secrecy. It was anticipated to be the most horrific battle of the war with hundreds of thousands of casualties. New revelations detail manipulated casualty figures and secret plans to stockpile gas weapons as the US prepared for "hell on earth."

In a constant war of survival, the state of Israel commissioned super sleuths for military intelligence, kidnappings, assassinations and hostage rescues. From retributions against ex-Nazis after WWII to the establishment of the Mossad, an inside look at "Israeli intelligence."

An inside perspective on the CIA agency and its secret missions throughout the Cold War. From revolutionary coups and election rigging to embassy spying, the West employed the CIA in controversial ways to win the Cold War.

Untold stories behind the headlines in the unseen Cold War battles between Western intelligence agencies and the KGB. Features exclusive interviews and new revelations about the KGB's missions and tactics.

They were the English spies before "James Bond." They operated in the shadows with innocuous names like the Special Operations Executive, MI-5 and MI-6, but their missions were deadly serious. Amazing facts that are stranger than fiction in the storied history of Britain's intelligence service during the Second World War.

Secrets from the electronic battlefield. From the "Battle of the Beams" in WWII, to the evolution of weapons guidance and the blinding effects of electronic jamming, a look at the quest to dominate the "electromagnetic spectrum."

From rubber tanks and camouflage to booby traps and tactical manoeuvers of deception, the role "trickery" plays on the modern battlefield.

An examination of the secret deployment of modern aircraft designed to spy from the sky. From remotely piloted vehicles on today's battlefield to the venerable U-2 and the SR-71, spy planes have long been vital to surveillance and espionage.

The roots of China's conflict with Taiwan go back to WWII. While the Allied and Axis powers battled for control of Europe, China's Chiang Kai-Shek and his US-backed State Police fought a bloody secret war against Mao Tse-tung's Soviet trained and financed army.

An inside look at the man who, more than any of his contemporaries, embraced secret intelligence operations, deception and code-breaking as viable instruments of modern war.

Behind the Nazi war machine was a well-crafted secret propaganda campaign aimed at Germans and foreigners. From newsreels and newspapers to well choreographed spectacles, Nazi propaganda laid the foundation early on for war and retribution in Europe.

A look at the secret forces behind the strife throughout the Balkan States. From a single gunshot in Sarajevo that started WWI to the Nazi occupation in WWII, to "ethnic cleansing" and the war in Kosovo, this volatile region has long been a threat to the peace of Europe.

Examines the treatment of prisoners of war early in the 20th century. From capture to interrogation and internment, the fate of thousands of WWI prisoners was determined by their captors off the battlefield.

Examines the treatment of prisoners of war on both sides during WWII. From interrogation to housing to repatriation, civilian and military POWs were often used as pawns between warring nations.

From brainwashing in Korea to courageous acts of heroism in Vietnam and the Gulf War, a unique examination of POWs, their families, and their secrets.

They were five disillusioned young men studying at Cambridge University in the 1930's when they were secretly recruited by Soviet agents. They went on to become the most successful spies of the 20th century, penetrating both American and British governments at the highest levels.

The soldiers who employ "Psy Ops" use every means available to destroy the will of the enemy to resist. This episode explores the secret tools and techniques of wartime "persuasion."

From silent one-man midget subs to U-boats on secret missions, both sides used secret submersibles of all shapes and sizes to conduct clandestine warfare in the war. An examination of the murky world of underwater "sneak craft" in WWII.

Japanese tradition made him a god, but Japanese law made him Commander in Chief of the Japanese Armed Forces. Never tried for war crimes or even interrogated, Hirohito was an enigmatic figure from Pearl Harbor to his secret role in the surrender of Japan.

The war behind the war in Vietnam - the critical struggle over public opinion. Secret Vietnamese strategies were designed to sabotage American morale, while Lyndon Johnson's White House attempted to keep the support of U. S. citizens.

Secret Nazi attempts to turn the tide of war as Berlin crumbled. Joseph Goebbel's diaries provide a fresh understanding of life inside Hitler's bunker in the final days of the Reich.

The Supreme Allied Commander of World War Two relied on the covert arm of the CIA to an unprecedented scale during his presidency. From his education on clandestine warfare from Winston Churchill to CIA missions all over the world, Eisenhower unleashed his operatives like no other U.S. leader.

This youngest of American presidents took over in the most tense period of the Cold War. The stories from within the White House, on the front lines of CIA operations in Cuba and in the espionage capital of Berlin.

The story behind Richard Nixon's resounding triumphs and crushing defeats. Included are his stinging investigation of alleged communist Alger Hiss, the covert missions carried out during his presidency in Vietnam and the secrets behind his foreign policy victories with China and the Soviet Union.

Although he tried to distance himself from Stalin's ruthless regime, Khrushchev brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. A look at the Cuban Missile Crisis from the Soviet point of view, as well as brutal repressions in Poland and Hungary against Communist resistors.

The top-secret planning behind the Coalition's victory over Iraq. How former CIA director President George Bush, General Norman Schwarzkopf, General Colin Powell and others gathered and analyzed the crucial information needed to develop their deceptive and overwhelming battlefield strategy in the Persian Gulf.

From CIA assassination attempts foiled by Cuban Intelligence agents to Castro's secret pacts with the Soviets and his survival after the Cold War, a look at one of the most enduring revolutionaries of the twentieth century.

An inside look at fascist Italy. Starting with Mussolini's rise to power, the unknown stories of the shadowy figures who protected "Il Duce" and the tenuous Axis relationship with Nazi Germany.

The secrets behind Ho Chi Minh's control of Vietnam and his ability to force the Japanese, the French and the Americans out of his country during his three decade reign.

Before Leonid Brezhnev signed nuclear arms reduction agreements with the West, he led the Soviets into one conflict after another - from Soviet involvement in Vietnam and its role in Arab-Israeli conflicts to the untold stories of the invasion of Afghanistan.

Saddam Hussein used cunning and deception to befriend the West, before turning his back. He has risked everything to secretly develop his weapons of mass destruction, including the welfare of his own people.