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Documentary
Learn how six dictators, from Mussolini to Saddam Hussein, shaped the 20th century. How did they seize and lose power? What forces were against them? Learn the answers in these six immersive hours, each a revealing portrait of brutality and power.
A look at the methods used by Kim il Sung to transform North Korea into the most controlled society on Earth. After taking power in 1950, Kim's regime attempted to shape every aspect of its citizens' lives, down to their very perception of reality. Today, his grandson Kim Jung Un maintains the family tradition of wielding absolute power and brainwashing citizens to believe that the Kims are gods, and that they live in a paradise on Earth.
An examination of the techniques and tactics Saddam Hussein used to rise from a low level enforcer to become the supreme leader of Iraq. Through his brutal use of violence, intimidation and torture Saddam Hussein managed to rule the nation for nearly a quarter of a century until he was finally deposed by US forces during the Invasion of Iraq in 2003. Few dictators loom so large in recent history.
A study of the methods used by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini to rise to power and turn Italy into the first fascist state. A master of propaganda, he dubbed himself "Il Duce" (the leader) and delivered bombastic speeches in which he idealized a fascist culture and promised to return Italy to the grandeur of Ancient Rome. Instead he created a one-party dictatorship and kept his grip on power for two long decades.
A study of the methods used by Manuel Noriega to rise from poverty to become dictator of Panama for six tumultuous years in the 1980s. As Chief of Intelligence he was the most feared man in Panama. He developed connections inside and outside the country that made him rich, powerful, and a key ally of the US in the region, while also working for Fidel Castro and the Medellin drug cartel, among others.
An exploration of the methods and tactics of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, who controlled Spain with absolute power for four decades. Employing violence and terror learned in colonial warfare, Franco led the 1936 military coup that overthrew the legitimately elected government and went on to rule the nation as his personal fiefdom until his death in 1975. The mass graves of his victims are being exhumed to this day.
A look at the techniques used by Idi Amin to rise from humble beginnings and build a powerful dictatorship in Uganda. Amin became an expert at deploying military force to achieve political power, a lesson he first learned from the British as a soldier in the colonial army. Through a combination of populist charm and brutal violence, backed up by a vast police state, Idi Amin managed to rule Uganda for eight years.
Narrator
Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, after his March on Rome. He would hold it in his grasp until his death in 1945, establishing a dictatorship that lasted more than 20 years. Long considered a buffoon and a second-rate dictator, Il Duce invented fascism that was imitated by Hitler, who viewed the Italian as his political master. He wanted to transform his country into a warrior nation and promised Italians a return to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. He governed by violence and trickery and was one of the first populist leaders of modern times, leading his country into the catastrophe of the World War II. But who was Mussolini, this former teacher who came from the extreme left to become a newspaper editor and creator of the Fascist Party? Why did he ally himself with Hitler? Were the Italians really behind him? With archives and interviews with the last-surviving witnesses of the era, this portrait takes a look back at one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century.
Enredos da Liberdade – O Grito do Samba Pela Democracia is a Brazilian documentary series available on Globoplay that delves into the pivotal role of samba schools during Brazil's transition from military dictatorship to democracy in the 1980s. Spanning five episodes, the series showcases how samba-enredo compositions became powerful tools of political resistance, addressing themes like censorship, economic hardship, and racial inequality. Through rare archival footage and interviews with prominent figures such as Martinho da Vila, Leci Brandão, and Rosa Magalhães, the documentary highlights the creative defiance of these cultural institutions. Each episode concludes with a reimagined performance of a significant samba, featuring artists like Teresa Cristina and Mart’nália, underscoring the enduring impact of these musical expressions in Brazil's democratic journey.
Inside the minds of the heartless, corrupt, and cruel individuals who've seized control of their country through the infliction of appalling pain on their fellow man. From Kim Jong-il, to Osama Bin Laden, to Hitler, uncover the madness behind the merciless dictators responsible for unimaginable human atrocities that still haunt the world.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC is the protector of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the military arm of the Supreme Leader. Also known as the Pasdaran, this deep-state mafia comprising 120,000 men has extensive powers, ensuring bloody repression of the people. No strangers to smuggling and trafficking, the IRGC’s economic empire is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The Supreme Leader Khomeini has allowed the organization to infiltrate the state and its members are now mayors, members of parliament and ministers, cultivating their networks at the highest levels. The IRGC is responsible for Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and cultivates not only the art of deterrence, but also a strategy of asymmetrical warfare via the militias and terrorist organizations they finance, arm, and control across the Middle East.
In the past, there was only one path to success in Mexican politics: the path of the PRI. But the PRI is not just a political party; it is the institution that shaped Mexico's public and political behavior. It survived armed uprisings, student movements, economic crises, electoral defeats, and corruption scandals, but it was arrogance, corruption, inconsistency, and abuse of power that ultimately brought it down.
