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Secrets of War Season 1 Episodes

Season 1 Episode Guide

Season 1

65 Episodes 1998 - 2003

Episode 1

German Intelligence in WWII

Tue, Jul 14, 199852 mins

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.

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Episode 2

The Ultra Enigma

Mon, Feb 2, 199852 mins

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

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Episode 3

Women Spies in World War II

Tue, Jul 28, 199852 mins

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.

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Episode 4

Weapons of the Shadow War

Tue, Aug 4, 199852 mins

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.

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Episode 5

Nazi Gold

Mon, Feb 2, 199860 mins

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.

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Episode 6

The Battle of the Atlantic

Sun, Aug 16, 199852 mins

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.

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Episode 7

Sitzkrieg: The Phony War

Sun, Aug 30, 199852 mins

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.

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Episode 8

The Battle of Britain

Sun, Sep 6, 199852 mins

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.

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Episode 9

Tools of Deception

Tue, Oct 27, 199846 mins

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.

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Episode 10

Rommel's Enigma

Mon, Feb 2, 199852 mins

The 'Desert Fox,' Field Marshal Rommel, seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to allied plans and positions. Charlton Heston narrates an in-depth look into how Rommel's winning streak was broken.

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Episode 11

Secret Weapons of the Third Reich

Mon, Feb 2, 199846 mins

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.

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Episode 12

D-Day Deceptions

46 mins

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.

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Episode 13

The French Resistance

Thu, Mar 9, 200052 mins

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.

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Episode 14

The Invasion of Panama

Mon, Feb 2, 202652 mins

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.

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Episode 15

The Gulf War: Steel Rain

Sun, Feb 1, 199852 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 16

The Gulf War: Secrets in the Sand

Sat, Jan 31, 199852 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 17

Spies in the Sky

Sun, Nov 8, 199852 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 18

Korea: Behind the Bamboo Curtain

Sun, Oct 25, 199852 mins

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.

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Episode 19

Cold War: The Strangelove Factor

Mon, Feb 2, 199852 mins

Russian Nuclear Secrets of the Cold War.

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Episode 20

Korea: Stalin's Secret Air War

Sun, Nov 29, 199852 mins

Highly classified missions over the Yalu set the tenor at the onset of the Cold War. UN pilots battled anti-aircraft fire and a mysterious enemy in the skies over Korea. Discover the secret telegrams that reveal how Stalin had a personal role in the conflict and how Britain unwillingly aided the communists.

Where to Watch

Episode 21

Vietnam: Alpha Strike

Mon, Feb 2, 202652 mins

During the Vietnam War, American pilots fought the enemy in the skies. But were these enemy pilots North Vietnamese? Or from another communist country? With exclusive interviews from North Vietnamese veterans, uncover the truth behind America's secret operations, programs and targets.

Where to Watch

Episode 22

Vietnam: Hidden in Plain Sight

Mon, Feb 2, 202652 mins

In Vietnam, the American Army was struggling to engage an elusive enemy. The Viet Cong would fight and then vanish through discreet tunnel systems in civilian territory. Learn about the Viet Cong's secret methods to hinder America's attempts to seal off South Vietnam and hide in plain sight.

Where to Watch

Episode 23

WWI: Germany's Secret Gambles

Mon, Feb 2, 199852 mins

As the armies of World War One struggled under an onslaught of terrifying weapons, the German government turned to covert operations, such as sabotage, biological weapons, and top secret communications to break the stalemate and issue in a new era of warfare.

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Episode 24

Super Guns

Sun, Dec 27, 199852 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 25

Vietnam: Special Operations

Sun, Jan 3, 199957 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 26

Shadows of the Six Day War

60 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 27

Stalin's Spies

Tue, Feb 2, 199960 mins

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. Narrated by Charlton Heston.

Where to Watch

Episode 28

The O.S.S.

Sun, Jan 24, 199960 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 29

Breaking the Japanese Code

Sun, Sep 19, 199951 mins

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.

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Episode 30

Bio-Chemical Weapons

Sun, Sep 26, 199951 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 31

The Holocaust Secret

Sun, Feb 14, 199951 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 32

Hitler's Secrets

Sun, Feb 21, 199951 mins

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.

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Episode 33

The Hunt for Atomic Secrets

Tue, Feb 2, 199951 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 34

Roosevelt's Spymasters

Sun, Mar 7, 199960 mins

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.

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Episode 35

Japan: The Invasion That Never Was

Sun, Sep 26, 199960 mins

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."

Where to Watch

Episode 36

Israeli Intelligence

Sun, Mar 21, 199960 mins

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."

Where to Watch

Episode 37

Cold War: Inside the CIA

Sun, Nov 8, 199860 mins

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.

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Episode 38

Cold War: Inside the K.G.B.

Mon, Feb 2, 202660 mins

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.

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Episode 39

British Secret Intelligence in WWII

Mon, Feb 2, 199860 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 40

The Wizard War

Mon, Feb 2, 202660 mins

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."

Where to Watch

Episode 41

Battlefield Deceptions

Sun, Apr 25, 199951 mins

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

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Episode 42

Spy Planes

Sun, Dec 26, 199960 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 43

Mao's Secrets

Sun, May 9, 199951 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 44

Churchill's Gambles

Sun, May 16, 199960 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 45

Nazi Propaganda

Sun, May 23, 199951 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 46

The Balkans Tinderbox

Sun, May 30, 199960 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 47

Prisoners of War, Part One - The Barbed Wire Front

52 mins

Whenever prisoners have been taken in wars, many different methods have been and will be used by the captors to elicit whatever truths or information they can obtain. Prisoners, each being comprised of different strengths, weaknesses, and desires to dwell and survive while being held captive.

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Episode 48

Prisoners of War, Part Two - Battle for the Mind

51 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 49

Prisoners of War, Part Three - Code of Conduct

51 mins

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.

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Episode 50

The Cambridge Five

Mon, Feb 5, 200151 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 51

Psychological Warfare

Sun, Jul 4, 199951 mins

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."

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Episode 52

Secret Submarines in WWII

Sun, Jul 11, 199951 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 53

Hirohito's War

Sun, Jan 30, 200050 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 54

Vietnam: Johnson's Battleground

Sun, Jul 25, 199946 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 55

Hitler's Last Days

45 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 56

Cold War: Eisenhower's Operatives

Sun, Feb 1, 199849 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 57

Cold War: The Kennedy Years

Wed, Oct 24, 200145 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 58

Cold War: Nixon's Secrets

Fri, Mar 7, 200345 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 59

Cold War: Khrushchev's Regime

Mon, Feb 2, 202649 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 60

The Gulf War: Architects of Desert Storm

Mon, Feb 2, 1998104 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 61

Cold War: Cuba's Communist Revolution

Sat, Feb 20, 199945 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 62

Mussolini's Henchmen

Sat, Feb 27, 199945 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 63

Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh's Revolution

Wed, Feb 6, 200249 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 64

Cold War: Brezhnev's Kremlin

Mon, Feb 2, 202649 mins

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.

Where to Watch

Episode 65

Gulf War: Iraq's Secrets

Fri, Feb 21, 200346 mins

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.

Where to Watch