Episode Description

In this one-hour special, The Story of Fascism in Europe, Rick travels back a century to learn how fascism rose and then fell in Europe — taking millions of people with it.

This special is also available as a pledge event.

Preview

We’ll trace fascism’s history from its roots in the turbulent aftermath of World War I, when masses of angry people rose up, to the rise of charismatic leaders who manipulated that anger, the totalitarian societies they built and the brutal measures they used to enforce their ideology. We’ll see the horrific consequences: genocide and total war. And we’ll be inspired by the stories of those who resisted. Along the way, we’ll visit poignant sights throughout Europe relating to fascism, and talk with Europeans whose families lived through those times.

Our goal: to learn from the hard lessons of 20th-century Europe, and to recognize that ideology in the 21st century.

Rick Steves Special: The Story of Fascism in Europe 1/60 released on September 1, 2018. The pledge event 1/60 released on June 1, 2019.

"Rick Steves’ Fascism in Europe is an excellent film. I didn’t want it to end. His archival research was remarkable. The interviews were compelling, succinct and substantive. Steves’ articulation was strong, as always, and fetching. The story line covered the essentials and connected the dots. The timing and relevance – oh, my! This story might have happened then, but in so many ways it could be about now. This film is stunning! Bold! Courageous! I wish I had done it. If I were the czar of public television, I would order it showcased and repeated."

~Bill Moyer

Images

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Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” (Kehlsteinhaus), Berchtesgaden, Germany

Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” (Kehlsteinhaus), Berchtesgaden, Germany

Rick Steves Special: The Story of Fascism in  Europe / OPB Pressroom

Rick holding a fasces at the Palace of Italian Civilization in the E.U.R. district of Rome

Rick holding a fasces at the Palace of Italian Civilization in the E.U.R. district of Rome

Rick Steves Special: The Story of Fascism in Europe / OPB Pressroom

Mosaics and marble monuments celebrating fascism in Mussolini’s Foro Italico in Rome

Mosaics and marble monuments celebrating fascism in Mussolini’s Foro Italico in Rome

Rick Steves Special: The Story of Fascism in Europe / OPB Pressroom

The Palace of Italian Civilization in the E.U.R. district of Rome

The Palace of Italian Civilization in the E.U.R. district of Rome

Rick Steves Special: The Story of Fascism in Europe / OPB Pressroom

Rick with local expert Francesca Caruso at Mussolini’s Stadio dei Marmi, at the Foro Italico in Rome

Rick with local expert Francesca Caruso at Mussolini’s Stadio dei Marmi, at the Foro Italico in Rome

Rick Steves Special: The Story of Fascism in Europe / OPB Pressroom

For a press release, additional photos and related program materials for Rick Steves Special: The Story of Fascism in Europe, visit Rick's website.