After the invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II, little initially changed in the private lives of the Nazi leaders. Following public appearances, Hitler repeatedly retreated to his "Inner Circle" at the Berghof on the Obersalzberg. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of European Jews were deported to extermination camps in the East and lived in concentration camps like Buchenwald. There, terror and murder reigned. Commandant Karl Otto Koch led a bourgeois life nearby with his wife Ilse – his children played right next door to the horrors of the camp.

Hitler's health deteriorates; he becomes increasingly ill and lethargic. He more and more frequently undergoes questionable treatments from his personal physician, Morell, who administers stimulant drug cocktails. Hermann Göring is barely sane due to his morphine addiction. While the Reichsmarschall loses influence, Joseph Goebbels revels in his new role as "home front dictator," organizing "total war." When the situation becomes hopeless, Hitler retreats with his entourage to the Führerbunker in Berlin and orchestrates his ignominious end.