Executioners of 20th Century
3 Episodes
Behind every regime stood men who ensured its punishments were carried out. Some believed they served law, others ideology, but all shared one thing: they turned death into their daily duty. This collection tells the stories of the 20th century’s executioners, men who claimed to follow orders, but whose hands carried out justice, revenge, and mass retribution across a century of war.
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13:01Episode 1The Hangman of Nuremberg: John C. Woods
Episode 1
He lied his way into the hangman’s job. He botched executions. He smiled as men struggled for life at the end of a rope. At Nuremberg, John C. Woods became infamous for delivering slow and agonizing deaths to Nazi war criminals. But who was he—and why did he take pleasure in killing?
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The Nazi Regime’s Executioner: Johann Reichhart
Episode 2
This episode uncovers the chilling life of Johann Reichhart, one of the most prolific executioners of the 20th century—a man who served both the Weimar Republic, the Nazi regime, and later even the U.S. military authorities in post-war Germany. From his beginnings in a family of executioners to h...
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Stalin’s Deadliest Executioner of 7,000 in 28 Days: Vasily Blokhin
Episode 3
Vasily Blokhin, Stalin’s chief executioner, personally killed over 7,000 Polish prisoners in 28 nights during the Katyn Massacre. He killed in silence, hidden from the public eye — yet Vasily Blokhin’s body count is unmatched. Armed with a pistol and total impunity, he executed thousands, setti...
