Presented by Alan Yentob, the return of the BBC One’s flagship arts strand opens with a remarkable two part special, The Art That Hitler Hated. These films, from award-winning director Jill Nicholls, explore the sensational discovery of a hoard of art hidden by a reclusive old man in his Munich flat. The find sheds new light on the fate of many paintings looted by the Nazis and puts the question of restitution back centre stage. This is a story full of coincidences, cover-ups and denial, which has reignited passions that seemed long spent. Film 1 With the strange tale of Cornelius Gurlitt’s treasure trove as a springboard, imagine… dives deep into an intriguing past. It uncovers a lost world of Jewish collectors. This was art Hitler thought as sickly and ‘degenerate’ as the Jews themselves; he tried to rid Germany of both. Their pictures were seized, scattered or sold at knockdown prices before the owners fled into exile or were killed. Imagine follows the trail of the old man’s father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, art dealer to the Nazis. It opens a new window onto the history of the Third Reich and its campaign against modern art Film 2 – The Sins of the Fathers imagine… tells how the end of the war was only the beginning of another battle. In the art world in Germany, it was ‘business as usual’. Many people continued in jobs in museums which they had held during Nazi times. So people involved in looting art might now be in charge of deciding whether to return it. For families, often living in exile, it was an uphill struggle. For them the discovery of the Gurlitt hoard has raised new hopes – and repeated some old disappointments.

In April 1945, as Stalin's Red Army approach from the East and the Western Allied forces quickly approach through France and Belgium, Adolf Hitler awaits his fate in his bunker, reflecting on the mistakes that lost him the war.

An alternative history of the British Isles, told through art. Looking at 1,500 years and eight dramatic turning points, acclaimed artists and thinkers encounter key historic art works from across the UK that have shaped the history of the British Isles and inspired their own work.

Books are everywhere in Meena's house - in cupboards, drawers, and even piled up the stairs! Her parents love to read, but Meena never even opens a book! When her cat Max accidentally knocks down a huge stack of books, heroes, heroines, and animals with attitude come to life and pandemonium reigns. Meena finds a unique solution to get the characters back in the books, and nothing, as they say, is the same after that. Based on the story by Manjusha Pawagi. The Girl Who Hated Books is part of the NFB's Talespinners 2 collection.

The historical documentary Hitler Youth explores Adolf Hitler's maniacal construction of the titular organization - one comprised of young Aryan men who would rule the world by fear, intimidation and violence. Via a compendium of terrifying archival footage, the program documents the establishment of the Hitler Youth, its escalation from a membership of 13,000 to 10,000,000 within fifteen years, and the death of the organization following Hitler's suicide in 1945.

POWER. CONTROL. TERROR. The centre points of any dictatorship. The need for power, the want for tyrannical control and the subsequent terror unleashed to achieve their goals make dictators some of the most fascinating figures to study in history. In this series we will be looking at some of the 20th century's most notorious dictators, from their rise to power to their inevitable downfall. In this episode we look at the man responsible for the death of over 20 million people, a key aggressor in World War Two and the architect of the Holocaust, one of history's most brutal dictators; Adolf Hitler. From his humble upbringing in Austria to leading the Nazi Party, Hitlers life saw a reign of terror descend over Europe like never before leading to some of the worst atrocities the world has ever seen.

No shortlist of the greatest generals in history would be complete with out the name of Hannibal. This film shows why he was both feared and respected by his enemies. Hannibal's tactical genius is illustrated with the latest three-dimensional graphics technology and exciting dramatic reconstructions of his victories. This is the story of the General who took on the might of Rome.

The famed leader Oda Nobunaga had two right-hand men who contributed to unifying the nation. One was Akechi Mitsuhide and the other Kinoshita Tokichiro, both rivals of each other for higher promotions. Eventually Mitsuhide was recognized for his work and was given a castle. However, Nobunaga's ambition to conquer the nation did not allow Mitsuhide to live happily in his territory. That is when an idea flashed across Mitsuhide's mind… Akechi Mitsuhide, the man who was considered to be the most intelligent general of the warring states era. What was the truth about him, Oda Nobunaga's best general and murderer?

Len Lye (1901-1980) was a pioneer of experimental animation, and also of kinetic sculpture. This short film dramatically presents 18 minutes inside the head of the artist as a teenager. The opening scenes are set in New Zealand in the year 1917, on the day when Lye (setting out on his bicycle to deliver newspapers) makes his excited discovery that motion can be the basis for a radically new approach to art.

How could Hitler and Stalin, sworn ideological enemies, come to a secret pact in 1939? The captivating and detailed story of the diplomatic fiasco that led to the signing of the Nazi-Soviet pact and its devastating consequences.