Historical Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated June 07, 2023
Hiroshima: BBC History of World War II
2005 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThis fascinating documentary recounts the world's first nuclear attack and examines the alarming repercussions. Covering a three-week period from the New Mexico test blast to dropping the bomb on Hiroshima, the program chronicles America's political gamble and the planning for the momentous event. Archival film, dramatizations and special effects take viewers aboard the &NFi;Enola Gay&NFi_; and inside the exploding bomb.
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No Place on Earth
2012 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThis documentary sheds light on a long-untold story of World War II: the 18-month sanctuary of 38 Jewish refugees in a Ukrainian cave. Five surviving members discuss their ordeal, as the film chronicles the accidental discovery of the cave in 1993.
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Ken Burns: The West
1996 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsHistorian and Oscar nominee Ken Burns and his talented team mine vintage photographs, music, maps, letters, newspapers and more to bring to life the struggles and challenges Americans faced in the 19th century as they embarked on westward expansion.
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National Geographic: Pearl Harbor: Legacy of Attack
2001 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThis feature-length documentary delves into the unresolved mysteries surrounding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as oceanographer Robert Ballard dives deep into the waters of the harbor to find the remains of a Japanese sub.
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The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
2011 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsFrom 1967 to '75, a film crew aimed cameras at major figures in the Black Power movement, creating hours of footage that remained unreleased for decades. In clips, Stokely Carmichael, Huey P. Newton and Angela Davis discuss the movement's evolution.
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Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State
2005 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis six-part documentary series tackles one of World War II's -- and history's -- most disquieting and repugnant subjects: the Holocaust and its infamous killing factory, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
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National Geographic: Inside North Korea
2006 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsDisguised as a medical coordinator, National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling gains access into North Korea and gives viewers a powerful glimpse inside one of the most restrictive countries in the world. Through personal accounts and exclusive footage, Ling exposes the difficulties North Koreans face while living in such an oppressive regime, coping with poverty, hunger and the lack of civil liberties.
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In Search of Beethoven
2009 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsPhil Grabsky, award-winning director of In Search of Mozart, lenses this feature length, in-depth look at Ludwig van Beethoven, which features new insights into the composer's life and music, and excerpts from more than 60 live performances. Performers and musical authorities interviewed for the film include Sir Roger Norrington, Claudio Abbado, Ronald Brautigam, Hélène Grimaud, Vadim Repin, Janine Jansen, Lars Vogt and Emanuel Ax.
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Iwo Jima: 50 Years of Memories
1996 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsStraight from the mouths of those who lived through it, this harrowing documentary recounts the historic battle of Iwo Jima and pays tribute to the men who fought and died over those 36 days. In addition to candid interviews, the program also features archival footage, photographs and maps of the island. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Operation Detachment, this in-depth special originally aired on PBS.
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Secrets of the Dead: Silver Pharaoh
2010 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsPharaoh Tutankhamen, we know. But what of Pharaoh Psusennes I, a little-known Egyptian king who ruled from approximately 1047 to 1001 B.C. and left behind one of the most lavish tombs of anyone in the ancient world? This fascinating installment of the "Secrets of the Dead" series transports viewers to the time of Psusennes to analyze the accomplishments of his reign and learn how he earned the nickname the "Silver Pharaoh."
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National Geographic: Guns, Germs and Steel
2005 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsAfter journeying to the four corners of the world to unearth the causes of inequality, Prof. Jared Diamond came up with a straightforward explanation: People's fortunes hinge on their geography and their contact with guns, germs and steel. Interlacing science, anthropology and historical reenactments, this insightful documentary based on Diamond's best-selling book brings to life his intriguing hypothesis.
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Secrets of the Dead: China's Terracotta Warriors
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsPutting 8,000 clay soldiers in historical context, this installment of "Secrets of the Dead" explores the origins of the famed terracotta warriors that were created -- in the span of only two years -- to guard the First Emperor of China's tomb.
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National Geographic: King Tut's Final Secrets
2005 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsTag along with Egyptian scientists as they conduct a high-tech forensic probe into the puzzling demise of the world's most renowned mummy and the famous curse ostensibly linked to the deaths of those who unearthed his sarcophagus. Among the highlights of this intriguing two-hour documentary is the first reconstruction of the boy king's face and skull by two paleosculptors who create a silicone bust from CT scan data.
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Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State
2005 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsIt was the site of the largest mass murder the world has ever seen, yet few people know its full history. This landmark series puts together the most complete history of Auschwitz, from the evolution of the camp to the mentality of the perpetrators.
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The Art of the Steal
2009 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsA gripping tale of intrigue and mystery in the art world, this film traces the history of the Barnes collection of Post-Impressionist paintings, which was worth billions and became the subject of a power struggle after the 1951 death of the owner. Dr. Albert Barnes collected 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos and many other valuable paintings. But the political wrangling over the collection eventually led to its division.
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National Geographic: The Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal
1996 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsUsing historical footage, underwater exploration, interviews and narration by former president George Bush Sr., the acclaimed National Geographic crew and Dr. Robert Ballard (who discovered the shipwrecks of the Titanic and the Bismarck) trace the bloody 1942 battle of Guadalcanal, in which the Allies fought the Japanese and 50 ships were downed. The recently located ships are the focus of this fascinating documentary.
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National Geographic: Guns, Germs and Steel
2005 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsAfter journeying to the four corners of the world to unearth the causes of inequality, professor Jared Diamond came up with a straightforward explanation: People's fortunes hinge on their geography and their contact with guns, germs and steel.
Details about National Geographic: Guns, Germs and Steel
National Geographic: The Battle for Midway
1999 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsIt was here in 1942 where the U.S. and Japan fought one of the greatest naval battles of World War II that changed the course of history. Hear the stories of four remarkable men and how each survived the war despite incredible odds.
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National Geographic: The Human Family Tree
2009 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsCharting human history from its ancient roots in Africa to its startling evolution over time, geneticist Spencer Wells and his fellow scientists with National Geographic's Genographic Project uncover fascinating truths about the commonalities of man. The program focuses on a diverse group of New Yorkers, using samples swabbed from the inside of their cheeks, as a starting point for analyzing their origins.
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Mystery of the Sphinx
1993 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsCharlton Heston hosts this intriguing documentary that explores the possibility that Egypt's Great Sphinx, one of the world's most recognized monolith statues, is thousands of years older than originally believed.
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Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup
2009 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsInformed by footage from Sept. 11, interviews with experts and new evidence, filmmaker Dylan Avery argues that the world hasn't heard the full truth behind the terrorist attacks and urges citizens to demand accountability from the U.S. government.
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Secrets of the Dead: Lost Ships of Rome
2010 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThe popular PBS series about ancient mysteries returns with a compelling examination of five strangely intact sunken ships near the isolated island of Ventotene, where Emperor Augustus banished his daughter Julia because of her political intrigues. Archeologists, divers and other experts explore the shipwrecks and find a plethora of ancient artifacts, while historical records are used to uncover the island's magnificent architectural secrets.
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National Geographic: Search for the Battleship Bismarck
1989 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsJoin Dr. Robert Ballard and narrator Richard Kiley on this gripping underwater journey to discover the secrets of the Bismarck, a German battleship that terrorized the high seas during World War II and was finally downed by Allied firepower. Ballard, who discovered the remains of the Titanic, found the Bismarck in the eerie depths of the Atlantic Ocean, steeped in the secrets of its final destruction.
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National Geographic: The Search for Kennedy's PT 109
2002 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsDr. Robert Ballard, famous for discovering the watery remains of the Titanic, unearths the wreck of John F. Kennedy's legendary World War II patrol-torpedo boat in this intriguing National Geographic documentary. Includes compelling wartime footage and eyewitness accounts of Kennedy's heroism aboard the ill-fated ship that was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer in the murky waters off the Solomon Islands.
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National Geographic: Herod's Lost Tomb
2008 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFeaturing Israeli archeologist Ehud Netzer, this documentary examines his many-year search for the tomb of Herod the Great, who was made famous in the Gospel of Matthew for his massacre of the male infants of Bethlehem. With visits to renowned Herodian-designed sites, including Caesarea, Masada and the Second Temple of Jerusalem, the film provides an in-depth architectural tour of the infamous King's awe-inspiring edifices.
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