Behind History

The series surveys several of history’s most significant catastrophes, ranging from the 1937 Hindenburg disaster and the 1929 Wall Street Crash to the tumultuous period of China’s Cultural Revolution. It explores how each event reshaped societies and left lasting legacies.

The series Catastrophe is a programme presented in an episode format that sets out to examine some of the most striking disasters in human history. It positions itself as a concise survey of events that have left a lasting imprint on the world, offering viewers a focused look at moments when things went dramatically wrong. In this particular instalment the narrative moves from the infamous Hindenburg disaster, through the catastrophic Wall Street Crash, and onto the upheaval of China’s Cultural Revolution. Each of these episodes is treated as a case study, highlighting how the Hindenburg’s fiery end, the financial collapse on Wall Street, and the widespread turmoil of the Cultural Revolution each represent distinct types of catastrophe—technological, economic and sociopolitical respectively. The episode strings these three episodes together to illustrate the breadth of calamities that have shaped modern history. By juxtaposing an air‑ship tragedy with a market collapse and a massive political campaign, the programme underscores how disasters can arise from very different sources yet share a common impact on societies. It offers a concise, comparative look at each event, allowing the audience to see the varied ways in which catastrophe can reverberate through time.