Assassinations that Changed the World (1996) 1of2

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. They are the tragic stories at the heart of some of history's defining moments. Tales of hatred and obsession, fanaticism and a burning desire to achieve fame at the cost of another's life. This extraordinary series takes the viewer on a fascinating journey through history to examine the famous assassinations and assassination attempts, from Andrew Jackson to Ronald Reagan, Anwar Sadat to Lord Mountbatten, that have left their mark on the world.

Trace the incredible events following the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to the outbreak of World War I. See how India lost three leaders in a century including Mohandas Gandhi to religious fanatics who disagreed with the political policies of the nation. Explore the tragic story of Abraham Lincoln, killed by a desperate adherent to a lost cause. And consider how history might have been different had some of these incidents ended differently where would the Civil Rights movement be today if Martin Luther King were still alive? Look into the tragic story of Yitzhak Rabin, killed by a law student in an attempt to halt the Middle East process and consider how history might have been different had some of these incidents ended in another way.

With extensive interviews, archival footage and expert commentary, watch in anticipation as the absorbing stories of the Assassinations That Changed The World come to life.

Part 1 contains first two episodes :

-- Conspiracy For Change -- episode 1 (45 min.) ; Examines attempts to change great power structures by murder and focuses on the assassinations or attempts on Hitler, Trotsky, Lenin, and the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

-- Fanaticism That Endures -- episode 2 (45 min.) ; The word "assassin" comes from the European name for the member of a secret order of the Ismaili sect of Islam. The order was founded by Hasan ibn al-Sabbah when he gained control (c.1090) of the mountain fortress of Alamut near the Caspian Sea.