Some chapters of history are so overwhelming, they almost feel inevitable.

Like we never had a choice, no alternate path to go down.

The ascent of Adolf Hitler can feel like one of those moments.

The devastation caused by his Third Reich was so absolute, it's hard to imagine a world without

it. But more than 10 years

before Hitler rose to power, he was seen as an angry, insecure leader of an obscure political party.

His racist views were often dismissed, even by his own party members. Nothing about Hitler's

rise to power was inevitable. It was the culmination of a series of decisions made by the people around him.

In fact, we can pinpoint one of those decisions in 1923.

A split-second choice made by a woman who most people have never heard of

that altered the course of history,

and ultimately led more than 70 million people to their death.

On today's episode, the Hitler intervention. This is a twist of history.

It's late 1922 in Munich, Germany.

Helena Hofschengel walks down the hallway of her lavish apartment,

following her toddler's son, Egon.

He's almost two years old.

He's been walking for a few months now and he's getting pretty fast.

They turn into the living room where Helena's husband Ernst is sitting, reading the paper.

He winks at Helena, then tells her their dinner guest should be arriving soon.

Helena takes a seat on the edge of the couch, letting Egon play with the toy car at her feet.

A few weeks ago, Ernst met a rising politician at one of the beer halls in Munich.

...