Olivier Lamour

How did the Third Reich manage to finance its war machine, in action as soon as Hitler came to power? When his armies invaded Poland, the coffers were empty. A vast raid began in the conquered countries. The Nazis plundered gold, works of art and central bank funds. But how to change these colossal assets? Switzerland was to act as the Third Reich's bureau de change, guaranteeing it the foreign currency it needed to acquire raw materials for its armaments factories. How did this story come about?

La Case du Siècle is a French television program launched in 2010 and broadcast on France 5. Hosted by Fabrice d'Almeida, it airs documentaries every Sunday that aim to shed light on the history of the 20th century, both in France and around the world. Through these documentaries, viewers can deepen their knowledge of a specific subject or simply discover a particular era. *La Case du siècle* offers an in-depth look at the events that changed the course of history.