A World Divided

In 1939, Wernher von Braun abandons his dream of space travel to work for the Nazi regime, redirecting his rocket research toward weapons as World War II erupts. In the United States, Joan Hinton begins studying nuclear physics and quickly recognizes both the power and danger of nuclear fission, especially as Germany advances its own research. Meanwhile, Nazi expansion across Europe triggers a massive refugee crisis. Golda Meir fights to help Jewish refugees reach the British Mandate of Palestine, but British restrictions force her and her allies to take increasingly drastic measures.

In 1941, Hedwig Höss builds an idyllic family life beside Auschwitz as her husband becomes commandant. News of mass Jewish killings reaches Golda Meir in Tel Aviv, where German advances threaten Palestine and strengthen her resolve to resist. In Kyiv, Nikita Khrushchev is blindsided by Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union and struggles to defend the country while protecting his family.

In 1942, as the Soviets struggle at Stalingrad, Nikita Khrushchev pushes for a counteroffensive while secretly rescuing his granddaughter after his son goes missing in action. Meanwhile, Wernher von Braun achieves a breakthrough in rocket development, only to partner with the SS after Allied bombing destroys his facility, leading to the use of concentration camp labor. At the same time, Frantz Fanon, a young Black volunteer from Martinique, faces racism while fighting with the Free French forces as they advance through southern France.