“[B]y strange contrast, which in fact isn't so strange, and could perhaps be easily explained by careful analysis, it can also be said that there are a few countries with such firm belief, elevated strength of character, so much tenderness and loving passion, such depth of feeling, of loyalty and unshakable devotion, or with such a thirst for justice. But in secret depths underneath all this hide burning hatreds, entire hurricanes of tethered and compressed hatreds maturing and awaiting their hour.”—Ivo Andrić“I had come to Yugoslavia because I knew that the past has made the present, and I wanted to see how the process works. Let me start now. It is plain that it means an amount of human pain, arranged in an unbroken continuity appalling to any person cradled in the security of the English or American past. Were I to go down into the marketplace, armed with the powers of witchcraft, and take a peasant by the shoulders and whisper to him, 'In your lifetime, have you known peace?' wait for his answer, shake his shoulders and transform him into his father, and ask him the same question, and transform him in his turn to his father, I would never hear the word 'Yes,' if I carried my questioning of the dead back for a thousand years, I would always hear, 'No. There was fear, there were our enemies without, our rulers within, there was prison, there was torture, there was violent death.'”—Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey FalconLong before there was a Third Reich, long before there was an Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini, long before there were any world wars, long before there was a Hajj Amin al-Husseini or Palestinian nationalist movement, long before a state of Israel was a twinkle in Theodor Herzl’s eye—there were the South Slavs of the Balkan peninsula, languishing under the weight of teetering empires entering their period of decline. Sensing weakness and frustrated with not being able to determine their own destiny, a nationalist spirit awakened in the hearts of thousands, and, in some cases, a sort of freedom was carved out for the region’s many peoples, something through violent revolution, others through diplomacy and politics. And then, one day, the empires were gone. And a new kingdom had to rise from the ashes. This is when the real problems began.In this return to the long-running Muslim Nazis series, we’re going to look at the conception, the birth, and rapid death of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. There are peasant rebellions, countless wars and assassinations, democratic malaise and poorly addressed ethnic tensions, extreme violence breaking out within the halls of state, seizures of power, radical terrorism, and the invasion and dismemberment by a far more powerful foreign adversary—and we’re not even talking about the United States in the near future!This story, as stated in the very first episode of the series, has taken two years to return, thanks to the historically complex mosaic this part of the world has turned it into. But return we have, and we’ve just begun. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia not only sets the stage for so many of the characters we’ve come to know and love (to hate, hopefully), but it gives us an unprecedented snapshot of how a young democracy dies and, crucially and nightmarishly, what happens afterward.Welcome to the real graveyard of empires.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyFeegoaPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezDouglas MartocciaMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

“[B]y strange contrast, which in fact isn't so strange, and could perhaps be easily explained by careful analysis, it can also be said that there are a few countries with such firm belief, elevated strength of character, so much tenderness and loving passion, such depth of feeling, of loyalty and unshakable devotion, or with such a thirst for justice. But in secret depths underneath all this hide burning hatreds, entire hurricanes of tethered and compressed hatreds maturing and awaiting their hour.”—Ivo Andrić “I had come to Yugoslavia because I knew that the past has made the present, and I wanted to see how the process works. Let me start now. It is plain that it means an amount of human pain, arranged in an unbroken continuity appalling to any person cradled in the security of the English or American past. Were I to go down into the marketplace, armed with the powers of witchcraft, and take a peasant by the shoulders and whisper to him, 'In your lifetime, have you known peace?' wait for his answer, shake his shoulders and transform him into his father, and ask him the same question, and transform him in his turn to his father, I would never hear the word 'Yes,' if I carried my questioning of the dead back for a thousand years, I would always hear, 'No. There was fear, there were our enemies without, our rulers within, there was prison, there was torture, there was violent death.'”—Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon Long before there was a Third Reich, long before there was an Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini, long before there were any world wars, long before there was a Hajj Amin al-Husseini or Palestinian nationalist movement, long before a state of Israel was a twinkle in Theodor Herzl’s eye—there were the South Slavs of the Balkan peninsula, languishing under the weight of teetering empires entering their period of decline. Sensing weakness and frustrated with not being able to determine their own destiny, a nationalist spirit awakened in the hearts of thousands, and, in some cases, a sort of freedom was carved out for the region’s many peoples, something through violent revolution, others through diplomacy and politics. And then, one day, the empires were gone. And a new kingdom had to rise from the ashes. This is when the real problems began. In this return to the long-running Muslim Nazis series, we’re going to look at the conception, the birth, and rapid death of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. There are peasant rebellions, countless wars and assassinations, democratic malaise and poorly addressed ethnic tensions, extreme violence breaking out within the halls of state, seizures of power, radical terrorism, and the invasion and dismemberment by a far more powerful foreign adversary—and we’re not even talking about the United States in the near future! This story, as stated in <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-muslim-nazis-i-early-adventures-with-imperial/id1450885141?i=1000506275324" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">the very first episode</a> of the series, has taken two years to return, thanks to the historically complex mosaic this part of the world has turned it into. But return we have, and we’ve just begun. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia not only sets the stage for so many of the characters we’ve come to know and love (to hate, hopefully), but it gives us an unprecedented snapshot of how a young democracy dies and, crucially and nightmarishly, what happens afterward.Welcome to the real graveyard of empires. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider <a href="https://www.patreon.com/historyimpossible" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">donating today</a> to help keep me free and this show alive: David Adamcik Benjamin Elias Borota Johannes Breitsameter Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edward seli123ky Feegoa Pierre Ghazarian Jayson Griesmeyer Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Carey Hurst Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Douglas Martoccia Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco David Page Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Andrew Seeber Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Muslim Nazis: The Yugoslav Vortex

Hello ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends! I'm here with another miniature episode for your listening pleasure, adapted from a recent essay I wrote over on the History Impossible Substack, which you can go check out if you're interested. I'm in the home stretch of recording the next big History Impossible episode, so I figured I'd give all of you a nice thanks for supporting the show this long.In the case of this one, we're looking at some potential predictions for how the future of AI could shake out, assuming that it ends up having the level of influence as its possible historical analogue and the one I've chosen--the mass translations of the Bible in the 15th and 16th centuries. This is more of a fun tidbit--an addendum for Pandemic: A Plague Coda--for all of you patiently waiting for the next episode proper of History Impossible, which will serve as the grand return not just to WWII, not just to broad and dark historical topics that you won't believe, but to the series that started this entire crazy journey known as History Impossible.Thank you to all of you fine listeners, and especially to you fine supporters over on Patreon and Substack.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Hello ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends! I'm here with another miniature episode for your listening pleasure, adapted from a recent essay I wrote over on the History Impossible Substack, which you can go check out if you're interested. I'm in the home stretch of recording the next big History Impossible episode, so I figured I'd give all of you a nice thanks for supporting the show this long. In the case of this one, we're looking at some potential predictions for how the future of AI could shake out, assuming that it ends up having the level of influence as its possible historical analogue and the one I've chosen--the mass translations of the Bible in the 15th and 16th centuries. This is more of a fun tidbit--an addendum for Pandemic: A Plague Coda--for all of you patiently waiting for the next episode proper of History Impossible, which will serve as the grand return not just to WWII, not just to broad and dark historical topics that you won't believe, but to the series that started this entire crazy journey known as History Impossible. Thank you to all of you fine listeners, and especially to you fine supporters over on Patreon and Substack. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Pandemic Addendum: Gutenberg GPT

Dogs have been man’s best friend for millennia, so it stands to reason that man’s best friend will follow man into the depths of hell, that is, war. This wasn’t simply to rip and tear the throats of man’s enemies (though that certainly would play a part) or to serve as cannon fodder. Oftentimes, the dogs utilized in war—war dogs—would outshine their human counterparts in acts of heroism. This has been going on for thousands of years, but it became apparent just how valuable dogs were during the Great War of 1914-1918.Among the most famous of all war dogs serving in the First World War was the Paris street orphan dog Rags, who was discovered by Private Jimmy Donovan during leave. After he brought Rags into the fold, the little mutt became the mascot of the First Division, soon learning how to retrieve messages, spot broken signal wires, literally save lives, and even saluting his fellow (human) soldiers. Rags became the most photographed dog in the world and lived until 1936, longer than most dogs even of his size. He was frequently honored by his former human comrades and even met figures like General Jack Pershing. He also was responsible for dog shows creating a new category of “Hero Dog” to allow for mutts to be entered. The only downside was he needed to be given his first and only bath.In this installment of the Infinitesimal Impossibilities series of History Impossible, we’ll be looking at the life of Rags and where he fit into the grander events of the First World War. His epic adventures took him all over Europe and the United States where he met hundreds among the adoring public. For all who own dogs (and even those who don’t), his story will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate just how much we should value our furry friends. In the end, Rags was a war hero, an adventurer, a mangy mutt, a lovable nuisance, and in his own way a smart ass. But above all else he was a good boy.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyFeegoaPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezDouglas MartocciaMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanPhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouGregory ZinkThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Dogs have been man’s best friend for millennia, so it stands to reason that man’s best friend will follow man into the depths of hell, that is, war. This wasn’t simply to rip and tear the throats of man’s enemies (though that certainly would play a part) or to serve as cannon fodder. Oftentimes, the dogs utilized in war—war dogs—would outshine their human counterparts in acts of heroism. This has been going on for thousands of years, but it became apparent just how valuable dogs were during the Great War of 1914-1918. Among the most famous of all war dogs serving in the First World War was the Paris street orphan dog Rags, who was discovered by Private Jimmy Donovan during leave. After he brought Rags into the fold, the little mutt became the mascot of the First Division, soon learning how to retrieve messages, spot broken signal wires, literally save lives, and even saluting his fellow (human) soldiers. Rags became the most photographed dog in the world and lived until 1936, longer than most dogs even of his size. He was frequently honored by his former human comrades and even met figures like General Jack Pershing. He also was responsible for dog shows creating a new category of “Hero Dog” to allow for mutts to be entered. The only downside was he needed to be given his first and only bath. In this installment of the Infinitesimal Impossibilities series of History Impossible, we’ll be looking at the life of Rags and where he fit into the grander events of the First World War. His epic adventures took him all over Europe and the United States where he met hundreds among the adoring public. For all who own dogs (and even those who don’t), his story will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate just how much we should value our furry friends. In the end, Rags was a war hero, an adventurer, a mangy mutt, a lovable nuisance, and in his own way a smart ass. But above all else he was a good boy. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive: David Adamcik Benjamin Elias Borota Johannes Breitsameter Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edward seli123ky Feegoa Pierre Ghazarian Jayson Griesmeyer Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Carey Hurst Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Douglas Martoccia Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Andrew Seeber Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory Zink This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Rags: The Pure-Hearted Mutt of the First World War (Infinitesimal Impossibilities 05)

In this newest episode of History Impossible, I was joined by my friend, comrade, and frequent collaborator CJ Killmer, host of the Dangerous History Podcast, primarily to dive deep into the question of one of America's most underrated villains, President Woodrow Wilson, particularly on his track record and beliefs regarding one of the dooziest of topics: race. And to put it bluntly, Wilson, as outlined by CJ in his recent 5+ hour episode concerning this subject that's part of his larger Woodrow Wilson series, did not have a good track record when it came to race in America, particularly when it truly needed a rational and decent leader (which Wilson most certainly was not; on many things, but on this issue in particular).We focus on a number of focal points from CJ's original episode (which I highly recommend you all listen to), particularly on Wilson's brand of progressive racism (while of course comparing and contrasting with modern day's own version of it), but we also pay our respects to a lesser-known figure of African American history, William Monroe Trotter, whose standing up to Wilson and not allowing himself to be gaslit is one of the most impressive and heroic political stories I've ever heard.We also close out by diving deep into our own personal reservations about progressivism as a philosophy, largely (though of course not entirely) eschewing the left-right divide to really get at the core of what makes progressivism so puerile, at least in the context of American identity. This helped make this conversation, in my opinion, the most fun and interesting one CJ and I have had thus far (and that's no small feat), and listeners will finally hear me essentially admit my own political orientation, such as it is (and hopefully it'll give you a good chuckle).History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyFeegoaPierre GhazarianKevin GonyJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezDouglas MartocciaMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanPhilipp SurkovShane TaylorJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouGregory ZinkThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In this newest episode of History Impossible, I was joined by my friend, comrade, and frequent collaborator CJ Killmer, host of the Dangerous History Podcast, primarily to dive deep into the question of one of America's most underrated villains, President Woodrow Wilson, particularly on his track record and beliefs regarding one of the dooziest of topics: race. And to put it bluntly, Wilson, as outlined by CJ in his recent 5+ hour episode concerning this subject that's part of his larger Woodrow Wilson series, did not have a good track record when it came to race in America, particularly when it truly needed a rational and decent leader (which Wilson most certainly was not; on many things, but on this issue in particular). We focus on a number of focal points from CJ's original episode (which I highly recommend you all listen to), particularly on Wilson's brand of progressive racism (while of course comparing and contrasting with modern day's own version of it), but we also pay our respects to a lesser-known figure of African American history, William Monroe Trotter, whose standing up to Wilson and not allowing himself to be gaslit is one of the most impressive and heroic political stories I've ever heard. We also close out by diving deep into our own personal reservations about progressivism as a philosophy, largely (though of course not entirely) eschewing the left-right divide to really get at the core of what makes progressivism so puerile, at least in the context of American identity. This helped make this conversation, in my opinion, the most fun and interesting one CJ and I have had thus far (and that's no small feat), and listeners will finally hear me essentially admit my own political orientation, such as it is (and hopefully it'll give you a good chuckle). History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive: David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Johannes Breitsameter Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edward seli123ky Feegoa Pierre Ghazarian Kevin Gony Jayson Griesmeyer Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Carey Hurst Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Douglas Martoccia Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Andrew Seeber Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Shane Taylor Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory Zink This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The First Woke President

While there is plenty to say about how a pandemic affects us while we’re in the middle of it, there is just as much, if not more, to say about how a pandemic affects us when it ends.As of May of 2023, over three years have passed since the outbreak of COVID-19 and, according to the President of the United States Joe Biden, the emergency has ended. And yet, many people around the world, but in America in particular, continue to grapple with the realities of the pandemic that wreaked havoc on our way of life and struggle with finding ways to move on. Whether that means refusing to admit that the emergency is indeed over and overindulging in the safety measures made normal during those past three years, or overindulging in the reactions against the sociopolitical and institutional realities made manifest, or simply living their lives, the coda to our disorder is anything but clean.As made clear in the first pandemic episode covered on History Impossible, the effects of a global apocalypse have a way of heightening and letting loose what historian Norman F. Cantor called the “ideological anxieties” of their time and place. As is hopefully made clear in this sequel to that episode, the same can be said for how those apocalypses end. The so-called Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was by no means unique in how it helped create incentives some of the most significant changes of its time and place. In fact, almost 600 years earlier, another, far more devastating event had a very similar, and even more wide-reaching effect, especially when it was over: the Black Death. While it was certainly true that the plague was indeed a global pandemic, with the populations of the Arab and Chinese worlds being as deeply and profoundly affected by the disease as that of the European world, this is the story of how such a monumental disruption changed Europe—and thus modern history—forever, in some of the most fundamental ways imaginable.We must thus ask: what if such after-effects and changes weren’t limited to one pandemic almost seven centuries ago, but perhaps any pandemic, given the correct historical circumstances existing? With those circumstances, what if a death toll in the tens if not hundreds of millions isn’t even required to make such changes manifest? These are the questions we’ll be exploring in this episode about what happens after the end of the world as we know it.Infinite love and appreciation to Molly Pan for providing her immense musical talents to this episode. Make sure to stick around to the end to hear them.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyFeegoaPierre GhazarianKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezDouglas MartocciaMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanPhilipp SurkovShane TaylorJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouGregory ZinkThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

While there is plenty to say about how a pandemic affects us while we’re in the middle of it, there is just as much, if not more, to say about how a pandemic affects us when it ends. As of May of 2023, over three years have passed since the outbreak of COVID-19 and, according to the President of the United States Joe Biden, the emergency has ended. And yet, many people around the world, but in America in particular, continue to grapple with the realities of the pandemic that wreaked havoc on our way of life and struggle with finding ways to move on. Whether that means refusing to admit that the emergency is indeed over and overindulging in the safety measures made normal during those past three years, or overindulging in the reactions against the sociopolitical and institutional realities made manifest, or simply living their lives, the coda to our disorder is anything but clean. As made clear in <a href="https://www.historyimpossible.com/podcast/episode/634f5017/pandemic-rendering-a-hue-and-cry" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">the first pandemic episode</a> covered on History Impossible, the effects of a global apocalypse have a way of heightening and letting loose what historian Norman F. Cantor called the “ideological anxieties” of their time and place. As is hopefully made clear in this sequel to that episode, the same can be said for how those apocalypses end. The so-called Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was by no means unique in how it helped create incentives some of the most significant changes of its time and place. In fact, almost 600 years earlier, another, far more devastating event had a very similar, and even more wide-reaching effect, especially when it was over: the Black Death. While it was certainly true that the plague was indeed a global pandemic, with the populations of the Arab and Chinese worlds being as deeply and profoundly affected by the disease as that of the European world, this is the story of how such a monumental disruption changed Europe—and thus modern history—forever, in some of the most fundamental ways imaginable. We must thus ask: what if such after-effects and changes weren’t limited to one pandemic almost seven centuries ago, but perhaps any pandemic, given the correct historical circumstances existing? With those circumstances, what if a death toll in the tens if not hundreds of millions isn’t even required to make such changes manifest? These are the questions we’ll be exploring in this episode about what happens after the end of the world as we know it. Infinite love and appreciation to Molly Pan for providing her immense musical talents to this episode. Make sure to stick around to the end to hear them. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive: David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Johannes Breitsameter Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edward seli123ky Feegoa Pierre Ghazarian Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Carey Hurst Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Douglas Martoccia Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Shane Taylor Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory Zink This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Pandemic: A Plague Coda

Hello everyone. This is an audio version of the essay I wrote for the History Impossible Substack (as well as here!) called "The Fiction(s) of History." In this special episode, I take a dive into the dueling narratives of historical progress (what my friend CJ Killmer of the Dangerous History Podcast calls the teleological approach to history; yes, he's much smarter than me) and historical cycles of the Strauss-Howe and Turchin-Nefedov variety. It's not all philosophy, despite the subject matter, and it does indeed touch upon some historical topics that I do intend to cover in more detail one day, as well as some that have been covered in other, superior work, like Darryl Cooper's MartyrMade.The question of progress or cycles isn't left hanging open either, though by no means am I telling anyone to think a certain way; this is more an exploration of my own interpretations of how history, in essence, "works." It's my hope that this helps illustrate my approach and perspective when tackling subjects--especially controversial ones--on History Impossible. It may also serve as a launching pad for future explorations into more conceptual areas that fit neatly into the History Impossible niche. Overall, though, I hope to add a little insight into this space I occupy.Thank you again to all who support and appreciate the show.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David AdamcikAlireza Atarian Benjamin Elias BorotaJohannes Breitsameter Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edwards eli123ky Feegoa Kevin GonyNathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter HauckCarey Hurst Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily SchmidtJulian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory ZinkThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Hello everyone. This is an audio version of the essay I wrote for the History Impossible Substack (as well as here!) called "The Fiction(s) of History." In this special episode, I take a dive into the dueling narratives of historical progress (what my friend CJ Killmer of the Dangerous History Podcast calls the teleological approach to history; yes, he's much smarter than me) and historical cycles of the Strauss-Howe and Turchin-Nefedov variety. It's not all philosophy, despite the subject matter, and it does indeed touch upon some historical topics that I do intend to cover in more detail one day, as well as some that have been covered in other, superior work, like Darryl Cooper's MartyrMade. The question of progress or cycles isn't left hanging open either, though by no means am I telling anyone to think a certain way; this is more an exploration of my own interpretations of how history, in essence, "works." It's my hope that this helps illustrate my approach and perspective when tackling subjects--especially controversial ones--on History Impossible. It may also serve as a launching pad for future explorations into more conceptual areas that fit neatly into the History Impossible niche. Overall, though, I hope to add a little insight into this space I occupy. Thank you again to all who support and appreciate the show. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Johannes Breitsameter Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edwards eli123ky Feegoa Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Carey Hurst Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory Zink This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Fictions of History

In this newest History Impossible conversation, I’m speaking with Greg Zink, the host of the Smoke Filled Rooms podcast, a new and up-and-coming show that gives us a deep dive into political true crime. I’ve been following Greg since he started his show in early 2022, beginning with a series on the Nuremberg Trials, and when he tackled a topic I had been considering doing myself ever since I threatened all of you with a return to Hollywood’s scandalous history—namely, the death (and life) of Marilyn Monroe—I invited him onto History Impossible to discuss both it and the recent divisive Andrew Dominik (director of the sublime The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) pseudo-biopic of Marilyn Monroe, 2022’s Blonde.In addition to discussing that film, we also examined how it took pretty decisive aim against Hollywood as it currently exists by highlighting the scum-baggery of Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s (needless to say, controversial opinions—mostly my own—are voiced). We also examine how the film both succeeds and fails as a depiction of Marilyn Monroe’s complexity as a human being, and how, in showing the problematic relationship Monroe had with JFK, essentially manages to toe the line of actual slander/libel (though it doesn’t stop us from raking the Kennedy family over the coals later on). Following that discussion we delve into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Monroe’s death that Greg so expertly explored in his own five-part series.Needless to say, it’s a fun, controversial, and ultimately tragic ride (given the subject matter). But it was also a very enlightening and interesting conversation for me, given Greg’s attention to detail in such a notorious potential case. You may never look at Hollywood the same way again.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David AdamcikAlireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edwards eli123ky Feegoa Kevin GonyNathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily SchmidtJulian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory ZinkThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In this newest History Impossible conversation, I’m speaking with Greg Zink, the host of the Smoke Filled Rooms podcast, a new and up-and-coming show that gives us a deep dive into political true crime. I’ve been following Greg since he started his show in early 2022, beginning with a series on the Nuremberg Trials, and when he tackled a topic I had been considering doing myself ever since I threatened all of you with a return to Hollywood’s scandalous history—namely, the death (and life) of Marilyn Monroe—I invited him onto History Impossible to discuss both it and the recent divisive Andrew Dominik (director of the sublime The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) pseudo-biopic of Marilyn Monroe, 2022’s Blonde. In addition to discussing that film, we also examined how it took pretty decisive aim against Hollywood as it currently exists by highlighting the scum-baggery of Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s (needless to say, controversial opinions—mostly my own—are voiced). We also examine how the film both succeeds and fails as a depiction of Marilyn Monroe’s complexity as a human being, and how, in showing the problematic relationship Monroe had with JFK, essentially manages to toe the line of actual slander/libel (though it doesn’t stop us from raking the Kennedy family over the coals later on). Following that discussion we delve into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Monroe’s death that Greg so expertly explored in his own five-part series. Needless to say, it’s a fun, controversial, and ultimately tragic ride (given the subject matter). But it was also a very enlightening and interesting conversation for me, given Greg’s attention to detail in such a notorious potential case. You may never look at Hollywood the same way again. … History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edwards eli123ky Feegoa Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory Zink This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Blonde Conspiracy feat. Greg Zink (An Impossible Interview VII)

Happy 2023, everybody. I hope everyone's 2022 was a good one. It's hard to believe we're really getting into this new decade often portrayed as "the future" in old-school sci-fi/cyberpunk stories, isn't it?Anyway, I wanted to close out 2022/open up 2023 with something a little different; as you know I'm essentially turning my written Substack posts into audio versions for the supporters of History Impossible so you can all get some good exclusive content and this one is no exception. However, this essay I wrote about stakeholder capitalism and the economics of National Socialist Germany struck a different chord for me; uncharacteristically, it became more of a pure polemic that used history as a bedrock, rather than history that contains some elements of polemics. In the end, it turned into something more akin to (though by no means on the qualitative level of) Dan Carlin's beloved political show, Common Sense (something so many of us wish he would bring back but understand all too well why he probably won't).Since this essay ultimately contained what could best be called a "call to action" toward the end, I wanted to put it out there for everyone to hear, especially since this is a new year and all. Everyone who supports the show still gets the ad-free version and my undying thanks for your generosity. All I ask of everyone else is that you spread the word about History Impossible and help keep this show going.Many thanks and I sincerely hope you all have a blessed 2023....History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierrePhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Happy 2023, everybody. I hope everyone's 2022 was a good one. It's hard to believe we're really getting into this new decade often portrayed as "the future" in old-school sci-fi/cyberpunk stories, isn't it? Anyway, I wanted to close out 2022/open up 2023 with something a little different; as you know I'm essentially turning my written Substack posts into audio versions for the supporters of History Impossible so you can all get some good exclusive content and this one is no exception. However, this essay I wrote about stakeholder capitalism and the economics of National Socialist Germany struck a different chord for me; uncharacteristically, it became more of a pure polemic that used history as a bedrock, rather than history that contains some elements of polemics. In the end, it turned into something more akin to (though by no means on the qualitative level of) Dan Carlin's beloved political show, Common Sense (something so many of us wish he would bring back but understand all too well why he probably won't). Since this essay ultimately contained what could best be called a "call to action" toward the end, I wanted to put it out there for everyone to hear, especially since this is a new year and all. Everyone who supports the show still gets the ad-free version and my undying thanks for your generosity. All I ask of everyone else is that you spread the word about History Impossible and help keep this show going. Many thanks and I sincerely hope you all have a blessed 2023. ... History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards eli123ky Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Steve UhlerJonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Stakeholder Nazism (An Impossible Polemic)

In this second part of our story about the birth of the Oxford English Dictionary, we cover the second half--perhaps the second hemisphere, to use a brain pun--of the main minds behind the creation of the multi-volume book. This is the story of William Chester Minor, an American polymath of sorts similar to James Murray, though of far greater education and class status.Minor's time growing up in Ceylon (what is now Sri Lanka) is discussed, as is his military education and time serving in the U.S. Civil War, where it is quite possible that his mind finally became broken. We then discuss his move to London, and the ghastly crime he committed that landed him in the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. His correspondence with the dictionary editors, and his developing friendship with James Murray is discussed, as well as his nightly battles with his own demons that never left him.But most of all, his massive contribution to the birth of the English lexicon is celebrated. It ultimately begs the question: if not for this mad American surgeon, would we still be languishing today, trying to develop a proper English dictionary?…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierrePhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In this second part of our story about the birth of the Oxford English Dictionary, we cover the second half--perhaps the second hemisphere, to use a brain pun--of the main minds behind the creation of the multi-volume book. This is the story of William Chester Minor, an American polymath of sorts similar to James Murray, though of far greater education and class status. Minor's time growing up in Ceylon (what is now Sri Lanka) is discussed, as is his military education and time serving in the U.S. Civil War, where it is quite possible that his mind finally became broken. We then discuss his move to London, and the ghastly crime he committed that landed him in the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. His correspondence with the dictionary editors, and his developing friendship with James Murray is discussed, as well as his nightly battles with his own demons that never left him. But most of all, his massive contribution to the birth of the English lexicon is celebrated. It ultimately begs the question: if not for this mad American surgeon, would we still be languishing today, trying to develop a proper English dictionary? … History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards eli123ky Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Birth of the Lexicon, Part II: The American Lunatic (Infinitesimal Impossibilities 04)

If ever there was a story whose subject was small but whose effect was immense--i.e., the central theme of Infinitesimal Impossibilities--this would be that story.We don't often think about where words come from, and when we do it's usually pretty selective. This is for good reason: the English language has an almost unquantifiable number of words. And yet, back in the 19th century, the first serious endeavors were made to quantify these multitudes of words. The United States came first with the famous Webster's Dictionary (now Merriam-Webster), but the far more comprehensive and complete English dictionary--the Oxford English--would leave a much greater mark. The task ahead was as daunting as anything, with reality quickly settling in that this accomplishment wouldn't require normal men to complete. Thankfully, the two men at the center of this story were anything but normal. The first part of this tale covers one of them--a Scotsman by the name of James Murray--who was quite possibly the most brilliant man on the entire British Isles at the time and who hadn't set foot in school since he was 14 years old. While he certainly was passionate about cataloguing the language, little did he realize where this love of language was going to take him and who he would encounter along the way.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierrePhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

If ever there was a story whose subject was small but whose effect was immense--i.e., the central theme of Infinitesimal Impossibilities--this would be that story. We don't often think about where words come from, and when we do it's usually pretty selective. This is for good reason: the English language has an almost unquantifiable number of words. And yet, back in the 19th century, the first serious endeavors were made to quantify these multitudes of words. The United States came first with the famous Webster's Dictionary (now Merriam-Webster), but the far more comprehensive and complete English dictionary--the Oxford English--would leave a much greater mark. The task ahead was as daunting as anything, with reality quickly settling in that this accomplishment wouldn't require normal men to complete. Thankfully, the two men at the center of this story were anything but normal. The first part of this tale covers one of them--a Scotsman by the name of James Murray--who was quite possibly the most brilliant man on the entire British Isles at the time and who hadn't set foot in school since he was 14 years old. While he certainly was passionate about cataloguing the language, little did he realize where this love of language was going to take him and who he would encounter along the way. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards eli123ky Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Birth of the Lexicon, Part I: The Scottish Polymath (Infinitesimal Impossibilities 04)

History: Impossible is exactly what it sounds like: impossible history. People, events, ideologies, STORIES--all that sound impossible. But all true.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Ken Burns

Hey everybody. This is the first of hopefully many audio versions of the essays/analyses I write for the History Impossible Substack. This one is going up on the public feed of the podcast (though you're all getting this before that release) so the bulk of my listeners can get a sense of what you fine people who support the show financially are getting to read and hear. But moving forward, all pieces written here will, for paying subscribers be available early to read. When the audio version goes up, that will typically be exclusive to paying subscribers both here and over on Substack, while the written version will become open to the public to check out.In this particular case, I’m promoting this version as “ad-free” since it’s going on the main feed and will have ads attached to it, but please note that none of my future audio versions of the articles on this Substack (or Patreon) will ever have ads. That’s just for the main feed.So anyway. Thank you, as always, for your kind and generous support. I could not do this without you.-AlexThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Hey everybody. This is the first of hopefully many audio versions of the essays/analyses I write for the History Impossible Substack. This one is going up on the public feed of the podcast (though you're all getting this before that release) so the bulk of my listeners can get a sense of what you fine people who support the show financially are getting to read and hear. But moving forward, all pieces written here will, for paying subscribers be available early to read. When the audio version goes up, that will typically be exclusive to paying subscribers both here and over on Substack, while the written version will become open to the public to check out. In this particular case, I’m promoting this version as “ad-free” since it’s going on the main feed and will have ads attached to it, but please note that none of my future audio versions of the articles on this Substack (or Patreon) will ever have ads. That’s just for the main feed. So anyway. Thank you, as always, for your kind and generous support. I could not do this without you. -Alex This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Ken Burns' Water-Carrying Failure

NOTE: Please stick through the intro. There's an important announcement.WARNING: This episode contains the use of offensive racial epithets and disturbing depictions of bigotry that some listeners may find upsetting.What was like to be a child and grow up during the rise of the Nazis? Many have given us memorable answers to that question. There are even those who are still alive and remember it, however vaguely, though we are quickly losing them to the passage of time. But a more pressing and unusual question must be asked, especially in the context of this story: what was it like to be a child and grow up during the rise of the Nazis…while also being black?In this episode of History Impossible, we're going to explore this question by looking at the epic life story of a one Hans-Jurgen Massaquoi, the son of African nobility and German peasantry. We'll see how his existence was allowed for by the incredible story of Liberia itself, as well as its relationship with the early Weimar Republic. We'll look at how his existence was received both before and after the rise of the Nazis. We'll see how their education reforms and adoption of American-style eugenics impacted him. We'll cover the famous pre-war events that would help shape Hans into the man he would become, namely the famous Joe Louis v. Max Schmeling boxing match and the 1936 Olympics in which Jesse Owens took home the gold. We'll examine how he survived the war years and what it was like to live under such conditions as a German civilian.But most of all, we will be shown what it means to not only survive, but to thrive, despite all odds being stacked against you as you grow up in a world that is objectively and abjectly hostile to your very existence.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckGreg HunterJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

NOTE: Please stick through the intro. There's an important announcement. WARNING: This episode contains the use of offensive racial epithets and disturbing depictions of bigotry that some listeners may find upsetting. What was like to be a child and grow up during the rise of the Nazis? Many have given us memorable answers to that question. There are even those who are still alive and remember it, however vaguely, though we are quickly losing them to the passage of time. But a more pressing and unusual question must be asked, especially in the context of this story: what was it like to be a child and grow up during the rise of the Nazis…while also being black? In this episode of History Impossible, we're going to explore this question by looking at the epic life story of a one Hans-Jurgen Massaquoi, the son of African nobility and German peasantry. We'll see how his existence was allowed for by the incredible story of Liberia itself, as well as its relationship with the early Weimar Republic. We'll look at how his existence was received both before and after the rise of the Nazis. We'll see how their education reforms and adoption of American-style eugenics impacted him. We'll cover the famous pre-war events that would help shape Hans into the man he would become, namely the famous Joe Louis v. Max Schmeling boxing match and the 1936 Olympics in which Jesse Owens took home the gold. We'll examine how he survived the war years and what it was like to live under such conditions as a German civilian. But most of all, we will be shown what it means to not only survive, but to thrive, despite all odds being stacked against you as you grow up in a world that is objectively and abjectly hostile to your very existence. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive. David Adamcik Alireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Charles C CJ CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards eli123ky Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Greg Hunter Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany

In this special episode of History Impossible--and The Eastern Border--I was lucky enough to sit down with the host OF The Eastern Border, Kristaps Andrejsons, in what I am calling my fastest guest turnaround I've done with the show so far. It was meant to be, however, given the whirlwind of news that continues to come from his area of expertise, that is, the Eastern Border, namely involving the Russo-Ukrainian War, and above all, how all that relates to the history of that region. Because, as is always the case with me and most other people who study history, it was hard not to feel like we have been here before, in psychology and spirit, just with newer, deadlier and wilder technology. Because you see, comrades and friends: the assassination (or attempt thereof) of major political figures appears to be on the rise again. This is most definitely the case in Russia, where we've seen the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin get caught in a car bomb and eight (yes, EIGHT) oil-baron oligarchs die of mysterious circumstances. But, as Kristaps and I discussed, it seems to be part of a much broader, still developing story, with the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe in Japan and the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh in the United States. In other words, much of this reeks of the time period stretching from the 1880s (especially in Russia) all the way to 1914.Thanks to these hard-to-miss, hard-to-deny parallels, Kristaps helped take me down a wild rabbit hole of philosophical discussion and speculation on how the future must be shaped while still respecting the importance of the past and ultimately we came to some very interesting conclusions, both a little frightening and pragmatic. The world is a dark place right now, and looking at its past does very little to dissuade us of this notion, but this is what he and I do. He's been working harder than most people I know (if not all people I know) and was immensely tired when we spoke, but he powered through and I can't thank him enough for his time and conversation. Consider supporting him and his fantastic show over at www.patreon.com/theeasternborder.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Elias BorotaCharles CMatthew DakusRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In this special episode of History Impossible--and The Eastern Border--I was lucky enough to sit down with the host OF The Eastern Border, Kristaps Andrejsons, in what I am calling my fastest guest turnaround I've done with the show so far. It was meant to be, however, given the whirlwind of news that continues to come from his area of expertise, that is, the Eastern Border, namely involving the Russo-Ukrainian War, and above all, how all that relates to the history of that region. Because, as is always the case with me and most other people who study history, it was hard not to feel like we have been here before, in psychology and spirit, just with newer, deadlier and wilder technology. Because you see, comrades and friends: the assassination (or attempt thereof) of major political figures appears to be on the rise again. This is most definitely the case in Russia, where we've seen the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin get caught in a car bomb and eight (yes, EIGHT) oil-baron oligarchs die of mysterious circumstances. But, as Kristaps and I discussed, it seems to be part of a much broader, still developing story, with the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe in Japan and the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh in the United States. In other words, much of this reeks of the time period stretching from the 1880s (especially in Russia) all the way to 1914. Thanks to these hard-to-miss, hard-to-deny parallels, Kristaps helped take me down a wild rabbit hole of philosophical discussion and speculation on how the future must be shaped while still respecting the importance of the past and ultimately we came to some very interesting conclusions, both a little frightening and pragmatic. The world is a dark place right now, and looking at its past does very little to dissuade us of this notion, but this is what he and I do. He's been working harder than most people I know (if not all people I know) and was immensely tired when we spoke, but he powered through and I can't thank him enough for his time and conversation. Consider supporting him and his fantastic show over at <a href="http://www.patreon.com/theeasternborder" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.patreon.com/theeasternborder</a>. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Elias Borota Charles C Matthew Dakus Richard Davey Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards eli123ky Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Assassinations and Historical Discontents (ft. Kristaps Andrejsons of the Eastern Border)

You can only fly so close to the sun for so long before the wax starts melting.This was a lesson that Erik Jan Hanussen, the most successful and famous clairvoyant in Europe (and quite possibly the world), would have to learn the hard way, as he positioned himself closer and closer with his friends in the nascent National Socialist Party of Germany. They would very quickly--through everything from IOUs to decadent parties, to private consultations--connected like symbiotic lifeforms, one feeding off the other and vice versa. Soon, though, that symbiosis would be challenged, perhaps inevitably thanks to Hanussen's deepest secret slowly being drawn into the light by both Hanussen and the Nazis' communist rivals.In this second part of the story of Erik Jan Hanussen, we'll be looking at that symbiosis, the depravity that entailed, and its dissolution as the Nazis gained ever more power. Hanussen's predictions--both of Hitler's inevitable victory and the burning of the Reichstag--will be examined, as will his attempts to insert himself into one of the most notorious serial killer investigations of the 20th century, as Will his fabled meetings with Hitler himself. But most of all, we will examine the moment that his wings finally caught fire and he came crashing to earth.If the last episode covered the good years and showed us just how much power Hanussen possessed, this part of our story is the reality check that is always necessary when you're dealing with the Third Reich. The good times are always over.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Elias BorotaCharles CMatthew DakusRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinAria SaeidiJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

You can only fly so close to the sun for so long before the wax starts melting. This was a lesson that Erik Jan Hanussen, the most successful and famous clairvoyant in Europe (and quite possibly the world), would have to learn the hard way, as he positioned himself closer and closer with his friends in the nascent National Socialist Party of Germany. They would very quickly--through everything from IOUs to decadent parties, to private consultations--connected like symbiotic lifeforms, one feeding off the other and vice versa. Soon, though, that symbiosis would be challenged, perhaps inevitably thanks to Hanussen's deepest secret slowly being drawn into the light by both Hanussen and the Nazis' communist rivals. In this second part of the story of Erik Jan Hanussen, we'll be looking at that symbiosis, the depravity that entailed, and its dissolution as the Nazis gained ever more power. Hanussen's predictions--both of Hitler's inevitable victory and the burning of the Reichstag--will be examined, as will his attempts to insert himself into one of the most notorious serial killer investigations of the 20th century, as Will his fabled meetings with Hitler himself. But most of all, we will examine the moment that his wings finally caught fire and he came crashing to earth. If the last episode covered the good years and showed us just how much power Hanussen possessed, this part of our story is the reality check that is always necessary when you're dealing with the Third Reich. The good times are always over. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Elias Borota Charles C Matthew Dakus Richard Davey Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards eli123ky Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Aria Saeidi Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Fuhrer’s Court Jew Part II: The Fall of Icarus

It's been well-documented, especially on History Impossible, that many of the Nazis in the upper echelons of power had a certain fascination with the occult, the otherworldly, and the non-Western. One thing, though, that has perhaps stirred the imaginations of our fair share of trashy pulp novels more than any other eccentricity possessed by the elite of the Third Reich was simple: magic. This wasn't embodied by anyone better than the famous clairvoyant Erik Jan Hanussen, who became known not just for his iconic performances of supposed mind-reading and fortune telling, but for his close associations with the budding National Socialist Party and its leaders in late Weimar Germany. But what these friends of his didn't realize was that their favorite clairvoyant harbored a secret, one that would ultimately test both their tolerance for him and for the kinds of esotericism he practiced (while of course never fully letting go their love of the occult). In this episode, we'll explore the history of mentalism and its popularity throughout the late 19th and early 20th century and Erik Jan Hanussen's storied early life and explosion of success, as well as looking at what would become his most famous prediction in the early days of Nazi Germany.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Daniele BolelliElias BorotaCharles CMatthew DakusNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallPeter HauckThomas JustesenMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEugene RossoAria SaeidiJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

It's been well-documented, especially on History Impossible, that many of the Nazis in the upper echelons of power had a certain fascination with the occult, the otherworldly, and the non-Western. One thing, though, that has perhaps stirred the imaginations of our fair share of trashy pulp novels more than any other eccentricity possessed by the elite of the Third Reich was simple: magic.  This wasn't embodied by anyone better than the famous clairvoyant Erik Jan Hanussen, who became known not just for his iconic performances of supposed mind-reading and fortune telling, but for his close associations with the budding National Socialist Party and its leaders in late Weimar Germany. But what these friends of his didn't realize was that their favorite clairvoyant harbored a secret, one that would ultimately test both their tolerance for him and for the kinds of esotericism he practiced (while of course never fully letting go their love of the occult).  In this episode, we'll explore the history of mentalism and its popularity throughout the late 19th and early 20th century and Erik Jan Hanussen's storied early life and explosion of success, as well as looking at what would become his most famous prediction in the early days of Nazi Germany. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Daniele Bolelli Elias Borota Charles C Matthew Dakus Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards eli123ky Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Peter Hauck Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Eugene Rosso Aria Saeidi Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Fuhrer’s Court Jew Part I: In League With the Devil

Note: Supporters of History Impossible over on Patreon currently have access to the uncut version of this interview, complete with more banter and fun discussion regarding how weird America is. Head over to www.patreon.com/historyimpossible and consider becoming a patron today so you can hear the uncut versions of conversations had on this show plus much more!In this edition of the Impossible Interviews series, we're joined by the one and only Kristaps Andrejsons of the famous Eastern Border Podcast to talk about both his time as not just a history podcaster on the Eastern Border of Europe, but as the podcaster in general of the Baltic states (hence the nickname the "Podfather of Latvia") and how he got there (and what it's cost), as well as all things Ukraine.During the first half of 2022, Kristaps has been covering the Russo-Ukrainian War both from home in Latvia and on the front lines themselves, having spent several weeks traveling all over eastern Europe to reach Odessa and then finally Kyiv where he was given a first-hand glimpse into the chaos that has been unleashed there. Much of this has been covered in his daily dispatches on the Eastern Border podcast feed, as well as in a number of articles for various outlets, including Foreign Policy Magazine.(Check out Kristaps' writing here: https://foreignpolicy.com/author/kristaps-andrejsons/)He's also had in-depth and thought provoking conversations with the likes of MartyrMade's Darryl Cooper and Hardcore History's Dan Carlin. In the case of our conversation, we went in a few different directions. We spend some time dissecting a lot of the arguments surrounding the ongoing conflict, we discuss Vladimir Putin in relative detail, and we take some time to discuss a shared interest of ours--the infamous philosopher who's been called "Putin's Brain" (and even called a modern Rasputin) Aleksandr Dugin and his Traditionalism-fueled multi-polar philosophy. Hopefully, this episode will be as informative for all of you as it was for me (and even fun, despite some depressing revelations about how this war is likely going to shake out). So with that I say, in Kristaps' words, dasvidaniya tovarich! And remember: happiness is mandatory.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Elias BorotaCharles CMatthew DakusNathan DiehlGavin EdwardsKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallPeter HauckMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEugene RossoAria SaeidiJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Note: Supporters of History Impossible over on Patreon currently have access to the uncut version of this interview, complete with more banter and fun discussion regarding how weird America is. Head over to <a href="http://www.patreon.com/historyimpossible" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.patreon.com/historyimpossible</a> and consider becoming a patron today so you can hear the uncut versions of conversations had on this show plus much more! In this edition of the Impossible Interviews series, we're joined by the one and only Kristaps Andrejsons of the famous Eastern Border Podcast to talk about both his time as not just a history podcaster on the Eastern Border of Europe, but as the podcaster in general of the Baltic states (hence the nickname the "Podfather of Latvia") and how he got there (and what it's cost), as well as all things Ukraine. During the first half of 2022, Kristaps has been covering the Russo-Ukrainian War both from home in Latvia and on the front lines themselves, having spent several weeks traveling all over eastern Europe to reach Odessa and then finally Kyiv where he was given a first-hand glimpse into the chaos that has been unleashed there. Much of this has been covered in his daily dispatches on the Eastern Border podcast feed, as well as in a number of articles for various outlets, including Foreign Policy Magazine. (Check out Kristaps' writing here: <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/author/kristaps-andrejsons/)" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://foreignpolicy.com/author/kristaps-andrejsons/)</a> He's also had in-depth and thought provoking conversations with the likes of MartyrMade's Darryl Cooper and Hardcore History's Dan Carlin. In the case of our conversation, we went in a few different directions. We spend some time dissecting a lot of the arguments surrounding the ongoing conflict, we discuss Vladimir Putin in relative detail, and we take some time to discuss a shared interest of ours--the infamous philosopher who's been called "Putin's Brain" (and even called a modern Rasputin) Aleksandr Dugin and his Traditionalism-fueled multi-polar philosophy.  Hopefully, this episode will be as informative for all of you as it was for me (and even fun, despite some depressing revelations about how this war is likely going to shake out). So with that I say, in Kristaps' words, dasvidaniya tovarich! And remember: happiness is mandatory. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Elias Borota Charles C Matthew Dakus Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Al Hall Peter Hauck Mike Kalnins Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Eugene Rosso Aria Saeidi Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Ukraine and the Latvian Podfather (An Impossible Interview VI): Kristaps Andrejsons of The Eastern Border

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains some graphic depictions of war and civilian casualties."Treason" is a funny word: it carries with it such a strong stigma that it can sometimes feel like a true curse when deployed. This is likely because of the consequences facing anyone charged with such a crime (i.e., one of the only crimes apart from murder that can be met with a death sentence, at least in the United States). And yet, despite it being so serious, we still occasionally hear it said regarding people whose crimes, all things considered, sometimes only amount to not supporting a war effort.In this episode of History Impossible, we're going to look at some people who were--rightly or wrongly--accused, sometimes convicted, and even sentenced to death for treason during the Second World War. Their individual convictions and beliefs ranged wildly and yet often converged, and yet none of them ever fired a shot at their own countrymen, despite putting on the uniforms of their countrymen's sworn enemies. Some of these men hated Jews, some hated communists, some hated war, and most just wanted to get out of their abysmal prison conditions and cavort with pretty German girls while avoiding combat. Little did they know the plans the Nazis who approved of their organization and where they were going to be sent or what firestorm they eventually would live through.This is the story of the Englishmen who some might call Hitler's Bastards.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Elias BorotaCharles CMatthew DakusNathan DiehlGavin EdwardsKevin GonyNathan GrotePeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenPete McAloneyJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJean PetersEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEugene RossoAria SaeidiJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains some graphic depictions of war and civilian casualties. "Treason" is a funny word: it carries with it such a strong stigma that it can sometimes feel like a true curse when deployed. This is likely because of the consequences facing anyone charged with such a crime (i.e., one of the only crimes apart from murder that can be met with a death sentence, at least in the United States). And yet, despite it being so serious, we still occasionally hear it said regarding people whose crimes, all things considered, sometimes only amount to not supporting a war effort. In this episode of History Impossible, we're going to look at some people who were--rightly or wrongly--accused, sometimes convicted, and even sentenced to death for treason during the Second World War. Their individual convictions and beliefs ranged wildly and yet often converged, and yet none of them ever fired a shot at their own countrymen, despite putting on the uniforms of their countrymen's sworn enemies. Some of these men hated Jews, some hated communists, some hated war, and most just wanted to get out of their abysmal prison conditions and cavort with pretty German girls while avoiding combat. Little did they know the plans the Nazis who approved of their organization and where they were going to be sent or what firestorm they eventually would live through. This is the story of the Englishmen who some might call Hitler's Bastards. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Elias Borota Charles C Matthew Dakus Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Peter Hauck Devin Hreha Mike Kalnins Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Pete McAloney Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jean Peters Edmund Plamowski Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Eugene Rosso Aria Saeidi Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Sam Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Hitler‘s Bastards

In the midst of world events feeling significantly more historical than usual, we're joined by the host of the Dangerous History Podcast CJ Killmer--in our fifth overall collaboration!--to have a long, free-wheeling discussion of the notion of "realignment", a subject studied far and wide by political scientists of every stripe.The question of whether or not this is a tradition baked into American political DNA is addressed, as is the role of populism and populist backlashes, both in history and in the present and how they manifested in elections. We also chart the rise of Progressivism as the dominant ideological framework from its early beginnings in the 1890s resulting from the populism of the 1870s-1880s, and look at how it maintained its control up until the early 21st century when its foundation was shaken by an impolitic (if entertaining) con man.And from there, while diagnosing the present (yes there are more politics than usual), we look to the future and potentially make asses of ourselves by throwing out predictions and express our reservations (primarily with Progressivism managing to absorb the populist energy in some way, or with a rapid resurgence of theocratic social conservatism from the populist right).It's a wild ride, almost as wild as American politics always seems to be.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Elias BorotaMatthew DakusNathan DiehlGavin EdwardsFrankKevin GonyNathan GrotePeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenPete McAloneyJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenMolly PanJean PetersEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEugene RossoJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanShane TaylorJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In the midst of world events feeling significantly more historical than usual, we're joined by the host of the Dangerous History Podcast CJ Killmer--in our fifth overall collaboration!--to have a long, free-wheeling discussion of the notion of "realignment", a subject studied far and wide by political scientists of every stripe. The question of whether or not this is a tradition baked into American political DNA is addressed, as is the role of populism and populist backlashes, both in history and in the present and how they manifested in elections. We also chart the rise of Progressivism as the dominant ideological framework from its early beginnings in the 1890s resulting from the populism of the 1870s-1880s, and look at how it maintained its control up until the early 21st century when its foundation was shaken by an impolitic (if entertaining) con man. And from there, while diagnosing the present (yes there are more politics than usual), we look to the future and potentially make asses of ourselves by throwing out predictions and express our reservations (primarily with Progressivism managing to absorb the populist energy in some way, or with a rapid resurgence of theocratic social conservatism from the populist right). It's a wild ride, almost as wild as American politics always seems to be. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Elias Borota Matthew Dakus Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards Frank Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Peter Hauck Devin Hreha Mike Kalnins Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Pete McAloney Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Molly Pan Jean Peters Edmund Plamowski Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Eugene Rosso Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Sam Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Shane Taylor Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

Ideological Realignments: Past, Present, and Future (feat. CJ Killmer)

Impossible Interviews returns with an excellent guest, Göran Adamson, professor of sociology and writer of numerous books including Populist Parties and the Failure of Political Elites, The Trojan Horse: A Leftist Critique of Multiculturalism, and, most importantly in the context of this interview and History Impossible more broadly, Masochistic Nationalism: Multicultural Self-Hatred and the Infatuation with the Exotic.Listeners of the previous episode of History Impossible--the Hitler Avatar and His Masochistic Priestess--will no doubt recognize the title, the name, and concept in question here, and as much as I wanted to pretend I have a firm grasp on the concept of masochistic nationalism, I figured having the man himself on the show to pick his brain on his concept of masochistic nationalism was necessary, both for all of you fine ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends. Masochistic nationalism as a concept is broadly discussed as well as its implications in the present, and I even managed to throw in a couple observations that I'd like to think managed to intrigue Göran. If you're further intrigued by the subjects in question, make sure to click the hyperlinks above to check out Göran's important work.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Elias BorotaMatthew DakusNathan DiehlGavin EdwardsFrankKevin GonyNathan GrotePeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenPete McAloneyJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenMolly PanJean PetersEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEugene RossoJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanShane TaylorJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Impossible Interviews returns with an excellent guest, Göran Adamson, professor of sociology and writer of numerous books including Populist Parties and the Failure of Political Elites, The Trojan Horse: A Leftist Critique of Multiculturalism, and, most importantly in the context of this interview and History Impossible more broadly, Masochistic Nationalism: Multicultural Self-Hatred and the Infatuation with the Exotic. Listeners of the previous episode of History Impossible--the Hitler Avatar and His Masochistic Priestess--will no doubt recognize the title, the name, and concept in question here, and as much as I wanted to pretend I have a firm grasp on the concept of masochistic nationalism, I figured having the man himself on the show to pick his brain on his concept of masochistic nationalism was necessary, both for all of you fine ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends.  Masochistic nationalism as a concept is broadly discussed as well as its implications in the present, and I even managed to throw in a couple observations that I'd like to think managed to intrigue Göran. If you're further intrigued by the subjects in question, make sure to click the hyperlinks above to check out Göran's important work. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Elias Borota Matthew Dakus Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards Frank Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Peter Hauck Devin Hreha Mike Kalnins Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Pete McAloney Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Molly Pan Jean Peters Edmund Plamowski Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Eugene Rosso Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Sam Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Shane Taylor Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler Ricky Worthey F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

An Impossible Interview V: Goran Adamson

Everyone knows who the Nazis were and what the Nazis did. Many also know what they, at least Hitler, generally believed. But far fewer actually understand what animated the truest of the true believers who saw Hitler as their prophet and savior. Far fewer still understand that much of this philosophical animating force didn't even concern Germany or the Germanic people as they saw them.So disgusted were they--at the occasional exasperation and even mockery of the Fuhrer himself--at the trajectory of European history in general and German history in particular that they searched far and wide for exotic, foreign justifications for the National Socialist mission. Evidence of this can be seen with some of these Nazi elites--folks like Alfred Rosenberg, the "Nazi philosopher" and of course Heinrich Himmler--but no better can this evidence of masochistic pride be seen in the figure cut by a one Savitri Devi.This episode of History Impossible is, to put it bluntly, trying something a little bit different and even a bit out of your humble host's comfort zone. What began as a simple story about a true radical figure that we might call "the first neo-Nazi" has become something...different. Drawing upon a lot of the elements covered in Werewolves of the Fourth Reich and the Muslim Nazis series, this special episode of sorts seeks to really try and answer the question: what even was Nazism, from a philosophical perspective? Many of the conclusions are my own and by no means are they endorsed by any of the figures and writers I quote from, but I found them compelling--if still very oblique--conclusions and figured if I didn't put them out there here, where else would I? This is all done through the lens of looking at the story of Maximiani Portas, a Greek-French woman who left Europe in her 20s to search for the source of the mythic Aryan people in India. There, animated by her hatred of the Jews in particular and the Judeo-Christian West in general, she converted to Hinduism, took up the name Savitri Devi, and began her crusade for the man she considered her avatar, a "Man Against Time", Adolf Hitler. While she became more well-known in the decades following the war, the philosophy of history to which she subscribed didn't come out of nowhere and didn't have its own connections to Nazi thought.Through Devi, her work, and her twisted view of existence, it's possible that we can finally catch a better glimpse at some of the seemingly impossible forces that animated the greatest villains of the 20th century.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:David AdamcikElias BorotaBoscoJohannes BreitsameterWill CaldwellMatthew DakusDennis de LangeNathan DiehlGavin EdwardsKevin GonyNathan GrotePeter HauckDevin HrehaRussell JohnsonMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgJose MartinezMike MaylebenPete McAloneyJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenMolly PanJean PetersEdmund PlamowskiPJ RaderGleb RadutskyJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanShane TaylorJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerF. YouThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Everyone knows who the Nazis were and what the Nazis did. Many also know what they, at least Hitler, generally believed. But far fewer actually understand what animated the truest of the true believers who saw Hitler as their prophet and savior. Far fewer still understand that much of this philosophical animating force didn't even concern Germany or the Germanic people as they saw them. So disgusted were they--at the occasional exasperation and even mockery of the Fuhrer himself--at the trajectory of European history in general and German history in particular that they searched far and wide for exotic, foreign justifications for the National Socialist mission. Evidence of this can be seen with some of these Nazi elites--folks like Alfred Rosenberg, the "Nazi philosopher" and of course Heinrich Himmler--but no better can this evidence of masochistic pride be seen in the figure cut by a one Savitri Devi. This episode of History Impossible is, to put it bluntly, trying something a little bit different and even a bit out of your humble host's comfort zone. What began as a simple story about a true radical figure that we might call "the first neo-Nazi" has become something...different. Drawing upon a lot of the elements covered in Werewolves of the Fourth Reich and the Muslim Nazis series, this special episode of sorts seeks to really try and answer the question: what even was Nazism, from a philosophical perspective? Many of the conclusions are my own and by no means are they endorsed by any of the figures and writers I quote from, but I found them compelling--if still very oblique--conclusions and figured if I didn't put them out there here, where else would I?  This is all done through the lens of looking at the story of Maximiani Portas, a Greek-French woman who left Europe in her 20s to search for the source of the mythic Aryan people in India. There, animated by her hatred of the Jews in particular and the Judeo-Christian West in general, she converted to Hinduism, took up the name Savitri Devi, and began her crusade for the man she considered her avatar, a "Man Against Time", Adolf Hitler. While she became more well-known in the decades following the war, the philosophy of history to which she subscribed didn't come out of nowhere and didn't have its own connections to Nazi thought. Through Devi, her work, and her twisted view of existence, it's possible that we can finally catch a better glimpse at some of the seemingly impossible forces that animated the greatest villains of the 20th century. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: David Adamcik Elias Borota Bosco Johannes Breitsameter Will Caldwell Matthew Dakus Dennis de Lange Nathan Diehl Gavin Edwards Kevin Gony Nathan Grote Peter Hauck Devin Hreha Russell Johnson Mike Kalnins Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Pete McAloney Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Molly Pan Jean Peters Edmund Plamowski PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Sam Emily Schmidt Julian Schmidt Cameron Smith Brian Steggeman Shane Taylor Jared Cole Temple Steve Uhler F. You This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Hitler Avatar and His Masochistic Priestess

Good voice, good content, and interesting. If you like history you will like this.

👍

Alexander pours his soul into these podcasts and it shows.

Great!!!

History: Impossible is exactly what it sounds like: impossible history. People, events, ideologies, STORIES--all that sound impossible. But all true. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

History Impossible

In the winter of 1939, a Soviet colossus came bearing down on the small Baltic nation known as Finland, sparking off a 105-day conflict known to history as the Winter War. Facing impossible odds, the Finnish Army did all it could to fight off their Russian invaders, all with the simple goal to remain free from tyranny.During the fighting, one man would set himself apart from the struggle with extraordinary deeds and yet come to symbolize the character of the struggle itself, as well as his nation. Claiming more individual kills in wartime as a sniper, this man, Simo Häyhä came to be known by many names, including the "Magic Shooter" and, according to his terrified and freezing enemies, the "White Death."This is the story of this gifted shooter, the things he accomplished, and how he came to represent the fortitude of a nation who would never trade in their freedom for empty success.Additional music by Moments and Eino Rautavaara.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In the winter of 1939, a Soviet colossus came bearing down on the small Baltic nation known as Finland, sparking off a 105-day conflict known to history as the Winter War. Facing impossible odds, the Finnish Army did all it could to fight off their Russian invaders, all with the simple goal to remain free from tyranny. During the fighting, one man would set himself apart from the struggle with extraordinary deeds and yet come to symbolize the character of the struggle itself, as well as his nation. Claiming more individual kills in wartime as a sniper, this man, Simo Häyhä came to be known by many names, including the "Magic Shooter" and, according to his terrified and freezing enemies, the "White Death." This is the story of this gifted shooter, the things he accomplished, and how he came to represent the fortitude of a nation who would never trade in their freedom for empty success. Additional music by Moments and Eino Rautavaara. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The White Death

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contents graphic depictions of sexual assault and violence, occasionally involving minors.The American Civil War was supposedly a war of liberation. But the question of who some of these liberators actually were rarely gets asked. Most of the soldiers on the side of liberation--the Union Army--were simply grunts; uneducated, poor men who were completely unprepared for the horrors that awaited them.Equally unprepared were the women of the South, both white and black. Some feared having their property taken away from them. Others were the property and were told they were being freed. And yet both groups were only really concerned with their lives. This is the story of roaming gangs of drunken hooligans, serial abusers and rapists, ostensibly socially-conscious racists, and pederasts, not to mention the legal system that protected them: not the picture of an army of liberators fighting for a noble cause that many of us were taught in school.Music thanks to Lobo Loco for the track "Work Wonders".(If you don't want to listen to the news/housekeeping, skip ahead to the five minute mark).This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contents graphic depictions of sexual assault and violence, occasionally involving minors. The American Civil War was supposedly a war of liberation. But the question of who some of these liberators actually were rarely gets asked. Most of the soldiers on the side of liberation--the Union Army--were simply grunts; uneducated, poor men who were completely unprepared for the horrors that awaited them. Equally unprepared were the women of the South, both white and black. Some feared having their property taken away from them. Others were the property and were told they were being freed. And yet both groups were only really concerned with their lives.  This is the story of roaming gangs of drunken hooligans, serial abusers and rapists, ostensibly socially-conscious racists, and pederasts, not to mention the legal system that protected them: not the picture of an army of liberators fighting for a noble cause that many of us were taught in school. Music thanks to Lobo Loco for the track "Work Wonders". (If you don't want to listen to the news/housekeeping, skip ahead to the five minute mark). This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Union Rapists

Daniele Bolelli

In this special edition of History Impossible, a trend is broken: this is not about a particular story in history. This is about a man. Or rather, a conversation with a man. The one, the only, Daniele Bolelli, host of popular podcasts History on Fire and The Drunken Taoist and known for semi-regular appearances on popular podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience and the Duncan Trussell Family Hour.Daniele has been in History Impossible's corner since day one and some wonderful collaborations have come out of it, including the episode we both crafted concerning Lyudmila Pavlichenko, better known as Lady Death back in July, not to mention some upcoming collaborations we'll both be filling you all in on in the coming months.So in this conversation, Daniele and I cover a wide range of topics, of course including history, but with dashes of politics, philosophy, and literature. There's even a "debate" about the merits of Blood Meridian! Fingers crossed that we don't manage to alienate significant portions of our audiences (with apologies to Jordan Peterson fanboys), but for the rest of you who stick around, enjoy the conversation!Also thanks to Punk Opera for their badass song, "The Road", used at the end of the episode.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In this special edition of History Impossible, a trend is broken: this is not about a particular story in history. This is about a man. Or rather, a conversation with a man. The one, the only, Daniele Bolelli, host of popular podcasts History on Fire and The Drunken Taoist and known for semi-regular appearances on popular podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience and the Duncan Trussell Family Hour. Daniele has been in History Impossible's corner since day one and some wonderful collaborations have come out of it, including the episode we both crafted concerning Lyudmila Pavlichenko, better known as Lady Death back in July, not to mention some upcoming collaborations we'll both be filling you all in on in the coming months. So in this conversation, Daniele and I cover a wide range of topics, of course including history, but with dashes of politics, philosophy, and literature. There's even a "debate" about the merits of Blood Meridian! Fingers crossed that we don't manage to alienate significant portions of our audiences (with apologies to Jordan Peterson fanboys), but for the rest of you who stick around, enjoy the conversation! Also thanks to Punk Opera for their badass song, "The Road", used at the end of the episode. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

An Impossible Interview I: Daniele Bolelli

When we last left the side of renowned and loved silent film director William Desmond Taylor, he was lying dead on the floor of his bungalow and his valet was shrieking for someone--anyone--to help. Little did the valet know that "help" would indeed come, but the only people being helped were the ones who hired William Desmond Taylor to clean up the tarnished image Hollywood had earned for itself.In the second part of our epic story involving the unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor, as well as the greatest cover-up in Hollywood's relatively short history that followed it up and set the scene for the next century, we'll be looking not just at the crime scene and the shenanigans that occurred there, thanks to Taylor's employers, but also the LAPD's primary theory of who killed Taylor and why that's most likely wrong. Then we'll look at all three major accounts that have been explored in our main secondary sources of who could have done it and who was responsible.We'll dive into the life of an obsessed teenage girl and her wicked stage mother and the political powers that protected them, the enraged drug dealers and an actress struggling with an addiction to their product, the failed actors and filmmakers who moonlighted as bottom-feeding petty criminals, and the powerful moguls who loomed over it all and made it impossible for Hollywood to ever be the same again; all in the epic conclusion of History Impossible's The Great Hollywood Coverup.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

When we last left the side of renowned and loved silent film director William Desmond Taylor, he was lying dead on the floor of his bungalow and his valet was shrieking for someone--anyone--to help. Little did the valet know that "help" would indeed come, but the only people being helped were the ones who hired William Desmond Taylor to clean up the tarnished image Hollywood had earned for itself. In the second part of our epic story involving the unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor, as well as the greatest cover-up in Hollywood's relatively short history that followed it up and set the scene for the next century, we'll be looking not just at the crime scene and the shenanigans that occurred there, thanks to Taylor's employers, but also the LAPD's primary theory of who killed Taylor and why that's most likely wrong. Then we'll look at all three major accounts that have been explored in our main secondary sources of who could have done it and who was responsible. We'll dive into the life of an obsessed teenage girl and her wicked stage mother and the political powers that protected them, the enraged drug dealers and an actress struggling with an addiction to their product, the failed actors and filmmakers who moonlighted as bottom-feeding petty criminals, and the powerful moguls who loomed over it all and made it impossible for Hollywood to ever be the same again; all in the epic conclusion of History Impossible's The Great Hollywood Coverup. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Great Hollywood Coverup Part II: Dames, Drug Dealers, and Dragoonery

Donald Trump

And now for something completely different...In light of the fact that there inevitably will be delays and desires to hear more from the world of History: Impossible, I've decided to have my history-ambivalent lady friend Molly Pan along for the ride. And since she can't be bothered to learn anything unless a grade is being given to her (her words, not mine), we decided to start our own little History: Impossible side show where she does her damnedest to remember the story of the most recent episode.As I say in the introduction, this is a bit of an experiment and may one day become something of a treat for the future (fingers crossed) premium subscribers who enjoy this lighter fare (especially after the darkness I tend to subject you to with pretty much every episode). So fix yourself a cocktail, a mug of tea, or whatever poison suits you and give a listen to the first of many History Impossible Pop Quizzes. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

And now for something completely different... In light of the fact that there inevitably will be delays and desires to hear more from the world of History: Impossible, I've decided to have my history-ambivalent lady friend Molly Pan along for the ride. And since she can't be bothered to learn anything unless a grade is being given to her (her words, not mine), we decided to start our own little History: Impossible side show where she does her damnedest to remember the story of the most recent episode. As I say in the introduction, this is a bit of an experiment and may one day become something of a treat for the future (fingers crossed) premium subscribers who enjoy this lighter fare (especially after the darkness I tend to subject you to with pretty much every episode).  So fix yourself a cocktail, a mug of tea, or whatever poison suits you and give a listen to the first of many History Impossible Pop Quizzes.  This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

An Impossible Pop Quiz: The Original Donald Trump

For the second episode of History: Impossible, we have our second episode of An Impossible Pop Quiz!This time around, we discuss the misery that was the second episode of History: Impossible about sexual assault in times of war--in particular the American Civil War. As impossible (ha) as it might seem, we managed to have a few laughs, but unlike the first Pop Quiz, there is less of a narrative recap/discussion and more of a sober-minded discussion about the concepts explored in the episode.So fix yourself a nice drink, kick back, and listen to two amateurs attempt to dissect the deeper meanings behind sexual assault in the American Civil War.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

For the second episode of History: Impossible, we have our second episode of An Impossible Pop Quiz! This time around, we discuss the misery that was the second episode of History: Impossible about sexual assault in times of war--in particular the American Civil War. As impossible (ha) as it might seem, we managed to have a few laughs, but unlike the first Pop Quiz, there is less of a narrative recap/discussion and more of a sober-minded discussion about the concepts explored in the episode. So fix yourself a nice drink, kick back, and listen to two amateurs attempt to dissect the deeper meanings behind sexual assault in the American Civil War. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

An Impossible Pop Quiz: The Union Rapists

The Pop Quiz returns for a much lighter, more fun episode (or fun recounting for Molly, at least) of the third episode of History Impossible, the story of Simo Häyhä, the White Death, the Magic Shooter.Give this quiz a listen to see how Molly manages to find such a cold-blooded bad-ass mass-killer so "cute", manage to call him a butt-face, and still be in awe of his accomplishments and monk-like temperament. Also make sure to sympathize with Mr. von Sternberg as his patience is eternally tried by puns and silliness coming from his history-phobic significant other.So fix yourself a nice drink, kick back, and listen to two amateurs attempt to dissect the deeper meanings behind the man--the phenomenon--known as The White Death.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

The Pop Quiz returns for a much lighter, more fun episode (or fun recounting for Molly, at least) of the third episode of History Impossible, the story of Simo Häyhä, the White Death, the Magic Shooter. Give this quiz a listen to see how Molly manages to find such a cold-blooded bad-ass mass-killer so "cute", manage to call him a butt-face, and still be in awe of his accomplishments and monk-like temperament. Also make sure to sympathize with Mr. von Sternberg as his patience is eternally tried by puns and silliness coming from his history-phobic significant other. So fix yourself a nice drink, kick back, and listen to two amateurs attempt to dissect the deeper meanings behind the man--the phenomenon--known as The White Death. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

An Impossible Pop Quiz: The White Death

Nearly 100 years ago, scandal after scandal was rocking the new kid in town, the motion picture business; Tinseltown; Hollywood. Overdoses on mercury bichloride, cocaine-addicted starlets, prostitution and drug rings, suicides, and an alleged raucous orgy ending in the rape and murder of an actress by one of the top stars. This was all occurring while this new art form was under constant scrutiny by Christian fundamentalists and early feminist activists on a moral crusade to "clean up" and save America from its sinful trajectory off which Hollywood's leaders seemed hellbent on profiting.It seemed like the wolves were closing in until Hollywood's leading power broker--the man who understood and capitalized on Americans' fascination with fame--decided to place one of his most loyal directors in charge of presenting a cleaner, more dignified image of Hollywoodland. And almost without missing a beat, that director was found dead in his home, bringing down all the heat Hollywood's leading power-broker wanted least.In the first part of this epic duology of History Impossible, we'll be looking at this power broker's place at the dawn of Hollywood and in the original culture war, the mysterious actor from England with a shrouded past that he hired as his propagandist, and the ominous circumstances leading up to that actor's death. Stay tuned for Part II in the coming weeks.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

Nearly 100 years ago, scandal after scandal was rocking the new kid in town, the motion picture business; Tinseltown; Hollywood. Overdoses on mercury bichloride, cocaine-addicted starlets, prostitution and drug rings, suicides, and an alleged raucous orgy ending in the rape and murder of an actress by one of the top stars. This was all occurring while this new art form was under constant scrutiny by Christian fundamentalists and early feminist activists on a moral crusade to "clean up" and save America from its sinful trajectory off which Hollywood's leaders seemed hellbent on profiting. It seemed like the wolves were closing in until Hollywood's leading power broker--the man who understood and capitalized on Americans' fascination with fame--decided to place one of his most loyal directors in charge of presenting a cleaner, more dignified image of Hollywoodland. And almost without missing a beat, that director was found dead in his home, bringing down all the heat Hollywood's leading power-broker wanted least. In the first part of this epic duology of History Impossible, we'll be looking at this power broker's place at the dawn of Hollywood and in the original culture war, the mysterious actor from England with a shrouded past that he hired as his propagandist, and the ominous circumstances leading up to that actor's death. Stay tuned for Part II in the coming weeks. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

The Great Hollywood Coverup Part I: Moving Pictures, Moral Crusaders, and Murder

After a mega-sized two-parter episode of History Impossible, it seems only fitting that listeners get a pseudo-mega-sized Pop Quiz episode (if only because there was indeed more ground to cover).Ms. Molly's recap of the Great Hollywood Coverup is certainly fun and full of the usual holes and minor errors that chip away at her final grade, but in the end, she did (relatively) well recapping all the events and theories surrounding the mysterious murder of William Desmond Taylor. Extra credit was also to be had by Molly, though, not only because she managed to make Alex realize a major unfilled hole from the original narrative, but because she entertains with her own pet theory about who was behind the murder of the director. It, like all the theories, has its limitations, but in Alex's opinion, it makes for the best story. So kick back with a nice summer cocktail, put your feet up, and give these two chuckleheads theorizing about a dead Hollywood film director a listen. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

After a mega-sized two-parter episode of History Impossible, it seems only fitting that listeners get a pseudo-mega-sized Pop Quiz episode (if only because there was indeed more ground to cover). Ms. Molly's recap of the Great Hollywood Coverup is certainly fun and full of the usual holes and minor errors that chip away at her final grade, but in the end, she did (relatively) well recapping all the events and theories surrounding the mysterious murder of William Desmond Taylor.  Extra credit was also to be had by Molly, though, not only because she managed to make Alex realize a major unfilled hole from the original narrative, but because she entertains with her own pet theory about who was behind the murder of the director. It, like all the theories, has its limitations, but in Alex's opinion, it makes for the best story.  So kick back with a nice summer cocktail, put your feet up, and give these two chuckleheads theorizing about a dead Hollywood film director a listen.  This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

An Impossible Pop Quiz: The Great Hollywood Coverup

In this newest entry into the Impossible Interview series, I had a chance to sit down (via Zoom) with the incredibly talented and generous-with-his time J.D. Huitt, the brains behind and face of History Underground and the excellent History Traveler series on YouTube (remember: LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE!). He ranks among the top three history content creators that I diligently follow on YouTube for his excellent-quality videos exploring famous (and not-so-famous-but-should-be-famous) historical locations, ranging from Arlington Cemetery to the beaches of Normandy to Ford's Theater to a German U-boat housed in a museum I somehow missed while living in Chicago. It's a little overwhelming at first due to the sheer volume of content, but it's all top-notch and I was glad to get to know a fellow history fan a little better (and keep in mind: J.D. is fighting the good fight working as a high school history teacher and from the sounds of it, doing it very well).This was more of a two-way interview since it both appears here in glorious audio form and on YouTube in video form, but it turned into a very interesting conversation both about History Impossible's process and History Underground's process, as well as the psychological approach to history, the consequences and realities of COVID-19, the weaponization of history, and even our stories of encountering political extremists. It was a fun time for both of us and I think it'll be a fun time for all of you as you wait for the next installment of the West Meets East trilogy.And quick note before anyone corrects me: I called J.D. the first history teacher I've managed to interview for the podcast, by which I meant the first HIGH SCHOOL history teacher I've gotten to interview. My previous two conversations with Daniele Bolelli and CJ Kilmer were indeed conversations with history teachers, but they are operating at the college level, so I'd be more inclined to call them professors. Semantics aside, enjoy the show!History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Tony AndroskyElias BorotaMatthew DakusGavin EdwardsPeter HauckJose MartinezJudy McCoidKostas MorosMolly PanJohn PisanoPJ RaderMartin ReddinMark ReedStephen RoblemSamEmily SchmidtRicky WortheySteve UhlerThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement

In this newest entry into the Impossible Interview series, I had a chance to sit down (via Zoom) with the incredibly talented and generous-with-his time J.D. Huitt, the brains behind and face of History Underground and the excellent History Traveler series on YouTube (remember: LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE!). He ranks among the top three history content creators that I diligently follow on YouTube for his excellent-quality videos exploring famous (and not-so-famous-but-should-be-famous) historical locations, ranging from Arlington Cemetery to the beaches of Normandy to Ford's Theater to a German U-boat housed in a museum I somehow missed while living in Chicago. It's a little overwhelming at first due to the sheer volume of content, but it's all top-notch and I was glad to get to know a fellow history fan a little better (and keep in mind: J.D. is fighting the good fight working as a high school history teacher and from the sounds of it, doing it very well). This was more of a two-way interview since it both appears here in glorious audio form and on YouTube in video form, but it turned into a very interesting conversation both about History Impossible's process and History Underground's process, as well as the psychological approach to history, the consequences and realities of COVID-19, the weaponization of history, and even our stories of encountering political extremists. It was a fun time for both of us and I think it'll be a fun time for all of you as you wait for the next installment of the West Meets East trilogy. And quick note before anyone corrects me: I called J.D. the first history teacher I've managed to interview for the podcast, by which I meant the first HIGH SCHOOL history teacher I've gotten to interview. My previous two conversations with Daniele Bolelli and CJ Kilmer were indeed conversations with history teachers, but they are operating at the college level, so I'd be more inclined to call them professors. Semantics aside, enjoy the show! History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal: Tony Androsky Elias Borota Matthew Dakus Gavin Edwards Peter Hauck Jose Martinez Judy McCoid Kostas Moros Molly Pan John Pisano PJ Rader Martin Reddin Mark Reed Stephen Roblem Sam Emily Schmidt Ricky Worthey Steve Uhler This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spreaker.com/show/5634566/advertisement</a>

An Impossible Interview III: JD Huitt, History Underground

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