https://www.spreaker.com/show/history-impossible
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>enHistoryCopyright Alexander von Sternberghttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a8c668a60b07d3cb3e35a8813764ce86.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/show/history-impossibleMon, 20 Jul 2026 09:21:42 +0000Alexander von SternbergAlexander von Sternberghistoryimpossible@gmail.comHistory: Impossible is exactly what it sounds like: impossible history. People, events, ideologies, STORIES--all that sound impossible. But all true.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>truetrueepisodicSupport the podcast!https://www.spreaker.com/episode/enduring-the-misfortunes-of-others--72999259
This is a bit of a heavy one, and part polemic-part history, but it was just something I needed to get off my chest, so thank you again for all of your support and patience.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Elena Gomel
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Run Tough Mindset
Andrew S
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72999259Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:00:15 +0000Alexander von SternbergAfter a bit of a hiatus, History Impossible is back with another special episode, this time looking at the phenomenon of outsourcing responsibility for bigotry and injustice at home to foreign powers. Whether it is the current blame for rising...
This is a bit of a heavy one, and part polemic-part history, but it was just something I needed to get off my chest, so thank you again for all of your support and patience.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Elena Gomel
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Run Tough Mindset
Andrew S
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5122americans,antisemitism,antizionism,internment,israel,japanese,jews,palestine,wwiifalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-riddle-of-american-identity-w-david-josef-volodzko--72981183wrote a piece exploring the concept of American identity, primarily through the prism of the immigrant experience, and it got me thinking more about the complexities of American identity, so I wanted to chat with someone who I know has discussed these matters at length. This resulted in a great conversation with the awesome David Josef Volodzko of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and The Radicalist Substack, where we tackled all sorts of angles, including ethnic enclaves, assimilation, patriotism, the collision of values, and the nuances of free speech and freedom of association, all in the context of understanding American identity and the importance of what David calls the constellation of our values. There were some moments of (very mild) disagreement, but I felt like I learned a lot and it helped me defend my own position while considering alternatives that had not previously. Because it is America’s 250th Anniversary Month, I felt like this would serve as an excellent addendum to my Fourth of July reflections, and wanted to share it with all of you amazing subscribers and supporters, completely free. Please check out and support David’s work, and, if you can, support what FIRE does. And please stay tuned very soon for a new episode of History Impossible!

Also I will be in Philadelphia at FIRE’s Student Network Conference July 17-19, so if you’re in the area, drop me line here; I may be able to venture out for a meet up.

Thanks again, as always, for listening.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72981183Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:00:17 +0000Alexander von SternbergI recently https://www.historyimpossible.com/p/beer-and-hot-dogs exploring the concept of American identity, primarily through the prism of the immigrant experience, and it got me thinking more about the complexities of American identity, so I wanted...wrote a piece exploring the concept of American identity, primarily through the prism of the immigrant experience, and it got me thinking more about the complexities of American identity, so I wanted to chat with someone who I know has discussed these matters at length. This resulted in a great conversation with the awesome David Josef Volodzko of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and The Radicalist Substack, where we tackled all sorts of angles, including ethnic enclaves, assimilation, patriotism, the collision of values, and the nuances of free speech and freedom of association, all in the context of understanding American identity and the importance of what David calls the constellation of our values. There were some moments of (very mild) disagreement, but I felt like I learned a lot and it helped me defend my own position while considering alternatives that had not previously. Because it is America’s 250th Anniversary Month, I felt like this would serve as an excellent addendum to my Fourth of July reflections, and wanted to share it with all of you amazing subscribers and supporters, completely free. Please check out and support David’s work, and, if you can, support what FIRE does. And please stay tuned very soon for a new episode of History Impossible!

Also I will be in Philadelphia at FIRE’s Student Network Conference July 17-19, so if you’re in the area, drop me line here; I may be able to venture out for a meet up.

Thanks again, as always, for listening.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>3989250,america,assimilation,expression,fire,free,identity,immigration,speechfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-the-abyss-holocaust-scholarship-into-the-21st-century--72090486
I will spare you the TL;DR on this one since it’s not a very long episode, but I think it’s important to map this out so no one is mistaken in thinking that Holocaust scholarship is purely one-dimensional, moralistic, and remaining static since 1945. It’s a constantly-changing field, with historians still trying to puzzle out certain aspects of one of modern history’s most unthinkable crimes. It only scratches the surface of the literature that exists out there, but it broadly reflects the thematic shifts that have occurred over the last thirty five years of study. We seem to be entering a new phase of that scholarship, so consider this a (hopefully) handy primer.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Baronness Gunnora
Matt Gassner
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Tomás Jonsson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Robbie Kaplan
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Andrew S.
Dan S.
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72090486Thu, 21 May 2026 11:00:04 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey again everybody. I know I just dropped a big essay on all of you adapted from my final research paper in grad school, and many of you might still be working through it, but I wanted to give everyone another little bonus for all of your patience...
I will spare you the TL;DR on this one since it’s not a very long episode, but I think it’s important to map this out so no one is mistaken in thinking that Holocaust scholarship is purely one-dimensional, moralistic, and remaining static since 1945. It’s a constantly-changing field, with historians still trying to puzzle out certain aspects of one of modern history’s most unthinkable crimes. It only scratches the surface of the literature that exists out there, but it broadly reflects the thematic shifts that have occurred over the last thirty five years of study. We seem to be entering a new phase of that scholarship, so consider this a (hopefully) handy primer.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Baronness Gunnora
Matt Gassner
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Tomás Jonsson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Robbie Kaplan
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Andrew S.
Dan S.
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>4035genocide,historiography,history,holocaust,israel,palestine,scholarship,wwiifalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-flight-from-hitler-s-shadow-making-martyrs-of-evil--71333495
When it comes down to it, trying to be a revisionist about World War II is probably like trying to be a revisionist about something like Star Wars. You can certainly try and do it, and you might even be good at it, but you’re always going to encounter people who know more (or at least truly believe they know more) than you ever will. That honestly has always interested me less when it comes to Darryl’s work on this subject; I have always been much more interested in specifically where he gets his information since, frankly, that is what he has always been the most cagey about. While his admission of using David Irving is well-enough known, there is much more to this story of where the premise of “Enemy: The Germans’ War” actually seems to be coming from (at least, as of its current releases).

Because I cannot leave well enough alone, this is an exploration through the archives of where such ideas as those we’ve been hearing about from Darryl Cooper and many of those in his historiographic wheelhouse have their origin.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71333495Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:00:17 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey everyone, it’s good to be back with all of you. I’ve just finished a lengthy writing session for grad school—my final semester of classes!—as well as some family issues that needed my immediate attention during most of March. But I’m back with a...
When it comes down to it, trying to be a revisionist about World War II is probably like trying to be a revisionist about something like Star Wars. You can certainly try and do it, and you might even be good at it, but you’re always going to encounter people who know more (or at least truly believe they know more) than you ever will. That honestly has always interested me less when it comes to Darryl’s work on this subject; I have always been much more interested in specifically where he gets his information since, frankly, that is what he has always been the most cagey about. While his admission of using David Irving is well-enough known, there is much more to this story of where the premise of “Enemy: The Germans’ War” actually seems to be coming from (at least, as of its current releases).

Because I cannot leave well enough alone, this is an exploration through the archives of where such ideas as those we’ve been hearing about from Darryl Cooper and many of those in his historiographic wheelhouse have their origin.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple6358apologist,cooper,darryl,david,enemy,german's,historikerstreit,hitler,holocaust,irving,israel,martyrmade,revisionism,war,wwiifalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/martyrs-militants-monetizers-and-madmen-w-crackpot-history--70242232Crackpot History Podcast, which began life just over a year ago by doing a detailed, long-running critique of the Martyr Made Podcast’s inaugural series, “Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem.” As many of you know, I have frequently recommended that series, and to some extent I still do, but now with many more reservations and qualifications that have been clarified thanks to the work of Crackpot History’s psuedonymous host.

The conversation does indeed focus on the shortcomings of “Fear and Loathing” in terms of its research and some of the questionable claims made in that series, but it widens to include Crackpot History’s next project, which is a critique of Scott Horton’s book Provoked. In addition to that, we discuss the importance of accurate and effective sourcing, including the perils of over-sourcing and selective sourcing, both of which seem to be problems in the history creation space. We also discussed the potential motivation behind such practices and ultimately, the potential for peer review in historical podcasting and content creation.

It was a very productive conversation, so I hope you enjoy this interview with the host of the Crackpot History Podcast.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70242232Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this newest installment of History Impossible, we’re privileged to be joined by the host of the https://crackpothistory.libsyn.com/, which began life just over a year ago by doing a detailed, long-running critique of the Martyr Made Podcast’s...Crackpot History Podcast, which began life just over a year ago by doing a detailed, long-running critique of the Martyr Made Podcast’s inaugural series, “Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem.” As many of you know, I have frequently recommended that series, and to some extent I still do, but now with many more reservations and qualifications that have been clarified thanks to the work of Crackpot History’s psuedonymous host.

The conversation does indeed focus on the shortcomings of “Fear and Loathing” in terms of its research and some of the questionable claims made in that series, but it widens to include Crackpot History’s next project, which is a critique of Scott Horton’s book Provoked. In addition to that, we discuss the importance of accurate and effective sourcing, including the perils of over-sourcing and selective sourcing, both of which seem to be problems in the history creation space. We also discussed the potential motivation behind such practices and ultimately, the potential for peer review in historical podcasting and content creation.

It was a very productive conversation, so I hope you enjoy this interview with the host of the Crackpot History Podcast.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>7656churchill,controversy,cooper,crackpot,darryl,history,hitler,horton,israel,martyrmade,palestine,peer,podcast,provoked,review,russia,ukrainefalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/color-coded-alliances-and-islamism-s-useful-suckers-w-eli-lake--70018033incredible Breaking History podcast and writer of many incredible articles over the past few decades. Eli’s own series runs the gamut of many historical topics, particularly with resonance and direct connections to the headlines of the day (hence the name of the show), and there have been a number of cross-overs of our shared interests, particularly when it comes to the history of the Holy Land in particular and Middle East in general.

Most recently, Eli re-released his two-part series on the birth of modern Iran, which I very much enjoyed at the time of its original release, but even more so after the cataclysmic events in Iran began to kick off in early 2026. What particularly caught my eye was his investigation into the “Red-Green alliance” via the Iranian Revolution, which stood in harmony with the same alliance that formed vis-à-vis the Palestinian nationalist cause. As readers and listeners of History Impossible no doubt know, we have examined the contours of this alliance in the past, but have taken a much closer look at the “Green-Brown alliance” that we have seem form between the far right and Islamism in the past, and, it appears, now in the present.

Therefore, Eli seemed like the best person to talk to about this development. We discussed it and much more, including stuff more in his wheelhouse (that is, contemporary politics, from his Burkean right-of-center perspective), as well the nature of conspiracy theories, and what the hell seems to have happened to Tucker Carlson. It was a great conversation, so please enjoy!

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

This episode includes AI-generated content.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70018033Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:00:17 +0000trueAlexander von SternbergIn this very special episode of History Impossible, we are joined by the esteemed journalist, political commentator, and fellow historical podcaster Eli Lake, host of the https://www.thefp.com/listen/breaking-history and writer of many incredible...incredible Breaking History podcast and writer of many incredible articles over the past few decades. Eli’s own series runs the gamut of many historical topics, particularly with resonance and direct connections to the headlines of the day (hence the name of the show), and there have been a number of cross-overs of our shared interests, particularly when it comes to the history of the Holy Land in particular and Middle East in general.

Most recently, Eli re-released his two-part series on the birth of modern Iran, which I very much enjoyed at the time of its original release, but even more so after the cataclysmic events in Iran began to kick off in early 2026. What particularly caught my eye was his investigation into the “Red-Green alliance” via the Iranian Revolution, which stood in harmony with the same alliance that formed vis-à-vis the Palestinian nationalist cause. As readers and listeners of History Impossible no doubt know, we have examined the contours of this alliance in the past, but have taken a much closer look at the “Green-Brown alliance” that we have seem form between the far right and Islamism in the past, and, it appears, now in the present.

Therefore, Eli seemed like the best person to talk to about this development. We discussed it and much more, including stuff more in his wheelhouse (that is, contemporary politics, from his Burkean right-of-center perspective), as well the nature of conspiracy theories, and what the hell seems to have happened to Tucker Carlson. It was a great conversation, so please enjoy!

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal...]]>4633ayatollah,biography,carlson,communism,contrarian,democrats,fascism,iran,islam,islamism,khamenei,khomeini,leftwing,mamdani,revolution,rightwing,socialism,tucker,zengerlefalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-forgotten-green-brown-alliance--69711678
In this adaptation of a recent History Impossible essay, we contrast the well-known “Red-Green Alliance” that has been discussed here and elsewhere with the lesser-known, but no less significant and fascinating “Green-Brown Alliance,” that is, the ideological alliances made between individuals and groups on the Western far right and Islamist individuals and organizations around the world. Both new and familiar faces will make appearances in this story, which takes us from the postwar decades of the 20th century up until the present day, and attempts to address the fundamental question of just what makes Western, supposedly secular movements find common cause with theocratic despots and thugs.
...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Brian Joy
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You




Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69711678Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:00:20 +0000Alexander von SternbergAs covered in the most recent episode of History Impossible, the Nazis could be pretty keen on developing supposedly strange bedfellows, especially as the Second World War continued. This could be seen most pointedly in the SS’s attempted merging of...
In this adaptation of a recent History Impossible essay, we contrast the well-known “Red-Green Alliance” that has been discussed here and elsewhere with the lesser-known, but no less significant and fascinating “Green-Brown Alliance,” that is, the ideological alliances made between individuals and groups on the Western far right and Islamist individuals and organizations around the world. Both new and familiar faces will make appearances in this story, which takes us from the postwar decades of the 20th century up until the present day, and attempts to address the fundamental question of just what makes Western, supposedly secular movements find common cause with theocratic despots and thugs.
...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Brian Joy
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You




Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>6709antisemitism,carlson,communists,fascists,fuentes,islam,islamism,left,mamdani,muslims,nazis,radicals,right,theocratic,tucker,wwii,zohranfalse3bonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-muslim-nazis-handschar--69232642
It took a journey across two continents and multiple countries, and context that spans two of the most—if not the most—controversial historical developments of the twentieth century, that is, the nascent Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the birth, death, and civil war of the old Yugoslavian kingdom. Only such a bizarre creation as the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the Third Reich’s SS could result from such a complex web of geopolitics, nefarious figures, and chaotic and unbelievably violent forces and events. And yet, there was always a human side to this story.

The human side came not from the great figures of the story—the Grand Mufti’s or the Heinrich Himmler’s—but rather the men themselves and their own accounts of just what happened to bring them, the sons of Bosnia, into the arms of the Nazis, to say nothing of the ghastly crimes many of them committed. Their human qualities do not diminish the horror to which they contributed by a long shot, but they do help us understand the position they and so many like them were in. This is, in that sense, their story.

But it is the story of so much more. There are never-before suggested revelations about the Handschar that can be pieced together from the information we cover here, including the likely final ambition the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini had for the Division. This and more are covered in the greatest depth in this penultimate installment of History Impossible’s “Muslim Nazis” series.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You




Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69232642Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:00:17 +0000Alexander von SternbergAfter nearly five years, we have finally arrived at the point where we began this series about the so-called “Muslim Nazis.” We still have a little ways to go before we can call this story complete, but the image that inspired this half-decade deep...
It took a journey across two continents and multiple countries, and context that spans two of the most—if not the most—controversial historical developments of the twentieth century, that is, the nascent Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the birth, death, and civil war of the old Yugoslavian kingdom. Only such a bizarre creation as the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the Third Reich’s SS could result from such a complex web of geopolitics, nefarious figures, and chaotic and unbelievably violent forces and events. And yet, there was always a human side to this story.

The human side came not from the great figures of the story—the Grand Mufti’s or the Heinrich Himmler’s—but rather the men themselves and their own accounts of just what happened to bring them, the sons of Bosnia, into the arms of the Nazis, to say nothing of the ghastly crimes many of them committed. Their human qualities do not diminish the horror to which they contributed by a long shot, but they do help us understand the position they and so many like them were in. This is, in that sense, their story.

But it is the story of so much more. There are never-before suggested revelations about the Handschar that can be pieced together from the information we cover here, including the likely final ambition the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini had for the Division. This and more are covered in the greatest depth in this penultimate installment of History Impossible’s “Muslim Nazis” series.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You


22397arabs,bosnia,croatia,genocide,germany,islam,israel,jerusalem,jews,mufti,nazis,palestine,serbia,war,wwiitrue32fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/war-for-the-frontiers-of-history-and-america-w-jack-henneman-of-the-history-of-the-americans--68800747The History of the Americans podcast, one of the best historical podcasts on the market.

Jack approaches American history with a granular fixation and that has placed him in a very different position than my own grand narrative style that I have been aping from Dan Carlin for nearly seven years now, and this has given him unique insight into the history of the United States, which is why I wanted to discuss the momentous but also underrated event known as King Philip’s War. This war’s significance to colonial American development cannot be overstated and helped characterize America’s ongoing relationship with the frontier, as well as set the tone for future calamities, including my area of the interest: the Salem witchcraft crisis.

Thanks to this significance, Jack and I were able to discuss the way such events are approached in history, as well as the state of the field itself; without spoiling too much, I will just say that both Jack and I believe that there is a bit too much concern over the frontiers of the field, which I believe has become something of a walled garden. That said, the importance of epistemic humility and transparency are paramount when forging these frontiers, and these and more are other topics we cover.

So please enjoy this conversation with Jack Henneman of the History of the Americans podcast.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/68800747Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:00:09 +0000Alexander von SternbergHistory is often forged upon the frontiers—both literally and figuratively. That includes the field of history, whose frontiers have become wildly expanded with the advent of podcasting and other forms of content creation. This has certainly created...The History of the Americans podcast, one of the best historical podcasts on the market.

Jack approaches American history with a granular fixation and that has placed him in a very different position than my own grand narrative style that I have been aping from Dan Carlin for nearly seven years now, and this has given him unique insight into the history of the United States, which is why I wanted to discuss the momentous but also underrated event known as King Philip’s War. This war’s significance to colonial American development cannot be overstated and helped characterize America’s ongoing relationship with the frontier, as well as set the tone for future calamities, including my area of the interest: the Salem witchcraft crisis.

Thanks to this significance, Jack and I were able to discuss the way such events are approached in history, as well as the state of the field itself; without spoiling too much, I will just say that both Jack and I believe that there is a bit too much concern over the frontiers of the field, which I believe has become something of a walled garden. That said, the importance of epistemic humility and transparency are paramount when forging these frontiers, and these and more are other topics we cover.

So please enjoy this conversation with Jack Henneman of the History of the Americans podcast.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson84921600s,america,americans,colonial,colonialism,frontiers,history,indigenous,warfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/salem-possessed-w-sebastian-major-of-our-fake-history--68689032
That is why I enlisted the help of my friend and now second-time guest on History Impossible, Sebastian Major of Our Fake History to help me unravel this mystery for all of you fine people. Sebastian did a fantastic three-part series covering the witchcraft crisis—my favorite podcast to do so, in fact—a couple of years ago, so I figured there was no one better to get into the broad overview of this twisted and persistent legend of American history. We also looked at the psychological element of the Salem witchcraft crisis and how it carries a universal quality to this very day, with everything from the Satanic panic of the 1980s to the rapid devolution of metoo, to even the Epstein conspiracy theory industry, serving as interesting road markers to understanding the underlying mechanisms. And thanks to Sebastian’s Canadian status—don’t worry, I don’t hold it against him—we also had a little fun discussing bits of Canadian history and politics (something I am woefully uneducated in).

So please enjoy this conversation looking at what possessed Salem in 1692-1693, and perhaps what created the blueprint for strained social relations in American history forever.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/68689032Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:00:19 +0000Alexander von SternbergIt’s unlikely that I’ve undersold the significance of the Salem witchcraft crisis to the development of American history, particularly in the religious and institutional context. But what I always felt somewhat sad about leaving out was the true...
That is why I enlisted the help of my friend and now second-time guest on History Impossible, Sebastian Major of Our Fake History to help me unravel this mystery for all of you fine people. Sebastian did a fantastic three-part series covering the witchcraft crisis—my favorite podcast to do so, in fact—a couple of years ago, so I figured there was no one better to get into the broad overview of this twisted and persistent legend of American history. We also looked at the psychological element of the Salem witchcraft crisis and how it carries a universal quality to this very day, with everything from the Satanic panic of the 1980s to the rapid devolution of metoo, to even the Epstein conspiracy theory industry, serving as interesting road markers to understanding the underlying mechanisms. And thanks to Sebastian’s Canadian status—don’t worry, I don’t hold it against him—we also had a little fun discussing bits of Canadian history and politics (something I am woefully uneducated in).

So please enjoy this conversation looking at what possessed Salem in 1692-1693, and perhaps what created the blueprint for strained social relations in American history forever.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie7380american,christianity,colonial,history,hunts,magic,paranoia,puritans,salem,trials,witch,witchcraft,witchesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-storm-of-decay-the-salem-witch-trials-and-the-death-of-authority--68317334
This story is part of a much larger one I’ve discussed in other work published on History Impossible—namely the scholarly research I’ve been conducting for graduate school—and one day I hope to bring it all together for all of you fine people. But in the meantime, I think it’s a good way to get into the spirit of Halloween and take a closer look at the harm against institutional credibility caused by the Salem witch trials of 1692-1693. If anything, this event helped create a standard for how Americans handle social contagion, as well as how we react to the failures—perceived or real—of our own institutions to this very day.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/68317334Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:30:07 +0000Alexander von SternbergIt might seem a bit gauche to discuss the Salem witchcraft crisis for Halloween, but here it is: the story of the real damage done by the infamous Salem witch trials beyond the deaths of about two dozen people that did not need to occur. The causes of...
This story is part of a much larger one I’ve discussed in other work published on History Impossible—namely the scholarly research I’ve been conducting for graduate school—and one day I hope to bring it all together for all of you fine people. But in the meantime, I think it’s a good way to get into the spirit of Halloween and take a closer look at the harm against institutional credibility caused by the Salem witch trials of 1692-1693. If anything, this event helped create a standard for how Americans handle social contagion, as well as how we react to the failures—perceived or real—of our own institutions to this very day.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>56201692,2025,authority,boston,halloween,institutions,massachusetts,persecution,puritans,religion,salem,trials,witch,witchcraft,witchesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-uncomfortable-truth-about-rhetoric-to-violence--67947237
But also in the time since that conversation, I thought it would be appropriate—probably now more than ever—to revisit an essay I wrote for the History Impossible Substack and Patreon subscribers that delved deep into the question of whether or not rhetoric causes violence, both from a deeper psychological level and from a broader, more legal level, and finally, addressing whether or not this question even matters all that much. It was a difficult thing to write, and a difficult argument to make, but I think I mostly have my ducks in a row with this one and, if anything, it might prompt a helpful conversation to be had. Perhaps I will be seen as naïve or reckless or simply flat out wrong for the stance I took with this one, but I do believe psychological research and legal history are on my side here.

But nevertheless, in this world of ratcheting tension regarding political violence, let’s take a closer look at whether this is something we properly understand or something over which we have a long history of needlessly panicking.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67947237Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:00:18 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn the chaotic month that was September 2025, much has been said about the role of rhetoric and violence in the United States; namely how the former causes the latter, or at least how the former and the latter cannot be separated. This came up on the...
But also in the time since that conversation, I thought it would be appropriate—probably now more than ever—to revisit an essay I wrote for the History Impossible Substack and Patreon subscribers that delved deep into the question of whether or not rhetoric causes violence, both from a deeper psychological level and from a broader, more legal level, and finally, addressing whether or not this question even matters all that much. It was a difficult thing to write, and a difficult argument to make, but I think I mostly have my ducks in a row with this one and, if anything, it might prompt a helpful conversation to be had. Perhaps I will be seen as naïve or reckless or simply flat out wrong for the stance I took with this one, but I do believe psychological research and legal history are on my side here.

But nevertheless, in this world of ratcheting tension regarding political violence, let’s take a closer look at whether this is something we properly understand or something over which we have a long history of needlessly panicking.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie5906amendment,assassination,charlie,first,freedom,kirk,left,politics,rhetoric,right,speech,violencetruebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-violent-yet-flammable-world-w-kristaps-andrejsons-daniele-bolelli--67814515
Thanks to this disconnect from reality, it seemed apparent that some outside and unique perspectives were needed, so I gathered together two of my favorite fellow historical/sociopolitical podcasters whose backgrounds as non-American and immigrant American give them such perspectives: the excellent Kristaps Andrejsons of The Eastern Border podcast and the excellent Daniele Bolelli of the History on Fire and Drunken Taoist podcasts. In this special conversation, we discussed the overall nature of political violence (“existential rhetoric” became the key term of this conversation) and where it appears to come from, where this crop seemed to start, as well as what Americans don't necessarily appreciate about the reality of such violent and destructive norms being created and reinforced.

And most importantly, Daniele was able to get me to question my own stance on how to characterize threatening speech, live on the show. So please, enjoy (as much as one can with such topics).

Support Kristaps’ Car for Ukraine fundraiser, which provides much-needed trucks for Ukrainian troops on the front lines.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67814515Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:44:05 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn light of the recent killing of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk and the realization among many that the United States is facing a stark rise in the possibility of greater political violence than any other time in its recent history, it became clear...
Thanks to this disconnect from reality, it seemed apparent that some outside and unique perspectives were needed, so I gathered together two of my favorite fellow historical/sociopolitical podcasters whose backgrounds as non-American and immigrant American give them such perspectives: the excellent Kristaps Andrejsons of The Eastern Border podcast and the excellent Daniele Bolelli of the History on Fire and Drunken Taoist podcasts. In this special conversation, we discussed the overall nature of political violence (“existential rhetoric” became the key term of this conversation) and where it appears to come from, where this crop seemed to start, as well as what Americans don't necessarily appreciate about the reality of such violent and destructive norms being created and reinforced.

And most importantly, Daniele was able to get me to question my own stance on how to characterize threatening speech, live on the show. So please, enjoy (as much as one can with such topics).

Support Kristaps’ Car for Ukraine fundraiser, which provides much-needed trucks for Ukrainian troops on the front lines.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson5972assassination,causes,charlie,freedom,kirk,leftists,nationalists,political,radicalism,speech,terrorism,violencefalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-protestant-world-and-christ-s-chinese-brother-w-daniele-bolelli--67658760
The Taiping Rebellion was probably one of the best events to use as this springboard because, it could be said, it was the most significant Protestant revolt in human history, if only for the sheer destruction it caused (topped only by the Second World War in terms of body count) and, more to the point, the trajectory it placed upon Qing Dynasty China (ultimately giving us Mao and the communists). It also helps us understand that nature of Protestantism that seeks to overthrow the allegedly corrupt old order, and how that impulse can have incredible consequences many years later—sometimes good, sometimes bad.

It was a much looser affair than most interviews done on this show, but that’s what happens when you let two history podcasters cut loose in front of a mic. Please enjoy!

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67658760Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:00:17 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey all, it’s great to be back with all of you. Especially for this special conversation that has been well overdue, especially on the History Impossible feed. I was thrilled to be able to host my friend and mentor Daniele Bolelli of the History on...
The Taiping Rebellion was probably one of the best events to use as this springboard because, it could be said, it was the most significant Protestant revolt in human history, if only for the sheer destruction it caused (topped only by the Second World War in terms of body count) and, more to the point, the trajectory it placed upon Qing Dynasty China (ultimately giving us Mao and the communists). It also helps us understand that nature of Protestantism that seeks to overthrow the allegedly corrupt old order, and how that impulse can have incredible consequences many years later—sometimes good, sometimes bad.

It was a much looser affair than most interviews done on this show, but that’s what happens when you let two history podcasters cut loose in front of a mic. Please enjoy!

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5095america,christianity,faith,jesus,populism,protestantism,rebellion,religion,revolution,taipingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-new-great-awakening-may-be-nigh--67498595an essay I wrote that was originally published by Areo Magazine in January of 2021, in which I made the case that the United States was undergoing something of a religious revival, which became particularly evident the previous year.

This is a theme I’ve visited and revisited multiple times in the years since this essay was originally published and it has even become central to my scholarly pursuits in graduate school. This fact, along with the always-changing landscape of American culture and life required several updates, most of which on the fly, to be made to the core content of this essay, resulting in a new episode of the podcast in which about half of the material never existed before.

In short, we will be looking at the phenomenon of religious revivals in the United States throughout its entire history and then some—from the aftermath of the Salem witchcraft crisis and lead-up to the First Great Awakening that occurred throughout New England in the mid-18th century, all the way to what I believe is the ongoing and forming Fifth Great Awakening that began in earnest in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Perhaps foolishly, we even try to predict the future and where this all goes.

Fraught, likely controversial stuff. But also deeply personal for me, as someone who thinks a lot about spirituality despite not being particularly spiritual or religious himself. Please enjoy.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67498595Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:00:17 +0000Alexander von SternbergAfter a slight delay, History Impossible is back with the newest installment of audio adaptations of previous writing and historical scholarship that I’ve done in the past several years or so. In this case, we are looking at a massively overhauled and...an essay I wrote that was originally published by Areo Magazine in January of 2021, in which I made the case that the United States was undergoing something of a religious revival, which became particularly evident the previous year.

This is a theme I’ve visited and revisited multiple times in the years since this essay was originally published and it has even become central to my scholarly pursuits in graduate school. This fact, along with the always-changing landscape of American culture and life required several updates, most of which on the fly, to be made to the core content of this essay, resulting in a new episode of the podcast in which about half of the material never existed before.

In short, we will be looking at the phenomenon of religious revivals in the United States throughout its entire history and then some—from the aftermath of the Salem witchcraft crisis and lead-up to the First Great Awakening that occurred throughout New England in the mid-18th century, all the way to what I believe is the ongoing and forming Fifth Great Awakening that began in earnest in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Perhaps foolishly, we even try to predict the future and where this all goes.

Fraught, likely controversial stuff. But also deeply personal for me, as someone who thinks a lot about spirituality despite not being particularly spiritual or religious himself. Please enjoy.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Zazu Benben
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You

Become a supporter of this...]]>7205agnostic,america,atheism,awakening,christianity,edwards,faith,nationalism,protestantism,religion,religious,revival,spirituality,trump,whitefieldfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/civilization-moral-masochism-and-wonders-of-the-visible-world-w-brendan-o-neill--66877412
Brendan has been featured, well, all over—the British television, the Oxford debates, and many more, all while writing for multiple publications including spiked! (where he is chief political writer), The Spectator, and the Daily Mail, as well as hosting his excellent interview show, The Brendan O’Neill Show. I’ve followed his work for a very long time, and have always admired him for his sharp commentary that, while certainly very much his own, calls to mind the kind of sharp commentary we saw from the great Christopher Hitchens (and not just because of the accent). With Brendan’s work, as soon as you think you’re hearing a typical broadside against the Western left, you realize that there is a deeper, more socially liberal critique informing all of that, sharpened all the more when he turns his guns on the radical right. This came up a lot during our conversation.

However, his most recent accomplishment, his excellent 2024 polemic After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel, and the Crisis of Civilization, is what made this conversation more of an imperative. It was not just the power of this book—the rage behind it, which I often shared—that made me want to speak to Brendan about it, but also—selfishly, I admit—my own words were quoted within it, specifically from the piece I wrote jointly for Queer Majority and Quillette in late 2023 about the origins of Hamas’ homophobia. Brendan and I connected via social media and eventually were able to make this conversation happen, and it was a truly excellent one that covers a wide range of topics, most of which related to his book, but some of which went in directions neither of us anticipated—the conspiracy theorist mindset, the situation with Darryl Cooper, and even the role of wonder and meaning in everyday life, especially for atheists like Brendan and myself.

It was a great conversation and one we both hope to have again and/or expand upon in the future.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66877412Tue, 08 Jul 2025 09:00:15 +0000Alexander von SternbergHello everybody. We have another amazing conversation for you fine people to enjoy, this time a little spicier as far as controversial subjects go. To further expand upon my thoughts on the imperialistic character of Islamism as well as discuss the...
Brendan has been featured, well, all over—the British television, the Oxford debates, and many more, all while writing for multiple publications including spiked! (where he is chief political writer), The Spectator, and the Daily Mail, as well as hosting his excellent interview show, The Brendan O’Neill Show. I’ve followed his work for a very long time, and have always admired him for his sharp commentary that, while certainly very much his own, calls to mind the kind of sharp commentary we saw from the great Christopher Hitchens (and not just because of the accent). With Brendan’s work, as soon as you think you’re hearing a typical broadside against the Western left, you realize that there is a deeper, more socially liberal critique informing all of that, sharpened all the more when he turns his guns on the radical right. This came up a lot during our conversation.

However, his most recent accomplishment, his excellent 2024 polemic After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel, and the Crisis of Civilization, is what made this conversation more of an imperative. It was not just the power of this book—the rage behind it, which I often shared—that made me want to speak to Brendan about it, but also—selfishly, I admit—my own words were quoted within it, specifically from the piece I wrote jointly for Queer Majority and Quillette in late 2023 about the origins of Hamas’ homophobia. Brendan and I connected via social media and eventually were able to make this conversation happen, and it was a truly excellent one that covers a wide range of topics, most of which related to his book, but some of which went in directions neither of us anticipated—the conspiracy theorist mindset, the situation with Darryl Cooper, and even the role of wonder and meaning in everyday life, especially for atheists like Brendan and myself.

It was a great conversation and one we both hope to have again and/or expand upon in the future.

...

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles...]]>920610/7,antisemitism,arabs,atheism,colonialism,genocide,hamas,imperialism,iran,islam,islamism,islamophobia,israel,jews,leftism,pogrom,radicalism,religion,spiked,wartruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-unreality-of-realism-w-zack-twamley-of-when-diplomacy-fails--66766708When Diplomacy Fails. Zack and I have mostly crossed paths via our mutual podcasting pal Kristaps Andrejsons of the Eastern Border podcast, on which we have both been guests. Most recently, as many will recall, Zack and I were part of a larger panel discussion (that also included other podcasting great Jack Johansson of the Secret Police podcast) that Kristaps hosted to discuss the state of the new Trump administration vis-à-vis the ongoing war in Ukraine and the apparent attempt by the U.S. government to disentangle itself from European affairs while also bringing the war to a speedy conclusion (which, as we all know, did not happen). After that conversation, Zack and I decided we should deepen the part of the conversation that stuck with us and dive deep into the geopolitical school of thought that is typical of Ukraine’s loudest critics: so-called Realism.

As it turns out, there was a lot to say and for me to learn, which did not surprise me seeing as Zack is the closest thing to an expert on the field of international relations that I know, thanks to the focus of When Diplomacy Fails. This episode got deep into the weeds of Realism, its drawbacks, its benefits, its variations over time, and even its dangers. There was a lot of contemporary politics interwoven into the historical discussion as well, so Ukraine is certainly covered, but so is the historical application of realpolitik, and, fitting in with History Impossible’s recent episodes, its relationship with imperialism of both the soft and hard variety. It was a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation for us, and we thought that you all would like it too, so please enjoy this discussion of Realism between myself and Zack Twamley.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66766708Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:00:08 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this newest conversation on History Impossible, I was super-happy to be joined by fellow historical podcaster Zack Twamley, host of the excellent and long-running podcast, https://www.wdfpodcast.com/. Zack and I have mostly crossed paths via our...When Diplomacy Fails. Zack and I have mostly crossed paths via our mutual podcasting pal Kristaps Andrejsons of the Eastern Border podcast, on which we have both been guests. Most recently, as many will recall, Zack and I were part of a larger panel discussion (that also included other podcasting great Jack Johansson of the Secret Police podcast) that Kristaps hosted to discuss the state of the new Trump administration vis-à-vis the ongoing war in Ukraine and the apparent attempt by the U.S. government to disentangle itself from European affairs while also bringing the war to a speedy conclusion (which, as we all know, did not happen). After that conversation, Zack and I decided we should deepen the part of the conversation that stuck with us and dive deep into the geopolitical school of thought that is typical of Ukraine’s loudest critics: so-called Realism.

As it turns out, there was a lot to say and for me to learn, which did not surprise me seeing as Zack is the closest thing to an expert on the field of international relations that I know, thanks to the focus of When Diplomacy Fails. This episode got deep into the weeds of Realism, its drawbacks, its benefits, its variations over time, and even its dangers. There was a lot of contemporary politics interwoven into the historical discussion as well, so Ukraine is certainly covered, but so is the historical application of realpolitik, and, fitting in with History Impossible’s recent episodes, its relationship with imperialism of both the soft and hard variety. It was a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation for us, and we thought that you all would like it too, so please enjoy this discussion of Realism between myself and Zack Twamley.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew...]]>8660gaza,geopolitics,iran,israel,realism,russia,trump,ukraine,vance,war,zelenskyyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-butler-boomerang-how-american-empire-stopped-american-fascism--66498972
We don’t often think of the positive downstream effects of imperialism, but that does not mean they do not exist. This is not some fringe position either; as I have come to understand while in graduate school, there is a growing set of ideas that demonstrate empire’s stabilizing effects and not necessarily coercive relationships that it establishes. Great examples of this include the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which promoted ethnic and even national pluralism, both before and after its decline, as well as the Ottoman Empire, during its less coercive moments (though it certainly had many, vis-à-vis religion). The United States, young as it is, has caused a lot of turmoil overseas in its own imperial adventures, but the imperial boomerang has come back around in protective ways as well, sometimes even preventing disaster from befalling it.

The story of Major General Smedley Butler and his role in those imperial adventures is one of those stories.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66498972Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:00:15 +0000Alexander von SternbergHello again everyone. We have a new, special episode of History Impossible for all of you in which we examine a less-known moment of American imperialism, as well as the downstream effects it seemed to have during the world’s authoritarian moment of...
We don’t often think of the positive downstream effects of imperialism, but that does not mean they do not exist. This is not some fringe position either; as I have come to understand while in graduate school, there is a growing set of ideas that demonstrate empire’s stabilizing effects and not necessarily coercive relationships that it establishes. Great examples of this include the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which promoted ethnic and even national pluralism, both before and after its decline, as well as the Ottoman Empire, during its less coercive moments (though it certainly had many, vis-à-vis religion). The United States, young as it is, has caused a lot of turmoil overseas in its own imperial adventures, but the imperial boomerang has come back around in protective ways as well, sometimes even preventing disaster from befalling it.

The story of Major General Smedley Butler and his role in those imperial adventures is one of those stories.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5598america,banana,business,butler,caribbean,coup,empire,fascism,imperialism,latin,marines,smedley,wallstreet,warsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-velvet-jihad--66231961the influence of Qatar in various parts of the United States (including, apparently, the Oval Office for the mere price of a plane), but honestly, it all just serves to help confirm my overall thesis all the more. World events have a funny way of rendering old analyses irrelevant, but I am sorry to say that imperialism in its many forms is likely eternal.

The last time we discussed imperialism on History Impossible, we looked at the form it appears to be taking under the second Trump administration, which, despite remaining based on trade deals and possibly empty threats of annexation, is a much “harder” form of imperialism than what the United States has employed in recent history (apart, of course, from our “state building” adventures in places like Iraq). This time, we will turn to the softer form of imperialism favored by places like the United States during the opening decade of the Cold War, as well as the French Empire in the mid-19th century and, as we will see from this episode, the attempts at spreading and more importantly, normalizing Islamism within the borders of Western, democratic, and decidedly non-theocratic or Islamic countries.

By examining the fringes, we can often reveal the realities of the center, and in this case, a deeper understanding imperialism can be gleaned by looking at what is largely a lost cause on paper and realizing that lost causes are often fueled by reinterpreted victories, which can be as simple as sociopolitical subversion. Will the West become Islamist? Almost certainly not. Will Islamists attempt to take advantage and make use of the cultural and political ruptures, as well as the social status symbols, that exist within the West, thus making their goals all the more likely to succeed? Almost certainly yes. We know this because this is what soft imperial power—whether wielded by United States Cold Warriors in the CIA in the 1950s or French aristocrats and business owners in the 1850s—has always attempted to do.

Imperialism is not always about coercive control of a smaller state. In fact, it often is not. The core goal of imperialism has always been one thing: influence. That is what we will explore today.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66231961Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:13 +0000Alexander von SternbergPlease note: This episode was made before I learned about https://www.thefp.com/p/how-qatar-bought-america in various parts of the United States (including, apparently, the Oval Office for the mere price of a plane), but honestly, it all just serves...the influence of Qatar in various parts of the United States (including, apparently, the Oval Office for the mere price of a plane), but honestly, it all just serves to help confirm my overall thesis all the more. World events have a funny way of rendering old analyses irrelevant, but I am sorry to say that imperialism in its many forms is likely eternal.

The last time we discussed imperialism on History Impossible, we looked at the form it appears to be taking under the second Trump administration, which, despite remaining based on trade deals and possibly empty threats of annexation, is a much “harder” form of imperialism than what the United States has employed in recent history (apart, of course, from our “state building” adventures in places like Iraq). This time, we will turn to the softer form of imperialism favored by places like the United States during the opening decade of the Cold War, as well as the French Empire in the mid-19th century and, as we will see from this episode, the attempts at spreading and more importantly, normalizing Islamism within the borders of Western, democratic, and decidedly non-theocratic or Islamic countries.

By examining the fringes, we can often reveal the realities of the center, and in this case, a deeper understanding imperialism can be gleaned by looking at what is largely a lost cause on paper and realizing that lost causes are often fueled by reinterpreted victories, which can be as simple as sociopolitical subversion. Will the West become Islamist? Almost certainly not. Will Islamists attempt to take advantage and make use of the cultural and political ruptures, as well as the social status symbols, that exist within the West, thus making their goals all the more likely to succeed? Almost certainly yes. We know this because this is what soft imperial power—whether wielded by United States Cold Warriors in the CIA in the 1950s or French aristocrats and business owners in the 1850s—has always attempted to do.

Imperialism is not always about coercive control of a smaller state. In fact, it often is not. The core goal of imperialism has always been one thing: influence. That is what we will explore today.

…

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:

David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen5616america,amsterdam,antisemitism,attack,embassy,europe,imperialism,islam,islamism,israel,jihad,nazis,palestine,pogrom,propaganda,terrorismfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/trump-2-0-making-america-progressive-again--65628921
This was what I decided to tackle in an essay I wrote for my friend David Josef Volodsko in his publication, The Radicalist. A couple of weeks later, I am happy to bring to all of you the audio adaptation of that essay, with a couple of important expansions you won’t receive anywhere else.

This is the first installment of a small cluster of episodes I plan to put out for all of you that deal with the theme of imperialism, which will also hopefully include an interview or two about the subject as well.Thank you again for reading, listening, and for having incredible patience as I work on the next installment of “The Muslim Nazis” series.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Strxmxn
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/65628921Fri, 18 Apr 2025 21:47:13 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe question of who President Donald Trump resembled in history is one that has become almost a cliche, mostly thanks to its ideological Rorschach quality, especially during his first term and in the years leading up to his second. This has become far...
This was what I decided to tackle in an essay I wrote for my friend David Josef Volodsko in his publication, The Radicalist. A couple of weeks later, I am happy to bring to all of you the audio adaptation of that essay, with a couple of important expansions you won’t receive anywhere else.

This is the first installment of a small cluster of episodes I plan to put out for all of you that deal with the theme of imperialism, which will also hopefully include an interview or two about the subject as well.Thank you again for reading, listening, and for having incredible patience as I work on the next installment of “The Muslim Nazis” series.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Strxmxn
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>3463annexation,canada,greenland,imperialism,mckinley,panama,progressivism,roosevelt,trumpfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/diplomacy-on-the-eastern-border-w-kristaps-andrejsons-jack-johannson-zack-twamley--65087237The Eastern Border’s Kristaps Andrejsons, the Secret Police podcast’s Jack Johannson, and When Diplomacy Fails podcast’s Zack Twamley. It originally went up on the Eastern Border feed, split into two parts, but Kristaps was kind enough to let all of us get our grubby paws on the masters to put on our own feeds, something that I felt would allow me to give all of you fine people another nice bonus while you wait for the next installments of History Impossible.The conversation went on for nearly three hours and was incredibly enlightening and fun, and yours truly was able to actually sound relatively informed for most of the run time. Some plans are in the works for some more dedicated one-on-one conversations with these guys, but in the meantime, we all weighed in on the post-Oval Office diplomatic reality TV/Twitter IRL brouhaha that involved Presidents Zelenskyy and Trump and, especially to my ire as many of you will hear, Vice President J.D. Vance.

The conversation also widened as our ranks narrowed (Zack and Jack both had previous engagements they needed to attend to), and Kristaps being who he is, was able to get me to spiral out some “worst case scenarios” for the changing global order as we know it. So please enjoy this panel discussion where a quartet of podcasters attempt to crack the nut of geopolitical strategy in 2025.
…
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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/65087237Tue, 25 Mar 2025 09:00:47 +0000Alexander von SternbergI was recently invited to join in a panel discussion with three podcasting greats and people I consider friends—that is, https://theeasternborder.lv/, the https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secret-police/id1617565614, and...The Eastern Border’s Kristaps Andrejsons, the Secret Police podcast’s Jack Johannson, and When Diplomacy Fails podcast’s Zack Twamley. It originally went up on the Eastern Border feed, split into two parts, but Kristaps was kind enough to let all of us get our grubby paws on the masters to put on our own feeds, something that I felt would allow me to give all of you fine people another nice bonus while you wait for the next installments of History Impossible.The conversation went on for nearly three hours and was incredibly enlightening and fun, and yours truly was able to actually sound relatively informed for most of the run time. Some plans are in the works for some more dedicated one-on-one conversations with these guys, but in the meantime, we all weighed in on the post-Oval Office diplomatic reality TV/Twitter IRL brouhaha that involved Presidents Zelenskyy and Trump and, especially to my ire as many of you will hear, Vice President J.D. Vance.

The conversation also widened as our ranks narrowed (Zack and Jack both had previous engagements they needed to attend to), and Kristaps being who he is, was able to get me to spiral out some “worst case scenarios” for the changing global order as we know it. So please enjoy this panel discussion where a quartet of podcasters attempt to crack the nut of geopolitical strategy in 2025.
…
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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>10399diplomacy,pragmatism,putin,realism,russia,trump,ukraine,vance,war,zelenskyyfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-slave-who-would-be-a-spy-w-isaac-willour--64869340
In this newest installment of History Impossible, we’re looking at the extraordinary life of James Armistead Lafayette, the slave who would become the Colonies’ most vital spy during the Revolutionary War. I had never heard of this man before, but after reading fellow Keinrath Publishing writer Isaac Willour’s stirring and powerful portrait of the man—which everyone should check out here—I felt that it would be fitting for me and Isaac to chat about it. This conversation was the result of that, in which we discuss the circumstances of Armistead Lafayette’s life defined by action as well as the seemingly baffling contradiction that he shared with the Founding Fathers themselves: his owning of slaves after his own manumission.

Isaac’s writing has appeared not just in Keinrath, but also publications including National Review, The Daily Wire, and the American Institute for Economic Research. He has also appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Amid all of that, though, he has managed to carve out time to be fascinated in history and that led us to chatting about this story. It is a fascinating tale, and I hope you all enjoy.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64869340Fri, 14 Mar 2025 09:00:12 +0000Alexander von SternbergSlavery is often known as the United States’ original sin, and for good reason. Much of our perceptions of it are informed both by the Civil War’s cause and outcome, and the contradictions—and even moral hypocrisy—that it created with our Founding...
In this newest installment of History Impossible, we’re looking at the extraordinary life of James Armistead Lafayette, the slave who would become the Colonies’ most vital spy during the Revolutionary War. I had never heard of this man before, but after reading fellow Keinrath Publishing writer Isaac Willour’s stirring and powerful portrait of the man—which everyone should check out here—I felt that it would be fitting for me and Isaac to chat about it. This conversation was the result of that, in which we discuss the circumstances of Armistead Lafayette’s life defined by action as well as the seemingly baffling contradiction that he shared with the Founding Fathers themselves: his owning of slaves after his own manumission.

Isaac’s writing has appeared not just in Keinrath, but also publications including National Review, The Daily Wire, and the American Institute for Economic Research. He has also appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Amid all of that, though, he has managed to carve out time to be fascinated in history and that led us to chatting about this story. It is a fascinating tale, and I hope you all enjoy.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus3649america,britain,espionage,france,revolutionary,slavery,warfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-spirit-of-the-american-west-w-david-mcgarry--64755756
It may or may not surprise many of you that this is not exactly my wheelhouse, but it is not. I don’t know a lot about the American West beyond the more brutal stories I mentioned earlier and an awareness of it in the context of cinematic history. So that’s why with this special episode of History Impossible, I was joined by the prolific and talented writer David McGarry, who has had his work appear in esteemed publications including Reason and National Review, as well as his his own Substack, The Thoughtful Spot.

David and I actually connected through a new writing venture that both of us have taken part in, a start-up known as Keinrath Publishing. I recently told you all about Keinrath when I put out the piece linking you guys to my essay for them covering the 1876 election, and like me, David put out a piece there covering, you guessed it, the spirit of the American West. I recommend not just David’s essay, but everyone’s essays there (including long-time friend and collaborator Daniele Bolelli!) because Keinrath is doing something really cool: offering thoughtful analyses of history and current events in long form, in which just a dollar will let you read each. It’s a great way to support writers like us, but honestly, Keinrath is just a great organization run by good people, and I would love to see them get some love. So go check them out when you get the chance. And I’m really happy to say that this will actually be the first of two interviews I’m doing with fellow authors there. So stay tuned for the next one very soon.

In the meantime though, please enjoy this conversation I had with David McGarry about the spirit of the American West, where it went, and how we might get it back.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Neil Sheehan
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64755756Fri, 07 Mar 2025 22:15:59 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe American West (or the “Wild West” as it’s still sometimes known) is arguably one of the defining features of the United States’ history and culture, if not the most defining feature. After all, much of the world has the image of the American...
It may or may not surprise many of you that this is not exactly my wheelhouse, but it is not. I don’t know a lot about the American West beyond the more brutal stories I mentioned earlier and an awareness of it in the context of cinematic history. So that’s why with this special episode of History Impossible, I was joined by the prolific and talented writer David McGarry, who has had his work appear in esteemed publications including Reason and National Review, as well as his his own Substack, The Thoughtful Spot.

David and I actually connected through a new writing venture that both of us have taken part in, a start-up known as Keinrath Publishing. I recently told you all about Keinrath when I put out the piece linking you guys to my essay for them covering the 1876 election, and like me, David put out a piece there covering, you guessed it, the spirit of the American West. I recommend not just David’s essay, but everyone’s essays there (including long-time friend and collaborator Daniele Bolelli!) because Keinrath is doing something really cool: offering thoughtful analyses of history and current events in long form, in which just a dollar will let you read each. It’s a great way to support writers like us, but honestly, Keinrath is just a great organization run by good people, and I would love to see them get some love. So go check them out when you get the chance. And I’m really happy to say that this will actually be the first of two interviews I’m doing with fellow authors there. So stay tuned for the next one very soon.

In the meantime though, please enjoy this conversation I had with David McGarry about the spirit of the American West, where it went, and how we might get it back.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis...]]>6108american,cowboy,film,frontier,history,redemption,spirit,west,westernfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-bug-in-the-software--64615502
…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Neil Sheehan
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64615502Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:00:14 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey everyone, happy to present to all of you fine people with a brief bonus, this time adapting my recent historiographical essay that I had written my first semester in graduate school on the study of infectious disease’s effects throughout history...
…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Neil Sheehan
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>3365disease,historiography,infectious,pandemic,peoples,plaguesfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mother-s-wrath-mankind-s-bargain-the-los-angeles-fires-of-2025--64312117
The destruction faced by Los Angelenos in 2025 is not too dissimilar from many examples of destruction in relatively recent history. From the Krakatoa explosion in 1883, to the Galvestone hurriance in 1900, to the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906, there are plenty of examples. We examine these and their after effects in detail in this episode of History Impossible. It was an emotional experience to go through all of this and I hope you all can appreciate why. I wrote the original essay upon which this episode was based over a month ago, but it still has some validity and weight that I didn't expect.

So please enjoy as much as one can enjoy such a heavy subject, in this newest episode of History Impossible 

...

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Daniel Camaj
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Neil Sheehan
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64312117Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:13 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this episode of History Impossible inaugurating 2025 and the sixth anniversary of the show, we will be looking at the Los Angeles Fires of 2025 but from an extended, historical, and probably overly philosophical lens. Because as it turns out,...
The destruction faced by Los Angelenos in 2025 is not too dissimilar from many examples of destruction in relatively recent history. From the Krakatoa explosion in 1883, to the Galvestone hurriance in 1900, to the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906, there are plenty of examples. We examine these and their after effects in detail in this episode of History Impossible. It was an emotional experience to go through all of this and I hope you all can appreciate why. I wrote the original essay upon which this episode was based over a month ago, but it still has some validity and weight that I didn't expect.

So please enjoy as much as one can enjoy such a heavy subject, in this newest episode of History Impossible 

...

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Daniel Camaj
Carol ABC
Charles C
Curtis Christiansen
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Neil Sheehan
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>66571800s,1900s,2025,california,county,disasters,earthquake,humankind,hurricane,la,natural,volcano,wildfiresfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-revulsion-of-feeling-the-arab-revolt-and-collective-identity--63503778
The second thing I want to say is that a lot of the material in this one will be familiar territory, just more focused on a single event (or grouping of events) in Israel-Palestine history: that is, the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939. This was something I hadn’t planned to do until inspiration smacked me upside the head in my second semester, largely propelled by the lack of awareness I was seeing some of my cohort-mates possessed about the conflict in general, to say nothing of the minutiae of its long, long history. As has been covered at length by me and many others, this has very clearly become a political issue with no tether to history, when that history matters more than the politics.

In any event, what resulted was this, but in paper form (that has also been published in written form on Substack and Patreon, as some of you may remember): an investigation into the formation of group identity—that is, of the declining British Empire, the Zionist movement, and the Arab nationalist movement—via the conflict that came to be known as the Arab Revolt of the 1930s. Apart from a few folks—like the awesome Oren Kessler, much of whose work I incorporated into this episode—very few scholars have focused their attention on this event, sandwiched as it is between the punctuated chaos of the 1920s and the Second World War. I hope looking at the event this way—as a crucible, to use a word Kessler has used—adds to the conversation. 

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sharon Peplinski
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63503778Mon, 30 Dec 2024 10:00:11 +0000Alexander von SternbergThis is the first installment of something that doesn’t really have a name; the Grad School Files? That sounds a little like a bad Netflix show. I’ll take suggestions, but in the meantime, we can simply define this as it is: the first adaptation of...
The second thing I want to say is that a lot of the material in this one will be familiar territory, just more focused on a single event (or grouping of events) in Israel-Palestine history: that is, the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939. This was something I hadn’t planned to do until inspiration smacked me upside the head in my second semester, largely propelled by the lack of awareness I was seeing some of my cohort-mates possessed about the conflict in general, to say nothing of the minutiae of its long, long history. As has been covered at length by me and many others, this has very clearly become a political issue with no tether to history, when that history matters more than the politics.

In any event, what resulted was this, but in paper form (that has also been published in written form on Substack and Patreon, as some of you may remember): an investigation into the formation of group identity—that is, of the declining British Empire, the Zionist movement, and the Arab nationalist movement—via the conflict that came to be known as the Arab Revolt of the 1930s. Apart from a few folks—like the awesome Oren Kessler, much of whose work I incorporated into this episode—very few scholars have focused their attention on this event, sandwiched as it is between the punctuated chaos of the 1920s and the Second World War. I hope looking at the event this way—as a crucible, to use a word Kessler has used—adds to the conversation. 

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sharon Peplinski
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny...]]>54751936,2024,arabs,conflict,hamas,israel,jews,palestine,war,wwiifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-question-of-genocide--63151524the historical polemic I wrote on the one-year anniversary of October 7th, 2023, examining the interpretation of genocide, as applied to the current war between Hamas and Israel, and to the devastation wrought against the Bosnian Muslims by their Serb counterparts in the early 1990s. This episode touches on some extremely upsetting and dark material, including descriptions of child death, mass killing, and rape, so please consider yourself warned if that sort of thing is something you might want to avoid.

This episode will serve as a polemical counterpart to the first installment of the graduate school trilogy I have in the works. The other adaptations will have their own thematic counterparts, and I hope to release those in the coming weeks and months, which will hopefully sate everyone’s interest until the next and penultimate episode of “The Muslim Nazis” is released.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sharon Peplinski
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
David Schwedinger
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63151524Fri, 06 Dec 2024 10:00:14 +0000Alexander von SternbergThis episode of History Impossible is an adaptation of https://historyimpossible.substack.com/p/the-question-of-genocide on the one-year anniversary of October 7th, 2023, examining the interpretation of genocide, as applied to the current war between...the historical polemic I wrote on the one-year anniversary of October 7th, 2023, examining the interpretation of genocide, as applied to the current war between Hamas and Israel, and to the devastation wrought against the Bosnian Muslims by their Serb counterparts in the early 1990s. This episode touches on some extremely upsetting and dark material, including descriptions of child death, mass killing, and rape, so please consider yourself warned if that sort of thing is something you might want to avoid.

This episode will serve as a polemical counterpart to the first installment of the graduate school trilogy I have in the works. The other adaptations will have their own thematic counterparts, and I hope to release those in the coming weeks and months, which will hopefully sate everyone’s interest until the next and penultimate episode of “The Muslim Nazis” is released.

…

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sharon Peplinski
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
David Schwedinger
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>389710/7,2023,2024,bosnia,gaza,genocide,hamas,israel,massacre,murder,october,palestine,wartruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-original-donald-trump-throwback-thursday--62960648
For a long time, I was skeptical of doing “re-runs” of History Impossible’s earlier episodes. I didn’t think that I had the “right” to do so, or something along those lines. Obviously, that’s a silly way of looking at things and, to be honest, it’s counterproductive. Many of you reading or hearing this have been with me since Day One (or near Day One) and many of you have likely gone through the entire show archive, and I love you all to pieces for it. But then I look at the calendar and I remember that it’s been nearly SIX YEARS since I started this little show. Six years is wild to think about. I was just breaking into the time period known as “real adulthood” in my early 30s. It’s certainly wild to think about where the time has gone and all the crazy things that have happened since then, both in my life and in the world around me.

That includes a historic presidential election this year, in which for only the second time in American history, a man has been elected for a non-consecutive term. It’s also historic because of his convicted criminal status (putting aside how one might feel about the validity of those convictions or the trials that produced them; this is historically significant no matter how you slice it or how much your mileage may vary). I have had several people ask me for my take on everything that has happened, and I have given it in small doses, but I’ve also had people ask me how I feel about the man—that is, Donald Trump—himself. I don’t have an answer that has pleased many people, but only a fair few likely know it has not changed since 2019, when I started History Impossible.

When I started this show, I came very close to beginning it with the “Muslim Nazis” series. But thanks to the advice of my good friend and guru Daniele Bolelli, I came to realize that I would be essentially imposing myself on the historical podcasting audience by asking them to commit to a series that, at the time, I assumed would take a few years (and boy was I right on that estimate, more than I knew). So I went with one-off’s for a while, occasionally foraying into thematic trilogies and two-parters. Some of these were my favorite stories to delve into, even until this very day. But my very first episode was one where I tried to unpack my feelings on Donald Trump from a historically comparative perspective, and looking back on that first episode, I think most of my feelings have remained consistent.

I have never liked the “fascism” comparison, much less the “Nazi” comparisons (I think that should just be obvious by now). But historian Niall Ferguson, many years ago now, helped break down just what kind of historical figure Donald Trump is. It inspired me, and, after a couple months of frantic research into the period of time Ferguson discussed in his above-linked talk, I was able to pull together a story about a next-to-unknown man from American history; the “Original Donald Trump,” if you will. And the first episode of History Impossible was born.

Because that was so long ago, and because I realized the idea of re-releasing episodes is really no big deal, I figured I would re-release that episode. Also, to be honest, because it has been a while since I released an audio episode for the podcast. Being trapped by a looming thesis prospectus in graduate school and the ongoing writing and research I am doing for my proper class has eaten up large amounts of my time, as has other projects to which I have committed. We still have some episodes coming before the end of the year and—god willing—an interview or two (though those are less certain), but I wanted to give something to those of you who have only recently found my work and just have not found the time to work your way back through six years of content.

Now like I said, I essentially endorse everything I researched, wrote, and said from this episode I did so many years ago, at least in broad strokes. I do not necessarily endorse the quality—either my delivery, or production. I cannot promise that will stand to scrutiny compared to my more recent work; it was my first stab at historical podcasting after all. But I think this re-release—relevant as it is to the results of the 2024 election—can serve as a nice time capsule that answers some lingering questions my followers and listeners might have regarding my feelings on our 45th, and now 47th, President of the United States. At the very least, it can serve as a nice historical comparison to the first Trump administration, and the years that led up to it (I do believe, for what it is worth, things are different in 2024 American society than they were in 2015-2016, but not by much; in some ways, they are heightened). 

So please, enjoy this throwback (posted on a Thursday!) of the very first episode of History Impossible, “The Original Donald Trump.”

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
David Alsbach
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Henry
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
Mel Padden
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Sharon Peplinski
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
David Schwedinger
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62960648Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:48:30 +0000Alexander von SternbergHello all, hope you are doing well. For a long time, I was skeptical of doing “re-runs” of History Impossible’s earlier episodes. I didn’t think that I had the “right” to do so, or something along those lines. Obviously, that’s a silly way of looking...
For a long time, I was skeptical of doing “re-runs” of History Impossible’s earlier episodes. I didn’t think that I had the “right” to do so, or something along those lines. Obviously, that’s a silly way of looking at things and, to be honest, it’s counterproductive. Many of you reading or hearing this have been with me since Day One (or near Day One) and many of you have likely gone through the entire show archive, and I love you all to pieces for it. But then I look at the calendar and I remember that it’s been nearly SIX YEARS since I started this little show. Six years is wild to think about. I was just breaking into the time period known as “real adulthood” in my early 30s. It’s certainly wild to think about where the time has gone and all the crazy things that have happened since then, both in my life and in the world around me.

That includes a historic presidential election this year, in which for only the second time in American history, a man has been elected for a non-consecutive term. It’s also historic because of his convicted criminal status (putting aside how one might feel about the validity of those convictions or the trials that produced them; this is historically significant no matter how you slice it or how much your mileage may vary). I have had several people ask me for my take on everything that has happened, and I have given it in small doses, but I’ve also had people ask me how I feel about the man—that is, Donald Trump—himself. I don’t have an answer that has pleased many people, but only a fair few likely know it has not changed since 2019, when I started History Impossible.

When I started this show, I came very close to beginning it with the “Muslim Nazis” series. But thanks to the advice of my good friend and guru Daniele Bolelli, I came to realize that I would be essentially imposing myself on the historical podcasting audience by asking them to commit to a series that, at the time, I assumed would take a few years (and boy was I right on that estimate, more than I knew). So I went with one-off’s for a while, occasionally foraying into thematic trilogies and two-parters. Some of these were my favorite stories to delve into, even until this very day. But my very first episode was one where I tried to unpack my feelings on Donald Trump from a historically comparative perspective, and looking back on that first episode, I think most of my feelings have remained consistent.

I have never liked the “fascism” comparison, much less the “Nazi” comparisons (I think that should just be obvious by now). But historian Niall Ferguson, many years ago now, helped break down just what kind of historical figure Donald Trump is. It inspired me, and, after a couple months of frantic research into the period of time Ferguson discussed in his above-linked talk, I was able to pull together a story about a next-to-unknown man from American history; the “Original Donald Trump,” if you will. And the first episode of History Impossible was born.

Because that was so long ago, and because I realized the idea of re-releasing episodes is really no big deal, I figured I would re-release that episode. Also, to be honest, because it has been a while since I released an audio episode for the podcast. Being trapped by a looming thesis prospectus in graduate school and the ongoing writing and research I am doing for my proper class has eaten up large amounts of my time, as has other projects to which I have committed. We still have some episodes coming before the end of the year and—god willing—an interview or two (though those are less certain), but I wanted to give something to those of you who have only recently found my work and just have not found the time to work your way back through six years of content.

Now like I said, I...]]>100801876,2016,2024,debate,democracy,democrats,election,fascism,harris,immigration,populsm,republicans,trumptruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/revisionism-and-misplaced-empathy-the-darryl-cooper-tucker-carlson-situation--62201707
This comes from the piece I wrote for the good folks at Merion West which takes a close look at the claims made last month by my podcasting comrade Darryl Cooper while he was being interviewed on Tucker Carlson’s X show. This is the podcast version, with some tweaks and expansions, but I highly recommend you go read the polished piece over on Merion West.

Thank you all for reading and listening.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62201707Wed, 02 Oct 2024 21:52:37 +0000Alexander von SternbergI have, for many years, recommended Darryl Cooper’s hit podcast Martyr Made to the relative handful of people kind enough to listen to my own show and read my thoughts on various publications, including my own Substack. And not to fully bury the lede,...
This comes from the piece I wrote for the good folks at Merion West which takes a close look at the claims made last month by my podcasting comrade Darryl Cooper while he was being interviewed on Tucker Carlson’s X show. This is the podcast version, with some tweaks and expansions, but I highly recommend you go read the polished piece over on Merion West.

Thank you all for reading and listening.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5087apologist,carlson,churchill,controversy,cooper,darryl,history,holocaust,nazis,revisionism,tucker,twitter,wwiifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-elites-who-would-play-god-w-cj-killmer-of-dangerous-history--61279485Dangerous History Podcast: that is, the topic of eugenics! More accurately, we discussed a particular man in that noteworthy field who CJ discussed on his second-most recent episode (as of this writing; the 12th and newest epic installment of the Woodrow Wilson series he’s been working hard on just released), Dr. Edwin Katzen-Ellenbogen.

This man’s storied career included being a pioneer in promoting the pseudo-scientific field that gripped the hearts and minds of American and European elites in the early 20th century, as well as having the worst luck in escaping the Nazis as their reach expanded across Europe while placing Jews like him in the crosshairs. This ultimately worked out for him, in a sick sense, because shortly after being captured and tossed into a camp, he began working with them on some of their notorious human experiments. It has been alleged that he personally murdered at least 1,000 human test subjects by lethal injection. Unlike many of the other Nazis’ collaborators, he was purely in it for himself, and, based on his activities before the war, likely agreed with many of their conclusions.

CJ and I spoke not just about this man, and not just about eugenics, but how they—especially eugenics—fit into the broader schema that is the philosophy of progress, that is, Progressivism. It’s at once obvious and shocking. And to help hammer the point home, we close by discussing an underrated piece of 1990s cinema that not only remains great nearly 30 years later, but eerily prescient. So please sit back and enjoy this conversation with CJ Killmer.

…

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61279485Mon, 09 Sep 2024 09:00:08 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this newest special episode of History Impossible, I sat down to discuss a super-light topic, one not fraught with intense controversy and tragedy, with my long time friend and podcasting comrade, CJ Killmer, of the https://profcj.org/: that is,...Dangerous History Podcast: that is, the topic of eugenics! More accurately, we discussed a particular man in that noteworthy field who CJ discussed on his second-most recent episode (as of this writing; the 12th and newest epic installment of the Woodrow Wilson series he’s been working hard on just released), Dr. Edwin Katzen-Ellenbogen.

This man’s storied career included being a pioneer in promoting the pseudo-scientific field that gripped the hearts and minds of American and European elites in the early 20th century, as well as having the worst luck in escaping the Nazis as their reach expanded across Europe while placing Jews like him in the crosshairs. This ultimately worked out for him, in a sick sense, because shortly after being captured and tossed into a camp, he began working with them on some of their notorious human experiments. It has been alleged that he personally murdered at least 1,000 human test subjects by lethal injection. Unlike many of the other Nazis’ collaborators, he was purely in it for himself, and, based on his activities before the war, likely agreed with many of their conclusions.

CJ and I spoke not just about this man, and not just about eugenics, but how they—especially eugenics—fit into the broader schema that is the philosophy of progress, that is, Progressivism. It’s at once obvious and shocking. And to help hammer the point home, we close by discussing an underrated piece of 1990s cinema that not only remains great nearly 30 years later, but eerily prescient. So please sit back and enjoy this conversation with CJ Killmer.

…

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: 5640camps,eugenics,experiments,germany,handicap,history,left,nazis,politics,progressives,progressivism,race,right,wwiifalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-yasuke-conspiracy-w-sebastian-major-of-our-fake-history--61143132
As many gamers likely know by now, the insanely popular and long-running Assassin’s Creed series of games has explored multitudes of time periods, aesthetics, and characters from across history, ranging from Renaissance Italy, to Revolutionary America, to Victorian London, to Roman Empire-era Egypt, to, most recently, Viking England. The newest, upcoming game in the series, Assassins Creed Shadows, promises more of this trend, this time taking us to medieval Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, or Warring States period. Sounds all well and good, right? There was one problem, at least in the eyes of many gamers: that one of the two playable characters was not, in fact, Japanese, but African. And not only was he African, he was a purportedly real person from history (a first for the series, whose protagonists have always been fictional). This person was the so-called “African samurai,” Yasuke. And what followed was a firestorm of controversy, bad corporate crisis management, and a historian’s credibility being thrown in the direction of a woodchipper.

Being a gamer, and one who enjoys the Assassin’s Creed series, I was aware of the Yasuke controversy, and I was also aware of Yasuke, having come very close several years ago to covering him, but opting instead to cover the far less vague and mythological-seeming story of William Adams, the supposed British samurai. Part of the reason for this choice was due to the fact that there was indeed only one secondary source on Yasuke, and it didn’t seem completely reliable. And sure enough, it was that source that, four years later, became the source of the controversy at hand. To help me make sense of this story, I needed to reach out to someone far more familiar with the material and, more importantly, someone who understood the power of historical myth. I could not find anyone better than my comrade-in-historical-podcasting-arms, Sebastian Major, the host of the phenomenal Our Fake History podcast. Sebastian had indeed covered Yasuke before, so I picked his brain and we discussed the true story of Yasuke and the controversy itself as well as the writer at its center, the now-unfortunately-controversial Thomas Lockley.

So please enjoy, as we are joined by Sebastian Major, and attempt to plumb the depths of our fake (impossible) history.

…

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Danny
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61143132Tue, 27 Aug 2024 09:00:07 +0000Alexander von SternbergTo say historians can be pedantic is like saying water is wet. To say gamers and gaming commentators can be pedantic is yet somehow even more of an obvious understatement. So what happens when these two communities clash and/or blend? You get what we...
As many gamers likely know by now, the insanely popular and long-running Assassin’s Creed series of games has explored multitudes of time periods, aesthetics, and characters from across history, ranging from Renaissance Italy, to Revolutionary America, to Victorian London, to Roman Empire-era Egypt, to, most recently, Viking England. The newest, upcoming game in the series, Assassins Creed Shadows, promises more of this trend, this time taking us to medieval Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, or Warring States period. Sounds all well and good, right? There was one problem, at least in the eyes of many gamers: that one of the two playable characters was not, in fact, Japanese, but African. And not only was he African, he was a purportedly real person from history (a first for the series, whose protagonists have always been fictional). This person was the so-called “African samurai,” Yasuke. And what followed was a firestorm of controversy, bad corporate crisis management, and a historian’s credibility being thrown in the direction of a woodchipper.

Being a gamer, and one who enjoys the Assassin’s Creed series, I was aware of the Yasuke controversy, and I was also aware of Yasuke, having come very close several years ago to covering him, but opting instead to cover the far less vague and mythological-seeming story of William Adams, the supposed British samurai. Part of the reason for this choice was due to the fact that there was indeed only one secondary source on Yasuke, and it didn’t seem completely reliable. And sure enough, it was that source that, four years later, became the source of the controversy at hand. To help me make sense of this story, I needed to reach out to someone far more familiar with the material and, more importantly, someone who understood the power of historical myth. I could not find anyone better than my comrade-in-historical-podcasting-arms, Sebastian Major, the host of the phenomenal Our Fake History podcast. Sebastian had indeed covered Yasuke before, so I picked his brain and we discussed the true story of Yasuke and the controversy itself as well as the writer at its center, the now-unfortunately-controversial Thomas Lockley.

So please enjoy, as we are joined by Sebastian Major, and attempt to plumb the depths of our fake (impossible) history.

…

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Clayton Connell
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Danny
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Russell Johnson
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose...]]>6826african,assassins,creed,history,japan,legend,myth,samurai,ubisoft,videogames,yasukefalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/why-hajj-amin-matters--61002997The German Voice of Islam.” Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and listen and, when at all possible, support my work. Please consider becoming a patron or paid subscriber to History Impossible at whatever level you feel comfortable.

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Danny
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61002997Mon, 12 Aug 2024 18:36:55 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe following is the audio version of the recent essay addendum to the most recent episode of History Impossible, “https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-muslim-nazis-the-german-voice-of-islam/id1450885141?i=1000662960826.” Thank you to everyone...The German Voice of Islam.” Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and listen and, when at all possible, support my work. Please consider becoming a patron or paid subscriber to History Impossible at whatever level you feel comfortable.

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
Rajan Athul
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Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
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Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Danny
Paul DeCoster
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Bob Downing
Dramicas
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Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
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Joe6245
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Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
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Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>2245antisemitism,arabs,germany,history,islam,israel,jews,muslims,nazis,palestine,propaganda,wwiifalse3bonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-muslim-nazis-the-german-voice-of-islam--60726616
In fact, their war had been being fought for decades before Hitler even took power, perhaps even a full generation. The fight began in the late 19th century in Jerusalem, within the office of the mufti of that city. He was an elderly, serious man who, unlike everyone around him, believed he could read the tea leaves and explain where these land sales to an ever-increasing number of Jews was supposedly heading (despite the fact that he himself was also taking part in these land sales). By the early 1900s, a young boy—the elderly, serious man’s son—was sitting in this office with his father, taking all of this in. No one at the time could have possibly known that this man would come to represent one of the most controversial parts of the Third Reich’s war three quarters of a century after its conclusion, thanks almost entirely to the words he spoke and wrote.

This episode of History Impossible returns to the first long-form series, “The Muslim Nazis”, that started it all, three years ago. In this episode, we’ll be looking at what happened when the Nazis began to craft a nearly unprecedented propaganda campaign directed primarily at the world’s Arabs, but also the world’s Muslims as a whole. The propaganda itself—filled with unparalleled invective, racism, and conspiracy-mongering—was not invented whole-cloth by the Nazis. Indeed, it was fine-tuned by the Nazis’ growing cast of Islamic allies, most of whom from embattled nations struggling under the weight of empire and civil war. This cast included that young boy all grown up: the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini.

Not only is the Grand Mufti’s role in the propaganda campaign examined in this episode, but so are the most consequential claims ever made about the man—namely, his alleged role in the Shoah, which does not cease to cause massive, angry debates around the world. With claims ranging from those made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015 when he alleged that Hajj Amin is who inspired Hitler to commit the Holocaust, all the way to the Grand Mufti’s dwindling handful of apologists, who either ignore his time spent with the Axis or even outright minimize its importance; this part of our story endeavors to get to the bottom of it all.

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
Rajan Athul
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daddygorgon
Danny
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
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Bob Downing
Dramicas
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Joe6245
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Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
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Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60726616Mon, 22 Jul 2024 09:00:07 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe Third Reich’s so-called war on the Jews was not one that they fought alone. In fact, their war had been being fought for decades before Hitler even took power, perhaps even a full generation. The fight began in the late 19th century in Jerusalem,...
In fact, their war had been being fought for decades before Hitler even took power, perhaps even a full generation. The fight began in the late 19th century in Jerusalem, within the office of the mufti of that city. He was an elderly, serious man who, unlike everyone around him, believed he could read the tea leaves and explain where these land sales to an ever-increasing number of Jews was supposedly heading (despite the fact that he himself was also taking part in these land sales). By the early 1900s, a young boy—the elderly, serious man’s son—was sitting in this office with his father, taking all of this in. No one at the time could have possibly known that this man would come to represent one of the most controversial parts of the Third Reich’s war three quarters of a century after its conclusion, thanks almost entirely to the words he spoke and wrote.

This episode of History Impossible returns to the first long-form series, “The Muslim Nazis”, that started it all, three years ago. In this episode, we’ll be looking at what happened when the Nazis began to craft a nearly unprecedented propaganda campaign directed primarily at the world’s Arabs, but also the world’s Muslims as a whole. The propaganda itself—filled with unparalleled invective, racism, and conspiracy-mongering—was not invented whole-cloth by the Nazis. Indeed, it was fine-tuned by the Nazis’ growing cast of Islamic allies, most of whom from embattled nations struggling under the weight of empire and civil war. This cast included that young boy all grown up: the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini.

Not only is the Grand Mufti’s role in the propaganda campaign examined in this episode, but so are the most consequential claims ever made about the man—namely, his alleged role in the Shoah, which does not cease to cause massive, angry debates around the world. With claims ranging from those made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015 when he alleged that Hajj Amin is who inspired Hitler to commit the Holocaust, all the way to the Grand Mufti’s dwindling handful of apologists, who either ignore his time spent with the Axis or even outright minimize its importance; this part of our story endeavors to get to the bottom of it all.

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Danny
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Eric Hodges
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole...]]>21733arabs,bigotry,broadcasts,egypt,genocide,germany,islam,jews,lebanon,muslims,nationalism,palestine,propaganda,radicalism,war,wwiitrue31fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/assassinations-and-stoic-optimism-w-the-eastern-border--60701244
However, given what indeed has happened, involving the former president almost getting his head taken off, a lot of conversation has appeared. My dear friend Kristaps Andrejsons and I decided to sit down to add our voices to this choir (after overcoming some tech-related SNAFU’s that finally resolved themselves). This conversation is also on the Eastern Border feed, but please make sure to subscribe to his podcast because it is among the best out there.

Much of what has been said here is likely to change over time, but those in the history and politics space have nothing else to talk about. Please enjoy (as much as one can) this discussion, and consider becoming a paid sub or Patron in order to access an ad-free version of this and the newest proper History Impossible episode.

Thank you all for listening.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60701244Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:26:26 +0000Alexander von SternbergConsidering what happened…some thoughts needed to be shared. I’m already working on something for the Substack, and believe it or not, the next episode of the “Muslim Nazis” will actually be up and available for paid supporters of the show within the...
However, given what indeed has happened, involving the former president almost getting his head taken off, a lot of conversation has appeared. My dear friend Kristaps Andrejsons and I decided to sit down to add our voices to this choir (after overcoming some tech-related SNAFU’s that finally resolved themselves). This conversation is also on the Eastern Border feed, but please make sure to subscribe to his podcast because it is among the best out there.

Much of what has been said here is likely to change over time, but those in the history and politics space have nothing else to talk about. Please enjoy (as much as one can) this discussion, and consider becoming a paid sub or Patron in order to access an ad-free version of this and the newest proper History Impossible episode.

Thank you all for listening.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>42572024,assassination,attempt,election,left,polarization,political,president,rhetoric,right,terrorism,trump,violencefalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/questioning-anti-zionism-colonizing-gaza-and-revealing-lenin-w-david-josef-volodsko--60324931The Radicalist Substack (which I encourage all of you to subscribe to), but he has also contributed to the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Foreign Policy Magazine, The Nation, Bari Weiss’ The Free Press, and most famously (thanks to his abrupt 2023 ouster, which he explained here), the Seattle Times, where he served on the Editorial Board. His sole article under his own byline—“Dear Fremont: We need to talk about Lenin and your statue of the genocidal tyrant”—ignited a firestorm of a historical debate on, where else, Twitter/X, where Washington tankies decided to make it their mission to cost David his job, and for which they ultimately succeeded. He has thankfully bounced back, founding The Radicalist, and appearing on other, far more prestigious podcasts than my own, and spending his time doing deeper dives on political extremism throughout history, as well as provocative examinations of present events, particularly lately Israel’s war in Gaza.

David and I spent a little time discussing his ouster, but we spent the majority of the three hours we spoke discussing the deeper themes of some of his essays—namely, his essay discussing how anti-Zionism has, in practice, become anti-Semitism, and his even more provocative but well-considered essay, why colonizing (or occupying) Gaza is likely the only solution moving forward. Much more came up naturally during the conversation, including where the consistently anti-Zionist Christopher Hitchens might have landed in this political moment of ours, the casual and performative cruelty of Briahna Joy Gray and leftists like her, the anti-Israel leftist tradition and the different varieties of protester, and, of course, the legacy of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Hajj Amin al-Husseini.

This was a thoroughly enlightening, at times depressing and upsetting, but ultimately productive conversation that I was more than thrilled turned into a three hour epic (after assuming it would likely be less than 90 minutes). Many thanks to David for being so generous with his time and being willing to engage with such difficult subjects.

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60324931Tue, 11 Jun 2024 09:00:09 +0000Alexander von SternbergFor this next special installment of History Impossible, we’re joined by the journalist, writer, and fellow podcaster David Josef Volodsko, one of the most well-traveled individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking to (both in and out of the...The Radicalist Substack (which I encourage all of you to subscribe to), but he has also contributed to the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Foreign Policy Magazine, The Nation, Bari Weiss’ The Free Press, and most famously (thanks to his abrupt 2023 ouster, which he explained here), the Seattle Times, where he served on the Editorial Board. His sole article under his own byline—“Dear Fremont: We need to talk about Lenin and your statue of the genocidal tyrant”—ignited a firestorm of a historical debate on, where else, Twitter/X, where Washington tankies decided to make it their mission to cost David his job, and for which they ultimately succeeded. He has thankfully bounced back, founding The Radicalist, and appearing on other, far more prestigious podcasts than my own, and spending his time doing deeper dives on political extremism throughout history, as well as provocative examinations of present events, particularly lately Israel’s war in Gaza.

David and I spent a little time discussing his ouster, but we spent the majority of the three hours we spoke discussing the deeper themes of some of his essays—namely, his essay discussing how anti-Zionism has, in practice, become anti-Semitism, and his even more provocative but well-considered essay, why colonizing (or occupying) Gaza is likely the only solution moving forward. Much more came up naturally during the conversation, including where the consistently anti-Zionist Christopher Hitchens might have landed in this political moment of ours, the casual and performative cruelty of Briahna Joy Gray and leftists like her, the anti-Israel leftist tradition and the different varieties of protester, and, of course, the legacy of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Hajj Amin al-Husseini.

This was a thoroughly enlightening, at times depressing and upsetting, but ultimately productive conversation that I was more than thrilled turned into a three hour epic (after assuming it would likely be less than 90 minutes). Many thanks to David for being so generous with his time and being willing to engage with such difficult subjects.

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter...]]>10664arabs,campus,cancel,college,culture,gaza,genocide,hamas,history,islam,islamism,israel,jews,jihad,palestine,politics,protests,wartruebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-oddsmakers-of-armageddon-w-benjamin-teitelbaum--60085613—Julius Evola

“We are only against people who are harmful. And we don’t hate them. There’s no need of hating them. We don’t hate bugs. We fight them. We don’t hate lice. We fight them. They’re harmful. They bite us... they infect us with disease. Mosquitoes: the same thing... You have to do something to make them go away, at least to get rid of them. It’s the same thing with races that do harm to ours. We defend ourselves, and that’s all... But in this Yuga, this Dark Age nearing its end, you get more and more power in the hands of those people. That’s natural. And there will be a racial struggle somewhere. I can see it coming. I can see it coming in the USA. I wouldn’t be at all astonished if one day, not tomorrow, perhaps not in fifty years, but perhaps later on, the USA had a National Socialist government, made of Americans, after a terrific fight with the other races... I think America will precede Europe in that way, not for any other reason but because in America the pressure of the dark races is much more powerful.”
—Savitri Devi

“What we are against will unite us, while what we are for divides us. Therefore, we should emphasize what we oppose. The common enemy unites us, while the positive values each of us are defending actually divides us. Therefore, we must create strategic alliances to overthrow the present order of things, of which the core could be described as human rights, anti-hierarchy, and political correctness – everything that is the face of the Beast, the anti-Christ or, in other terms, Kali-Yuga.”
—Aleksandr Dugin

These quotes are key to understanding a very particular strain of thought that has been discussed a few times on History Impossible; first, on the episode we did on Savitri Devi, “The Hitler Avatar and His Masochistic Priestess”, and then again on the first episodes we did with Kristaps Andrejsons of the Eastern Border podcast, where we discussed Aleksandr Dugin, Putin’s so-called “brain.” This strain of thought is Traditionalism, a perennial philosophical school, often attributed to a number of European thinkers of the 19th century. Very few people can be called experts in this field, though I’ve been lucky enough to get to know one of them: Benjamin Teitelbaum, the author of the book War for Eternity: The Return of Traditionalism and the Rise of the Populist Right from 2020, as well as contributor to many different august publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic (he’s also a professor of ethnographic and international studies!).

As many listeners know, War for Eternity has come up a lot on History Impossible, so it seemed fitting to sit down with Ben and discuss the central aspects of his work, which included conversations with Aleksandr Dugin and the late Brazilian populist and Bolsonaroist firebrand Olavho de Carvalho, and, of course, the many hours spent speaking with the most famous American populist, Steve Bannon.

The key to understanding a philosophy as dark and twisted as Traditionalism—one might be tempted to call it unwittingly nihilistic—is to take it seriously, which Ben absolutely does. It’s a thick subject, and being pressed for time, we were not able to cover everything, so this is likely the first of hopefully more than one conversation. In this one, we went through the basics of Traditionalism, its odd connection to religious thinking, Savitri Devi, the Tucker Carlson-Aleksandr Dugin interview, and just what the hell is going on with Steve Bannon these days. Enjoy and stay tuned for more!

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
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60085613Mon, 20 May 2024 09:00:08 +0000Alexander von Sternberg“When a cycle of civilization is reaching its end, it is difficult to achieve anything by resisting it and by directly opposing the forces in motion. The current is too strong; one would be overwhelmed. The essential thing is to not let oneself be...—Julius Evola

“We are only against people who are harmful. And we don’t hate them. There’s no need of hating them. We don’t hate bugs. We fight them. We don’t hate lice. We fight them. They’re harmful. They bite us... they infect us with disease. Mosquitoes: the same thing... You have to do something to make them go away, at least to get rid of them. It’s the same thing with races that do harm to ours. We defend ourselves, and that’s all... But in this Yuga, this Dark Age nearing its end, you get more and more power in the hands of those people. That’s natural. And there will be a racial struggle somewhere. I can see it coming. I can see it coming in the USA. I wouldn’t be at all astonished if one day, not tomorrow, perhaps not in fifty years, but perhaps later on, the USA had a National Socialist government, made of Americans, after a terrific fight with the other races... I think America will precede Europe in that way, not for any other reason but because in America the pressure of the dark races is much more powerful.”
—Savitri Devi

“What we are against will unite us, while what we are for divides us. Therefore, we should emphasize what we oppose. The common enemy unites us, while the positive values each of us are defending actually divides us. Therefore, we must create strategic alliances to overthrow the present order of things, of which the core could be described as human rights, anti-hierarchy, and political correctness – everything that is the face of the Beast, the anti-Christ or, in other terms, Kali-Yuga.”
—Aleksandr Dugin

These quotes are key to understanding a very particular strain of thought that has been discussed a few times on History Impossible; first, on the episode we did on Savitri Devi, “The Hitler Avatar and His Masochistic Priestess”, and then again on the first episodes we did with Kristaps Andrejsons of the Eastern Border podcast, where we discussed Aleksandr Dugin, Putin’s so-called “brain.” This strain of thought is Traditionalism, a perennial philosophical school, often attributed to a number of European thinkers of the 19th century. Very few people can be called experts in this field, though I’ve been lucky enough to get to know one of them: Benjamin Teitelbaum, the author of the book War for Eternity: The Return of Traditionalism and the Rise of the Populist Right from 2020, as well as contributor to many different august publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic (he’s...]]>4092america,authoritarianism,brazil,conservatism,europe,fascism,history,philosophy,politics,populism,rightwing,russia,spiritualism,traditionalism,ukrainefalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-soviet-who-saved-the-world-w-the-eastern-border--59687580recent special wedding episode where he discussed the eponymous “man who saved the world,” Stanislav Petrov, who, according to erroneous headlines from publications like the Atlantic a number of years ago, saved the world by “doing absolutely nothing.” Kristaps is here to disabuse us all of such a ridiculous notion.

In 1983, the Cold War was at its most tense since the early 1960s, particularly during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was during this time that the monitoring station where Stanislav Petrov was station picked up signals indicating that a handful of nuclear missiles launched from the United States had been launched in the direction of the Soviet Union. While he could have responded without thinking, leading to missiles being launched back at the United States, Petrov opted to wait for visual confirmation of the incoming missiles, putting both he and potentially hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens in jeopardy. His rationality paid off and it turned out that there had indeed been an error in the detection equipment. No missiles had been fired.

Why was this so extraordinary? This is what Kristaps is here to tell us about for us to discuss, along with scatterings of news from Ukraine as well as the eternal debate over American involvement overseas, as well as the proliferation of nuclear weaponry. It’s actually a fairly light episode, considering the subject matter, so enjoy!

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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59687580Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:00:04 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this special conversational episode of History Impossible, we’re joined again by friend of the show and friend of mine, Kristaps Andrejsons of The Eastern Border podcast (which will also host this conversation on its feed!), who was kind enough to...recent special wedding episode where he discussed the eponymous “man who saved the world,” Stanislav Petrov, who, according to erroneous headlines from publications like the Atlantic a number of years ago, saved the world by “doing absolutely nothing.” Kristaps is here to disabuse us all of such a ridiculous notion.

In 1983, the Cold War was at its most tense since the early 1960s, particularly during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was during this time that the monitoring station where Stanislav Petrov was station picked up signals indicating that a handful of nuclear missiles launched from the United States had been launched in the direction of the Soviet Union. While he could have responded without thinking, leading to missiles being launched back at the United States, Petrov opted to wait for visual confirmation of the incoming missiles, putting both he and potentially hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens in jeopardy. His rationality paid off and it turned out that there had indeed been an error in the detection equipment. No missiles had been fired.

Why was this so extraordinary? This is what Kristaps is here to tell us about for us to discuss, along with scatterings of news from Ukraine as well as the eternal debate over American involvement overseas, as well as the proliferation of nuclear weaponry. It’s actually a fairly light episode, considering the subject matter, so enjoy!

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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
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Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Ward Van Roy
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: 4913devastation,fallout,history,nuclear,soviet,union,us,ussr,war,weaponsfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/oppenheimer-and-the-nuclear-question--59235169
I have for all of you the audio adaptation of the essay I wrote last year in response to my seeing the magisterial Oppenheimer, and given its newly Oscar-anointed status, I figured now would be the best time to get this out as a bonus as you all patiently await the return of the Muslim Nazis series (it’s still coming, worry not!).

In this, we cover, mostly from my own memory (but supported by sources), the various reasons the United States might have dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To say this is a complicated question is an understatement. To say there is a consensus, even almost 80 years later, is impossible. So we’re going to get into the weeds with this question while also showing the love Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus deserves.

And as always, 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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
Dave Baxter
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
John Pisano
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59235169Sun, 31 Mar 2024 00:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey all, I hope you’re doing well. I have for all of you the audio adaptation of https://historyimpossible.substack.com/p/oppenheimer-and-the-nuclear-question in response to my seeing the magisterial Oppenheimer, and given its newly Oscar-anointed...
I have for all of you the audio adaptation of the essay I wrote last year in response to my seeing the magisterial Oppenheimer, and given its newly Oscar-anointed status, I figured now would be the best time to get this out as a bonus as you all patiently await the return of the Muslim Nazis series (it’s still coming, worry not!).

In this, we cover, mostly from my own memory (but supported by sources), the various reasons the United States might have dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To say this is a complicated question is an understatement. To say there is a consensus, even almost 80 years later, is impossible. So we’re going to get into the weeds with this question while also showing the love Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus deserves.

And as always, 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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
Dave Baxter
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
John Pisano
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>33012024,drama,film,hiroshima,history,nagasaki,nolan,nuclear,nuked,nukes,oppenheimer,oscars,weapons,wwiifalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/closing-the-holocaust-knowledge-gap--58953664
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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58953664Thu, 07 Mar 2024 10:35:01 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey everyone. The following is an ad-free bonus audio essay that follows up on the recent conversation I had with the History Underground's J.D. Huitt, where I make some corrections and then provide some deeper context to my thinking about how we...
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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>2815classroom,denial,education,evil,genocide,good,history,holocaust,human,nature,revisionism,students,teachingtruebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-holocaust-knowledge-gap-w-the-history-underground--58773826History Underground channel over on YouTube, probably one of the best historical travel and educational content creators in the game (who has more than earned his 600,000 subscribers).

Both J.D. and I were DMing on Twitter/X recently, sharing our discomfort with the seeming spike we’ve been seeing of not just ignorance about the Holocaust—what we thought was one of the best known event of the 20th century—but also the skepticism and even downright denial of it as it’s been traditionally known. This coincided with the Economist-reported YouGov poll released in late 2023 that showed a shocking 20 percent of young Americans believing the Holocaust was a myth, with more vastly underestimating the numbers. As it happens, this is a subject J.D. and I had discussed before in one of our conversations a number of years ago, and J.D. warned the audience that this was the natural consequence of poor education on this subject. Much as it’s crude to say, we felt it was necessary to take a rueful victory lap on our concerns being confirmed.

We discuss why this phenomenon has occurred in a bit more depth, while also offering some broader solutions to how one teaches such a horrifying event in a way that might stick with people, without it simply going in one ear and out the other. It’s hard to say whether we succeed, so we’ll let you be the judge of that.

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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58773826Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this newest special installment of History Impossible, we’re joined by long-time friend of the podcast and friend of mine, J.D. Huitt, the man behind the incredible https://www.youtube.com/@TheHistoryUnderground, probably one of the best historical...History Underground channel over on YouTube, probably one of the best historical travel and educational content creators in the game (who has more than earned his 600,000 subscribers).

Both J.D. and I were DMing on Twitter/X recently, sharing our discomfort with the seeming spike we’ve been seeing of not just ignorance about the Holocaust—what we thought was one of the best known event of the 20th century—but also the skepticism and even downright denial of it as it’s been traditionally known. This coincided with the Economist-reported YouGov poll released in late 2023 that showed a shocking 20 percent of young Americans believing the Holocaust was a myth, with more vastly underestimating the numbers. As it happens, this is a subject J.D. and I had discussed before in one of our conversations a number of years ago, and J.D. warned the audience that this was the natural consequence of poor education on this subject. Much as it’s crude to say, we felt it was necessary to take a rueful victory lap on our concerns being confirmed.

We discuss why this phenomenon has occurred in a bit more depth, while also offering some broader solutions to how one teaches such a horrifying event in a way that might stick with people, without it simply going in one ear and out the other. It’s hard to say whether we succeed, so we’ll let you be the judge of that.

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
Rajan Athul
Babeonbobby
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joe6245
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You
Greg Zink

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5464denial,education,genocide,germany,history,holocaust,jews,knowledge,nazis,revisionism,war,wwiifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-perfect-tie-the-election-of-1876-w-richard-lim-of-this-american-president--58551290
—Lew Wallace, retired Civil War general, 1876

Many people will call out elections in our lifetimes as being particularly divisive, whether it’s the 2000 election or the 2020 election. Those were indeed divisive, but very few elections have approached the divisiveness and the chaos unleashed in the United States Presidential Election of 1876, fought between the Democrat Samuel Tilden and the Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, in which the ultimate decision on who would be president was decided by one electoral vote.

In this special five year anniversary episode of History Impossible in which we revisit this event only briefly touched upon in the inaugural episode of this entire show, we’re joined by Richard Lim of the This American President podcast, who helps shed some light into the details of this contentious election and this absolutely wild period of American history. With the election of 2024 looming large and with everyone’s imaginations running wild with how things will turn out, Richard and I thought it might be prudent to not just provide a historical reality check on just how wild things can get, but how Americans were able to extract themselves from such insanity while living through it.

Happy five years and here’s to five more with History Impossible.

For more detailed look at the Election of 1876, check out Richard’s episode on that election here.

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58551290Mon, 05 Feb 2024 11:00:03 +0000Alexander von Sternberg“I scarcely ever passed a week under such depression of spirits. […] It is terrible to see the extent to which all classes go in their determination to win. Conscience offers no restraint; nothing is so common as the resort to perjury unless it is...
—Lew Wallace, retired Civil War general, 1876

Many people will call out elections in our lifetimes as being particularly divisive, whether it’s the 2000 election or the 2020 election. Those were indeed divisive, but very few elections have approached the divisiveness and the chaos unleashed in the United States Presidential Election of 1876, fought between the Democrat Samuel Tilden and the Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, in which the ultimate decision on who would be president was decided by one electoral vote.

In this special five year anniversary episode of History Impossible in which we revisit this event only briefly touched upon in the inaugural episode of this entire show, we’re joined by Richard Lim of the This American President podcast, who helps shed some light into the details of this contentious election and this absolutely wild period of American history. With the election of 2024 looming large and with everyone’s imaginations running wild with how things will turn out, Richard and I thought it might be prudent to not just provide a historical reality check on just how wild things can get, but how Americans were able to extract themselves from such insanity while living through it.

Happy five years and here’s to five more with History Impossible.

For more detailed look at the Election of 1876, check out Richard’s episode on that election here.

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>38691876,2024,american,controversial,divided,elections,fake,history,media,news,politics,presidential,usfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/balkan-inferno-the-bosnian-dream--58151371
This is how many nations frame themselves and their own origins. No matter the context, there is always truth in the idea that before there was a nation, there was a dream. And that dream, however morally sullied by the ugliness of reality, consequences, and choices, can never and should never be discounted, even with the nations who have had their dreams frustrated for so long. In fact, the truth of that dream can be seen in those realities, consequences, and choices that we may not understand or accept on a moral level many years later. This can be seen in plenty of nations, both old and young, and that everyone recognizes, from the United States to Israel. But there are few nations whose history better represents this dynamic than the young nation (but very old culture) of Bosnia.

In this conclusion to the Balkan Inferno trilogy that will lead us by the hand back into the good graces of the so-called “Muslim Nazis,” we look at that long history of that central, symbolic part of the old Yugoslavian Region we today call Bosnia-Herzegovina (or Bosnia, for short). We’ll look at many of the strange and mysterious aspects of this place’s history, including its own schismatic Bosnian Church, and the various attempts at self-determination peppering the timeline. This timeline is often dominated by collapsed empires—Roman, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, German—and failed kingdoms—Serbian and Croatian—but always present is the story of Bosnia.

This nation and its people has always had others trying to define them for their own ends, but there has always been a force within that has wanted to define itself. This has indeed led to some truly disturbing decisions—namely alliances—but these decisions could always be tracked back to the dream that forges all nations. That is what we explore here today.

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Mind Chatterings
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58151371Sat, 30 Dec 2023 11:00:03 +0000Alexander von SternbergSometimes, the best way to understand everything a people have gone through is to understand a dream. This is how many nations frame themselves and their own origins. No matter the context, there is always truth in the idea that before there was a...
This is how many nations frame themselves and their own origins. No matter the context, there is always truth in the idea that before there was a nation, there was a dream. And that dream, however morally sullied by the ugliness of reality, consequences, and choices, can never and should never be discounted, even with the nations who have had their dreams frustrated for so long. In fact, the truth of that dream can be seen in those realities, consequences, and choices that we may not understand or accept on a moral level many years later. This can be seen in plenty of nations, both old and young, and that everyone recognizes, from the United States to Israel. But there are few nations whose history better represents this dynamic than the young nation (but very old culture) of Bosnia.

In this conclusion to the Balkan Inferno trilogy that will lead us by the hand back into the good graces of the so-called “Muslim Nazis,” we look at that long history of that central, symbolic part of the old Yugoslavian Region we today call Bosnia-Herzegovina (or Bosnia, for short). We’ll look at many of the strange and mysterious aspects of this place’s history, including its own schismatic Bosnian Church, and the various attempts at self-determination peppering the timeline. This timeline is often dominated by collapsed empires—Roman, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, German—and failed kingdoms—Serbian and Croatian—but always present is the story of Bosnia.

This nation and its people has always had others trying to define them for their own ends, but there has always been a force within that has wanted to define itself. This has indeed led to some truly disturbing decisions—namely alliances—but these decisions could always be tracked back to the dream that forges all nations. That is what we explore here today.

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
Michael Beach
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Mind Chatterings
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CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
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Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Thomas Justesen
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Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
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Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
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Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
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Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
ChrisTX
Robert VS
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>14719arab,austro-hungarian,balkans,bosnia,catholic,christian,croatia,empire,europe,history,islam,israel,muslim,orthodox,ottoman,palestine,roman,serbia,wwii,yugoslaviafalse23fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pogroms-and-students--57801055my recent Substack post, “Pogroms and Students.”

This episode covers relatively current events regarding the escalation of anti-Semitic incidents—especially in the United States, where in New York they have risen by 200 percent—on the heels of Hamas’ declaration of war on Israel and the ongoing war being waged against them by the IDF, but it also gets into the history of the role students played in some of the most infamous pogroms in Jewish history, particularly in Russia around the time of the First Russian Revolution. It also revisits the discussion of mass violence we did in the last part of “Balkan Inferno," which unfortunately, feels even more relevant than ever (so please consider giving that 5 hour 18 minute beast a listen if you haven’t already and have a strong constitution).

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Mind Chatterings
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57801055Fri, 24 Nov 2023 23:41:01 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey everybody. Now that I’ve finished up the notes and script for the conclusion of the “Balkan Inferno” trilogy (which will lead us right back into the thick of the “Muslim Nazis” series), I’m hard at work putting all of that together. In the...my recent Substack post, “Pogroms and Students.”

This episode covers relatively current events regarding the escalation of anti-Semitic incidents—especially in the United States, where in New York they have risen by 200 percent—on the heels of Hamas’ declaration of war on Israel and the ongoing war being waged against them by the IDF, but it also gets into the history of the role students played in some of the most infamous pogroms in Jewish history, particularly in Russia around the time of the First Russian Revolution. It also revisits the discussion of mass violence we did in the last part of “Balkan Inferno," which unfortunately, feels even more relevant than ever (so please consider giving that 5 hour 18 minute beast a listen if you haven’t already and have a strong constitution).

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Mind Chatterings
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Jim Miller
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
Michael Wroblewski
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>3806against,antisemitism,arabs,crimes,gaza,genocide,hamas,humanity,invasion,israel,jews,palestine,pogroms,politics,radicals,russia,students,wartruebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-greatest-blunder-in-palestinian-history-w-oren-kessler--57513429Substack post and episode of History Impossible about the significant three root historical causes of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict has largely been well-received. What I didn’t expect is that one of the main sources I used for that episode would be willing to speak with me in greater depth about the massively underrated Arab Revolt of 1936-1939. In this episode, we’re joined by the scholar, political analyst, and writer Oren Kessler, whose 2023 book Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict should be included as required reading for anyone interested or invested in what has been topping the news since October 7th, 2023.


Oren, like myself, is a believer in the notion that the Littlefinger of Palestine, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Hajj Amin al-Husseini, is a figure of massively underrated importance. In this episode, we discuss the Arab Revolt through the eyes of the Mufti and examine just why he and his decisions and his legacy matter in the 21st century, despite him becoming largely forgotten except for his infamous photo op with the Fuhrer of Nazi Germany himself, Adolf Hitler. Oren makes the case that this is giving al-Husseini the short shrift with regards to his impact and we discuss why this should be both self-evident and required for understanding why things have gotten so bad between Israel and Gaza.



Thank you and enjoy!


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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Mind Chatterings
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57513429Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe recent https://historyimpossible.substack.com/p/israel-gaza-and-three-root-causes and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/israel-gaza-and-three-root-causes/id1450885141?i=1000633190895 of History Impossible about the significant three root...Substack post and episode of History Impossible about the significant three root historical causes of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict has largely been well-received. What I didn’t expect is that one of the main sources I used for that episode would be willing to speak with me in greater depth about the massively underrated Arab Revolt of 1936-1939. In this episode, we’re joined by the scholar, political analyst, and writer Oren Kessler, whose 2023 book Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict should be included as required reading for anyone interested or invested in what has been topping the news since October 7th, 2023.


Oren, like myself, is a believer in the notion that the Littlefinger of Palestine, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Hajj Amin al-Husseini, is a figure of massively underrated importance. In this episode, we discuss the Arab Revolt through the eyes of the Mufti and examine just why he and his decisions and his legacy matter in the 21st century, despite him becoming largely forgotten except for his infamous photo op with the Fuhrer of Nazi Germany himself, Adolf Hitler. Oren makes the case that this is giving al-Husseini the short shrift with regards to his impact and we discuss why this should be both self-evident and required for understanding why things have gotten so bad between Israel and Gaza.



Thank you and enjoy!


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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
Mind Chatterings
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>3741arabs,conflict,egypt,genocide,history,iran,iraq,israel,jews,jordan,lebanon,palestine,revolt,syria,war,wwi,wwiifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/israel-gaza-and-three-root-causes--57436133
In this special dispatch of History Impossible--which is being treated as a proper episode--we're going to revisit some old stomping grounds of this show, namely the Israeli-Palestinian region of the world during the 1890s-1930s. There are some familiar events and faces, and some information has been adapted from previous episodes, but this is largely all new ground to cover with new sources added into the mix. This will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by a long shot, and it will not please everyone, but it will hopefully add some historical clarity into the mix for folks who find themselves increasingly invested in the ongoing events in the Middle East.

Love to you all who support this show:

David Adamcik
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Please consider supporting History Impossible over on Patreon or Substack if you like what I do here and want to support my work.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57436133Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:45:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergWhen you talk about history for a living, the contemporary world often has opportunities to make your knowledge more relevant. What knowledge actually possessed here about Israel and Palestine is likely more limited than some, I'd like to think that...
In this special dispatch of History Impossible--which is being treated as a proper episode--we're going to revisit some old stomping grounds of this show, namely the Israeli-Palestinian region of the world during the 1890s-1930s. There are some familiar events and faces, and some information has been adapted from previous episodes, but this is largely all new ground to cover with new sources added into the mix. This will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by a long shot, and it will not please everyone, but it will hopefully add some historical clarity into the mix for folks who find themselves increasingly invested in the ongoing events in the Middle East.

Love to you all who support this show:

David Adamcik
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Allen Pace
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Phillip Rice
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Please consider supporting History Impossible over on Patreon or Substack if you like what I do here and want to support my work.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>6435arabs,causes,decolonization,gaza,genocide,hamas,history,holocaust,islam,israel,jews,jihad,muslims,palestine,pogrom,terrorism,wartruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/affirmative-action-and-the-making-of-a-token--57150744American Dreaming Substack. I seriously need to thank him for letting me write something so…I dunno, controversial? Combative? Anyway, whatever, so THAT under his publication’s name).

This does use a very contemporary and contentious issue as its launchpad, and while some might see this as impolitic or even inappropriate, my history-addled brain only allowed me to see, hear, and read what I see, hear, and read and interpret it thusly. Pretentious way of saying, yes, I know I’m being edgy, and I know I’m being provocative, but I do implore all of my listeners to hear me out. This is not only history, but it’s, in my mind, an important aspect of history both in the United States and the “West” more broadly.

So yes, we’re talking about the biggest problems with the mere idea of affirmative action and what I—and by extension Hannah Arendt—believes is the real issue at heart when aristocrats and monarchs (literal and figurative) grant privilege as a means to improve their own lots, while, of course, always under the guise of improving everyone’s lot. Is History Impossible too cynical? It’s been suggested. But there’s a polemic in here that needed to be made, otherwise I’d go a little crazy without making my self-important analysis known.

Love to you all who support this show:

David Adamcik
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
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
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57150744Tue, 10 Oct 2023 10:00:03 +0000Alexander von SternbergThis is a bonus episode (a bit bigger than one might expect) that adapts and, more importantly expands, an essay I wrote for my friend and editor Jamie on his https://americandreaming.substack.com/p/affirmative-action-may-have-always. I seriously need...American Dreaming Substack. I seriously need to thank him for letting me write something so…I dunno, controversial? Combative? Anyway, whatever, so THAT under his publication’s name).

This does use a very contemporary and contentious issue as its launchpad, and while some might see this as impolitic or even inappropriate, my history-addled brain only allowed me to see, hear, and read what I see, hear, and read and interpret it thusly. Pretentious way of saying, yes, I know I’m being edgy, and I know I’m being provocative, but I do implore all of my listeners to hear me out. This is not only history, but it’s, in my mind, an important aspect of history both in the United States and the “West” more broadly.

So yes, we’re talking about the biggest problems with the mere idea of affirmative action and what I—and by extension Hannah Arendt—believes is the real issue at heart when aristocrats and monarchs (literal and figurative) grant privilege as a means to improve their own lots, while, of course, always under the guise of improving everyone’s lot. Is History Impossible too cynical? It’s been suggested. But there’s a polemic in here that needed to be made, otherwise I’d go a little crazy without making my self-important analysis known.

Love to you all who support this show:

David Adamcik
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
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
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>4541action,affirmative,america,antisemitism,europe,history,racismfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/is-the-holocaust-unique--56816369American Dreaming Substack, in which I examine the uniqueness of the Holocaust as both a genocide and historical event. If you like what you hear and want to hear me delve more into this subject, I’ll try to delve further into it in a future special episode like this one. But in the meantime, please enjoy. And thank you very much for all of your patience as I try and juggle all the projects I have on tap at once.

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
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
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56816369Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:00:03 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey all. This is an adaptation/audio version of an essay I recently wrote for my friend and editor Jamie Paul’s https://americandreaming.substack.com/, in which I examine the uniqueness of the Holocaust as both a genocide and historical event. If you...American Dreaming Substack, in which I examine the uniqueness of the Holocaust as both a genocide and historical event. If you like what you hear and want to hear me delve more into this subject, I’ll try to delve further into it in a future special episode like this one. But in the meantime, please enjoy. And thank you very much for all of your patience as I try and juggle all the projects I have on tap at once.

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
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
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>1806crimes,genocide,holocaust,jews,nazis,unique,war,wwiifalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/balkan-inferno-the-heritage-of-horror--56663922CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains persistent graphic genocide violence and cruelty, especially in its first 75 minutes. Listener discretion is advised.

In this part of the ongoing Balkan prelude to our return to the "Muslim Nazis" series, we are about to descend into the depths of hell. This was by design by the murderous Ustashe regime that took power after the invasion and dismemberment of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Fuhrer of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler. What happened next was a nightmare beyond the the imagining of most modern, comfortable nations in the 21st century. But it all happened.

Serbs, Jews, Roma, and others were singled out not just for extermination, but extermination in the most brutal methods imaginable, thanks both to the savage hatreds festering under the surface of the former Kingdom's political culture, but also because the perpetrators actually saw their cruelty as the point; as their mission. It was less about politics, or religion, or anything really, than it was about simplistic notions of identity-based vengeance that never really made much sense to begin with.

In the wake of this slaughter, however, more chaos was to follow. Almost immediately after the Nazi-fascist invasion, resistance began to crop up, both from Serb nationalist royalists and the multi-ethnic, multi-religious communist Partisans, as well as from other, less-armed but no-less-motivated groups we will be examining in later episodes. The three-to-five-sided civil war that exploded across the region not only swallowed up thousands of lives and muddied the waters of loyalty and nationhood and identity, but it placed the Nazis in the greatest quagmire the world had yet seen, where even members of their own military apparatus--no strangers to the deliberate mass destruction of civilians--were horrified by what they saw their supposed allies do to their hated countrymen. If anyone thought self-reflection was in order, however, they were naïve.

The story of the Yugoslavian territory during World War II--one of pain and unresolved trauma--is one that will likely not be matched in European history in terms of sheer brutality and hatred, at least not for a very long time. But it's a story that must be examined, even if only as part of a much larger one.

Also: Make sure to check out my friend and comrade Saša Paprić's awesome work here and here.

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
eli123ky
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
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
Chris Rowe
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
Jonny Wilkie
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56663922Tue, 05 Sep 2023 10:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains persistent graphic genocide violence and cruelty, especially in its first 75 minutes. Listener discretion is advised. In this part of the ongoing Balkan prelude to our return to the "Muslim Nazis" series, we are...CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains persistent graphic genocide violence and cruelty, especially in its first 75 minutes. Listener discretion is advised.

In this part of the ongoing Balkan prelude to our return to the "Muslim Nazis" series, we are about to descend into the depths of hell. This was by design by the murderous Ustashe regime that took power after the invasion and dismemberment of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Fuhrer of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler. What happened next was a nightmare beyond the the imagining of most modern, comfortable nations in the 21st century. But it all happened.

Serbs, Jews, Roma, and others were singled out not just for extermination, but extermination in the most brutal methods imaginable, thanks both to the savage hatreds festering under the surface of the former Kingdom's political culture, but also because the perpetrators actually saw their cruelty as the point; as their mission. It was less about politics, or religion, or anything really, than it was about simplistic notions of identity-based vengeance that never really made much sense to begin with.

In the wake of this slaughter, however, more chaos was to follow. Almost immediately after the Nazi-fascist invasion, resistance began to crop up, both from Serb nationalist royalists and the multi-ethnic, multi-religious communist Partisans, as well as from other, less-armed but no-less-motivated groups we will be examining in later episodes. The three-to-five-sided civil war that exploded across the region not only swallowed up thousands of lives and muddied the waters of loyalty and nationhood and identity, but it placed the Nazis in the greatest quagmire the world had yet seen, where even members of their own military apparatus--no strangers to the deliberate mass destruction of civilians--were horrified by what they saw their supposed allies do to their hated countrymen. If anyone thought self-reflection was in order, however, they were naïve.

The story of the Yugoslavian territory during World War II--one of pain and unresolved trauma--is one that will likely not be matched in European history in terms of sheer brutality and hatred, at least not for a very long time. But it's a story that must be examined, even if only as part of a much larger one.

Also: Make sure to check out my friend and comrade Saša Paprić's awesome work here and here.

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
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Elias Borota
Johannes Breitsameter
Charles C
CJ
Cliffydeuce
CR
daddygorgon
Paul DeCoster
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Rob Duval
Gavin Edwards
eli123ky
Pierre Ghazarian
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Carey Hurst
Joseph Hurst
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Benjamin Lee
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kyle Mohney
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
Chris Rowe
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Cameron Smith
Thomas Squeo
Brian Steggeman
Pier-Luc St-Pierre19138balkans,bosnia,croatia,croats,genocide,hitler,jews,massacre,muslims,roma,serbia,serbs,war,wwii,yugoslaviatrue22fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/balkan-inferno-the-yugoslav-vortex--54844160
“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 prelude to the return of History Impossible's 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 original 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; this is why we are going to be spending a number of episodes focusing on the history of the Balkans. Don't worry, it will all fit together soon; 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 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54844160Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:00:02 +0000Alexander von Sternberg“[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...
“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 prelude to the return of History Impossible's 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 original 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; this is why we are going to be spending a number of episodes focusing on the history of the Balkans. Don't worry, it will all fit together soon; 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...]]>15420austrians,balkans,croatia,empire,europe,history,hungarians,imperialism,nationalism,ottomans,revolution,serbia,war,wwii,yugoslaviatrue21fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pandemic-addendum-gutenberg-gpt--54360964
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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54360964Tue, 13 Jun 2023 21:34:53 +0000Alexander von SternbergHello 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...
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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>1589after-effects,ai,artificial,bonus,christianity,civilization,intelligence,pandemic,printing,protestantism,technologyfalsebonushttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rags-the-pure-hearted-mutt-of-the-great-war--53849082

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


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53849082Tue, 16 May 2023 10:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergDogs 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...

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


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>12197animals,dogs,goodboy,hero,rags,war,wwifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-first-woke-president--53684098
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53684098Tue, 02 May 2023 10:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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,...
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>8496america,conservatism,history,illiberalism,politics,president,progressive,progressivism,wilson,woketruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pandemic-a-plague-coda--53273156
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 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53273156Wed, 22 Mar 2023 11:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergWhile 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...
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 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-Pierre12544covid,disease,pandemic,plague,politics,religion,unrest,uprising,wartruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fictions-of-history--52698928

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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52698928Tue, 14 Feb 2023 11:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergHello 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...

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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>7166america,communists,cycles,eugenics,germany,history,narratives,nazis,progress,progressive,romaniatruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-blonde-conspiracy-feat-greg-zink-an-impossible-interview-vii--52489651
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52489651Tue, 24 Jan 2023 11:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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...
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>10430celebrity,conspiracy,coverup,jfk,kennedy,manslaughter,marilyn,monroe,murder,rfktruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/stakeholder-nazism-an-impossible-polemic--52324920
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52324920Mon, 02 Jan 2023 12:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergHappy 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...
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>6250america,capitalism,economics,germany,history,nazism,podcast,shareholders,stakeholder,swastika,wwiitruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-birth-of-the-lexicon-part-ii-the-american-lunatic-infinitesimal-impossibilities-04--52143098
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52143098Mon, 19 Dec 2022 13:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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...
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>8016american,civil,dictionary,english,history,illness,language,lexicon,mental,wartruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-birth-of-the-lexicon-part-i-the-scottish-polymath-infinitesimal-impossibilities-04--52113279We 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52113279Mon, 12 Dec 2022 13:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergIf 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...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
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eli123ky
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Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
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Monica
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Ben Mullen
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Molly Pan
Jeff Parrent
Jean Peters
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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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5880british,dictionary,england,english,history,language,madness,oxford,scotsman,victorianfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ken-burns-water-carrying-failure--51954329
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51954329Mon, 21 Nov 2022 11:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergHey 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...
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>2814burns,documentary,fdr,history,ii,ken,pbs,series,war,world,wwiifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-third-reich-bildungsroman--51638753
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51638753Tue, 25 Oct 2022 12:00:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergNOTE: 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...
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>17765america,black,eugenics,germany,history,racism,reich,systemic,thirdtruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/assassinations-and-historical-discontents-ft-kristaps-andrejsons-of-the-eastern-border--51237068
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 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51237068Tue, 13 Sep 2022 18:30:02 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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...
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 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5963abe,assassination,border,dugin,eastern,history,justice,kavanaugh,minister,podcast,prime,russia,ukraine,wartruefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fuhrer-s-court-jew-part-ii-the-fall-of-icarus--50788376This 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/53c973aa-f3af-3899-be5a-f5fb096d6a8fTue, 02 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergYou 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...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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>8186truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fuhrer-s-court-jew-part-i-in-league-with-the-devil--50775949This 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/de6682ad-ed36-39e4-b1c1-0300dd782f73Tue, 19 Jul 2022 11:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergIt'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...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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>7687truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ukraine-and-the-latvian-podfather-an-impossible-interview-vi-kristaps-andrejsons-of-the-eastern-border--50775935www.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 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/63cbc2d8-0a1c-3d29-ae2f-e85493066e78Wed, 15 Jun 2022 04:49:22 +0000Alexander von SternbergNote: 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...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 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>8563truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hitler-s-bastards--50775983"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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/7324d82d-bf77-320e-8872-23dcc6e29b69Mon, 25 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergCONTENT 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..."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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>16423truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ideological-realignments-past-present-and-future-feat-cj-killmer--50775904The 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/08d4a4ad-168c-314d-a364-22ae71035540Sat, 05 Mar 2022 23:36:35 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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...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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>10328truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-interview-v-goran-adamson--50776062Listeners 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/649452cd-dab0-3410-9ee7-7131c85a92ddWed, 26 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergImpossible 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,...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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>4675truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hitler-avatar-and-his-masochistic-priestess--50775912So 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/fac94a46-c3a4-3e38-ae62-950e5e1eeff5Thu, 30 Dec 2021 00:06:14 +0000Alexander von SternbergEveryone 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...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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>17959truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/infinitesimal-impossibilities-03-the-warlord-s-cook--50775918
Uganda's infamous Idi Amin is discussed through the eyes of his personal chef, Otonde Odera, who not only managed to survive the murderous regime's rise and fall, but managed to be both Idi Amin and Amin's predecessor Milton Obote's favorite cook and, ostensibly, member of the help.

Molly explores Otonde Odera's roller coaster of a life story and the dictator's methodology of ensuring loyalty is examined throughout this tale, a tale that ultimately leaves us on a melancholy note. Is it better to be feared, loved, or both? What is more terrifying: the dictator mad man who flies into a rage at the slightest provocation or the cold, calculating psychopath? What do you do when you're trapped in circumstances that are still arguably better than the alternatives? What does it feel like to be on the receiving end of a madman's wrath? These questions are examined and, despite their heavy nature, we managed to keep it all relatively light.

And yes, the question of Idi Amin's supposed cannibalism is addressed.

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

David Adamcik
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Nathan Diehl
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
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
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/a0184a02-0f97-3ff4-bf12-e1d0e6bb7ae5Tue, 28 Sep 2021 11:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe Infinitesimal Impossibilities subseries returns with a story in which Molly and Alex look at one of the most ruthless dictators of the 20th century...from the perspective of his personal chef. It's all drawn from the work of Polish journalist...
Uganda's infamous Idi Amin is discussed through the eyes of his personal chef, Otonde Odera, who not only managed to survive the murderous regime's rise and fall, but managed to be both Idi Amin and Amin's predecessor Milton Obote's favorite cook and, ostensibly, member of the help.

Molly explores Otonde Odera's roller coaster of a life story and the dictator's methodology of ensuring loyalty is examined throughout this tale, a tale that ultimately leaves us on a melancholy note. Is it better to be feared, loved, or both? What is more terrifying: the dictator mad man who flies into a rage at the slightest provocation or the cold, calculating psychopath? What do you do when you're trapped in circumstances that are still arguably better than the alternatives? What does it feel like to be on the receiving end of a madman's wrath? These questions are examined and, despite their heavy nature, we managed to keep it all relatively light.

And yes, the question of Idi Amin's supposed cannibalism is addressed.

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

David Adamcik
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Nathan Diehl
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
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
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5475truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-muslim-nazis-v-taking-hitler-by-the-hand--50775916
In this mid-season finale of our story, we'll be looking at al-Husseini's early dealings with the Nazis throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, as well as his harrowing flight from the Middle East into the arms of his newest patrons. An examination of the Nazi higher-ups--namely with a proper introduction to the infamous Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler--and their attitudes toward Islam is also in order, with a deeper look into the frighteningly simplistic-yet-convoluted vision they had of the world. And then we'll look at al-Husseini's arrival in Europe, his political wheeling and dealing that never really stopped and manage to secure him a seemingly cushy place within the upper echelons of the Third Reich.

And of course, finally, we will be back where we ended our first episode of this series: looking at the famed meeting in which al-Husseini finally got to meet the man who he had come to see as a kindred spirit, if only in opposition to their many hatreds: the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler.


History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Nathan Diehl
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Molly Pan
Jean Peters
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Eugene Rosso
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Brian Steggeman
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Blake Wescott
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/7a69900f-3df2-3907-afc2-b48af66baf8cFri, 03 Sep 2021 12:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergAs Hajj Amin al-Husseini hurdles toward his destination with which we started this entire series, the scope of our tale expands drastically with the arrival of the Nazis themselves. Though this isn't to say they weren't always there, lurking in the...
In this mid-season finale of our story, we'll be looking at al-Husseini's early dealings with the Nazis throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, as well as his harrowing flight from the Middle East into the arms of his newest patrons. An examination of the Nazi higher-ups--namely with a proper introduction to the infamous Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler--and their attitudes toward Islam is also in order, with a deeper look into the frighteningly simplistic-yet-convoluted vision they had of the world. And then we'll look at al-Husseini's arrival in Europe, his political wheeling and dealing that never really stopped and manage to secure him a seemingly cushy place within the upper echelons of the Third Reich.

And of course, finally, we will be back where we ended our first episode of this series: looking at the famed meeting in which al-Husseini finally got to meet the man who he had come to see as a kindred spirit, if only in opposition to their many hatreds: the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler.


History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Nathan Diehl
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Molly Pan
Jean Peters
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Eugene Rosso
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Brian Steggeman
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Blake Wescott
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>12617true16fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/escaping-farhud-the-joseph-samuels-story--50775940In this special episode of History Impossible, we'll be looking at the life of Joseph Samuels, whose incredible journey and profound resilience throughout his 90 plus years on this planet deserved examination. From the dusty streets of Baghdad, where he escaped the first and worst massacre of Iraqi Jewish history as a boy, to his dangerous flight to the new Jewish home of Israel, to his search for meaning in his life and his discovery of love and success that took him from Jerusalem to Montreal and finally to Los Angeles. And despite all the horror that haunted his childhood as he escaped the Farhud, he never once took life for granted and was always grateful for his good fortune.
As Samuels himself wrote in his memoir, "Make your life your own chain of miracles."
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Nathan Diehl
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Molly Pan
Jean Peters
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Eugene Rosso
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Blake Wescott
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/469870fb-54b8-3361-be34-dffb362dd91cThu, 22 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergSometimes the best way to convey the weight of history is to read the words of just one person who lived it. In this special episode of History Impossible, we'll be looking at the life of Joseph Samuels, whose incredible journey and profound...In this special episode of History Impossible, we'll be looking at the life of Joseph Samuels, whose incredible journey and profound resilience throughout his 90 plus years on this planet deserved examination. From the dusty streets of Baghdad, where he escaped the first and worst massacre of Iraqi Jewish history as a boy, to his dangerous flight to the new Jewish home of Israel, to his search for meaning in his life and his discovery of love and success that took him from Jerusalem to Montreal and finally to Los Angeles. And despite all the horror that haunted his childhood as he escaped the Farhud, he never once took life for granted and was always grateful for his good fortune.
As Samuels himself wrote in his memoir, "Make your life your own chain of miracles."
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Nathan Diehl
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Molly Pan
Jean Peters
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Eugene Rosso
Jon Andre Saether
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Blake Wescott
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>6199true15fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-muslim-nazis-iv-farhud--50775910
Bitterness.

As the 1920s turned into the 1930s, Hajj Amin al-Husseini's power started to look increasingly fragile and precarious, largely thanks to the effects of the violence that rocked Palestine in the summer of 1929 that only served to raise the temperature across the nation. The nationalist movement would continue to splinter and many different factions would take much more strident, even recognizably jihadist measures against the British Mandate which only served to incentivize the colonizers to redouble their suppression efforts, culminating in the second great Arab Revolt of the 20th century, from 1936-1939.

In this episode of the Muslim Nazis we see the power Hajj Amin al-Husseini accumulated during the 1920s start to slip through his fingers until he is yet again on the run from the British. This part of our story takes us from Palestine to Syria to Iraq. It is Iraq where al-Husseini manages to get himself deeply involved in the coup that brought the British down to bear on Iraq's new government, a government supported by another imperial power beginning to make its moves in Europe. And what ultimately follows such a dramatic confrontation is so devastating that the only word that can sufficiently describe it is in Arabized Kurdish.

That word is farhud, translated as “violent dispossession”, though it could also reasonably be simplified into one word: disaster.


History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
Edmund Plamowski
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Jon André Sæther
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

History Impossible has also launched a storefront where you get History Impossible goodies, including shirts, mugs, and stickers. More designs will be uploaded in the coming months, but get your History Impossible gear over at TeePublic now; just click the link and you'll be taken there.
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-history-impossible-storefront?utm_campaign=23070&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=The%2BHistory%2BImpossible%2BStorefront
Final note: If you want to skip the opening housekeeping, jump ahead to 11:30.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/9584dabe-0319-32c7-b347-dc8aec73c49cMon, 31 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergWhat do you get when all of your best laid plans seem to be falling apart around you with nothing but the suffering of your people to show for it? Bitterness. As the 1920s turned into the 1930s, Hajj Amin al-Husseini's power started to look...
Bitterness.

As the 1920s turned into the 1930s, Hajj Amin al-Husseini's power started to look increasingly fragile and precarious, largely thanks to the effects of the violence that rocked Palestine in the summer of 1929 that only served to raise the temperature across the nation. The nationalist movement would continue to splinter and many different factions would take much more strident, even recognizably jihadist measures against the British Mandate which only served to incentivize the colonizers to redouble their suppression efforts, culminating in the second great Arab Revolt of the 20th century, from 1936-1939.

In this episode of the Muslim Nazis we see the power Hajj Amin al-Husseini accumulated during the 1920s start to slip through his fingers until he is yet again on the run from the British. This part of our story takes us from Palestine to Syria to Iraq. It is Iraq where al-Husseini manages to get himself deeply involved in the coup that brought the British down to bear on Iraq's new government, a government supported by another imperial power beginning to make its moves in Europe. And what ultimately follows such a dramatic confrontation is so devastating that the only word that can sufficiently describe it is in Arabized Kurdish.

That word is farhud, translated as “violent dispossession”, though it could also reasonably be simplified into one word: disaster.


History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Kevin Gony
Nathan Grote
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Ben Mullen
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
Edmund Plamowski
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Jon André Sæther
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

History Impossible has also launched a storefront where you get History Impossible goodies, including shirts, mugs, and stickers. More designs will be uploaded in the coming months, but get your History Impossible gear over at TeePublic now; just click the link and you'll be taken there.
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-history-impossible-storefront?utm_campaign=23070&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=The%2BHistory%2BImpossible%2BStorefront
Final note: If you want to skip the opening housekeeping, jump ahead to 11:30.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>12971true14fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-muslim-nazis-iii-nineteen-twenty-nine--50775922
However, on the other side of the world, another "beginning of the end" was taking place, this time between the Jews and Arabs of Palestine, with the events that rocked this tiny nation setting the groundwork for suspicions, resentments, and hatreds for the decades to come.

In the third episode of the tale of the Muslim Nazis, we follow Hajj Amin al-Husseini into his diplomatic battle with the British Mandate of Palestine and his role (or lack thereof?) in this explosion of violence and destruction in his homeland. We see events slipping out of his control that he believed he possessed, all while he fights every battle everywhere in his mind. We see him struggle to maintain his status and play both sides of the conflict as best as he can in order to secure his place at the power broker table.

And above all, we see him make his full transformation into the phase of his life that was defined by his thirst for more power.

Music credit first goes to Alex Mason for his song "Beginning". Music credit also goes to Ernesto Schnack for his rendition of "The Light of the Seven"; check out his YouTube channel and subscribe (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz1PeIEiNkKRwWDKFA6RkzQ).

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Dylan Nesvig
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/b9c751e0-d9ac-3f6a-aabe-28aa5d233f94Tue, 27 Apr 2021 23:53:07 +0000Alexander von Sternberg1929 was, in a lot of ways, the year the world began its final descent into hell. The stock market crash in the United States would lead to untold misery in much of the Western world and allow for the rise and spread of particularly noxious ideologies...
However, on the other side of the world, another "beginning of the end" was taking place, this time between the Jews and Arabs of Palestine, with the events that rocked this tiny nation setting the groundwork for suspicions, resentments, and hatreds for the decades to come.

In the third episode of the tale of the Muslim Nazis, we follow Hajj Amin al-Husseini into his diplomatic battle with the British Mandate of Palestine and his role (or lack thereof?) in this explosion of violence and destruction in his homeland. We see events slipping out of his control that he believed he possessed, all while he fights every battle everywhere in his mind. We see him struggle to maintain his status and play both sides of the conflict as best as he can in order to secure his place at the power broker table.

And above all, we see him make his full transformation into the phase of his life that was defined by his thirst for more power.

Music credit first goes to Alex Mason for his song "Beginning". Music credit also goes to Ernesto Schnack for his rendition of "The Light of the Seven"; check out his YouTube channel and subscribe (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz1PeIEiNkKRwWDKFA6RkzQ).

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Dylan Nesvig
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>7019true13fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-muslim-nazis-ii-the-mufti--50775911—Hajj Amin al-Husseini
In the second episode of History Impossible's first series, we'll be diving head first into the early life of our story's central character, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the future Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in Palestine.
We'll see how he developed his identity as a Palestinian nationalist from a very early age and the activities this passion led him to pursue. We'll look at what he did at the outbreak of the First World War and how his allegiances began to form. We'll look at his rapid ascent to power in the British Mandate following the war, and how he began to clash with these colonial masters. We'll even see the groundwork being laid by a man who would come to be known—fairly or otherwise—as a man behind whom riots and destruction tended to follow.
This is the early life story of Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Petyr Baelish of Palestine.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Ron Cohen
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Russell Johnson
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Viktor Littmarck
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Sailus
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
George Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

(If you don't want the housekeeping/updates at the beginning, skip ahead to 8 minutes and enjoy!)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/19bae862-578b-3d51-ba3c-966cb7d19938Wed, 07 Apr 2021 20:14:23 +0000Alexander von Sternberg"Palestine is my country and the country of my ancestors—I will sacrifice myself for the sake of its sons." —Hajj Amin al-Husseini In the second episode of History Impossible's first series, we'll be diving head first into the early life of our...—Hajj Amin al-Husseini
In the second episode of History Impossible's first series, we'll be diving head first into the early life of our story's central character, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the future Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in Palestine.
We'll see how he developed his identity as a Palestinian nationalist from a very early age and the activities this passion led him to pursue. We'll look at what he did at the outbreak of the First World War and how his allegiances began to form. We'll look at his rapid ascent to power in the British Mandate following the war, and how he began to clash with these colonial masters. We'll even see the groundwork being laid by a man who would come to be known—fairly or otherwise—as a man behind whom riots and destruction tended to follow.
This is the early life story of Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Petyr Baelish of Palestine.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Ron Cohen
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Russell Johnson
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Viktor Littmarck
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Sailus
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
George Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

(If you don't want the housekeeping/updates at the beginning, skip ahead to 8 minutes and enjoy!)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>9592true12fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-muslim-nazis-i-early-adventures-with-imperial-german-islamophilia--50775982-Adolf Hitler

The first episode of History Impossible's first series introduces one of the most controversial aspects of Nazi Germany's strategy in the Second World War: its implementation of Muslims. Where one could simply write it off as mere opportunism--a claim that isn't without some truth--there was a much deeper connection between the two cultures fabricated by figures operating within them.

In this series premiere, the Islamic soldiers who would fight for Hitler's army and even begin to develop a reputation are introduced and then the early days of Imperial German-Islamic allyship is explored. There are visits to the tomb of Saladin by the Kaiser, frantic diplomatic trips full of mishaps undertaken by German Orientalists during the First World War, and the introduction of probably one of the most underappreciated figures in both the Second World War and in the history of Israel and Palestine.

This is the history of the so-called "Muslim Nazis."

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Sailus
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/13836a4f-2ea4-3187-a3c8-84866edb973cSat, 23 Jan 2021 05:07:25 +0000Alexander von Sternberg"The peoples of Islam will always be closer to us than, for example, France. ... Had Charles Martel not been victorious at Poiters, then we should in all probability have been converted to Mohammedanism, that cult which glorifies the heroism and which...-Adolf Hitler

The first episode of History Impossible's first series introduces one of the most controversial aspects of Nazi Germany's strategy in the Second World War: its implementation of Muslims. Where one could simply write it off as mere opportunism--a claim that isn't without some truth--there was a much deeper connection between the two cultures fabricated by figures operating within them.

In this series premiere, the Islamic soldiers who would fight for Hitler's army and even begin to develop a reputation are introduced and then the early days of Imperial German-Islamic allyship is explored. There are visits to the tomb of Saladin by the Kaiser, frantic diplomatic trips full of mishaps undertaken by German Orientalists during the First World War, and the introduction of probably one of the most underappreciated figures in both the Second World War and in the history of Israel and Palestine.

This is the history of the so-called "Muslim Nazis."

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Benjamin Bernier
Elias Borota
Miklos Buksa
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Sailus
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Jared Cole Temple
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey
F. You

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5528true11fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-announcement-history-impossible-in-2021--507759372021's future, however uncertain for a lot of people and even for the United States, is looking bright for History Impossible, so I'll be with you all the way, hopefully entertaining and enlightening you as we move into the future with this crazy and no-doubt controversial story involving Islam, the Nazis, Israel and Palestine, and Yugoslavia.
Best wishes,
Alexander von Sternberg
Please note: the first episode of this series is live on Patreon as we speak. If you want early access to the newest episodes of this series moving forward, consider supporting the show on Patreon at the $10 level or above!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/da54c449-ce0e-331e-bf66-fdad9010056aTue, 19 Jan 2021 06:58:06 +0000Alexander von SternbergThis is a quick announcement I'd like to make regarding History Impossible's immediate future, which is mostly tied up in this inaugural long-term series--a season really--which needs a bit of explaining and reassuring (specifically to folks who...2021's future, however uncertain for a lot of people and even for the United States, is looking bright for History Impossible, so I'll be with you all the way, hopefully entertaining and enlightening you as we move into the future with this crazy and no-doubt controversial story involving Islam, the Nazis, Israel and Palestine, and Yugoslavia.
Best wishes,
Alexander von Sternberg
Please note: the first episode of this series is live on Patreon as we speak. If you want early access to the newest episodes of this series moving forward, consider supporting the show on Patreon at the $10 level or above!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>864truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-interview-iv-aaron-sibarium-the-washington-free-beacon--50775914Aaron and I had never spoken before I reached out on Twitter to arrange this interview. He had no idea who I was and until I started reading his work, I had no idea who he was. And yet we had largely come to the same conclusion regarding America's current moment in the historical context, completely independent of one another. It was too much to pass up talking to this guy so, as I just said, I reached out and the conversation we had is what follows here.
This is much more of a "current events" style episode, though it's all very firmly rooted in history, both recent and in the Weimar era. After getting into some of Aaron's background and the growing power of the successor ideology to left-liberalism (of which Aaron was at ground zero while attending Yale), we discuss how similar the current moment is to that of the Weimar period and more importantly, how it differs. And as an added bonus, we spent some time discussing another topic Aaron has covered, which is post-liberalism from a conservative perspective and how it's recently manifested itself, and frankly, just where the hell we go from here.
It's an incredibly fascinating conversation and I'm really thankful to Aaron for taking time out of his busy schedule to chat with me, so please enjoy! I also encourage everyone to check out Aaron's work and follow him on Twitter @AaronSibarium.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/b72c4a75-2114-346c-a5ce-92a58861f58aFri, 04 Dec 2020 14:01:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe Impossible Interviews series is back with a different, but still special conversation I had with the amazingly talented and insightful Aaron Sibarium. Aaron is an associate editor over at the Washington Free Beacon, as well as a writer for various...Aaron and I had never spoken before I reached out on Twitter to arrange this interview. He had no idea who I was and until I started reading his work, I had no idea who he was. And yet we had largely come to the same conclusion regarding America's current moment in the historical context, completely independent of one another. It was too much to pass up talking to this guy so, as I just said, I reached out and the conversation we had is what follows here.
This is much more of a "current events" style episode, though it's all very firmly rooted in history, both recent and in the Weimar era. After getting into some of Aaron's background and the growing power of the successor ideology to left-liberalism (of which Aaron was at ground zero while attending Yale), we discuss how similar the current moment is to that of the Weimar period and more importantly, how it differs. And as an added bonus, we spent some time discussing another topic Aaron has covered, which is post-liberalism from a conservative perspective and how it's recently manifested itself, and frankly, just where the hell we go from here.
It's an incredibly fascinating conversation and I'm really thankful to Aaron for taking time out of his busy schedule to chat with me, so please enjoy! I also encourage everyone to check out Aaron's work and follow him on Twitter @AaronSibarium.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Monica
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Cameron Smith
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5590truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/infinitesimal-impossibilities-02-the-mad-madame-of-new-orleans--50775919 


This time, we cover a story that takes place in early 19th century New Orleans. It begins with a fire, or rather perhaps concludes with one. A large mansion whose hosts had been entertaining guests, catches fire from its upstairs kitchen. As people pour into the streets to watch the blaze, they see one of the slaves screaming from an upstairs window before she is engulfed in flames.
 


When the fire brigade arrives, they demand to enter the premises to put out the remaining flames and check for survivors. The owner of the home, a Madame Delphine LaLaurie, and her husband, Dr. LaLaurie, wave away such suggestions. The fire brigade nevertheless gets their wish and enters the home, searching for survivors. After breaking open a secret door, the horrors they encounter on the other side beggar belief.
 


Just as they discover the secret room, Dr. and Madame LaLaurie are spirited away in a carriage, never to be seen again.
 


Who was Madame LaLaurie? Who was her husband, the good doctor? What was found behind the secret door? To where did this couple from the cream of the New Orleans high society crop disappear? Why did people come to believe the rebuilt mansion and its grounds were haunted? How much of the stories spun about the Mad Madame, as she came to be known, are even true? How does Nicolas Cage fit into all this? This will all be answered and more in this next installment of Infinitesimal Impossibilities.
 
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/d0beff5b-8a4e-3c5d-8243-695d294875b2Sat, 21 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergHistory Impossible is back sooner than some may have anticipated for another installment of the Infinitesimal Impossibilities series, this time recorded in the spirit (and in the last hours) of Halloween 2020.   This time, we cover a story that... 


This time, we cover a story that takes place in early 19th century New Orleans. It begins with a fire, or rather perhaps concludes with one. A large mansion whose hosts had been entertaining guests, catches fire from its upstairs kitchen. As people pour into the streets to watch the blaze, they see one of the slaves screaming from an upstairs window before she is engulfed in flames.
 


When the fire brigade arrives, they demand to enter the premises to put out the remaining flames and check for survivors. The owner of the home, a Madame Delphine LaLaurie, and her husband, Dr. LaLaurie, wave away such suggestions. The fire brigade nevertheless gets their wish and enters the home, searching for survivors. After breaking open a secret door, the horrors they encounter on the other side beggar belief.
 


Just as they discover the secret room, Dr. and Madame LaLaurie are spirited away in a carriage, never to be seen again.
 


Who was Madame LaLaurie? Who was her husband, the good doctor? What was found behind the secret door? To where did this couple from the cream of the New Orleans high society crop disappear? Why did people come to believe the rebuilt mansion and its grounds were haunted? How much of the stories spun about the Mad Madame, as she came to be known, are even true? How does Nicolas Cage fit into all this? This will all be answered and more in this next installment of Infinitesimal Impossibilities.
 
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:

Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Kyle Dillon
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>4694truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pandemic-rendering-a-hue-and-cry--50775932Since it's the year of our lord 2020, it was only inevitable that we'd talk about pandemics on History Impossible.
What follows is an exploration of not just a pandemic and not just the most physically destructive pandemic in all of human history. What follows is an exploration of what a pandemic actually does. And by "does," we're talking about what it does to the human body, the human mind, and the wider social psychology of societies themselves, and of course, the historical consequences that result.
The 1918 H1N1 Influenza A pandemic--better known as the "Spanish flu"--is known as a lot of things. A bizarre historical footnote that no one wanted to discuss. A force of nature more destructive than the Great War itself, rivaled only by the Second World War. And according to a small handful of medical historians, sociologists, and economists, quite possibly the reason for how things in that so-called "War to End All Wars" turned out and thus, everything that happened afterward.
These are all things that will be covered and more, as the impossible case is laid that the Spanish flu was not just the secret fuel that powered the monumental tragedies of the 20th century, but gives us insight into the very thing that could eventually act as the fuel for the tragedies for the 21st.
Special thanks to Vinny Andreotti, Sergey Cheremisinov, and Molly Pan & Eric Guillen for their incredible musical skills.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/f85566ab-aece-3cdf-89ae-d6567a57facbMon, 26 Oct 2020 07:05:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergThis episode is dedicated to Franco Bolelli. Since it's the year of our lord 2020, it was only inevitable that we'd talk about pandemics on History Impossible. What follows is an exploration of not just a pandemic and not just the most physically...Since it's the year of our lord 2020, it was only inevitable that we'd talk about pandemics on History Impossible.
What follows is an exploration of not just a pandemic and not just the most physically destructive pandemic in all of human history. What follows is an exploration of what a pandemic actually does. And by "does," we're talking about what it does to the human body, the human mind, and the wider social psychology of societies themselves, and of course, the historical consequences that result.
The 1918 H1N1 Influenza A pandemic--better known as the "Spanish flu"--is known as a lot of things. A bizarre historical footnote that no one wanted to discuss. A force of nature more destructive than the Great War itself, rivaled only by the Second World War. And according to a small handful of medical historians, sociologists, and economists, quite possibly the reason for how things in that so-called "War to End All Wars" turned out and thus, everything that happened afterward.
These are all things that will be covered and more, as the impossible case is laid that the Spanish flu was not just the secret fuel that powered the monumental tragedies of the 20th century, but gives us insight into the very thing that could eventually act as the fuel for the tragedies for the 21st.
Special thanks to Vinny Andreotti, Sergey Cheremisinov, and Molly Pan & Eric Guillen for their incredible musical skills.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>22696truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bonus-ripples-of-impossible-history-on-fire-confucius--50775913In a generous move, the fine people at Luminary Media decided to let all of us present our segments on our own podcast feeds, so if you would like to hear my segment on its own as a little bonus, here you go! It's short (well, miniscule) by History Impossible standards, but it's got all the hallmarks: a weirdo main character, far reaching effects and influence, and consequences no one could possibly have predicted. 
Many thanks to Daniele Bolelli for organizing this, to my amazingly talented fellow podcasters, and to the folks at Luminary for making this all possible.



History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Mark Reed
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/eb9d407e-b414-3cef-ba5e-43e885171d05Fri, 09 Oct 2020 22:30:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergAs many of you are aware, I was recently featured among many other, far more talented history podcasters on Daniele Bolelli's History on Fire podcast in which we all discussed various figures and events in history that created massive ripples that no...In a generous move, the fine people at Luminary Media decided to let all of us present our segments on our own podcast feeds, so if you would like to hear my segment on its own as a little bonus, here you go! It's short (well, miniscule) by History Impossible standards, but it's got all the hallmarks: a weirdo main character, far reaching effects and influence, and consequences no one could possibly have predicted. 
Many thanks to Daniele Bolelli for organizing this, to my amazingly talented fellow podcasters, and to the folks at Luminary for making this all possible.



History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston 
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Mark Reed
Alison Salo
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Steve Uhler
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>2086truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/infinitesimal-impossibilities-01-the-first-submarine--50775921


And speaking of staying on course, this first Infinitesimal Impossibility is indeed about a device that had a lot of a trouble staying on course without an amazing pilot behind it (and an ingenious design for its time). That would be the American Turtle, the first combat submarine ever deployed in the world. What makes this story so seemingly impossible has everything to do with when this device operated, namely in the lack of appropriate technology and the insane ingenuity and clever know-how by its creator, David Bushnell.



So sit back and enjoy this first of hopefully many installments of Infinitesimal Impossibilities. As always, many thanks to Molly Pan for the artwork AND co-hosting duties.


History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Mark Reed
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Ricky Worthey
Steve Uhler

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/5cb8f939-eb4f-3f2d-be67-256143f73fbeFri, 25 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergAs History Impossible reaches its two year mark and the episodes get longer and longer, I figured that now was the time to do something different, namely to add a new show to the History Impossible family, as I've been calling it: Infinitesimal...


And speaking of staying on course, this first Infinitesimal Impossibility is indeed about a device that had a lot of a trouble staying on course without an amazing pilot behind it (and an ingenious design for its time). That would be the American Turtle, the first combat submarine ever deployed in the world. What makes this story so seemingly impossible has everything to do with when this device operated, namely in the lack of appropriate technology and the insane ingenuity and clever know-how by its creator, David Bushnell.



So sit back and enjoy this first of hopefully many installments of Infinitesimal Impossibilities. As always, many thanks to Molly Pan for the artwork AND co-hosting duties.


History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Benjamin Lee
Tyler Livingston
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Mark Reed
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Ricky Worthey
Steve Uhler

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>4155truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-very-british-samurai-assimilation--50775936 
It was in April of 1600 that everything would change for everyone, when a Dutch ship piloted by one of the best English pilots Europe had ever seen, laid anchor off the coast of the southern island of Kyushu, its crew starving and half-mad after nearly two years trying to brave the two largest oceans on earth, losing not just most of their crew but the other four ships of the fleet she'd been a part of. 
 
The pilot of this ship would not only become the spokesperson for both the Dutch and the British, but essentially all foreign powers trying to do business in Japan from here on out. And somehow, against all odds, he would manage to not just impress the shogun vying to rule over all of Japan--the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu--but he would become so valuable to the man and to his kingdom that he would become one of the few non-Japanese men to be granted the title of samurai, and one of even fewer Europeans. 
 
This pilot's name was William Adams, and he was and remains the only British samurai to this day. This is the story of how something this impossible managed to happen, all through the simple act of assimilating to this new and alien culture.
 
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Mark Reed
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Ricky Worthey
Steve Uhler

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/3e58c852-dc01-5e6f-8e99-aeb869ee1464Fri, 07 Aug 2020 08:30:40 +0000Alexander von SternbergJapan in the 16th and 17th century was going through profound changes, not least of which being the ongoing civil war that had been ripping it apart for over a century, with warlord fighting warlord on a whim, the famed samurai chopping each other to... 
It was in April of 1600 that everything would change for everyone, when a Dutch ship piloted by one of the best English pilots Europe had ever seen, laid anchor off the coast of the southern island of Kyushu, its crew starving and half-mad after nearly two years trying to brave the two largest oceans on earth, losing not just most of their crew but the other four ships of the fleet she'd been a part of. 
 
The pilot of this ship would not only become the spokesperson for both the Dutch and the British, but essentially all foreign powers trying to do business in Japan from here on out. And somehow, against all odds, he would manage to not just impress the shogun vying to rule over all of Japan--the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu--but he would become so valuable to the man and to his kingdom that he would become one of the few non-Japanese men to be granted the title of samurai, and one of even fewer Europeans. 
 
This pilot's name was William Adams, and he was and remains the only British samurai to this day. This is the story of how something this impossible managed to happen, all through the simple act of assimilating to this new and alien culture.
 
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Devin Hreha
Mike Kalnins
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
Jake Petersen
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
Brian Pritzl
PJ Rader
Mark Reed
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Ricky Worthey
Steve Uhler

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>10924truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-devil-soldier-and-his-ever-victorious-army-approbation--50776030While the man who started this conflict--a self-proclaimed prophet and younger brother to Jesus Christ named Hong Xiuquan--was forming the seeds of this rebellion within his tortured mind, the man who would change the course of the Rebellion itself was coming of age and beginning his habit of traveling the world looking for adventure and action. That man's name was Frederick Townsend Ward, and his influence would be felt and then eventually forgotten across the world, thanks to his largely omitted place within the ranks of great men who fought in this great conflict.
This is the story of Frederick Townsend Ward, as well as the story of the fall of China as everyone--including the Chinese--would know it for nearly 100 years. This is the story of how an American adventurer became an American mercenary and then became a citizen of the Chinese Empire, and more importantly, a hero to its people, namely those living in the growing port city of Shanghai, largely thanks to his formation of the greatest soldiers China had yet to see: the Ever Victorious Army, whose elite training at Ward's hand would shape the future of China's military forever.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
PJ Rader
Martin Reddin
Mark Reed
Stephen Roblem
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Ricky Worthey
Steve Uhler

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/82567dd3-a019-5a25-80a3-c42084288075Fri, 12 Jun 2020 14:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn the mid-19th century, as one country in the West was on its way toward the most famous civil war, another country in the East was in the grips of one far larger and more significant than any that had come before or would come afterward, if only in...While the man who started this conflict--a self-proclaimed prophet and younger brother to Jesus Christ named Hong Xiuquan--was forming the seeds of this rebellion within his tortured mind, the man who would change the course of the Rebellion itself was coming of age and beginning his habit of traveling the world looking for adventure and action. That man's name was Frederick Townsend Ward, and his influence would be felt and then eventually forgotten across the world, thanks to his largely omitted place within the ranks of great men who fought in this great conflict.
This is the story of Frederick Townsend Ward, as well as the story of the fall of China as everyone--including the Chinese--would know it for nearly 100 years. This is the story of how an American adventurer became an American mercenary and then became a citizen of the Chinese Empire, and more importantly, a hero to its people, namely those living in the growing port city of Shanghai, largely thanks to his formation of the greatest soldiers China had yet to see: the Ever Victorious Army, whose elite training at Ward's hand would shape the future of China's military forever.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
Edmund Plamowski
PJ Rader
Martin Reddin
Mark Reed
Stephen Roblem
Sam
Emily Schmidt
Ricky Worthey
Steve Uhler

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>12044truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-interview-iii-jd-huitt-history-underground--50775947This 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/16227794-c475-5c7d-b841-818779487242Mon, 04 May 2020 06:59:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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...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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>6062truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-pop-quiz-blood-bardos-bullets-and-buddhism--50775952In light of the current quarantine in which becoming starved for content is actually a very real possibility, as well as a way to say thank you to all of you for your patience as I toiled away at this most recent episode, I decided the time would be right to toss a freebie everyone's way, with a special thank you directed at all of you kind enough to be financially supporting History Impossible through Patreon and PayPal donations.
Normally the Pop Quiz is a fun goof to be enjoyed by the Patrons of History Impossible, but since everyone needs a laugh now and then--whether it's because life is being a jerk to a lot of us right now or because listening to the mainline History Impossible episodes can just be so soul-crushing (believe me, I'm right there with you)--both Molly and I thought it would be appropriate for the Pop Quiz to be available to everybody who tunes in. We know it's not for everybody, but it can indeed be a fun distraction. Regardless, from the bottom of my and Molly's hearts, thank you for listening, enjoying, and laughing, and please: stay safe out there.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/36ff795e-6a8e-56bf-9385-92bc01e87fa7Fri, 24 Apr 2020 01:21:55 +0000Alexander von SternbergSurprise! In light of the current quarantine in which becoming starved for content is actually a very real possibility, as well as a way to say thank you to all of you for your patience as I toiled away at this most recent episode, I decided the time...In light of the current quarantine in which becoming starved for content is actually a very real possibility, as well as a way to say thank you to all of you for your patience as I toiled away at this most recent episode, I decided the time would be right to toss a freebie everyone's way, with a special thank you directed at all of you kind enough to be financially supporting History Impossible through Patreon and PayPal donations.
Normally the Pop Quiz is a fun goof to be enjoyed by the Patrons of History Impossible, but since everyone needs a laugh now and then--whether it's because life is being a jerk to a lot of us right now or because listening to the mainline History Impossible episodes can just be so soul-crushing (believe me, I'm right there with you)--both Molly and I thought it would be appropriate for the Pop Quiz to be available to everybody who tunes in. We know it's not for everybody, but it can indeed be a fun distraction. Regardless, from the bottom of my and Molly's hearts, thank you for listening, enjoying, and laughing, and please: stay safe out there.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>4284truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/blood-bardos-bullets-and-buddhism-appropriation--50776021The most explosive event of the 20th century has just occurred and it has nothing to do with Nazis or atomic bombs or American blue jeans. In 1917, the world's largest terrestrial imperial power began to rip itself apart and would continue to do so during the next half decade, leading to the only other power with the ability to challenge the United States.
The First World War and the Russian Revolution are both well-tread territory, as is the subsequent Russian Civil War, but what many might not realize is that these events were much more complex than Great Powers destroying one another or  Communists overthrowing the Romanov monarchy. The world had been turned upside down. And not only were there far more interests at play in this new Great Game of the 20th Century--including everyone from Russians to the Chinese to the British to the Japanese--but a vacuum had been created, threatening to suck away and destroy any and all traces of meaning that had been built up over the previous millennium. That vacuum--more of a singularity--was unlike anything that had ever been experienced and it acted as a calling card for all sorts of bizarre and unlikely figures of differing political and religious ideologies, searching for the purpose that they lost. And since their world was no longer one they recognized, they would all become seduced by the legends and real-or-imagined mystique of the lands of Genghis Khan. 
Hardly any of these figures and their followers ever directly crossed paths and hardly any of them could ever be considered allies or fellow travelers of one another, with some being communists, others being religious nationalists, and some even being monarchist reactionaries. However, they all had one thing in common: they had been seduced by "the East" and were all determined to find their place in it, regardless of how ablaze with chaos and violence it had become. This is a story of legend and prophecy, of grand adventure and harsh survival, woo-woo telepathy experiments and communist sexual liberation, brutal theocratic violence and revolution, and a warlord that would fit right in with the world of Apocalypse Now or Blood Meridian: this is Central Asia in the early 20th century and the Europeans who tried to make it their last hope.
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
Emily Schmidt
Jake Smith
Matthew Wilson
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/4cdbc52a-afd7-5365-bd80-467624d612d1Mon, 13 Apr 2020 07:00:00 +0000Alexander von SternbergLet's set the stage: The most explosive event of the 20th century has just occurred and it has nothing to do with Nazis or atomic bombs or American blue jeans. In 1917, the world's largest terrestrial imperial power began to rip itself apart and would...The most explosive event of the 20th century has just occurred and it has nothing to do with Nazis or atomic bombs or American blue jeans. In 1917, the world's largest terrestrial imperial power began to rip itself apart and would continue to do so during the next half decade, leading to the only other power with the ability to challenge the United States.
The First World War and the Russian Revolution are both well-tread territory, as is the subsequent Russian Civil War, but what many might not realize is that these events were much more complex than Great Powers destroying one another or  Communists overthrowing the Romanov monarchy. The world had been turned upside down. And not only were there far more interests at play in this new Great Game of the 20th Century--including everyone from Russians to the Chinese to the British to the Japanese--but a vacuum had been created, threatening to suck away and destroy any and all traces of meaning that had been built up over the previous millennium. That vacuum--more of a singularity--was unlike anything that had ever been experienced and it acted as a calling card for all sorts of bizarre and unlikely figures of differing political and religious ideologies, searching for the purpose that they lost. And since their world was no longer one they recognized, they would all become seduced by the legends and real-or-imagined mystique of the lands of Genghis Khan. 
Hardly any of these figures and their followers ever directly crossed paths and hardly any of them could ever be considered allies or fellow travelers of one another, with some being communists, others being religious nationalists, and some even being monarchist reactionaries. However, they all had one thing in common: they had been seduced by "the East" and were all determined to find their place in it, regardless of how ablaze with chaos and violence it had become. This is a story of legend and prophecy, of grand adventure and harsh survival, woo-woo telepathy experiments and communist sexual liberation, brutal theocratic violence and revolution, and a warlord that would fit right in with the world of Apocalypse Now or Blood Meridian: this is Central Asia in the early 20th century and the Europeans who tried to make it their last hope.
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
Emily Schmidt
Jake Smith
Matthew Wilson
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>18123truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-interview-ii-cj-killmer--50775924 


In this conversation, we discuss a wide range of topics, from anarchism to the Civil War's moral gray areas to the long-held notion of the American civic religion before moving on to get into the weeds as to why Woodrow Wilson just might be one of the most nefarious presidents in American history. It was a fun, in-depth, and incredibly illuminating conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did having it.


Music provided by Pudge and Punk Rock Opera.

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
PJ Rader
Martin Reddin
Stephen Roblem
Emily Schmidt
Jake Smith
Matthew Wilson
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/579bdee5-c4fe-5730-ba10-64da1be73af2Mon, 03 Feb 2020 07:40:33 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this inaugural 2020 episode of History Impossible (and on the one year anniversary no less!), I sit down with CJ Killmer, host of the long-running and incredibly well-done Dangerous History Podcast. CJ has been one of my long-time inspirations for... 


In this conversation, we discuss a wide range of topics, from anarchism to the Civil War's moral gray areas to the long-held notion of the American civic religion before moving on to get into the weeds as to why Woodrow Wilson just might be one of the most nefarious presidents in American history. It was a fun, in-depth, and incredibly illuminating conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did having it.


Music provided by Pudge and Punk Rock Opera.

History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
PJ Rader
Martin Reddin
Stephen Roblem
Emily Schmidt
Jake Smith
Matthew Wilson
Ricky Worthey

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>8309truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-prisoner-on-the-river-kwai-forgiveness--50776006A world away from the war raging across the European continent, a completely different theater of warfare was being conducted by the Empire of Japan and the Allied forces in Asia. Immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, attacks were made against the British Empire's and French territories in Southeast Asia, including the supposedly impregnable fortress of Singapore. After Singapore fell and the 80,000 troops taken prisoner would soon come to learn their own version of horror shared by victims of Hitler's hatred across the globe. 
Under the rule of the Japanese, starvation, relentless corporal punishment, and torture were the rule. Good treatment including proper food and medical care was the exception. And this was all exacerbated by the brutal slave labor being instituted to accomplish the greatest and arguably most sadistic railway project ever endeavored by a modern nation: to create the connecting railway between Burma and Thailand, then called Siam. Thousands would die and many more would suffer. And at the center of this was a man named Eric Lomax.
Lomax suffered as many others suffered during his time enslaved by the Japanese--beaten, interrogated, and tortured for the simple act of drawing a map of the railway and assisting in making a radio. He would remain a prisoner of their cruelty even long after the Japanese surrendered in August of 1945. Nightmares, emotional self-destruction, and callousness towards those he loved most. And then he would learn the identity of one of his torturers.
This episode of History Impossible--the finale of 2019--covers all this and more.
Special thanks to the musical talents by Eric Harper with "Os Ventos Detras Os Montes" and Magnus Moone with "Pin Lights".
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
PJ Rader
Stephen Roblem
Emily Schmidt
Jake Smith
Matthew Wilson
Ricky Worthey

Please consider joining the ranks of ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, or perhaps even investors, producers, and executive producers over at www.patreon.com/historyimpossible

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-prisoner-on-the-river-kwai-forgiveness-4e8b5193c3895b08c20cefb2c3b03d0eFri, 20 Dec 2019 10:23:33 +0000Alexander von SternbergContent Warning: This episode contains graphic depictions of physical and psychological torture. A world away from the war raging across the European continent, a completely different theater of warfare was being conducted by the Empire of Japan and...A world away from the war raging across the European continent, a completely different theater of warfare was being conducted by the Empire of Japan and the Allied forces in Asia. Immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, attacks were made against the British Empire's and French territories in Southeast Asia, including the supposedly impregnable fortress of Singapore. After Singapore fell and the 80,000 troops taken prisoner would soon come to learn their own version of horror shared by victims of Hitler's hatred across the globe. 
Under the rule of the Japanese, starvation, relentless corporal punishment, and torture were the rule. Good treatment including proper food and medical care was the exception. And this was all exacerbated by the brutal slave labor being instituted to accomplish the greatest and arguably most sadistic railway project ever endeavored by a modern nation: to create the connecting railway between Burma and Thailand, then called Siam. Thousands would die and many more would suffer. And at the center of this was a man named Eric Lomax.
Lomax suffered as many others suffered during his time enslaved by the Japanese--beaten, interrogated, and tortured for the simple act of drawing a map of the railway and assisting in making a radio. He would remain a prisoner of their cruelty even long after the Japanese surrendered in August of 1945. Nightmares, emotional self-destruction, and callousness towards those he loved most. And then he would learn the identity of one of his torturers.
This episode of History Impossible--the finale of 2019--covers all this and more.
Special thanks to the musical talents by Eric Harper with "Os Ventos Detras Os Montes" and Magnus Moone with "Pin Lights".
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:
Elias Borota
Matthew Dakus
Gavin Edwards
Peter Hauck
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
PJ Rader
Stephen Roblem
Emily Schmidt
Jake Smith
Matthew Wilson
Ricky Worthey

Please consider joining the ranks of ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, or perhaps even investors, producers, and executive producers over at www.patreon.com/historyimpossible

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>10687truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-american-executioners-vengeance--50775954On April 29th, 1945, one day before Adolf Hitler killed himself, the true evil of the National Socialists--and the necessity of crushing them--finally became known to the American men fighting through Germany. It all began with seeing a set of boxcars, filled from stem to stern with the starved, decaying bodies of thousands of Jews who had been traveling by rail for weeks, as their captors fled the approaching Allied forces without a care in the world for the miserable existence of their human cargo. From the train tracks and moving into the camp known as Dachau, the American troops were then greeted by both the words "Arbeit macht frei" adorning the camp's gates contrasted with the starving, skeletal, and dying faces of the prisoners housed within. 
Some of the men wept. Some frantically prayed to an unresponsive god. Some clenched their fingers so tightly into their palms that blood trickled to the ground beneath their feet. Some swore revenge, even if nothing had been done to them personally. And some achieved this revenge, if only vicariously and on behalf of the victims of Dachau. This is the story of that vicarious revenge, an examination of the events leading up to it, and a meditation on the ethics of summary execution committed by American troops against Nazis with their hands raised in surrender.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon:
Elias Borota
Peter Hauck
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
PJ Rader
Emily Schmidt
Matthew Wilson

Please consider joining the ranks of ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, or perhaps even investors, producers, and executive producers over at www.patreon.com/historyimpossible

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-american-executioners-vengeance-5ce544d7b145c4bf0839455de8076f53Wed, 06 Nov 2019 07:48:55 +0000Alexander von SternbergContent Warning: This episode contains extremely graphic depictions of genocide, torture, and human experimentation. On April 29th, 1945, one day before Adolf Hitler killed himself, the true evil of the National Socialists--and the necessity of...On April 29th, 1945, one day before Adolf Hitler killed himself, the true evil of the National Socialists--and the necessity of crushing them--finally became known to the American men fighting through Germany. It all began with seeing a set of boxcars, filled from stem to stern with the starved, decaying bodies of thousands of Jews who had been traveling by rail for weeks, as their captors fled the approaching Allied forces without a care in the world for the miserable existence of their human cargo. From the train tracks and moving into the camp known as Dachau, the American troops were then greeted by both the words "Arbeit macht frei" adorning the camp's gates contrasted with the starving, skeletal, and dying faces of the prisoners housed within. 
Some of the men wept. Some frantically prayed to an unresponsive god. Some clenched their fingers so tightly into their palms that blood trickled to the ground beneath their feet. Some swore revenge, even if nothing had been done to them personally. And some achieved this revenge, if only vicariously and on behalf of the victims of Dachau. This is the story of that vicarious revenge, an examination of the events leading up to it, and a meditation on the ethics of summary execution committed by American troops against Nazis with their hands raised in surrender.
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon:
Elias Borota
Peter Hauck
Trevor Lindborg
Jose Martinez
Judy McCoid
Kostas Moros
Molly Pan
John Pisano
PJ Rader
Emily Schmidt
Matthew Wilson

Please consider joining the ranks of ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, or perhaps even investors, producers, and executive producers over at www.patreon.com/historyimpossible

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>8424truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-werewolves-of-the-fourth-reich--50775915So to celebrate, Molly and Alex took a trip down memory lane about werewolves, Nazism, Nazi terrorists, and Nazi trauma. It was, believe it or not, a lot of fun! Many things were discussed, including the notion that Nazis don't actually exist anymore as well as the non-resemblance of the tragic Franz Oppenhoff to Mr. Moneybags (or was it Colonel Sanders?).
In any event, it's about as silly as they come and while it's understandable that this lighter, relaxed fit version of History Impossible isn't for everyone (we do read those iTunes reviews here! Thanks for the constructive criticism, by the way), it's a fun way to exorcise the demons that can arise from reading about all the awful things human beings do to each other. 
So for her final pop quiz as we've all come to expect, the question inevitably comes up: how did Molly do? What grade did she get? Sit back, fix yourself a Halloween-themed drink, tune in, and find out!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-werewolves-of-the-fourth-reich-25253c297a708f0488642954b57c3991Tue, 22 Oct 2019 06:20:03 +0000Alexander von SternbergIt's the end of one era and the beginning of another. With the launch of History Impossible's Patreon, things with the Pop Quiz are different. This will be the final free episode the Pop Quiz series, which will now be accessible to the supporters of...So to celebrate, Molly and Alex took a trip down memory lane about werewolves, Nazism, Nazi terrorists, and Nazi trauma. It was, believe it or not, a lot of fun! Many things were discussed, including the notion that Nazis don't actually exist anymore as well as the non-resemblance of the tragic Franz Oppenhoff to Mr. Moneybags (or was it Colonel Sanders?).
In any event, it's about as silly as they come and while it's understandable that this lighter, relaxed fit version of History Impossible isn't for everyone (we do read those iTunes reviews here! Thanks for the constructive criticism, by the way), it's a fun way to exorcise the demons that can arise from reading about all the awful things human beings do to each other. 
So for her final pop quiz as we've all come to expect, the question inevitably comes up: how did Molly do? What grade did she get? Sit back, fix yourself a Halloween-themed drink, tune in, and find out!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>3218truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-werewolves-of-the-fourth-reich-trauma--50775972In this epic tale covering both the Nazi ideology's supernaturally-minded roots themselves as well as the results of crushing Nazism and the origins of our sheer terror at the regime and ideology's meaning, we'll dive into some of the strangest ideas and most desperate figures we've covered in History Impossible so far. From the occult and esoteric origins of the Nazi religion to the unrepentant true believers in the Fuhrer (some of whom thought him to be alive). From the bombings of Allied occupiers' administrations to the assassinations of collaborators and "traitors". From the decapitation wires strung across the roads of rural Germany to the sugar packets filled with explosive powder. From the streets of Berlin to the streets of Charlottesville.
Welcome to the Fourth Reich. 
Many thanks to the musicians who contributed their work to this episode, including Kai Engel with their song "Dark Alley".

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-werewolves-of-the-fourth-reich-trauma-3a5b9bb82feb76ef4daa8a76b3a50a8dWed, 02 Oct 2019 08:32:50 +0000Alexander von SternbergOn April 30th, 1945, Adolf Hitler's brain was ripped apart by the bullet he'd fired through his skull. That is how we believe the Second World War ended. But in reality, the struggle to crush the most evil of regimes and its ideas was just beginning...In this epic tale covering both the Nazi ideology's supernaturally-minded roots themselves as well as the results of crushing Nazism and the origins of our sheer terror at the regime and ideology's meaning, we'll dive into some of the strangest ideas and most desperate figures we've covered in History Impossible so far. From the occult and esoteric origins of the Nazi religion to the unrepentant true believers in the Fuhrer (some of whom thought him to be alive). From the bombings of Allied occupiers' administrations to the assassinations of collaborators and "traitors". From the decapitation wires strung across the roads of rural Germany to the sugar packets filled with explosive powder. From the streets of Berlin to the streets of Charlottesville.
Welcome to the Fourth Reich. 
Many thanks to the musicians who contributed their work to this episode, including Kai Engel with their song "Dark Alley".

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>11604truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-interview-i-daniele-bolelli--50775959Daniele 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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/an-impossible-interview-daniele-bolelli-d12b3912b8a03959ef4c7c2be1408120Tue, 03 Sep 2019 06:39:32 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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...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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5378truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-great-hollywood-coverup--50775925Ms. 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. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-great-hollywood-coverup-865bfc2941cf3da261264483d29bea44Thu, 15 Aug 2019 06:58:45 +0000Alexander von SternbergAfter 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...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. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>3993truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-great-hollywood-coverup-part-ii-dames-drug-dealers-and-dragoonery--50775946In 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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-great-hollywood-coverup-part-ii-dames-drug-dealers-and-dragoonery-a554503817263e6189af421adb88aadcFri, 26 Jul 2019 07:59:19 +0000Alexander von SternbergWhen 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...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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>9884truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-great-hollywood-coverup-part-i-moving-pictures-moral-crusaders-and-murder--50779490It 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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-great-hollywood-coverup-part-i-moving-pictures-moral-crusaders-and-murder-afeef85dc53a5ffd8a87e1edac03e555Mon, 01 Jul 2019 06:16:24 +0000Alexander von SternbergNearly 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...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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>7153truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-white-death--50775934Give 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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-white-death-4ed528a07cd3482b68239dd59c1ab00eThu, 16 May 2019 07:53:28 +0000Alexander von SternbergThe 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...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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>2796truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-white-death--50775948During 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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-white-death-fd1532f02376320e250534d7b6bf3a88Mon, 22 Apr 2019 23:16:42 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn 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...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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>7345truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-union-rapists--50775926This 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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-union-rapists-e2f2e1eb9e5981bd6791c2e2be27c3b9Mon, 25 Mar 2019 19:45:07 +0000Alexander von SternbergFor 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...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.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>2379truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-union-rapists--50775942The 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).
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-union-rapists-8d4cdae415ea0713d5aed401adcad818Mon, 11 Mar 2019 06:01:18 +0000Alexander von SternbergCONTENT 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...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).
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>5673truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-impossible-pop-quiz-the-original-donald-trump--50775950In 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. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/an-impossible-pop-quiz-01-the-original-donald-trump-3ec1afabc0a2c27ea69fbf045ff11aa7Thu, 28 Feb 2019 05:28:44 +0000Alexander von SternbergAnd 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...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. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>2444falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-original-donald-trump--50775956Nearly a century and a half before populist messaging was used to propel the unlikeliest and most divisive of candidates into the Oval Office, the groundwork was being laid amid the most terrifying time in American history.
A true vision of a post-apocalyptic landscape on the verge of exploding into chaos all over again: a sense of corruption at every level of government, starvation in the streets, the constant threat of violence, rampant racist pogroms, and a nation still attempting to heal its self-inflicted wounds caused by a destructive Civil War all serve as the backdrop for the least and yet most likely rise of a firebrand demagogue who will change the landscape of populist politics forever, leaving a smoking crater of legislative destruction in his wake, and yet be completely forgotten to history.
This is the story of this man--this original Donald Trump--and the world that created him and the world of which he took advantage to mould into his own.
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the use of his song "Last Hope".

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/the-original-donald-trump-331da001dd55bd977c37bba2a23a4771Mon, 28 Jan 2019 05:47:38 +0000Alexander von SternbergWARNING: This episode contains harsh scenes and quotes involving mass murder, racial slurs, and child abuse. Nearly a century and a half before populist messaging was used to propel the unlikeliest and most divisive of candidates into the Oval Office,...Nearly a century and a half before populist messaging was used to propel the unlikeliest and most divisive of candidates into the Oval Office, the groundwork was being laid amid the most terrifying time in American history.
A true vision of a post-apocalyptic landscape on the verge of exploding into chaos all over again: a sense of corruption at every level of government, starvation in the streets, the constant threat of violence, rampant racist pogroms, and a nation still attempting to heal its self-inflicted wounds caused by a destructive Civil War all serve as the backdrop for the least and yet most likely rise of a firebrand demagogue who will change the landscape of populist politics forever, leaving a smoking crater of legislative destruction in his wake, and yet be completely forgotten to history.
This is the story of this man--this original Donald Trump--and the world that created him and the world of which he took advantage to mould into his own.
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the use of his song "Last Hope".

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>9322truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-zero-an-impossible-introduction--50775938This will probably be one of the few times you'll hear such an off-the-cuff ramble in this series.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>historyimpossible.podbean.com/episode-zero-an-impossible-introduction-04ac9539e36ce550c0f84e638be21002Mon, 28 Jan 2019 05:47:15 +0000Alexander von SternbergIn this introductory episode to History: Impossible, self-imposed ground rules are laid out, information on past, present, and future is provided, and thanks to inspirations are given.  This will probably be one of the few times you'll hear such an...This will probably be one of the few times you'll hear such an off-the-cuff ramble in this series.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.]]>593truefull