Afleveringen
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Hey 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 waiting for the proper big historical episodes of History Impossible. Itâs been a while since Iâve done an episode based purely on historiographical analysis, but the paper/essay I wrote a couple of years ago that covers the trajectory of Holocaust scholarship in the late 20th and early 21st centuries seemed thematically appropriate with what Iâve been doing lately.
I will spare you the TL;DR on this one since itâs not a very long episode, but I think itâs 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. Itâs a constantly-changing field, with historians still trying to puzzle out certain aspects of one of modern historyâs 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.
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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:
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Chomo the Clown
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Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
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Dramicas
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Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
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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
TomĂĄs 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. -
Hey everyone, itâs good to be back with all of you. Iâve just finished a lengthy writing session for grad schoolâmy final semester of classes!âas well as some family issues that needed my immediate attention during most of March. But Iâm back with a new special, historiography-focused episode of History Impossible. It was actually not one I was planning to do, but after my lengthy and productive conversation with the host of the Crackpot History podcast, and after the incredibly positive reception I received from that interview, I decided it was probably a good idea to get deep into the historiographic weeds with the recent tumult that continues regarding Darryl Cooperâs Martyr Made podcast and its own attempt at revising World War II and Third Reich history.
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 youâre 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 Darrylâs 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 âEnemy: The Germansâ Warâ 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 weâve been hearing about from Darryl Cooper and many of those in his historiographic wheelhouse have their origin.
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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. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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In this newest installment of History Impossible, weâre privileged to be joined by the host of the Crackpot History Podcast, which began life just over a year ago by doing a detailed, long-running critique of the Martyr Made Podcastâs inaugural series, âFear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem.â 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 Historyâs psuedonymous host.
The conversation does indeed focus on the shortcomings of âFear and Loathingâ in terms of its research and some of the questionable claims made in that series, but it widens to include Crackpot Historyâs next project, which is a critique of Scott Hortonâs 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. -
In 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 incredible Breaking History podcast and writer of many incredible articles over the past few decades. Eliâs 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 âRed-Green allianceâ via the Iranian Revolution, which stood in harmony with the same alliance that formed vis-Ă -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 âGreen-Brown allianceâ 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!
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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. -
As 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 SSâs attempted merging of Islamic aesthetics and religious practices with National Socialist values with the creation of the Handschar division in Bosnia. While that division did not last long and was plagued by problems from its very inception, the idea that such an ideological and theological merge could be accomplished did not end with the division. In fact, it was only the beginning.
In this adaptation of a recent History Impossible essay, we contrast the well-known âRed-Green Allianceâ that has been discussed here and elsewhere with the lesser-known, but no less significant and fascinating âGreen-Brown Alliance,â 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.
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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. -
After nearly five years, we have finally arrived at the point where we began this series about the so-called âMuslim Nazis.â We still have a little ways to go before we can call this story complete, but the image that inspired this half-decade deep dive into one of the darkest and strangest corners of the Second World War can finally be fully developed.
It took a journey across two continents and multiple countries, and context that spans two of the mostâif not the mostâcontroversial 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 Reichâs 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 storyâthe Grand Muftiâs or the Heinrich Himmlerâsâbut 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 Impossibleâs âMuslim Nazisâ series.
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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. -
History is often forged upon the frontiersâboth 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 tension, but it has also created opportunities for narratives and voices that would never have otherwise been heard. One of those voices is that of the incredible Jack Henneman of 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 Philipâs War. This warâs significance to colonial American development cannot be overstated and helped characterize Americaâs 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.
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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. -
Itâs unlikely that Iâve 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 horror of the event itself, and really the confusing knot that it has created throughout the nearly 340 years that have passed since its conclusion. Why did such a thing happen? What bewitched the people of Salem? Was it mass hysteria? Was it social contagion? Was it ergot poisoning? Was it real witchcraft? These questions, remarkably, are still asked to this very day.
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 crisisâmy favorite podcast to do so, in factâa 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 Sebastianâs Canadian statusâdonât worry, I donât hold it against himâwe 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
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It 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 the witchcraft hysteria are not discussed here, since those would require an entire episode of their own. In this case, we will be looking at how the witch trials harmed, perhaps irreparably, the integrity and authority of Salemâs, and perhaps even New Englandâs, religious and legal institutions for years to come.
This story is part of a much larger one Iâve discussed in other work published on History Impossibleânamely the scholarly research Iâve been conducting for graduate schoolâand one day I hope to bring it all together for all of you fine people. But in the meantime, I think itâs 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 failuresâperceived or realâof our own institutions to this very day.
...
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Maddy
Mounty of Madness
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Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
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AnaR737
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timetosuccedd1995
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F. You
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In 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 previous episode of History Impossible, in which I discussed this concept with my friends Daniele Bolelli and Kristaps Andrejsons as we tried to clarify the real horror of what political violence entails. In the time since that episode aired, more acts of political violence have unfolded, including the assault on an ICE facility in Texas and the attack on the Mormon church in Michigan. Whether these represent part of the broader trend that those of us like myself, Daniele, and Kristaps have been worried about, or are simply being spotlighted by the media because of how political violence has now become a topic du jour remains to be seen.
But also in the time since that conversation, I thought it would be appropriateâprobably now more than everâto 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 naĂŻve 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, letâs take a closer look at whether this is something we properly understand or something over which we have a long history of needlessly panicking.
...
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Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
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Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
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In 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 that a deeper conversation on the nature and, more importantly, the reality of political violence was necessary. This became even clearer as the flippancy with which people were treating violenceâboth the violence that had befallen Kirk and the violence that was being encouraged by the most enraged elements of the American right, including the stateâincreased in the week that followed.
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 (âexistential rhetoricâ 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 Kristapsâ Car for Ukraine fundraiser, which provides much-needed trucks for Ukrainian troops on the front lines.
âŠ
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:
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Eastone
Gavin Edwards
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Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
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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
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Pierre Vorupuni
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F. You
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Hey all, itâs 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 Fire and Drunken Taoist podcasts (not to mention teacher, author of many great books, and martial artist), to first catch up on how things have been going on his end, and then discuss an old story close to our heartsâthe Taiping Rebellion, and its leader, Jesus Christâs alleged younger Chinese brother Hong Xiuquan. From there, we springboard into a broader discussion that encompassed my current research interests in grad school, particularly the global impact and nature of Protestantism.
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 laterâsometimes good, sometimes bad.
It was a much looser affair than most interviews done on this show, but thatâs what happens when you let two history podcasters cut loose in front of a mic. Please enjoy!
âŠ
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:
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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
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After a slight delay, History Impossible is back with the newest installment of audio adaptations of previous writing and historical scholarship that Iâve done in the past several years or so. In this case, we are looking at a massively overhauled and updated audio version of 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 Iâve 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 someâfrom 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 Floydâs 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.
âŠ
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:
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Eastone
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Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
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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
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Hello 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 development of the new (neo?) antisemitism we are currently seeing develop in the West, I realized there was likely no one better suited in my orbit than the great UK-based polemicist and writer Brendan OâNeill.
Brendan has been featured, well, all overâthe 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 OâNeill Show. Iâve 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 Brendanâs work, as soon as you think youâre 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 bookâthe rage behind it, which I often sharedâthat made me want to speak to Brendan about it, but alsoâselfishly, I admitâmy 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 Hamasâ 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 anticipatedâthe 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:
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B.Cyr
daddygorgon
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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
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In 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, 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-Ă -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 Ukraineâs 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 Impossibleâs 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.
âŠ
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:
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B.Cyr
daddygorgon
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Dramicas
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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. -
Hello 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 worldâs authoritarian moment of the 1930s. This is adapted from an academic paper I wrote in graduate school that I previously put out for all of you to read, similar to my earlier piece, âA Revulsion of Feeling,â which focused on the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939.
We donât 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 empireâs 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-Ă -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:
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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
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Please note: This episode was made before I learned about 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 âharderâ form of imperialism than what the United States has employed in recent history (apart, of course, from our âstate buildingâ 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 powerâwhether wielded by United States Cold Warriors in the CIA in the 1950s or French aristocrats and business owners in the 1850sâhas 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.
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The 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 less of a debate, thanks largely to the man himself actually citing his influences.
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 wonât 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 âThe Muslim Nazisâ series.
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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:
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Dramicas
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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
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I was recently invited to join in a panel discussion with three podcasting greats and people I consider friendsâthat is, The Eastern Borderâs Kristaps Andrejsons, the Secret Police podcastâs Jack Johannson, and When Diplomacy Fails podcastâs 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 âworst case scenariosâ 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.
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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:
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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
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Slavery is often known as the United Statesâ original sin, and for good reason. Much of our perceptions of it are informed both by the Civil Warâs cause and outcome, and the contradictionsâand even moral hypocrisyâthat it created with our Founding Fathersâ professed beliefs. Contradiction is the theme not just of the United Statesâ values and history, but it also a major theme of this episode of the podcast.
In this newest installment of History Impossible, weâre looking at the extraordinary life of James Armistead Lafayette, the slave who would become the Coloniesâ most vital spy during the Revolutionary War. I had never heard of this man before, but after reading fellow Keinrath Publishing writer Isaac Willourâs stirring and powerful portrait of the manâwhich everyone should check out hereâI 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 Lafayetteâs 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.
Isaacâs 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.
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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:
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Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
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Neil Dickens
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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. - Laat meer zien
