History's Greatest Idiots

History's Greatest Idiots

This hilarious history podcast explores the epic failures, disasters, and terrible decisions that have shaped our world, providing us with memorable lessons to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Hosts Lev and Derek uncover the funniest blunders, scandals, spectacular mistakes, and jaw-dropping screw-ups from the dawn of time to today. Perfect for history buffs who love a little comedy with their knowledge! New episodes bi-weekly featuring famous disasters, military blunders, political scandals, and legendary bad life choices. Educational entertainment at its finest!

  1. History vs The Gig Economy (Season 7 Episode 2)

    2 HRS AGO

    History vs The Gig Economy (Season 7 Episode 2)

    Uber, Amazon, Deliveroo. Strip away the apps and the branding and you're left with a system of exploitation as old as civilisation itself. From ancient civilisations exploiting their populations and medieval serfdom to zero-hours contracts and unpaid internships, this episode traces the full history of work designed to extract everything from you while giving back as little as possible. We cover the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, the Tolpuddle Martyrs, the matchgirls who walked out of a factory in 1888 and won, and the thinkers from Paul Lafargue to Tom Hodgkinson who argued the whole system was a con. Plus: the four-day work week, worker cooperatives, and why doing less has repeatedly been proven to produce more. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/HistorysGreatestIdiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/historysgreatestidiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/historysgreatestidiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artist: Sarah Chey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fiverr.com/sarahchey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    19 min
  2. Why The Last 10 Years Have Sucked (Season 7 Episode 1)

    3 MAY

    Why The Last 10 Years Have Sucked (Season 7 Episode 1)

    Brexit. Trump. A pandemic. A housing crisis. A culture war nobody asked for. The last ten years didn't break by accident. From the celebrity deaths of 2016 to Trump's Iran brinkmanship in 2026, this episode charts exactly how a decade of austerity, algorithmic outrage, gig economy exploitation, rising inequality, and the collapse of community life ground down an entire generation. We cover the 2008 financial crash, COVID-19, the cost of living crisis, political division, the culture war, LGBTQ+ persecution, climate inaction, the slow death of third spaces, and the mental health catastrophe nobody in power wanted to talk about. We also cover why, despite all of the above, there is still genuine reason for hope. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/HistorysGreatestIdiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/historysgreatestidiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/historysgreatestidiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artist: Sarah Chey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fiverr.com/sarahchey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    37 min
  3. The Cult Of Personality (Season 6 Episode 24)

    19 APR

    The Cult Of Personality (Season 6 Episode 24)

    Alexander The Great called himself a god, Henry VIII airbrushed his portrait, and Nixon lost a TV debate because he was sweaty. The Cult of Personality is older and more complex than you think. This episode traces the ancient, ridiculous, and terrifyingly effective history of leader worship. We start with Lysander of Sparta getting a festival named after him, swing through Alexander the Great's divine PR campaign, and watch Henry VIII weaponise oil paintings centuries before Instagram existed. Then it's the 1930s, where Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin industrialised the whole thing, while FDR, Churchill, and Gandhi proved democracies weren't immune. We hit the Kennedy vs Nixon debate (RIP Nixon's grey suit), Reagan's Hollywood playbook, Thatcher's 'Iron Lady' persona, and land squarely in the age of memes, algorithms, and wannabe dictators. ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/HistorysGreatestIdiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/historysgreatestidiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/historysgreatestidiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artist: Sarah Chey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fiverr.com/sarahchey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    19 min

About

This hilarious history podcast explores the epic failures, disasters, and terrible decisions that have shaped our world, providing us with memorable lessons to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Hosts Lev and Derek uncover the funniest blunders, scandals, spectacular mistakes, and jaw-dropping screw-ups from the dawn of time to today. Perfect for history buffs who love a little comedy with their knowledge! New episodes bi-weekly featuring famous disasters, military blunders, political scandals, and legendary bad life choices. Educational entertainment at its finest!

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