History's Devils

James Crossland
  • 5.0 (6)
  • History

What makes someone evil? HISTORY'S DEVILS is a weekly deep-dive podcast that investigates the world's most infamous historical figures. Each episode explores the life, actions, and legacy of a terrible person from history, sorting through myths to examine the facts behind their reputation and to judge just how wicked they truly were. Hosted by Professor James Crossland, HISTORY'S DEVILS covers dictators, tyrants, war criminals, cult leaders, revolutionaries, con-artists, conspiracy theorists and just plain terrible people, combining deep research with compelling storytelling to reveal the darker side of human history. A show for fans of dark history, historical biographies and in-depth explorations of  people who changed the world for better - or for worse. All the devils are here. And we are ready to tell their stories.

  1. 3 days ago

    Jim Bakker Part 2: From Selling Apocalypse to Grifting COVID

    In episode two, James and Jayne discuss how Jim Bakker's evangelical empire reaches its peak in the 1980s with the PTL network and Heritage USA, but reckless spending, fraudulent fundraising and the sexual assault of Jessica Hahn expose the corruption behind the prosperity-gospel machine. Meanwhile, Tammy Faye Bakker falls into drug addiction! The 45-year prison sentence and eventual release (after 5 years) that follows doesn't slow Bakker down, however. No longer with Tammy, he launches a comeback with Lori Graham and the Morningside Church, through which he pivots into the world of far-right conspiracy theory, doomsday prepping, the sale of grotesque survival food buckets and the hawking of silver solution to cure COVID-19.  It's a glorious downfall that shows both the horrors of TV evangelism and the damage that a life of greed can do. That's Jim Bakker, folks! What's covered in this episode Heritage USA's financial model: Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's religious theme park becomes enormously profitable through annual memberships, despite having only around 500 hotel rooms while selling 60,000 subscriptions in 1982.The prosperity-gospel grift: Bakker applies the idea that God rewards believers with wealth to Heritage USA, spending money he does not have, writing checks before funds are available and relying on new donations to cover previous commitments.PTL donations and financial fraud: Money pledged by viewers for supposedly charitable projects, including wells in Africa, is allegedly diverted into Heritage USA's expansion, including attractions, water slides, shops and other projects.The Charlotte Observer investigation: Reporters at the Charlotte Observer begin scrutinizing Heritage USA's finances and question how its rapid expansion, lavish spending and the Bakkers' lifestyle can be reconciled with the organization's finances.Jessica Hahn and the sexual-assault scandal: In December 1980, 21-year-old Jessica Hahn is taken to meet Jim Bakker by preacher John Wesley Fletcher and alleges that both men sexually assaulted her after she was given a drink that made her feel dizzy and ill.The $265,000 hush payment: Hahn receives substantial payments funded through PTL money, preventing the assault from becoming a criminal case at the time while adding another layer to the scandal surrounding Bakker.Jerry Falwell takes over PTL: In May 1987, Bakker hands control of the PTL network to Jerry Falwell, expecting to reclaim it after the scandal subsides, but Falwell instead keeps control and denounces Bakker as a major disgrace to Christianity.The collapse of Heritage USA and Bakker's conviction: Heritage USA closes in 1989, while Bakker is convicted of fraud and initially sentenced to 45 years in prison before his sentence is reduced and he ultimately serves five years.Tammy Faye's addiction and divorce: Tammy Faye struggles with prescription-drug addiction during the collapse of PTL, later files for divorce in 1992 and eventually reinvents herself as a television personality and prominent gay-rights advocate.Bakker's post-prison reinvention: After his 1994 release, Bakker publishes I Was Wrong, rejects the prosperity gospel publicly and attempts to rebuild his evangelical following with a message of humility and repentance.Laurie Graham, Morningside Church and the new Jim Bakker Show: Bakker marries Lori Graham in 1998 and establishes a new evangelical compound in Missouri, with the Jim Bakker Show launching through Christian Television Network in 2003.Apocalypse preaching, conspiracy theories and COVID: Bakker increasingly focuses on Revelation, Armageddon, survivalism and far-right conspiracy culture, later selling expensive food buckets and silver solution during COVID-19 while warning viewers about catastrophic end-times events.Mentioned in this episode Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye Bakker, Jayne Friend, Jessica Hahn, John Wesley Fletcher, Jerry Falwell, Ronald Reagan, Alan Dershowitz, Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, O.J. Simpson, Julian Assange, Stephen Peters, Lori Graham, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Pat Robertson, Alex Jones, Jesus, God, Heritage USA, PTL network, PTL Club, Charlotte Observer, Moral Majority, prosperity gospel, TV evangelism, evangelicalism, Christian television, religious theme parks, annual memberships, timeshares, financial fraud, check fraud, embezzlement, charitable donations, sexual assault, rape allegations, hush money, victim blaming, prescription-drug addiction, Ativan, Betty Ford Center, AIDS crisis, gay rights, Christian counseling, divorce, secular television, Morningside Church, Morningside ministry, I Was Wrong, The Time Has Come: How to Prepare for Epic Events Ahead, Book of Revelation, Armageddon, apocalypse, end times, millennialism, doomsday prepping, prepper culture, far-right conspiracy culture, alt-right, Trumpism, gun rights, AR-15, 9/11, COVID-19 pandemic, COVID misinformation, silver solution, survival food, Baker Buckets, freeze-dried food, Heritage USA closure, PTL scandal, prosperity-gospel fundraising, Moral Majority, 1980s evangelical politics, 2016 US presidential election, Jim Bakker fraud trial, Jim Bakker's 45-year sentence, Jim Bakker's imprisonment, Jim Bakker's 1994 release, Tammy Faye's 1992 divorce, Jim Bakker's 2026 television ministry Chapters 00:00 — Jim Bakker's Empire Starts to Collapse The fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker begins as Heritage USA and the PTL network become financially unsustainable. 04:00 — 60,000 Memberships and 500 Hotel Rooms How Heritage USA's membership scheme dramatically oversells accommodation while Bakker keeps expanding the theme park. 08:00 — The Charlotte Observer Investigates PTL The newspaper investigation that begins exposing the financial irregularities behind Bakker's evangelical empire. 12:00 — Jessica Hahn and the PTL Sexual-Assault Scandal The allegations involving Jessica Hahn, Jim Bakker and John Wesley Fletcher, and the controversial payments made to keep the story quiet. 16:00 — Tammy Faye, Lavish Spending and the Prosperity Gospel Private jets, houseboats, mink coats, designer goods and even air conditioning for the dogs as the Bakkers' lifestyle comes under scrutiny. 20:00 — Jerry Falwell Takes Over the PTL Network Why Bakker handed PTL to Jerry Falwell and how Falwell ultimately took control instead of returning it. 24:00 — Jim Bakker's Fraud Conviction and Prison Sentence Bakker's fraud trial, 45-year sentence, appeal involving Alan Dershowitz and eventual five-year prison term. 28:00 — Tammy Faye's Addiction, Divorce and Reinvention Tammy Faye's prescription-drug addiction, treatment, 1992 divorce and emergence as a television personality and gay-rights advocate. 35:00 — Jim Bakker's Comeback After Prison How Bakker attempted to rebuild his ministry with I Was Wrong, a rejection of the prosperity gospel and a new evangelical persona. 44:00 — Laurie Graham and the New Jim Bakker Show Bakker's second marriage, Morningside Church in Missouri and the 2003 return of his television ministry. 50:00 — From Evangelical Preaching to Doomsday Prepper Grifting Bakker's focus on Armageddon, Revelation, Obama, Trump, conspiracy culture and the rise of his survivalist message. 58:00 — Baker Buckets History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

  2. 3 days ago

    Jim Bakker Part 1: The Rise of America's Most Shameless TV Evangelist

    In part one of this week’s episode, James Crossland and Jayne Friend examine the foremost religious grifter of his age – Jim Bakker, and his marriage to the charismatic Tammy Faye Messner, who together created a TV partnership that would make them enormously wealthy, famous and corrupt.  The episode follows Jim and Tammy’s journey from traveling evangelicals to stars of Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, to success with their legendary Praise the Lord Club show, where emotional storytelling, reality-TV presentation and prosperity gospel theology turned religious broadcasting into a major commercial enterprise. Not content with this, in the early 1980s Jim built Heritage USA, a vast Christian-themed amusement park in Fort Mill, South Carolina. This investment that would pave the way for the fall of the Bakker’s evangelical empire and Jim’s descent into the realms of doomsday prepping and Covid-19 cure grifting.   It’s a dark ride through the horrors of the evangelical movement – strap in!   Covered in this episode Jim Bakker’s childhood and Pentecostal upbringing in Muskegon, Michigan, Bakker grew up in a strict Pentecostal household and later described his parents as emotionally distant, before experiencing sexual abuse as a teenager.The meeting with Tammy Faye: After briefly attending North Central Bible College in Minnesota, Bakker met Tamara Faye LaValley, later known as Tammy Faye BakkerTraveling evangelicals in the American Midwest: After marrying after their third date and leaving Bible college, Jim and Tammy began traveling through rural communities and revival tents across the Midwest, with Jim preaching and Tammy singing and performing.The rise of evangelical television: The transition from traditional itinerant preaching to mass-market Christian broadcasting.Pat Robertson and the Christian Broadcasting Network: Former US Marine Pat Robertson founded the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960 and recruited Jim and Tammy.The puppet show and the 700 Club: Tammy Faye’s homemade puppet characters and the couple’s energetic, improvised style helped make them stars on CBN before they became hosts of The 700 Club, transforming a ramshackle religious telethon into one of the network’s most successful programs.Money, fame and the break with CBN: As Jim and Tammy’s popularity and fundraising success grew, so did their appetite for money and attention, eventually contributing to their departure from Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network in 1972.The PTL Club and Christian celebrity culture: The Bakers launched the PTL Club, combining talk-show segments, music, topical discussions, emotional stories, celebrity-style guests, and controversial subjects such as sex, relationships, teenagers and even inflatable penile implants.Prosperity gospel and religious fundraising: Drawing heavily on ideas associated with evangelical preacher Oral Roberts, the Bakers promoted the prosperity gospel—the belief that material wealth can represent God’s blessing.Parasocial relationships and the PTL audience: Jim and Tammy presented themselves as an intimate, wholesome family and cultivated unusually strong emotional relationships with viewers, creating an early form of the parasocial connection now associated with YouTube creators and influencers The PTL empire and Heritage USA: The PTL Network had millions of viewers and was generating enormous donations, allowing Bakker to build Heritage USA in Fort Mill, South Carolina, a three-square-mile Christian-themed resort and amusement park.The contradictions of Jim Bakker’s Christian empire: Heritage USA combined religious programming and facilities with conventional theme-park entertainment, while Jim and Tammy openly displayed their wealth through luxury homes, mink coats, expensive possessions and other extravagant symbols of prosperity.  Mentioned in this episode Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye Bakker, James Crossland, Jayne, Tamara Faye LaValley, Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, Jim Bakker’s childhood, Muskegon, Michigan, Pentecostalism, Pentecostal Christianity, Christian television, televangelism, traveling evangelicals, revival tents, the Protestant Reformation, the Great Awakening, postwar America, the Korean War, the Christian Broadcasting Network, CBN, the 700 Club, the PTL Club, PTL Network, Praise the Lord, Past the Loot, prosperity gospel, religious grifting, religious fundraising, parasocial relationships, Christian media, Christian pop rock, We Are Blessed, Excuses, evangelical Christianity, TV evangelism, doomsday prepping, Baker Buckets, COVID-19, the COVID-19 pandemic, American right-wing television, conspiracy culture, the apocalypse, Armageddon, the Rapture, the Four Horsemen, 9/11, the Haiti earthquake, The New World Order, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, Heritage USA, Fort Mill, South Carolina, Christian-themed amusement parks, Jerusalem Amphitheatre, Christ’s Passion, Pontius Pilate, Roman crucifixion, Wendy’s, Heritage USA Bible school, Christian counselling, Christian family television, evangelical loyalty, Christian broadcasting, material wealth, God’s blessing, wealth and religion, faith healing, speaking in tongues, snakes and Pentecostalism, Christian entertainment, religious celebrity, Christian megachurches, religious communities, loneliness, vulnerability and religious exploitation. Chapters 00:00 — Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye and the bizarre world of TV evangelism  01:11 — Who was Jim Bakker? History’s Devils investigates the TV evangelist 02:07 — Jim Bakker, COVID-19 and the Baker Buckets apocalypse business 05:50 — Jim Bakker’s childhood, Pentecostalism and early trauma 09:32 — From amateur theater to evangelical showman 10:15 — Tammy Faye LaValley and the meeting that changed Bakker’s life 14:49 — Traveling evangelicals, revival tents and the business of preaching 17:24 — From the Great Awakening to the rise of Christian television 18:05 — Pat Robertson, CBN and the Christian Broadcasting Network 20:11 — Tammy Faye’s puppet show and the rise of the 700 Club 25:33 — The PTL Club, prosperity gospel and religious fundraising 32:05 — Parasocial relationships, wealth and the making of a Christian empire 37:54 — How Jim Bakker turned donations into a prosperity gospel business 45:22 — Heritage USA: Jim Bakker’s Christian theme park empire 51:41 — The prosperity gospel spending cycle and the coming collapse History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

  3. 29 Sept

    Heroes of the Old West? The Dark Side of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday

    Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are remembered as legendary lawmen and gunfighters of the American Old West, but their real lives were far more complicated than the heroic images created by films such as Tombstone? In this week's episode of History’s Devils, James sits down with Mark Lee Gardner - historian of the Old West, musician and author of Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and a Reckoning in Tombstone - to chat about the criminal pasts of Earp and Holliday and their unbreakable friendship, which underpinned one of the most infamous 30 seconds of violence in American history - the legendary gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881. James and Mark also discuss the Earp Vendetta Ride, Doc's violence drinking and the creation of the pair's enduring legacy as frontier lawmen, depsite their many vices. Covered in this Episode Wyatt Earp’s early life in Illinois, Iowa, California, and Lamar, Missouri, including his father Nicholas Earp’s influence and Wyatt’s first appointment as a constable in 1869.Earp’s sudden fall from lawman to fugitive after accusations of stealing collected taxes, his flight into Indian Territory, and his subsequent arrest in Peoria, Illinois, for being found at a “house of ill fame.”Wyatt Earp’s involvement with brothels and his relationship with Sarah Earp before returning to law enforcement in Wichita and Dodge City, Kansas.Why boom towns such as Wichita and Dodge City needed tough lawmen to control violent, drunken, gambling Texas cattlemen despite those lawmen sometimes having criminal or disreputable pasts.Wyatt Earp’s reputation as an effective policeman, his expulsion from the Wichita force after assaulting a man who insulted his brothers, and his subsequent employment in Dodge City.The life of John Henry “Doc” Holliday, including his privileged upbringing in Georgia, dental education in Pennsylvania, career as a dentist, tuberculosis diagnosis, gambling, drinking, violence, and arrests.How Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday first crossed paths while Earp was searching for cattle rustler and outlaw Dave Rudabaugh in Fort Griffin, Texas.The story of Doc Holliday defending Wyatt Earp from armed men in Dodge City and how the incident became central to the lifelong friendship between Holliday and the Earp brothers.The Earps’ move to Tombstone, Arizona, where Wyatt pursued stagecoach, gambling, mining, and other business opportunities while Virgil Earp served as a lawman.The Arizona “Cowboys,” including the Clantons and McLaurys, and their role in cattle theft, cross-border rustling, and the criminal economy surrounding Tombstone.The 1880 killing of Tombstone Marshal Fred White by Curly Bill Brocius and Virgil Earp’s subsequent role in enforcing Tombstone’s prohibition on carrying firearms within town limits.The escalating conflict between the Earp family, Doc Holliday, Ike Clanton, and the Cowboys that culminated in the October 26, 1881 gunfight near the O.K. Corral.The reality of the O.K. Corral gunfight, including its extremely short duration, close quarters, inaccurate shooting, three dead Cowboys, and injuries to members of the Earp party.Why the O.K. Corral gunfight became a legendary event long after it happened, as Wyatt Earp’s public reputation grew through newspapers, Bat Masterson, Western entertainers, and later popular culture.The 1881 attack that left Virgil Earp severely wounded, Morgan Earp’s 1882 assassination, and Wyatt Earp’s decision to pursue his brothers’ alleged killers outside the normal court system.The Earp Vendetta Ride of 1882, including the killings of Frank Stilwell and Curly Bill Brocius and the warrants issued against Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.Wyatt Earp’s later life as a gambler, businessman, mining-boom chaser, stable owner, and Western celebrity, alongside Doc Holliday’s continued criminal troubles and declining health.Doc Holliday’s 1884 confrontation with bartender Billy Allen, his claim of self-defense, and his death from tuberculosis in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, in 1887 at age 36.How Wyatt Earp and his final common-law wife Josephine Earp helped shape a sanitized version of his past, including the transformation of his image into that of a heroic “frontier marshal.”Mark Lee Gardner’s Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the Unforgettable Vendetta Ride, his research into Earp’s lesser-known history, and where listeners can find his work.Mentioned in this Episode Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, James Crossland, Mark Lee Gardner, Nicholas Earp, Uretta Earp, Sarah Earp, Matty Earp, Josephine Earp, Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, Dave Rudabaugh, John Henry Holliday, Bat Masterson, Curly Bill Brocius, Fred White, Ike Clanton, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, Frank Stilwell, John Behan, Billy Allen, Stuart Lake, George Earp, Tom Mix, William S. Hart, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, the Earp brothers, the Earp family, the Cowboys, the Clanton family, the McLaury family, Lamar, Missouri, Peoria, Illinois, Indian Territory, Oklahoma, Wichita, Kansas, Dodge City, Kansas, Fort Griffin, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Tombstone, Arizona, Cochise County, Pima County, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Glenwood Springs, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Mexico, the O.K. Corral gunfight, the Earp Vendetta Ride, the Dodge City War, the American West, the Old West, frontier law enforcement, gun laws, cattle rustling, cattle theft, stagecoach robbery, prostitution, brothels, gambling, saloons, alcohol, tuberculosis, dentistry, common-law marriage, lawmen, sheriffs, deputy U.S. marshals, posse justice, vigilantism, frontier justice, self-defense, murder, assault, horse theft, tax theft, criminality, law enforcement, gunfighting, gunfighters, boom towns, Texas cowboys, Arizona Cowboys, cattle drives, mining towns, Western mythology, historical memory, celebrity, reputation, mythmaking, historical research, newspaper reporting, the Earp legend, the Wyatt Earp myth, the Doc Holliday legend, the Tombstone myth, the O.K. Corral legend, the American frontier, law versus criminality, the relationship between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, whether Wyatt Earp was a hero or criminal, why the O.K. Corral became famous, whether Doc Holliday was a dentist, whether Wyatt Earp was a good lawman, whether the Earp Vendetta Ride was legal, why Old West gunfights were so inaccurate, the origins of Wyatt Earp’s legendChapters 00:00 — Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday: The Dark Side of Old West Legends 01:05 — Why History’s Devils Is Talking About Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday 02:19 — Tombstone vs. the Real Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday 04:21 — Wyatt Earp’s First Lawman Job and Fall Into Crime 07:07 — From Tax Theft and Brothels to Wichita and Dodge City 10:51 — Why Criminals Became Lawmen in Old West Boom Towns 15:00 — Doc Holliday: Dentist, Gambler, Gunfighter, and TB Patient 20:09 — How Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday Became Lifelong Friends 23:50 — Tombstone, Arizona and the Rise of the Cowboy Gangs 28:35 — The Road to the O.K. Corral Gunfight 33:00 — What Really Happened at the O.K. Corral? 38:25 — The Earp Vendetta Ride and the Making of Wyatt Earp’s Legend #oldwest #wildwest #americanhistory History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

  4. 22 Sept

    Gavrilo Princip Part 2: The Most Consequential Assassination in History?

    In episode two of our examination of Gavrilo Princip, Tim Wilson is back to help James piece together the events leading up to the fateful summer afternoon in Sarajevo in 1914, when Princip and his conspirators attacked Franz Ferdinand, triggered the July Crisis that would lead to the First World War.  In this episode, we explain how Princip was inspired to kill the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and the involvement of the Serbian secret society, the Black Hand, in the plot. We then break down Princip and the assassination squad’s journey to Sarajevo, the stages of the attack and final, wretched years of the young Bosnian-Serb who changed the world.   Covered in this Episode Princip’s radicalization and the Serbian nationalist cause: Tim Wilson discusses Princip’s apparent U-turn and subsequent U-turn on radicalization, his frustration at missing Serbia’s victorious Balkan Wars, and the significance of Kosovo in Serbian nationalism. Franz Ferdinand’s political vision: The episode examines Franz Ferdinand’s proposed restructuring of Austria-Hungary into a more accommodating Slavic arrangement and why this moderate reform could threaten Serbian hardliners. Why Franz Ferdinand went to Sarajevo: His June 1914 visit was publicly announced months in advance as a military inspection and political display, despite the obvious nationalist symbolism of June 28, the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo. The Black Hand: The Serbian nationalist secret society known as Unity or Death, led by Dragutin “Apis” Dimitrijević, is explored as a shadowy organization connected to Serbian intelligence and Greater Serbian nationalism. Black Hand rituals and ideology: The episode describes the organization’s theatrical initiation ceremonies, blood-red velvet, daggers, skulls, passwords, oaths, and its resemblance to older 19th-century secret societies such as the Carbonari and Irish Republican Brotherhood. Who was behind the assassination plot?: James and Tim examine the murky relationship between Princip’s Young Bosnia circle and the Black Hand, including the role of Milan Ciganović and the continuing historical debate over who was using whom. The teenage assassination team: Six young conspirators were recruited in two cells based in Belgrade and Sarajevo, with the assassins ranging roughly from 17 to 23 years old and receiving limited firearms and explosives training. The weapons and preparation: The conspirators received Browning 1910 semi-automatic pistols, percussion-detonated grenades with unreliable fuses, and cyanide capsules intended to enable suicide after the assassination. Sloppy operational security: Princip openly told a farmer that the group was going to Sarajevo to kill Franz Ferdinand, illustrating the immaturity and amateurism surrounding the conspiracy. The failed bomb attack: On June 28, 1914, Muhamed Mehmedbašić and Vaso Čubrilović failed to attack, while Nedeljko Čabrinović threw a grenade that bounced off Franz Ferdinand’s car and injured people in the motorcade. Čabrinović’s failed suicide and capture: After swallowing cyanide and jumping into the shallow Miljacka River, Čabrinović survived, was beaten by members of the crowd, and was arrested. Princip’s second chance: Princip remained near the Appel Quay after the failed attack, and an extraordinary route change and driver error brought Franz Ferdinand’s car almost directly in front of him near the Latin Bridge. The fatal shots: Princip fired two shots, fatally wounding Franz Ferdinand in the neck and Sophie in the abdomen before being seized by police and the crowd. The aftermath in Sarajevo and Bosnia: Anti-Serb riots followed the assassination, with Serbian businesses attacked, at least two people killed and more than twenty injured. Princip’s trial, imprisonment and death: Princip was too young for execution, was imprisoned at Terezín Fortress under harsh conditions, developed severe tuberculosis and died on April 28, 1918. Did Princip cause the First World War?: The episode distinguishes between Princip as the trigger for the July Crisis and the much larger network of Austro-Hungarian, Serbian, Russian, German, French and British decisions that turned the assassination into a continental war. Princip’s historical legacy: The discussion considers his status as a Yugoslav and Greater Serbian nationalist, his later martyrdom, the creation of Yugoslavia after the First World War, and the enormous gap between what Princip wanted and what his actions actually produced.   Mentioned in this Episode Gavrilo Princip, Franz Ferdinand, Sophie of Hohenberg, Tim Wilson, James, Dragutin “Apis” Dimitrijević, Milan Ciganović, Nedeljko Čabrinović, Muhamed Mehmedbašić, Vaso Čubrilović, Simon Ball, Michael Burleigh, Neil Ferguson, Léon Czolgosz, François Ravaillac, Henry IV of France, Alexander II of Russia, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, President Carnot, George W. Bush, Leon Trotsky, Disraeli, Felice Orsini, Battle of Kosovo, First Balkan War, Second Balkan War, First World War, July Crisis, 1389 Battle of Kosovo, 1866 Austro-Hungarian Compromise, assassination of Henry IV, assassination of Alexander II, assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassination of John F. Kennedy, assassination of President Carnot, 9/11, Cuban Missile Crisis, French Revolution, 1789, Carbonari, Fenians, Irish Republican Brotherhood, Black Hand, Unity or Death, Young Bosnia, Pan-Slavism, Serbian nationalism, Greater Serbia, Yugoslavism, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Habsburg Empire, Kingdom of Serbia, Bosnia, Sarajevo, Kosovo, Kiev, Yugoslavia, Kingdom of Serbs Croats and Slovenes, Appel Quay, Latin Bridge, Sarajevo Town Hall, Terezín Fortress, Miljacka River, Belgrade, Ottoman Empire, Serbian intelligence, radicalization, political violence, terrorism, assassination, spoiler violence, martyrdom, noblesse oblige, monarchy, aristocratic leadership, operational security, security failures, radicalization vacillation, Pan-Slavic nationalism, July Crisis, origins of the First World War, assassination as political violence, historical causation, counterfactual history.   Chapters 00:00 — Gavrilo Princip’s Radicalization and the Road to Sarajevo 02:30 — Kosovo, Serbian Nationalism and the Balkan Wars 05:00 — Franz Ferdinand’s Slavic Reform Vision 07:30 — Why Was Franz Ferdinand Going to Sarajevo? 10:00 — The Black Hand and Dragutin “Apis” Dimitrijević 13:00 — Secret Society Rituals and Greater Serbia 16:00 — Who Really Planned the Assassination? 19:00 — The Young Assassins and Their Weapons 22:00 — The Failed Bomb Attack on Franz Ferdinand 25:00 — Princip’s Second Chance at the Latin Bridge 28:00 — Franz Ferdinand’s Death and the Sarajevo Aftermath 31:00 — Did Gavrilo Princip Cause World War I? #wwi #firstworldwar #militaryhistory History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

  5. 22 Sept

    Gavrilo Princip Part 1: The Making of the Most Important Assassin in History

    Can a single bullet change history? This episode examines Gavrilo Princip’s path from Pan-Slavic radical to the assassin who on June 28, 1914, murdered Archduke Franz Ferdinand, providing the catalyst for the First World War.  Joined by terrorism expert Tim Wilson (author of Killing Strangers: How Political Violence Became Modern), James explores the process of Princip’s radicalization in the politically volatile cauldron of the early 1900s Balkans and his place in the history of 19th century terrorism that came before him. From Princip's peasant upbringing to his membership of the secret radical group, Young Bosnia, this is the origin story of the sickly young man whose act of political violence would change the world.   Covered in this Episode Gavrilo Princip’s assassination of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 and the question of whether he was history’s most consequential assassin. The July Crisis, including Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum to Serbia, Russian support for Serbia, German backing for Austria-Hungary, and Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. How the First World War grew from Princip’s assassination into a global conflict that killed around 23 million people and destroyed four great empires. Earlier examples of political violence and assassination, including the Defenestration of Prague, Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Charlotte Corday’s killing of Jean-Paul Marat, and attempts on Napoleon, Hitler and Ronald Reagan. The long tradition of political terrorism before Princip, including Felice Orsini, Russian nihilists, anarchists, Fenians, and the assassinations of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, King Umberto I of Italy and William McKinley. Princip’s childhood in Obljaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where his peasant family lived as tenant farmers and six of his siblings died from disease and malnutrition. The Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian history of Bosnia, including the Treaty of Berlin in 1878 and Austria-Hungary’s formal annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908. Princip’s education in Sarajevo, his intellectual interests, physical frailty and growing sense that Serbs in Bosnia had little political future under Austro-Hungarian rule. The 1910 assassination attempt by Bogdan Žerajić and his suicide, which turned him into a martyr and became an inspiration for Princip and other young Bosnian nationalists. Narodna Odbrana, or the People’s Defence, and Young Bosnia, including their competing visions of Serbian nationalism, pan-Slavism and an independent South Slavic state. Danilo Ilić and Nedeljko Čabrinović, whose political backgrounds in Young Bosnia, socialism and anarchism helped create the environment surrounding the 1914 assassination plot. Princip’s radicalization after his expulsion from school in 1912, his journey to Belgrade, failed attempt to join the Serbian army and growing commitment to political violence. Mentioned in this Episode Gavrilo Princip, Franz Ferdinand, Sophie, Archduke of Austria-Hungary, James Crossland, Tim Wilson, Chris Clark, Spencer Jones, Basil Zaharoff, Abraham Lincoln, Charlotte Corday, Jean-Paul Marat, Friedrich Staps, Napoleon Bonaparte, Georg Elser, Adolf Hitler, John Hinckley Jr., Ronald Reagan, Jodie Foster, Felice Orsini, Napoleon III, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, King Umberto I of Italy, William McKinley, Bogdan Žerajić, Franz Joseph I, Danilo Ilić, Nedeljko Čabrinović, Giuseppe Mazzini, Ludwig Carl Sand, August von Kotzebue, Clifford Geertz, Peter Princip, Treaty of Berlin, First World War, Great War, Thirty Years’ War, First Gulf War, American Civil War, French Revolution, July Crisis, Defenestration of Prague, 1848 Revolutions, Balkan Wars, Serbian uprising of 1875, Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, assassination of Franz Ferdinand, assassination of Sophie, assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, assassination attempt on Napoleon, assassination attempt on Hitler, assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, assassination of Empress Elisabeth, assassination of King Umberto I, assassination of William McKinley, 1893 Barcelona Theatre bombing, Young Bosnia, Narodna Odbrana, Serbian nationalism, pan-Slavism, Yugoslavism, anarchism, socialism, Russian nihilism, political violence, terrorism, political assassination, radicalization, tyrannicide, nationalism, imperialism, Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kingdom of Serbia, Russia, Germany, Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Obljaj, Mostar, Kosovo, Prague, Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace, Lake Geneva, Ford’s Theatre, Washington, Constantinople/Istanbul, Young Italy, Young Ireland, mass media, telegraph, rotary press, first age of globalization, communications revolution, counterfactual history, small input-large output phenomenon, ideological polarization, martyrdom, political violence and radicalization. Chapters 00:00 — Can One Bullet Change History? 01:02 — Gavrilo Princip: History’s Most Important Assassin? 02:55 — How the Assassination Triggered the First World War 05:00 — From Sarajevo to the July Crisis 06:53 — Lincoln, Marat and Other Assassinations that Could Have Changed History 09:53 — The Long History of Political Terrorism Before Princip 11:30 — Princip’s Childhood, Poverty and Bosnian Serb Identity 14:00 — From Ottoman Rule to Austro-Hungarian Bosnia 16:20 — Princip’s Education and the Making of a Radical 20:00 — Bogdan Žerajić and the Rise of Assassination Politics 23:40 — Young Bosnia, Narodna Odbrana and Pan-Slavism 31:59 — Terrorism, Radicalization and Princip’s Path to Sarajevo #wwi #firstworldwar #militaryhistory History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

  6. 15 Sept

    Calculating Crusader or Bloody-Minded Bandit? Reynald de Châtillon and the Fall of Jerusalem

    This week, James Crossland is joined by Nicholas Morton (Author of The Crusader Storm: A Global History of the Wars for the Middle East) to discuss the life and times of the most notorious crusader of his age, Reynald de Châtillon. From his arrival in the Crusader States in the 1150s through to his imprisonment by Nur-al-Din and his increasingly provocative attacks against Saladin, James and Nic explore the violent ambition that drove Reynald and ponder the question of whether his rivalry with Saladin and refusal to stop attacking his possessions can be blamed for the disastrous Battle of Hattin in 1187, the fall of Jerusalem that followed and the subsequent collapse of the Christian Crusader States. Can one man’s recklessness really have changed the history of the Middle East? Or was there more to Reynald than meets the eye?    Covered in this episode Reynald's rise in Antioch — Reynald becomes ruler of the Principality of Antioch through his marriage to Constance of Antioch, navigating Byzantine power, local politics and warfare on the Crusader frontier. The Byzantine conflict and Manuel I Komnenos — Reynald's relationship with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos reveals how alliances between Byzantines, Franks and Muslim powers could shift according to political circumstances. Fifteen years in captivity — Reynald is captured during frontier warfare and taken to Aleppo, where he spends roughly 15 years as a prisoner of Nur al-Din, raising questions about aristocratic captivity and how imprisonment shaped his later character. Release and political reinvention — After Nur al-Din's death and the rise of Saladin, Reynald is released in 1176, loses his position in Antioch and establishes a new power base in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Kerak, Montréal and Transjordan — Through his marriage to Stephanie de Milly, Reynald gains control of strategically important territories and castles in Transjordan, including Kerak and Montréal, from which he can dominate major trade and pilgrimage routes. Saladin and the Battle of Montgisard — Reynald helps Baldwin IV of Jerusalem defeat Saladin at Montgisard in 1177, beginning a bitter rivalry between the two men. Caravan warfare and the Red Sea raids — Reynald attacks caravans crossing Transjordan and launches an extraordinary expedition in which ships are transported across the desert to the Gulf of Aqaba, before raiding Red Sea shipping and threatening Muslim pilgrimage routes. The politics of the Kingdom of Jerusalem — The episode examines the rivalry between Raymond III of Tripoli and Guy of Lusignan, showing why Crusader politics cannot be reduced to two simple factions. The truce and the road to war — Reynald's attack on a merchant caravan violates the truce with Saladin and helps trigger the final confrontation between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Saladin. The Battle of Hattin, 1187 — Saladin uses superior strategy, control of water and heavily armoured troops to halt the Crusader army's advance toward Tiberias, producing one of the most devastating defeats in Crusader history. Reynald's execution and the fall of Jerusalem — Captured at Hattin alongside Guy of Lusignan, Reynald is executed by Saladin, while Saladin's army subsequently captures Jerusalem in October 1187. Was Reynald responsible for the collapse of the Crusader States? — The episode challenges the traditional interpretation of Reynald as the man who caused the Crusader States' downfall, instead emphasizing Saladin's military expertise, political pressures and the wider structural causes of the collapse.  Mentioned in this episode Reynald de Châtillon, Raynald, Nicholas Morton, James, Constance of Antioch, Baldwin III of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, Baldwin of Antioch, Baldwin of Hungary, Manuel I Komnenos, Nur al-Din, Saladin, Guy of Lusignan, Raymond III of Tripoli, Richard I of England, Stephanie de Milly, King of Hungary, Byzantine Empire, Principality of Antioch, Kingdom of Jerusalem, Crusader States, Aleppo, Damascus, Egypt, Syria, Antioch, Transjordan, Kerak, Montréal, Jerusalem, Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, Mecca, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, East Africa, Bosra, Montgisard, Battle of Montgisard, Battle of Hattin, Third Crusade, Crusades, First Crusade, jihad, Muslim-Christian alliances, Bedouin alliances, Byzantine-Frankish relations, medieval captivity, aristocratic imprisonment, caravan warfare, trade routes, pilgrimage routes, Red Sea raids, naval warfare, desert warfare, Crusader politics, factional politics, chivalry, military strategy, fighting march formation, waterless warfare, Saladin's military strategy, Reynald as bandit or strategist, the causes of the fall of the Crusader States, the fall of Jerusalem, whether Reynald caused the collapse of the Crusader States, Christians versus Muslims, political alliances of convenience Chapters 00:00 — Reynald de Châtillon: The Making of a Crusader War Lord 05:30 — Constance of Antioch, Byzantium and Reynald's Rise to Power 12:00 — Manuel I Komnenos and the Politics of the Crusader States 18:30 — Reynald's Capture and 15 Years of Captivity in Aleppo 27:00 — Why Was Reynald Released by Nur al-Din's Successors? 34:00 — Kerak, Montréal and Reynald's New Power Base in Transjordan 40:00 — Saladin vs Reynald: The Battle of Montgisard, 1177 46:00 — Reynald's Caravan Raids and the Red Sea Expedition 52:00 — Guy of Lusignan, Raymond of Tripoli and Crusader Politics 57:00 — The Road to Hattin: Reynald, Saladin and the 1187 Crisis 1:03:00 — The Battle of Hattin and Reynald's Execution by Saladin 1:10:00 — Did Reynald Cause the Fall of the Crusader States? History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

  7. 8 Sept

    Claus von Stauffenberg and the Plot to Kill Hitler: The German Resistance Reconsidered

    On this week’s episode of History’s Devils, we’re asking a difficult question – how do you find the devil in a hero? We’re talking about Claus von Stauffenberg, the man who on 20 July 1944, tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Sounds like a good guy, right? But, 80 years on from the end of the Second World War, questions remain about the backgrounds and motivations of Stauffenberg and the German resistance of which he was a part. James Crossland is joined by Roger Moorhouse, author of Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War to examine Stauffenberg's background, political beliefs, military career, and role in Operation Valkyrie – the plot to kill Hitler and neutralise the Nazi government. From his aristocratic upbringing to his service in Poland, France, and North Africa – where he received the devastating wounds that transformed his relationship with the Nazi regime – this episode explores Stauffenberg’s journey to his destiny in 1944 and the failed earlier German resistance conspiracies of 1938 and 1943. Along the way, Roger and James discuss why so many members of the resistance hesitated to assassinate Hitler or take decisive action against the Nazi state, they question Stauffenberg’s legacy as an unsullied German hero and explain the complicated motivations of the German resistance to Hitler. It’s a thought-provoking episode which, as an added bonus, talks a lot about killing Hitler!   Covered in this episode Stauffenberg's conventional heroic image as the maimed German officer who attempted to kill Adolf Hitler and use Operation Valkyrie to overthrow the Nazi regime and negotiate peace with the Allies.The 2008 film Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, and whether its portrayal of Stauffenberg as an uncomplicated action hero obscures the political and moral complexities of the historical figure.Stauffenberg's aristocratic upbringing, involvement in the Wandervogel movement and enlistment in the Reichswehr cavalry in 1926.Stauffenberg's conservative aristocratic worldview, the Treaty of Versailles, the First World War, the Spartacist uprising, the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, and his attitude toward Hitler and the Nazi movement during the 1920s and early 1930s.Why 1938 became a crucial year for German opposition to Hitler, including the Beck-Oster conspiracy, the Sudetenland crisis, the Munich Agreement, Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Benito Mussolini, and Hitler's subsequent destruction of the Munich settlement through the occupation of the Czech lands in March 1939.The contrasts between Stauffenberg and Henning von Tresckow, whose opposition began after the 1934 Night of the Long Knives and the murder of his former superior Ferdinand von Bredow, leading to a consistent belief that Hitler was a criminal who had to be removed and killed.The weaknesses of the German resistance and the approaches to resistance taken by Hans Oster and Carl Goerdeler. The reluctance to use violence, unrealistic hopes of preserving Nazi territorial gains, and the difficulty of reconciling different visions ranging from socialism to monarchism.Tresckow's attempts to kill Hitler, including the bomb disguised as a brandy bottle smuggled onto Hitler's aircraft at Smolensk and the planned suicide attack by Christoph von Gersdorff using explosives during an exhibition of captured Soviet weapons.Stauffenberg's transformation in North Africa, where he lost his right hand, fingers on his left hand, and his right eye.Stauffenberg and Tresckow’s modification of the existing Valkyrie emergency plan so the German Reserve Army could seize control of key institutions, disarm the SS and Gestapo, and launch a coup after Hitler's assassination.Why Stauffenberg's bomb failed – his difficulty arming the explosives with his injured hands, the discarded second charge and the briefcase bomb being moved behind a massive oak table support.The collapse of the coup and Stauffenberg's legacy as a post-war German hero.  Mentioned in this episode:  Claus von Stauffenberg, Adolf Hitler, James Crossland, Roger Moorhouse, Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Operation Valkyrie, 20 July 1944, German resistance, German military resistance, Third Reich, Second World War, World War II, First World War, World War I, Treaty of Versailles, Reichswehr, Wehrmacht, Reserve Army, SS, Gestapo, Nazi Party, Nazi Germany, Operation Torch, Operation Barbarossa, Operation Bagration, D-Day, Holocaust, Holocaust by bullets, Einsatzgruppen, Polish campaign of 1939, occupation of Czechoslovakia, Sudetenland, Munich Crisis, Munich Agreement, Night of the Long Knives, Beer Hall Putsch, Spartacist uprising, Reichstag fire, Beck-Oster conspiracy, Henning von Tresckow, Hans Oster, Ludwig Beck, Hans Gisevius, Carl Goerdeler, Ferdinand von Bredow, Christoph von Gersdorff, Schlabrendorff, Werner von Haeften, Friedrich Fromm, Colonel Brandt, Frank Mason MacFarlane, Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Benito Mussolini, Erich Ludendorff, Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Paul von Hindenburg, Stefan George, Winston Churchill, Emperor Hirohito, Kreisau Circle, Abwehr, German aristocracy, German nationalism, German conservatism, German racism, antisemitism, anti-Nazism, assassination of Hitler, resistance to Hitler, military coup, coup d'état, Operation Valkyrie conspiracy, Hitler oath, unconditional obedience, Wehrmacht oath, moral revolt, saviour complex, post-war German memory, German national identity, usable history, German resistance memorialization, Bendlerblock, Wolfsschanze, Wolf's Lair, Smolensk, Rastenburg, East Prussia, Poland, France, North Africa, Silesia, Berlin, Munich, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Rhineland, Soviet Union, Eastern Front, Western Front, Kulturkampf, Kaiserreich, Weimar Republic, democracy, monarchy, aristocratic nationalism, German military tradition, 20 July plot bomb, assassination attempts against Hitler, German surrender, Allied peace negotiations, Nazi war crimes, Polish Jews, concentration camps.   Chapters 00:00 — Claus von Stauffenberg: Hero, Villain or Something More Complicated? 04:02 — Valkyrie: Tom Cruise and the Hollywood Stauffenberg 05:46 — Stauffenberg's Aristocratic German Upbringing 08:26 — German Nationalism, the Reichswehr and Hitler's Rise 12:58 — The Munich Crisis and the 1938 Beck-Oster Plot 16:11 — Henning von Tresckow and the Night of the Long Knives 18:26 — Hans Oster, British Skepticism and the German Resistance 23:20 — Why the German Resistance Was So Divided and Passive 29:46 — Tresckow's 1943 Assassination Attempts Against Hitler 37:06 — Stauffenberg's War, North Africa and His Wounding 39:13 — The Hitler Oath and Stauffenberg's Turn Against the Regime 49:47 — Operation Valkyrie and the 20 July 1944 Bomb Plot 54:50 — Why Stauffenberg Failed to Kill Hitler 1:00:34 — The Collapse of the Coup, Stauffenberg's Execution and His Legacy History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

  8. 1 Sept

    Timothy McVeigh Part 2: The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Re-Shaping of America's Far-Right

    In part two of the Timothy McVeigh episode, James is joined once again by Craig Johnson, host of 15 Minutes of Fascism, to explain how the Oklahoma City bombing was planned and executed. James and Craig also break down the means by which Tim McVeigh and his co-conspirator, Terry Nichols were captured, before assessing the dark legacy of the bombing and the impact it had on America's far-right far-right movements, anti-government extremists and white supremacists, shaping the practices of everyone from the Boogaloo movement to the January 6 rioters.  For anyone who wants to makes sense of far-right political violence in the year 2026, this is a can't miss episode!  Covered in this episode The planning of the Oklahoma City bombing with Terry Nichols, the symbolic selection of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and the influence of The Turner Diaries on the attack itself.How McVeigh built the fertilizer bomb, chose 19 April 1995 to coincide with Waco and Lexington and Concord, and carried out the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in US history before 9/11.McVeigh's arrest, the evidence linking him to the bombing, his trial, execution and insistence that the bombing was an act of war rather than murder.Why McVeigh failed to spark the revolution imagined in The Turner Diaries and how the FBI crackdown transformed the American militia movement during the late 1990s.The continuing legacy of McVeigh, The Turner Diaries, Richard Spencer, the alt-right, the Boogaloo movement, January 6 and the enduring evolution of far-right extremist violence.Mentioned in this episode:  Timothy McVeigh, Craig Johnson, James Crossland, 15 Minutes of Fascism, Tate brothers, Oklahoma City bombing, Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City, Lockport, Buffalo, Bill McVeigh, Mildred "Mickey" McVeigh, Ed McVeigh, Second Amendment, Cold War, Soviet Union, The Turner Diaries, William Luther Pierce, National Alliance, George Lincoln Rockwell, American Nazi Party, white nationalism, neo-fascism, Aryan Nations, Christian Identity Movement, anti-Semitism, globalism, New World Order conspiracy theories, Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, The Spotlight, Ku Klux Klan, National Rifle Association (NRA), Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Green Berets, Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver, Vicki Weaver, Idaho, FBI, ATF, Waco siege, Branch Davidians, David Koresh, Seventh-day Adventists, Jonestown, Guyana, Terry Nichols, Decker Michigan, Michigan militia movement, Elohim City, Christian nationalism, leaderless resistance, Louis Beam, accelerationism, Janet Reno, Lon Horiuchi, Walter Smith, Lexington and Concord, American Revolution, fertilizer bomb, improvised explosive device (IED), domestic terrorism, terrorism, extremist radicalization, conspiracy theories, Oklahoma City bombing investigation, Southern Poverty Law Center, Ramszi Yousef, 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Al-Qaeda, John Doe No. 2, Felice Orsini, Richard Spencer, alt-right, Boogaloo Boys, Dylan Roof, Orlando nightclub shooting, January 6 Capitol attack, Day of the Rope, Dollar General shooting, political violence, white supremacist terrorism, anti-government extremism, terrorist spectaculars Chapters 1:00 — Why Timothy McVeigh decided to commit an act of terrorism  1:11 — Planning the Oklahoma City bombing with Terry Nichols  1:19 — 19 April 1995: The Oklahoma City bombing unfolds  1:26 — Arrest, trial and Timothy McVeigh's justification for mass murder  1:39 — From Oklahoma City to the alt-right: McVeigh's enduring legacy  1:46 — The Turner Diaries, January 6 and the evolution of modern extremism History AnalyzedHistory Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" PRE-ORDER James' new book -The Afterwar: Britain's Secret Battle Against Revolutionaries, Rioters and Russia After WWI  Follow HISTORY's DEVILS  On Instagram @historysdevils Follow JAMES  On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #History #DarkHistory  History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: ...

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

What makes someone evil? HISTORY'S DEVILS is a weekly deep-dive podcast that investigates the world's most infamous historical figures. Each episode explores the life, actions, and legacy of a terrible person from history, sorting through myths to examine the facts behind their reputation and to judge just how wicked they truly were. Hosted by Professor James Crossland, HISTORY'S DEVILS covers dictators, tyrants, war criminals, cult leaders, revolutionaries, con-artists, conspiracy theorists and just plain terrible people, combining deep research with compelling storytelling to reveal the darker side of human history. A show for fans of dark history, historical biographies and in-depth explorations of  people who changed the world for better - or for worse. All the devils are here. And we are ready to tell their stories.

Information

  • Creator
    James Crossland
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 History's Devils
  • Show Website
    History's Devils

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