History's Devils

James Crossland
  • 5.0 (3)
  • 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. 1d ago

    Rasputin, Part 2: The Truth Behind the Mad Monk Who Wouldn't Die

    In Part Two of History’s Devils’ exploration of Grigory Rasputin, James is joined by Elizabeth Black and Megan Moore from the Beheaded Podcast to examine Rasputin’s assassination, his controversial influence over the Romanov dynasty, and the myths surrounding his death. The episode explores his enemies in imperial Russia, including Archbishop Theophan, Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, and the conspiracy theorist Iliodor, alongside Rasputin’s opposition to Russia’s entry into the First World War. The hosts reconstruct the infamous December 1916 assassination at Felix Yusupov’s Moika Palace, examining the cyanide poisoning story, he disputed circumstances of Rasputin’s death and the allegations of British intelligence involvement. Finally, the discussion connects Rasputin’s death to the February Revolution, the Bolshevik seizure of power, and the murder of the Romanov family in 1918, asking whether Rasputin was a supernatural mystic, a charismatic fraud, or simply a shrewd observer of Russia’s impending collapse. Covered in this Episode How Grigory Rasputin gained Empress Alexandra’s trust by treating her son Alexei’s hemophilia and built a life between St. Petersburg and his Siberian village of Pokrovskoye.The Bolsheviks, the Black Hundreds, anti-Semitism, and the fabricated Protocols of the Elders of Zion.Rasputin’s powerful enemies: Archbishop Theophan, Pyotr Stolypin, and Iliodor’s campaigns against Rasputin and allegations of sexual misconduct.How Khioniya Guseva stabbed Rasputin in Pokrovskoye and how he survived emergency surgery.Rasputin's warnings to Nicholas II about war, the Russian defeat at the Battle of Tannenberg, and the worsening food crisis.Rasputin’s influence over ministerial appointments, Alexandra’s unpopular German heritage, and Nicholas’s decision to command the Russian army.The conspiracy to kill Rasputin: Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, and Vladimir Purishkevich’s plot to eliminate the controversial imperial adviser.The famous story of poisoned cakes, cyanide-laced Madeira wine, repeated gunshots, and the bizarre presence of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”Myth versus forensic evidence: The disputed poisoning, Rasputin’s fatal head wound, the river-drowning legend, and a 2024 forensic review.Did MI6 kill Rasputin? Oswald Rayner, British ambassador George Buchanan, and the evidence for alleged British intelligence involvement.Felix Yusupov’s sensational memoir: How Lost Splendor helped turn Rasputin’s death into a story of supernatural survival and dark comedy.The fall of the Romanovs: The February Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution, the Romanov family’s execution, and Rasputin’s enduring place between myth and history. Mentioned in this Episode Grigory Rasputin, James Crossland, Elizabeth Black, Megan Moore, Beheaded Podcast, History’s Devils, Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Alexei Romanov, Maria Rasputin, Archbishop Theophan, Pyotr Stolypin, Sergey Trufanov (Iliodor), Khioniya Guseva, Vladimir Lenin, Vladimir Purishkevich, Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, Oswald Rayner, George Buchanan, Queen Victoria, Franz Ferdinand, Gavrilo Princip, Alan Rickman, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Anastasia, The Emperor’s New Groove, Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Ringling Brothers, St. Petersburg, Pokrovskoye, Moika Palace, Jerusalem, Mogilev, Siberia, Germany, Serbia, Austria-Hungary, Japan, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, the Romanov dynasty, the Bolsheviks, the Black Hundreds, the Okhrana, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the Duma, the February Revolution, the October Revolution, the First World War, the Russo-Japanese War, the Battle of Tannenberg, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the 1914 assassination attempt on Rasputin, the 1916 assassination of Rasputin, the execution of the Romanovs, the 1917 Russian Revolution, the fall of the Russian monarchy, hemophilia, faith healing, mysticism, occultism, prophecy, political extremism, anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, royal influence, sexual misconduct allegations, cyanide poisoning, forensic evidence, autopsy reports, MI6, British intelligence, Lost Splendor, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Rasputin (1996 television film), historical propaganda, assassination conspiracies, imperial Russian politics, food shortages, pacifism, historical revisionism, myth versus history. Chapters 00:00 – Grigory Rasputin Part Two: The Road to His Assassination 01:56 – Rasputin, Alexei’s Hemophilia and the Romanov Court 03:00 – The Bolsheviks, Black Hundreds and Anti-Semitism in Russia 05:00 – Rasputin’s Enemies: Theophan, Stolypin and Iliodor 12:17 – Empress Alexandra, Rasputin’s Reputation and Royal Propaganda 15:00 – The 1914 Stabbing: Khioniya Guseva’s Assassination Attempt 21:07 – Rasputin’s Warnings About the First World War and Tannenberg 27:24 – Nicholas II Takes Command: Russia’s Political and Food Crisis 35:00 – Felix Yusupov and the Conspiracy to Kill Rasputin 40:10 – Cyanide Cakes, Gunshots and the Moika Palace Assassination 51:06 – Rasputin’s Death: Forensic Evidence, MI6 and the Myths 1:08:21 – Rasputin’s Prophecy, the Fall of the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution 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. 2d ago

    Rasputin, Part 1: How A Siberian Peasant Bewitched the Romanovs

    Who was Grigory Rasputin - the Siberian peasant and self-proclaimed holy man who became one of the most controversial figures in the final years of Imperial Russia? In this episode of History’s Devils, James is joined by Megan Moore and Elizabeth Black of the Beheaded Podcast to investigate Rasputin’s rise from a wandering faith healer to a trusted confidant of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. They explore his alleged connections to the controversial Khlysty religious sect, his extraordinary influence over the Romanov family, and the mysterious recovery of the hemophiliac heir to the Russian throne, Alexei, separating historical evidence from the myths surrounding Rasputin’s reputation.  Covered in this Episode Meet the Guests: James welcomes Megan Moore and Elizabeth Black of Beheaded PodcastRasputin’s 1869 birth in Pokrovskoye, peasant upbringing, family life, illiteracy, and the uncertain meaning and symbolism of his name.How and why Rasputin became a wandering strannik faith healer and cultivated a reputation for charisma, spiritual insight, and miraculous powers.The allegations linking Rasputin to a radical Russian religious sect associated with ecstatic rituals, extreme penitence, and sexual misconduct - the Khlysty.Rasputin’s Arrival in St. Petersburg, connections to Archbishop Theophan and the influential circles that introduced him to the Russian imperial elite.Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the 1905 Revolution, and Nicholas II’s political weaknesses created an atmosphere of instability that Rasputin could exploit.Tsarina Alexandra’s desperation over her son Alexei's hemophilia helped Rasputin become indispensable to the royal household.Rasputin' medical advice, timing and calming influence in Alexei’s apparent recoveries.How allegations of sexual misconduct, heresy, and an affair with Alexandra fuelled hostility toward Rasputin.Rasputin in Popular Culture. How the Boney M. song “Rasputin” helped perpetuate stories about the mystic and his alleged relationship with the Tsarina.The Story Continues: Part one concludes with Rasputin’s influence growing, political tensions escalating, and the conspiracy against him looming. Mentioned in this Episode Grigory Rasputin, James Crossland, Megan Moore, Elizabeth Black, Beheaded Podcast, History’s Devils, Anthony Beevor, Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra, Alexei Romanov, the Romanov family, Empress Maria Feodorovna, Archbishop Theophan, Philippe, Princess Anastasia of Montenegro, the Black Crows, the Black Peril, the Montenegrin spiders, Alexander II, the Emancipation Manifesto, the Russian Revolution of 1905, the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Russo-Japanese War, the Battle of Tsushima, the Russian Pacific Fleet, the Duma, the assassination of Alexander II, Rasputin’s assassination in 1916, British intelligence, MI6, the Khlysty sect, the strannik tradition, Siberia, Pokrovskoye, Abalak, Kazan, St. Petersburg, the Winter Palace, Yekaterinburg, Imperial Russia, Tsarism, serfdom, peasant life, Russian Orthodox Christianity, religious mysticism, faith healing, hemophilia, aspirin, alternative medicine, hypnosis, religious ecstasy, religious sexual practices, superstition, prophecy, conspiracy theories, political corruption, royal influence, the Romanov execution, Boney M., “Rasputin,” the French Revolution, revolutionaries, dynamite, historical myths, charlatanism, royal succession, autocracy, royal scandal, assassination conspiracies. Chapters 00:00 — Rasputin: The Man Who Wouldn’t Die 02:04 — Meet Megan Moore and Elizabeth Black of Beheaded Podcast 04:01 — Who Was Grigory Rasputin? Separating the Man from the Myth 06:55 — MI6 and the Conspiracy Theories Surrounding Rasputin’s Death 08:00 — Siberian Origins: Rasputin’s Childhood, Family, and Peasant Life 13:23 — Superstition in Imperial Russia and the Rise of a Wandering Faith Healer 17:26 — The Khlysty Sect: Religious Ecstasy, Sin, and Scandal 20:35 — How Rasputin Reached St. Petersburg and the Imperial Court 27:23 — Tsar Nicholas II, the 1905 Revolution, and Russia’s Political Crisis 33:25 — Tsarina Alexandra, Alexei’s Hemophilia, and Rasputin’s Healing 38:09 — Did Rasputin Really Heal Alexei? Aspirin, Medicine, and Faith 42:39 — Royal Scandals, Boney M., and the Road to Rasputin’s Assassination 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. Oct 27

    Before Dracula: Sava Savanović and the Great Vampire Panic

    This episode of History's Devils explores the largely forgotten history behind the Western vampire legend and the tropes of Bram Stoker's Dracula, by looking at the great vampire panic that swept across Europe in the 1700s, and the historical Serbian vampires that started the hysteria. Joined by Nick Jubber (author of Monsterland: A Journey Around the World's Dark Imagination), James Crossland discusses the historical vampire cases of Yuri Grando, Arnold Paole, Petar Blagojević and the Serbian proto-Dracula, Sava Savanović, while exploring how Habsburg expansion, Ottoman-Habsburg rivalry, political uncertainty, emerging mass media and European fears of disease and foreigners helped turn local folklore into an international panic. Along the way, Nick recounts his visit to Sava Savanović's haunted mill in Serbia and considers why vampire beliefs, rituals and stories persist in their popularity into the 21st century. If you've ever wondered where the idea of staking hearts, chopping off heads and lacing the coffins of the undead with garlic comes from, this is the episode for you! Covered in this Episode Vampires before Dracula: Why the familiar Western vampire predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by more than a century.Global vampire folklore: Vampire-like beings in ancient Mesopotamia and India, including the Ekemu and Vetala, demonstrate that beliefs about the undead and life-draining spirits are far older and more geographically widespread than the European vampire.Yuri Grando of Kringa: The 1689 account by Johann von Weichard Valvasor of Yuri Grando in Croatia provides one of the earliest detailed written European vampire stories, involving exhumation, a hawthorn stake and decapitation.Arnold Paole and Petar Blagojević: Serbian vampire cases from Medveđa and Kisiljevo helped create the 18th-century vampire panic.The Habsburg-Ottoman frontier: Serbia's transfer from Ottoman to Habsburg control in 1718, followed by its return to Ottoman control in 1739, created a period of political uncertainty in which folklore, cultural suspicion and vampire stories flourished.Vampires and the Enlightenment: Habsburg military and medical officials attempted to investigate vampire reports scientifically.The vampire media panic: Reports from Serbia circulated through military dispatches, newspapers, periodicals, translations and European coffee houses, helping vampire stories spread across Germany, France and England during the 1730s.Vampires, plague and foreigners: The language of contagion used in reports about vampires reflected contemporary fears of disease, while the vampire could simultaneously represent a dangerous foreigner coming from the East.Maria Theresa ends the vampire panic: In 1755, Empress Maria Theresa issued a decree restricting the excavation and desecration of corpses, effectively draining the institutional energy from the vampire craze across Habsburg territories.The Romantic vampire: After vampire beliefs became less threatening, Romantic writers including Lord Byron, Goethe and Coleridge transformed the vampire into a literary figure associated with death, sexuality, the past and forbidden desire.From Polidori to Dracula: John Polidori's The Vampyre created the influential aristocratic vampire model, which developed through Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla and ultimately into Bram Stoker's Dracula, Vlad the Impaler and the modern Transylvanian vampire.Sava Savanović and the haunted mill: Serbia's most famous vampire was Sava Savanović, who haunted a mill that guest Nick Jubber visited and spent the night in.Vampires in modern Serbia and Romania: Sava Savanović remains a cultural icon through literature, film, tourism and rakija, while the 2003 case of Petar Toma shows that vampire-exorcism traditions survived into the 21st century.Folklore, tourism and AI: Campire stories can simultaneously be treated as genuine supernatural beliefs, cultural heritage, tourist attractions, jokes and AI-generated slop.  Mentioned in this Episode James Crossland, Nick Jubber, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Lestat, Blade, Robert Pattinson, Yuri Grando, Johann von Weichard Valvasor, Arnold Paole, Petar Blagojević, Johann Flückinger, Glaser, Kaiser Wilhelm I, Isaac Newton, King George II, Horace Walpole, Maria Theresa, Marie Antoinette, King Louis, Lord Byron, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Polidori, Sheridan Le Fanu, Vlad the Impaler, Miljana Novaković, Sava Savanović, Petar Toma, Serbia, Croatia, Zarožje, Medveđa, Kisiljevo, Belgrade, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Transylvania, Romania, Russia, Prussia, Austria, Vienna, France, Germany, England, Louisiana, the United States, Ireland, the West Country, Lake Geneva, Villa Diodati, Louisiana bayous, Ottoman rule of Serbia, Habsburg occupation of Serbia in 1718, Treaty of 1718, Serbian return to Ottoman control in 1739, European vampire panic of the 1730s, witch hunts, French werewolf panic, First World War, Second World War, UFO panic, Romanticism, Enlightenment, slave trade, religious wars, European wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, Sava Savanović, Arnold Paole, Petar Blagojević, Yuri Grando, Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, Lord Ruthven, the vampire, Ekemu, Vetala, Rougarou, skinwalkers, shapeshifters, fairies, witches, werewolves, vengeful spirits, Dracula, The Vampire Chronicles, Twilight, The Vampyre, Carmilla, what are the real origins of the Western vampire legend?, How did Serbian vampire folklore become part of Western culture?, Why did vampire panics spread across 18th-century Europe? Origins of Dracula legend.   Chapters 00:00 — The Serbian Vampire Behind Dracula  02:00 — Monsterland and the World's Forgotten Monsters  04:00 — Vampire Myths Before Dracula  06:00 — Yuri Grando: Europe's First Written Vampire  08:20 — Arnold Paole and the Serbian Vampire Panic  11:00 — How the Printing Press Created a Vampire Craze  14:30 — Serbia Between the Habsburgs and Ottomans  16:00 — Petar Blagojević and the Vampire Investigation  20:50 — War, Foreigners and the Psychology of Monster Panics  23:40 — Maria Theresa Ends the 18th-Century Vampire Panic  27:30 — From Romantic Vampires to Dracula  31:00 — Sava Savanović and Serbia's Haunted Vampire Mill   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. Oct 20

    At War With Mankind: The True Story of the Murderous Harp Brothers

    In this week’s episode, James Crossland is joined by Katherine Grandjean (author of Kingdom of Devils: A Tale of Murder in the Shadow of the American Revolution) the explore the story of Micajah “Big Harp” and Wiley “Little Harp,” two notorious brothers accused of killing more than 20 people on the American frontier in the late 1790s.  The Harps’ murder spree ran from 1798–1799 in the unstable aftermath of the American Revolution across the lawless frontier territories of Kentucky and Tennessee. James and Katherine challenge the popular claim that the Harps were America’s first serial killers, arguing that their behaviour more closely resembles modern concepts of spree killing – angry men driven by societal resentment, economic failure and opportunism into unspeakable violence.  In telling the story of the Harps’ terrifying murder spree and Micajah’s dramatic  and grisly death, James and Katherine explain how history has transformed the Harps from troubled men into legendary monsters.   Covered in this Episode Katherine Grandjean explains how a 1960s article by Richard Maxwell Brown unexpectedly introduced her to the Harp brothers while teaching violence in early America. The post-Revolutionary frontier of Kentucky and Tennessee, where sparse settlements, weak law enforcement and rapid expansion created both opportunity and instability. The Harps’ uncertain North Carolina origins, possible Scottish ancestry and unconfirmed family connections to Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. Micajah “Big Harp” and Wiley “Little Harp” emerge as very different physical characters, with Micajah providing the strength and Wiley apparently driving much of the violence. The Harps’ victims included men, boys, prosperous settlers, Continental Army veterans, justices of the peace and people encountered by chance. The murders of Mary Steagall, her infant child and William Love illustrate the mixture of possible debts, theft, concealment and seemingly arbitrary violence in the Harps’ crimes. The Harps’ changing methods, mobility and ability to cross county and state boundaries made them exceptionally difficult for authorities to pursue. Micajah’s claim that the brothers had “declared war” on mankind becomes central to the argument that their crimes resemble spree violence more than serial murder. Moses Steagall organized a posse, pursued Micajah across western Kentucky and killed him after a horseback chase in August 1799. Micajah’s severed head was displayed at a crossroads that became known as Harp’s Head, illustrating the era’s tension between frontier justice and formal law. The Harp women were tried but acquitted, while Wiley apparently disappeared and later resurfaced under the name John Seton alongside river pirate Samuel Mason. The Harps illuminate a wider pattern of violence among men facing economic failure, social disappointment, shame and shattered expectations in the early American republic.   Mentioned in this Episode James Crossland, Katherine Grandjean, Richard Maxwell Brown, Micajah Harp, Wiley Harp, Big Harp, Little Harp, Moses Stiegel, Mary Stiegel, William Love, Betsy, Sally Harp, Samuel Mason, John Seton, Andrew Jackson, James Jesse Strang, Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper, Michael Douglas, Falling Down, Natural Born Killers, American Revolutionary War, American Revolution, Louisiana Purchase, Revolutionary War aftermath, frontier violence, serial killers, spree killing, mass killing, frontier justice, Loyalists, Patriots, Continental Army veterans, Cherokee warfare, Cherokee country, original sin, southern backcountry, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Carolinas, East Tennessee, Mississippi River Valley, New Orleans, Holston River, Henderson County, Muhlenberg County, Appalachian folklore, American frontier, early republic, Declaration of Independence, law enforcement, county jurisdiction, American expansion, river piracy, flatboat commerce, economic failure, social resentment, violence in early America, American political experiment   Chapters 00:00 — The Harp Brothers: America’s First Serial Killers? 01:04 — How Katherine Grandjean Discovered the Harps 05:17 — Kentucky, Tennessee and the Violent Post-Revolution Frontier 12:19 — Who Were Micajah and Wiley Harp? 18:30 — Big Harp and Little Harp: The Brothers Behind the Legend 20:20 — Twenty-Seven Murders and How the Harps Escaped Capture 26:08 — The Harps’ Victims: Random Targets or Deliberate Choices? 28:17 — Why the Harps May Not Have Been Serial Killers 29:44 — The Stiegel Murders and the Harps’ “War on Mankind” 39:45 — Moses Steagall’s Posse and Frontier Justice 45:31 — Micajah’s Death, Harp’s Head and Wiley’s Disappearance 51:52 — Wiley Harp, River Pirates and the Legacy of the Harps 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. Oct 14

    The USS Indianapolis Disaster, Pt.2 - How The US Navy Sent 800 Sailors to their Deaths and Scapegoated a Captain

    The second part of History’s Devils’ investigation into the sinking of USS Indianapolis examines why more than 800 sailors were left in the Pacific for four days after the Japanese submarine I-58 torpedoed the cruiser in July 1945. James is joined once again by Kyle Kochenberger from the History Buffs or Bluffs Podcast to trace the source of the disaster to failures by the US Navy, including withholding intelligence about Japanese submarines, the blundered handling of three SOS transmissions and terrible ship-tracking procedures. The episode covers the court martial of the Indy's Captain, Charles McVay, and the long battle for his exoneration. James and Kyle also discuss the wreck of the Indianapolis, Robert Shaw’s famous Jaws monologue and the remarkable postwar redemption story of the I-58 commander who sunk the cursed cruiser, Mochitsura Hashimoto. It's the horrific (if, in parts, uplifting) conclusion to one of the Second World War’s most bizarre stories.   Covered in this Episode The rescue of USS Indianapolis survivors after four days in the water, including a seaplane landing and the shark attack that killed Bob Terry.Commodore James Carter withheld intelligence that four Japanese submarines were active between Tinian and the Philippines, despite the USS Underhill sinking.The Indianapolis sailed without sonar-equipped escorts, while Navy assumptions about Japanese weakness reflected growing wartime hubris.Three Navy listening stations received the Indianapolis SOS, but the messages were ignored because officers were asleep, suspected a Japanese trap, or were drinking.Navy tracking relied on a chalkboard ETA at Leyte, leading personnel to assume Indianapolis had arrived despite its absence.Captain Charles McVay was court-martialed for failing to zigzag and allegedly failing to send an SOS, despite evidence contradicting both accusations.I-58 commander Mochitsura Hashimoto testified that zigzagging would not have saved Indianapolis because his torpedoes had the cruiser in a deadly position.McVay was found guilty in December 1945, later reinstated, and finally cleared by a congressional resolution signed by Bill Clinton in 2000.McVay endured years of hate mail before dying by suicide in 1968, while many Indianapolis survivors rejected the claim that he was responsible.The disaster’s cultural legacy includes Robert Shaw’s USS Indianapolis speech in Jaws and the 2016 film USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage starring Nicolas Cage.The wreck was discovered in August 2017 about 18,000 feet below the Pacific, roughly 280 miles from land.Hashimoto later became a Shinto monk, worked to clear McVay’s name, and died on October 25, 2000, five days before McVay’s exoneration.  Mentioned in this Episode James Crossland, Kyle Kochenberger, Charles McVay, Commodore James Carter, Chester Nimitz, Mochitsura Hashimoto, Dick Thielen, Bob Terry, Robert Shaw, Nicolas Cage, Bill Clinton, the USS Indianapolis, USS Underhill, I-58, Tinian, Leyte, Guam, Philippines, Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Okinawa, Enola Gay, Little Boy, Fat Man, World War II, Hiroshima atomic bombing, Nagasaki atomic bombing, USS Indianapolis sinking, Japanese submarine warfare, Battle of Okinawa, Pearl Harbor, First World War armistice, McVay court martial, 1945 Court of Inquiry, McVay exoneration, Navy negligence, military intelligence, SOS transmissions, naval escorts, sonar, zigzagging, Japanese submarine threat, wartime hubris, scapegoating, survivor trauma, sharks, naval law, laws of war, code of the sea, Shinto, pacifism, USS Indianapolis wreck, Jaws, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, Little Boy mission, atomic bomb, historical memory   Chapters 00:00 — USS Indianapolis Survivors Finally Rescued  03:49 — Could the Indianapolis Sinking Have Been Prevented?  05:00 — James Carter Withholds Japanese Submarine Intelligence  08:18 — Why Did the Navy Miss the Indianapolis SOS?  13:01 — The Chalkboard That Declared Indianapolis “Arrived”  17:10 — Why Captain McVay Became the Scapegoat  20:35 — The Zigzagging Controversy and I-58  21:26 — Mochitsura Hashimoto Testifies Against the Navy’s Case  24:00 — McVay’s Court Martial and 2000 Exoneration  25:03 — McVay’s Suicide and the Human Cost of Blame  28:36 — USS Indianapolis in Jaws and Popular Culture  33:16 — Hashimoto, Hiroshima, and the Final Tragedy 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. Oct 13

    The USS Indianapolis Disaster, Pt.1 - A Secret Mission, A Submarine and the Worst Shark Attack in History

    In the final weeks of the Second World War, the USS Indianapolis secretly transported components for the "Little Boy" atomic bomb from San Francisco to Tinian Island, for assembly ahead of it being dropped over Hiroshima. After completing its mission, the unescorted heavy cruiser was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58 on July 30, 1945, sinking in just 12 minutes and leaving hundreds of sailors in the Pacific. For four days, the Indianapolis' survivors endured dehydration, hallucinations, injuries, infighting, exposure, and the most largest and most terrifying shark attack in recorded history, before a U.S. Navy seaplane finally spotted them, ending on the America's most gruesome naval disasters. On this this episode of History’s Devils, James is joined by Kyle Kochenberger from the History Buffs or Bluffs podcast, to discuss the unreal horror of the USS Indianapolis’ sinking and its survivors’ ordeal, and to explain why this ship and its crew was left alone in supposedly safe waters to a terrifying fate.   Covered in this Episode The Pacific War in summer 1945, including the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Operation Downfall.The Trinity nuclear test at Los Alamos and the USS Indianapolis mission to deliver Little Boy components and uranium-235 to Tinian Island.The USS Indianapolis, a Portland-class heavy cruiser, its Pacific combat record, and the kamikaze attack that damaged it at Okinawa.The July 30, 1945 attack by Mochitsura Hashimoto’s I-58, which struck the Indianapolis with two torpedoes.The sinking, which took approximately 12 minutes and left roughly 800 men in the water about 280 miles from land.Survivors battling oil fires, dehydration, injuries, saltwater poisoning, hallucinations, exposure, and collapsing life rafts.Survivor accounts from Granville Crane, Lowell Dean Cox, and Ed Harrell describing panic, violence, thirst, and the psychological effects of prolonged survival at sea.Oceanic whitetip sharks surrounding the survivors, with attacks intensifying at night as men became separated from their groups.The four-day ordeal ending when a U.S. Navy seaplane discovered the survivors on August 4, 1945, with only 316 of the approximately 800 who escaped the sinking still alive. Mentioned in this Episode James Crossland, Kyle Kokenberger, Steven Spielberg, Quint, Robert J. Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy, Charles McVay, Mochitsura Hashimoto, Granville Crane, Lowell Dean Cox, Ed Harrell, USS Indianapolis, I-58, History’s Devils, History Buffs or Bluffs, Jaws, World War II, Second World War, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Marianas Turkey Shoot, Battle of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa, Trinity test, Operation Downfall, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Little Boy, Fat Man, Tinian Island, San Francisco, Leyte, Guam, Pacific Fleet, kamikaze attacks, atomic bomb, uranium-235, plutonium, oceanic whitetip shark, shark attacks, survival at sea, dehydration, hallucinations, saltwater poisoning, life rafts, life vests, Japanese submarine warfare, naval disaster, rescue at sea, why was USS Indianapolis unescorted, why did rescue take four days Chapters 00:00 - The USS Indianapolis: History’s Worst Naval Nightmare 02:49 - Why History Buffs or Bluffs Blurs Fact and Fiction 05:30 - USS Indianapolis and the Jaws Connection 07:01 - The Pacific War in Summer 1945 08:05 - Trinity: Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb 09:30 - The Indianapolis and the Little Boy Mission 11:00 - The Heavy Cruiser’s Combat History 13:37 - Uranium-235 and the Secret Cargo 16:00 - From Tinian to Leyte: A Supposedly Safe Voyage 17:18 - I-58 and the Torpedo Attack 20:39 - The Indianapolis Sinks in 12 Minutes 22:08 - 800 Sailors Enter the Pacific 26:21 - Four Days of Sharks, Thirst and Survival 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. Oct 6

    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, COVID and Jim Bakker in 2026 The infamous freeze-dried food buckets, alleged COVID cures, financial fallout and the frail final chapter of Bakker's television career. 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. Oct 6

    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 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: ...

See All (48)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 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
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 History's Devils
  • Show Website
    History's Devils

You Might Also Like