History Impossible

The following is the audio version of the recent essay addendum to the most recent episode of History Impossible, “The German Voice of Islam.” Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and listen and, when at all possible, support my work. Please consider becoming a patron or paid subscriber to History Impossible at whatever level you feel comfortable.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonDannyPaul DeCosterNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasRob DuvalGavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Thomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidJim MillerKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamSkip PachecoDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusPhillip RiceChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry SpanglerThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleChrisTXWard Van RoyRobert VSJonny WilkieRicky WortheyMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

The Third Reich’s so-called war on the Jews was not one that they fought alone.In fact, their war had been being fought for decades before Hitler even took power, perhaps even a full generation. The fight began in the late 19th century in Jerusalem, within the office of the mufti of that city. He was an elderly, serious man who, unlike everyone around him, believed he could read the tea leaves and explain where these land sales to an ever-increasing number of Jews was supposedly heading (despite the fact that he himself was also taking part in these land sales). By the early 1900s, a young boy—the elderly, serious man’s son—was sitting in this office with his father, taking all of this in. No one at the time could have possibly known that this man would come to represent one of the most controversial parts of the Third Reich’s war three quarters of a century after its conclusion, thanks almost entirely to the words he spoke and wrote.This episode of History Impossible returns to the first long-form series, “The Muslim Nazis”, that started it all, three years ago. In this episode, we’ll be looking at what happened when the Nazis began to craft a nearly unprecedented propaganda campaign directed primarily at the world’s Arabs, but also the world’s Muslims as a whole. The propaganda itself—filled with unparalleled invective, racism, and conspiracy-mongering—was not invented whole-cloth by the Nazis. Indeed, it was fine-tuned by the Nazis’ growing cast of Islamic allies, most of whom from embattled nations struggling under the weight of empire and civil war. This cast included that young boy all grown up: the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini.Not only is the Grand Mufti’s role in the propaganda campaign examined in this episode, but so are the most consequential claims ever made about the man—namely, his alleged role in the Shoah, which does not cease to cause massive, angry debates around the world. With claims ranging from those made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015 when he alleged that Hajj Amin is who inspired Hitler to commit the Holocaust, all the way to the Grand Mufti’s dwindling handful of apologists, who either ignore his time spent with the Axis or even outright minimize its importance; this part of our story endeavors to get to the bottom of it all.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonDannyPaul DeCosterNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasRob DuvalGavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Thomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidJim MillerKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamSkip PachecoDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusPhillip RiceChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry SpanglerThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleChrisTXWard Van RoyRobert VSJonny WilkieRicky WortheyMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Sometimes, the best way to understand everything a people have gone through is to understand a dream.This is how many nations frame themselves and their own origins. No matter the context, there is always truth in the idea that before there was a nation, there was a dream. And that dream, however morally sullied by the ugliness of reality, consequences, and choices, can never and should never be discounted, even with the nations who have had their dreams frustrated for so long. In fact, the truth of that dream can be seen in those realities, consequences, and choices that we may not understand or accept on a moral level many years later. This can be seen in plenty of nations, both old and young, and that everyone recognizes, from the United States to Israel. But there are few nations whose history better represents this dynamic than the young nation (but very old culture) of Bosnia.In this conclusion to the Balkan Inferno trilogy that will lead us by the hand back into the good graces of the so-called “Muslim Nazis,” we look at that long history of that central, symbolic part of the old Yugoslavian Region we today call Bosnia-Herzegovina (or Bosnia, for short). We’ll look at many of the strange and mysterious aspects of this place’s history, including its own schismatic Bosnian Church, and the various attempts at self-determination peppering the timeline. This timeline is often dominated by collapsed empires—Roman, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, German—and failed kingdoms—Serbian and Croatian—but always present is the story of Bosnia.This nation and its people has always had others trying to define them for their own ends, but there has always been a force within that has wanted to define itself. This has indeed led to some truly disturbing decisions—namely alliances—but these decisions could always be tracked back to the dream that forges all nations. That is what we explore here today.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikMichael BeachBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CMind ChatteringsCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin EdwardsPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidJim MillerKyle MohneyMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenAllen PaceSkip PachecoDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinPhillip RiceChris RoweJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSJonny WilkieRicky WortheyMichael WroblewskiF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains persistent graphic genocide violence and cruelty, especially in its first 75 minutes. Listener discretion is advised.In this part of the ongoing Balkan prelude to our return to the "Muslim Nazis" series, we are about to descend into the depths of hell. This was by design by the murderous Ustashe regime that took power after the invasion and dismemberment of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Fuhrer of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler. What happened next was a nightmare beyond the the imagining of most modern, comfortable nations in the 21st century. But it all happened.Serbs, Jews, Roma, and others were singled out not just for extermination, but extermination in the most brutal methods imaginable, thanks both to the savage hatreds festering under the surface of the former Kingdom's political culture, but also because the perpetrators actually saw their cruelty as the point; as their mission. It was less about politics, or religion, or anything really, than it was about simplistic notions of identity-based vengeance that never really made much sense to begin with.In the wake of this slaughter, however, more chaos was to follow. Almost immediately after the Nazi-fascist invasion, resistance began to crop up, both from Serb nationalist royalists and the multi-ethnic, multi-religious communist Partisans, as well as from other, less-armed but no-less-motivated groups we will be examining in later episodes. The three-to-five-sided civil war that exploded across the region not only swallowed up thousands of lives and muddied the waters of loyalty and nationhood and identity, but it placed the Nazis in the greatest quagmire the world had yet seen, where even members of their own military apparatus--no strangers to the deliberate mass destruction of civilians--were horrified by what they saw their supposed allies do to their hated countrymen. If anyone thought self-reflection was in order, however, they were naïve.The story of the Yugoslavian territory during World War II--one of pain and unresolved trauma--is one that will likely not be matched in European history in terms of sheer brutality and hatred, at least not for a very long time. But it's a story that must be examined, even if only as part of a much larger one.Also: Make sure to check out my friend and comrade Saša Paprić's awesome work here and here.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikMichael BeachBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinChris RoweJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

“[B]y strange contrast, which in fact isn't so strange, and could perhaps be easily explained by careful analysis, it can also be said that there are a few countries with such firm belief, elevated strength of character, so much tenderness and loving passion, such depth of feeling, of loyalty and unshakable devotion, or with such a thirst for justice. But in secret depths underneath all this hide burning hatreds, entire hurricanes of tethered and compressed hatreds maturing and awaiting their hour.”—Ivo Andrić“I had come to Yugoslavia because I knew that the past has made the present, and I wanted to see how the process works. Let me start now. It is plain that it means an amount of human pain, arranged in an unbroken continuity appalling to any person cradled in the security of the English or American past. Were I to go down into the marketplace, armed with the powers of witchcraft, and take a peasant by the shoulders and whisper to him, 'In your lifetime, have you known peace?' wait for his answer, shake his shoulders and transform him into his father, and ask him the same question, and transform him in his turn to his father, I would never hear the word 'Yes,' if I carried my questioning of the dead back for a thousand years, I would always hear, 'No. There was fear, there were our enemies without, our rulers within, there was prison, there was torture, there was violent death.'”—Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey FalconLong before there was a Third Reich, long before there was an Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini, long before there were any world wars, long before there was a Hajj Amin al-Husseini or Palestinian nationalist movement, long before a state of Israel was a twinkle in Theodor Herzl’s eye—there were the South Slavs of the Balkan peninsula, languishing under the weight of teetering empires entering their period of decline. Sensing weakness and frustrated with not being able to determine their own destiny, a nationalist spirit awakened in the hearts of thousands, and, in some cases, a sort of freedom was carved out for the region’s many peoples, something through violent revolution, others through diplomacy and politics. And then, one day, the empires were gone. And a new kingdom had to rise from the ashes. This is when the real problems began.In this prelude to the return of History Impossible's long-running Muslim Nazis series, we’re going to look at the conception, the birth, and rapid death of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. There are peasant rebellions, countless wars and assassinations, democratic malaise and poorly addressed ethnic tensions, extreme violence breaking out within the halls of state, seizures of power, radical terrorism, and the invasion and dismemberment by a far more powerful foreign adversary—and we’re not even talking about the United States in the near future!This story, as stated in the very first episode of the original series, has taken two years to return, thanks to the historically complex mosaic this part of the world has turned it into. But return we have, and we’ve just begun; this is why we are going to be spending a number of episodes focusing on the history of the Balkans. Don't worry, it will all fit together soon; the Kingdom of Yugoslavia not only sets the stage for so many of the characters we’ve come to know and love (to hate, hopefully), but it gives us an unprecedented snapshot of how a young democracy dies and, crucially and nightmarishly, what happens afterward.Welcome to the real graveyard of empires.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyFeegoaPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezDouglas MartocciaMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

As Hajj Amin al-Husseini hurdles toward his destination with which we started this entire series, the scope of our tale expands drastically with the arrival of the Nazis themselves. Though this isn't to say they weren't always there, lurking in the background of Palestinian Littlefinger's schemes and dealings. In fact, it would be inaccurate to say that he hadn't been well aware and in open communication with them. Always playing the angles. In this mid-season finale of our story, we'll be looking at al-Husseini's early dealings with the Nazis throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, as well as his harrowing flight from the Middle East into the arms of his newest patrons. An examination of the Nazi higher-ups--namely with a proper introduction to the infamous Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler--and their attitudes toward Islam is also in order, with a deeper look into the frighteningly simplistic-yet-convoluted vision they had of the world. And then we'll look at al-Husseini's arrival in Europe, his political wheeling and dealing that never really stopped and manage to secure him a seemingly cushy place within the upper echelons of the Third Reich. And of course, finally, we will be back where we ended our first episode of this series: looking at the famed meeting in which al-Husseini finally got to meet the man who he had come to see as a kindred spirit, if only in opposition to their many hatreds: the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler. History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Elias BorotaMatthew DakusNathan DiehlGavin EdwardsKevin GonyNathan GrotePeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenMolly PanJean PetersEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyEugene RossoJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerBlake WescottRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Sometimes the best way to convey the weight of history is to read the words of just one person who lived it.In this special episode of History Impossible, we'll be looking at the life of Joseph Samuels, whose incredible journey and profound resilience throughout his 90 plus years on this planet deserved examination. From the dusty streets of Baghdad, where he escaped the first and worst massacre of Iraqi Jewish history as a boy, to his dangerous flight to the new Jewish home of Israel, to his search for meaning in his life and his discovery of love and success that took him from Jerusalem to Montreal and finally to Los Angeles. And despite all the horror that haunted his childhood as he escaped the Farhud, he never once took life for granted and was always grateful for his good fortune.As Samuels himself wrote in his memoir, "Make your life your own chain of miracles."History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Benjamin BernierElias BorotaMatthew DakusNathan DiehlKyle DillonGavin EdwardsKevin GonyNathan GrotePeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenMolly PanJean PetersEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyEugene RossoJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtCameron SmithJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerBlake WescottRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

What do you get when all of your best laid plans seem to be falling apart around you with nothing but the suffering of your people to show for it? Bitterness.As the 1920s turned into the 1930s, Hajj Amin al-Husseini's power started to look increasingly fragile and precarious, largely thanks to the effects of the violence that rocked Palestine in the summer of 1929 that only served to raise the temperature across the nation. The nationalist movement would continue to splinter and many different factions would take much more strident, even recognizably jihadist measures against the British Mandate which only served to incentivize the colonizers to redouble their suppression efforts, culminating in the second great Arab Revolt of the 20th century, from 1936-1939.In this episode of the Muslim Nazis we see the power Hajj Amin al-Husseini accumulated during the 1920s start to slip through his fingers until he is yet again on the run from the British. This part of our story takes us from Palestine to Syria to Iraq. It is Iraq where al-Husseini manages to get himself deeply involved in the coup that brought the British down to bear on Iraq's new government, a government supported by another imperial power beginning to make its moves in Europe. And what ultimately follows such a dramatic confrontation is so devastating that the only word that can sufficiently describe it is in Arabized Kurdish.That word is farhud, translated as “violent dispossession”, though it could also reasonably be simplified into one word: disaster.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Benjamin BernierElias BorotaMiklos BuksaMatthew DakusKyle DillonGavin EdwardsKevin GonyNathan GrotePeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin LeeJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenMolly PanJake PetersenEdmund PlamowskiPJ RaderGleb RadutskyJon André SætherAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtCameron SmithJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouHistory Impossible has also launched a storefront where you get History Impossible goodies, including shirts, mugs, and stickers. More designs will be uploaded in the coming months, but get your History Impossible gear over at TeePublic now; just click the link and you'll be taken there.https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-history-impossible-storefront?utm_campaign=23070&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=The%2BHistory%2BImpossible%2BStorefrontFinal note: If you want to skip the opening housekeeping, jump ahead to 11:30.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

1929 was, in a lot of ways, the year the world began its final descent into hell. The stock market crash in the United States would lead to untold misery in much of the Western world and allow for the rise and spread of particularly noxious ideologies across the whole of Europe. However, on the other side of the world, another "beginning of the end" was taking place, this time between the Jews and Arabs of Palestine, with the events that rocked this tiny nation setting the groundwork for suspicions, resentments, and hatreds for the decades to come. In the third episode of the tale of the Muslim Nazis, we follow Hajj Amin al-Husseini into his diplomatic battle with the British Mandate of Palestine and his role (or lack thereof?) in this explosion of violence and destruction in his homeland. We see events slipping out of his control that he believed he possessed, all while he fights every battle everywhere in his mind. We see him struggle to maintain his status and play both sides of the conflict as best as he can in order to secure his place at the power broker table. And above all, we see him make his full transformation into the phase of his life that was defined by his thirst for more power. Music credit first goes to Alex Mason for his song "Beginning". Music credit also goes to Ernesto Schnack for his rendition of "The Light of the Seven"; check out his YouTube channel and subscribe (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz1PeIEiNkKRwWDKFA6RkzQ). History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Benjamin BernierElias BorotaMiklos BuksaMatthew DakusKyle DillonGavin EdwardsPeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin LeeJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosDylan NesvigMolly PanJake PetersenEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtCameron SmithJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

"Palestine is my country and the country of my ancestors—I will sacrifice myself for the sake of its sons."—Hajj Amin al-HusseiniIn the second episode of History Impossible's first series, we'll be diving head first into the early life of our story's central character, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the future Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in Palestine.We'll see how he developed his identity as a Palestinian nationalist from a very early age and the activities this passion led him to pursue. We'll look at what he did at the outbreak of the First World War and how his allegiances began to form. We'll look at his rapid ascent to power in the British Mandate following the war, and how he began to clash with these colonial masters. We'll even see the groundwork being laid by a man who would come to be known—fairly or otherwise—as a man behind whom riots and destruction tended to follow.This is the early life story of Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Petyr Baelish of Palestine.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Benjamin BernierElias BorotaMiklos BuksaRon CohenMatthew DakusKyle DillonGavin EdwardsPeter HauckDevin HrehaRussell JohnsonMike KalninsBenjamin LeeViktor LittmarckJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosMolly PanJake PetersenJohn PisanoEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskySailusAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtCameron SmithGeorge SmithJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. You(If you don't want the housekeeping/updates at the beginning, skip ahead to 8 minutes and enjoy!)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

"The peoples of Islam will always be closer to us than, for example, France. ... Had Charles Martel not been victorious at Poiters, then we should in all probability have been converted to Mohammedanism, that cult which glorifies the heroism and which opens up the seventh Heaven to the bold warrior alone. Then the Germanic races would have conquered the world."-Adolf Hitler The first episode of History Impossible's first series introduces one of the most controversial aspects of Nazi Germany's strategy in the Second World War: its implementation of Muslims. Where one could simply write it off as mere opportunism--a claim that isn't without some truth--there was a much deeper connection between the two cultures fabricated by figures operating within them. In this series premiere, the Islamic soldiers who would fight for Hitler's army and even begin to develop a reputation are introduced and then the early days of Imperial German-Islamic allyship is explored. There are visits to the tomb of Saladin by the Kaiser, frantic diplomatic trips full of mishaps undertaken by German Orientalists during the First World War, and the introduction of probably one of the most underappreciated figures in both the Second World War and in the history of Israel and Palestine. This is the history of the so-called "Muslim Nazis." History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal:Benjamin BernierElias BorotaMiklos BuksaMatthew DakusKyle DillonGavin EdwardsPeter HauckDevin HrehaMike KalninsBenjamin Lee Jose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosMolly PanEdmund PlamowskiBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskySailusAlison SaloSamEmily SchmidtCameron SmithJared Cole TempleSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

After a slight delay, History Impossible is back with the newest installment of audio adaptations of previous writing and historical scholarship that I’ve done in the past several years or so. In this case, we are looking at a massively overhauled and updated audio version of an essay I wrote that was originally published by Areo Magazine in January of 2021, in which I made the case that the United States was undergoing something of a religious revival, which became particularly evident the previous year.This is a theme I’ve visited and revisited multiple times in the years since this essay was originally published and it has even become central to my scholarly pursuits in graduate school. This fact, along with the always-changing landscape of American culture and life required several updates, most of which on the fly, to be made to the core content of this essay, resulting in a new episode of the podcast in which about half of the material never existed before.In short, we will be looking at the phenomenon of religious revivals in the United States throughout its entire history and then some—from the aftermath of the Salem witchcraft crisis and lead-up to the First Great Awakening that occurred throughout New England in the mid-18th century, all the way to what I believe is the ongoing and forming Fifth Great Awakening that began in earnest in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Perhaps foolishly, we even try to predict the future and where this all goes.Fraught, likely controversial stuff. But also deeply personal for me, as someone who thinks a lot about spirituality despite not being particularly spiritual or religious himself. Please enjoy.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachGregg AndersonRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachZazu BenbenBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenJason ColemanClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.EastoneGavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJosh GoedertJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJack HennemanEric HodgesMike JarulicJoe6245Lionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamShiranSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieChristian WilsonJanora WinsorF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Hello everybody. We have another amazing conversation for you fine people to enjoy, this time a little spicier as far as controversial subjects go. To further expand upon my thoughts on the imperialistic character of Islamism as well as discuss the development of the new (neo?) antisemitism we are currently seeing develop in the West, I realized there was likely no one better suited in my orbit than the great UK-based polemicist and writer Brendan O’Neill.Brendan has been featured, well, all over—the British television, the Oxford debates, and many more, all while writing for multiple publications including spiked! (where he is chief political writer), The Spectator, and the Daily Mail, as well as hosting his excellent interview show, The Brendan O’Neill Show. I’ve followed his work for a very long time, and have always admired him for his sharp commentary that, while certainly very much his own, calls to mind the kind of sharp commentary we saw from the great Christopher Hitchens (and not just because of the accent). With Brendan’s work, as soon as you think you’re hearing a typical broadside against the Western left, you realize that there is a deeper, more socially liberal critique informing all of that, sharpened all the more when he turns his guns on the radical right. This came up a lot during our conversation.However, his most recent accomplishment, his excellent 2024 polemic After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel, and the Crisis of Civilization, is what made this conversation more of an imperative. It was not just the power of this book—the rage behind it, which I often shared—that made me want to speak to Brendan about it, but also—selfishly, I admit—my own words were quoted within it, specifically from the piece I wrote jointly for Queer Majority and Quillette in late 2023 about the origins of Hamas’ homophobia. Brendan and I connected via social media and eventually were able to make this conversation happen, and it was a truly excellent one that covers a wide range of topics, most of which related to his book, but some of which went in directions neither of us anticipated—the conspiracy theorist mindset, the situation with Darryl Cooper, and even the role of wonder and meaning in everyday life, especially for atheists like Brendan and myself.It was a great conversation and one we both hope to have again and/or expand upon in the future....History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachGregg AndersonRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenJason ColemanClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.EastoneGavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJosh GoedertJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJack HennemanEric HodgesMike JarulicJoe6245Lionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamShiranSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

In this newest conversation on History Impossible, I was super-happy to be joined by fellow historical podcaster Zack Twamley, host of the excellent and long-running podcast, When Diplomacy Fails. Zack and I have mostly crossed paths via our mutual podcasting pal Kristaps Andrejsons of the Eastern Border podcast, on which we have both been guests. Most recently, as many will recall, Zack and I were part of a larger panel discussion (that also included other podcasting great Jack Johansson of the Secret Police podcast) that Kristaps hosted to discuss the state of the new Trump administration vis-à-vis the ongoing war in Ukraine and the apparent attempt by the U.S. government to disentangle itself from European affairs while also bringing the war to a speedy conclusion (which, as we all know, did not happen). After that conversation, Zack and I decided we should deepen the part of the conversation that stuck with us and dive deep into the geopolitical school of thought that is typical of Ukraine’s loudest critics: so-called Realism.As it turns out, there was a lot to say and for me to learn, which did not surprise me seeing as Zack is the closest thing to an expert on the field of international relations that I know, thanks to the focus of When Diplomacy Fails. This episode got deep into the weeds of Realism, its drawbacks, its benefits, its variations over time, and even its dangers. There was a lot of contemporary politics interwoven into the historical discussion as well, so Ukraine is certainly covered, but so is the historical application of realpolitik, and, fitting in with History Impossible’s recent episodes, its relationship with imperialism of both the soft and hard variety. It was a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation for us, and we thought that you all would like it too, so please enjoy this discussion of Realism between myself and Zack Twamley.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachGregg AndersonRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenJason ColemanClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.EastoneGavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJosh GoedertJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJack HennemanHenryEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Lionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamShiranSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Hello again everyone. We have a new, special episode of History Impossible for all of you in which we examine a less-known moment of American imperialism, as well as the downstream effects it seemed to have during the world’s authoritarian moment of the 1930s. This is adapted from an academic paper I wrote in graduate school that I previously put out for all of you to read, similar to my earlier piece, “A Revulsion of Feeling,” which focused on the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939.We don’t often think of the positive downstream effects of imperialism, but that does not mean they do not exist. This is not some fringe position either; as I have come to understand while in graduate school, there is a growing set of ideas that demonstrate empire’s stabilizing effects and not necessarily coercive relationships that it establishes. Great examples of this include the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which promoted ethnic and even national pluralism, both before and after its decline, as well as the Ottoman Empire, during its less coercive moments (though it certainly had many, vis-à-vis religion). The United States, young as it is, has caused a lot of turmoil overseas in its own imperial adventures, but the imperial boomerang has come back around in protective ways as well, sometimes even preventing disaster from befalling it.The story of Major General Smedley Butler and his role in those imperial adventures is one of those stories....History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenJason ColemanClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.EastoneGavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJosh GoedertJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJack HennemanHenryEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Lionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamShiranSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Please note: This episode was made before I learned about the influence of Qatar in various parts of the United States (including, apparently, the Oval Office for the mere price of a plane), but honestly, it all just serves to help confirm my overall thesis all the more. World events have a funny way of rendering old analyses irrelevant, but I am sorry to say that imperialism in its many forms is likely eternal.The last time we discussed imperialism on History Impossible, we looked at the form it appears to be taking under the second Trump administration, which, despite remaining based on trade deals and possibly empty threats of annexation, is a much “harder” form of imperialism than what the United States has employed in recent history (apart, of course, from our “state building” adventures in places like Iraq). This time, we will turn to the softer form of imperialism favored by places like the United States during the opening decade of the Cold War, as well as the French Empire in the mid-19th century and, as we will see from this episode, the attempts at spreading and more importantly, normalizing Islamism within the borders of Western, democratic, and decidedly non-theocratic or Islamic countries.By examining the fringes, we can often reveal the realities of the center, and in this case, a deeper understanding imperialism can be gleaned by looking at what is largely a lost cause on paper and realizing that lost causes are often fueled by reinterpreted victories, which can be as simple as sociopolitical subversion. Will the West become Islamist? Almost certainly not. Will Islamists attempt to take advantage and make use of the cultural and political ruptures, as well as the social status symbols, that exist within the West, thus making their goals all the more likely to succeed? Almost certainly yes. We know this because this is what soft imperial power—whether wielded by United States Cold Warriors in the CIA in the 1950s or French aristocrats and business owners in the 1850s—has always attempted to do.Imperialism is not always about coercive control of a smaller state. In fact, it often is not. The core goal of imperialism has always been one thing: influence. That is what we will explore today.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.EastoneGavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckHenryEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Lionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamShiranSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

The question of who President Donald Trump resembled in history is one that has become almost a cliche, mostly thanks to its ideological Rorschach quality, especially during his first term and in the years leading up to his second. This has become far less of a debate, thanks largely to the man himself actually citing his influences.This was what I decided to tackle in an essay I wrote for my friend David Josef Volodsko in his publication, The Radicalist. A couple of weeks later, I am happy to bring to all of you the audio adaptation of that essay, with a couple of important expansions you won’t receive anywhere else.This is the first installment of a small cluster of episodes I plan to put out for all of you that deal with the theme of imperialism, which will also hopefully include an interview or two about the subject as well.Thank you again for reading, listening, and for having incredible patience as I work on the next installment of “The Muslim Nazis” series.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.Gavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckHenryEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Lionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamStrxmxnSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

I was recently invited to join in a panel discussion with three podcasting greats and people I consider friends—that is, The Eastern Border’s Kristaps Andrejsons, the Secret Police podcast’s Jack Johannson, and When Diplomacy Fails podcast’s Zack Twamley. It originally went up on the Eastern Border feed, split into two parts, but Kristaps was kind enough to let all of us get our grubby paws on the masters to put on our own feeds, something that I felt would allow me to give all of you fine people another nice bonus while you wait for the next installments of History Impossible.The conversation went on for nearly three hours and was incredibly enlightening and fun, and yours truly was able to actually sound relatively informed for most of the run time. Some plans are in the works for some more dedicated one-on-one conversations with these guys, but in the meantime, we all weighed in on the post-Oval Office diplomatic reality TV/Twitter IRL brouhaha that involved Presidents Zelenskyy and Trump and, especially to my ire as many of you will hear, Vice President J.D. Vance.The conversation also widened as our ranks narrowed (Zack and Jack both had previous engagements they needed to attend to), and Kristaps being who he is, was able to get me to spiral out some “worst case scenarios” for the changing global order as we know it. So please enjoy this panel discussion where a quartet of podcasters attempt to crack the nut of geopolitical strategy in 2025.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.Gavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckHenryEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Russell JohnsonLionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Slavery is often known as the United States’ original sin, and for good reason. Much of our perceptions of it are informed both by the Civil War’s cause and outcome, and the contradictions—and even moral hypocrisy—that it created with our Founding Fathers’ professed beliefs. Contradiction is the theme not just of the United States’ values and history, but it also a major theme of this episode of the podcast.In this newest installment of History Impossible, we’re looking at the extraordinary life of James Armistead Lafayette, the slave who would become the Colonies’ most vital spy during the Revolutionary War. I had never heard of this man before, but after reading fellow Keinrath Publishing writer Isaac Willour’s stirring and powerful portrait of the man—which everyone should check out here—I felt that it would be fitting for me and Isaac to chat about it. This conversation was the result of that, in which we discuss the circumstances of Armistead Lafayette’s life defined by action as well as the seemingly baffling contradiction that he shared with the Founding Fathers themselves: his owning of slaves after his own manumission.Isaac’s writing has appeared not just in Keinrath, but also publications including National Review, The Daily Wire, and the American Institute for Economic Research. He has also appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Amid all of that, though, he has managed to carve out time to be fascinated in history and that led us to chatting about this story. It is a fascinating tale, and I hope you all enjoy.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.Gavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckHenryEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Russell JohnsonLionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

The American West (or the “Wild West” as it’s still sometimes known) is arguably one of the defining features of the United States’ history and culture, if not the most defining feature. After all, much of the world has the image of the American cowboy (or less often, the American settler) planted firmly in their heads when they think of “Americans.” And while certainly not consciously, many Americans think of themselves in this way. There is a lot to be critical of the reality of the “American West,” not least of which being the brutality that it unleashed at various times and in various places. But there is also something—many things really—that we are at risk of losing if we completely demonize the time period and setting. This can even be seen in much of the media that has been created around the American West lately, with few exceptions (the Red Dead Redemption series of video games being one of those few exceptions). In losing the aspirational aspects of the American West even in much of the media, something more seems to be lost, up to an including the kind of models many young American men can aspire to.It may or may not surprise many of you that this is not exactly my wheelhouse, but it is not. I don’t know a lot about the American West beyond the more brutal stories I mentioned earlier and an awareness of it in the context of cinematic history. So that’s why with this special episode of History Impossible, I was joined by the prolific and talented writer David McGarry, who has had his work appear in esteemed publications including Reason and National Review, as well as his his own Substack, The Thoughtful Spot. David and I actually connected through a new writing venture that both of us have taken part in, a start-up known as Keinrath Publishing. I recently told you all about Keinrath when I put out the piece linking you guys to my essay for them covering the 1876 election, and like me, David put out a piece there covering, you guessed it, the spirit of the American West. I recommend not just David’s essay, but everyone’s essays there (including long-time friend and collaborator Daniele Bolelli!) because Keinrath is doing something really cool: offering thoughtful analyses of history and current events in long form, in which just a dollar will let you read each. It’s a great way to support writers like us, but honestly, Keinrath is just a great organization run by good people, and I would love to see them get some love. So go check them out when you get the chance. And I’m really happy to say that this will actually be the first of two interviews I’m doing with fellow authors there. So stay tuned for the next one very soon.In the meantime though, please enjoy this conversation I had with David McGarry about the spirit of the American West, where it went, and how we might get it back.…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive:David AdamcikDavid AlsbachRajan AthulRobert BabeonMichael BeachBenjaminGreg BosaiJohannes BreitsameterCarol ABCCharles CCurtis ChristiansenClayton ConnellCliffydeuceCRB.CyrdaddygorgonDannyLynda DavisPaul DeCosterRegina Dick-EndrizziNeil DickensNathan DiehlBob DowningDramicasMartin E.Gavin EdwardsHowie FeltersnatchPierre GhazarianJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckHenryEric HodgesCarey HurstMike JarulicJoe6245Russell JohnsonLionel JosephThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanLeah KodnerBenjamin LeeConstance LoucksMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidKyle MohneyKostas MorosRyan MortensonCameron NeedhamSkip PachecoMel PaddenDavid PageMolly PanJeff ParrentSr. PowellBrian PritzlAnaR737PJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinReptilycusMatthew M. RicePhillip RiceTerry RosenChris RoweDan SJon Andre SaetherJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberNeil SheehanJoshua SimpsonCameron SmithJerry Spanglertimetosuccedd1995Thomas SqueoAthal Krishna SundarrajanJared Cole TempleWard Van RoyPierre VorupuniRobert VSJonny WilkieMichael WroblewskiF. YouGreg ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.