Explaining History

Episode Summary:In the second part of our deep dive into the origins of the Soviet famine, Nick continues his exploration of 1928-1929, the critical years that sealed the fate of the Russian peasantry.Drawing again on Robert Conquest’s The Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s "emergency measures"—intended to be temporary—became a permanent war on the countryside. Why did the Bolsheviks believe that the "middle peasant" was a capitalist hoarder? How did the regime’s reliance on bad data lead to a spiral of confiscation and violence that destroyed the incentives to produce food?We uncover the tragic logic of a state that viewed market mechanisms as a threat and chose instead to loot its own people, setting the stage for the catastrophic famine of the early 1930s.Plus: A reminder for history students! Tickets are selling fast for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure.Key Topics:The Emergency Measures of 1928: How temporary requisitioning became permanent policy.The Destruction of the Market: Why peasants stopped producing grain once the state began seizing it.Stalin's "Breathtaking Frankness": Admitting that the "tribute" levied on peasants was necessary for industrialization.The Myth of Hoarding: How the regime chased a phantom surplus that didn't exist.Books Mentioned:The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert ConquestBloodlands by Timothy SnyderExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns his attention to the economic chaos brewing in Washington. With Donald Trump threatening a criminal inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, we explore the dangerous politicization of America’s central bank.Why is the independence of the Fed so crucial to the global financial system? What happens when a president tries to bully interest rates down to win an election? Nick argues that Trump’s erratic behavior, combined with the weaponization of the dollar, is accelerating the process of "de-dollarization"—an existential threat to American power far greater than any tariff war.From the exorbitant privilege of the dollar to the looming debt crisis, we unpack the mechanics of imperial decline. Is Trump about to crash the only thing keeping the US military machine afloat?Plus: A reminder for history students—tickets are now available for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on January 26th!Key Topics:The War on the Fed: Trump’s attempt to seize control of monetary policy.De-Dollarization: Why global investors are losing faith in the greenback.Imperial Overstretch: How the dollar funds America's global military footprint.Stalinist Paranoia: Comparing Trump’s use of the FBI to historical purges.Listen to this episode advert free on Patreon hereAlso, you can sign up for the Explaining History Russian Revolution Masterclass hereExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick returns to the turbulent twilight of the Ottoman Empire. Following the euphoria of the 1908 Young Turk Revolution, disillusionment quickly set in. We explore the 1909 Counter-Revolution, where religious conservatives and mutinous soldiers attempted to roll back constitutional rule and restore the Sultan's absolute power.But the restoration of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) did not bring stability. Instead, it exposed deep ethnic fault lines. Drawing on Eugene Rogan's The Fall of the Ottomans, we examine how the "Armenian Question" metastasized from a demand for civil rights into a pretext for mass murder.From the massacres in Adana to the cynical interventions of European powers, we trace the road to the first genocide of the 20th century. How did the fear of partition radicalize the Ottoman state? And what role did the Great Powers play in turning ethnic tension into catastrophe?Listen to this episode advert free on Patreon hereAlso, you can sign up for the Explaining History Russian Revolution Masterclass hereKey Topics:The 1909 Counter-Revolution: The failed attempt to restore Islamic law and absolutism.The Armenian Question: How demands for autonomy were viewed as an existential threat.The Adana Massacres: The prelude to the genocide of 1915.European Intervention: How Western meddling exacerbated sectarian violence.Books Mentioned:The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene RoganExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOR ADVERT FREE EPISODES JOIN OUR PATREON HEREEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the pervasive yet elusive ideology of neoliberalism. Why do we treat free-market capitalism as a natural law, like gravity, rather than a political choice?Drawing on George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison’s The Invisible Doctrine, we delve into the origins of the neoliberal project—from the Mont Pelerin Society to the policies of Reagan and Thatcher. Nick argues that capitalism isn't just about market exchange; it is a system designed for the concentration of capital, one that reshapes all social and political relations to serve that end.From the myth of meritocracy and the "trickle-down" fallacy to the rise of what Yanis Varoufakis calls "techno-feudalism," we examine how this anonymous ideology has led to inequality, environmental degradation, and the erosion of democracy.Plus: A reminder for history students! Our Russian Revolution Masterclass is coming up on Sunday, January 25th. Listen for details on how to book your spot.Key Topics:The Invisible Doctrine: How neoliberalism hides in plain sight.Techno-Feudalism: Rent extraction in the age of Silicon Valley.The Myth of the Free Market: Why capitalism requires an active, sometimes authoritarian, state.The Great Reversal: How the post-war social democratic consensus was dismantled.Books Mentioned:The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism by George Monbiot and Peter HutchisonTechnofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis VaroufakisDebt: The First 5000 Years by David GraeberExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this urgent episode of Explaining History, Nick addresses the breaking news from Minnesota: the execution of 37-year-old Renée Good by ICE agents.This is not just a news story; it is a historical inflection point. We explore the parallels between the unchecked violence of ICE and the early days of the Nazi SA (Brownshirts) in 1933. When a paramilitary force operates with impunity and state backing, the rule of law collapses.Nick argues that we cannot separate the history of the 20th century from the crisis of the present. From the "flexible labor markets" of neoliberalism to the racial violence of the Jim Crow era, the forces that led to this moment have deep roots. Why are political figures like Kristi Noem rushing to defend the indefensible? And is the US now sliding into the kind of state-sanctioned terror usually associated with 1970s Latin American dictatorships?Key Topics:The Execution of Renée Good: Analyzing the chilling reports of an extrajudicial killing.Historical Parallels: Comparing the impunity of ICE to the Nazi Brownshirts.The Politics of Cruelty: Why figures like Stephen Miller revel in suffering.The End of the Liberal Order: How the "beacon of freedom" became a carceral state.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.