Game-Changing History

Find the similarities with today's politics at your own risk ... but this is as close we get to understanding the inner workings of the defendants in the Nuremberg trial - Hans Frank, Herman Göring, Albert Speer, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Rudolf Hess, Julius Streicher, Alfred Rosenberg - what drove them, and did they still believe in the Nazi cause towards the end of the trial? Where we are going in and really digging deep into this is at a time when the trial has lasted for a long time, and the new psychiatrist Leon Goldensohn starts his work. A jew, h...

The most important Nazi prisoner still alive, Hermann Göring, is about to make his final stand. A complex character, Göring will fiercely battle the American prosecutor, facing the enormous weight of evidence against him and the Third Reich. 

By and with Francis Lundh

The human capacity for cruelty has rarely been more apparent as when the prosecution starts putting forward all their evidence against the 21 defendants in this first epic Nuremberg trial. This is part 3 of our series, join us as this drama is picking up pace.  

Cover photo: Erwin von Lahousen in court. 

By and with Francis Lundh

Things are getting real - this will be an episode about justice, suicide, drama and denial. The new world order about to be shaped through law, but if we are to have a fair trial, can we end up finding some of the top Nazi's not guilty and can the world live with that? Listen in.

By and with Francis Lundh

Welcome to the trial of the century! All the remaining top Nazis after the war are about to meet their destiny, but first they must be rounded up, hunted down and jailed. And how will they react? Will they show regret? Will they deny it all despite tons of evidence? Will they play mad? Find out in this first episode that gives us a unique look into the human psyche. 

By and with Francis Lundh

It's time for a rethink on the origins of humanity - and we're doing so with a twist of Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons. Lean back and get ready to be amazed (and perhaps a bit freaked out) 

By and with Francis Lundh

By and with Francis Lundh

We continue the journey of historical extremism towards today's MAGA movement, but we will not make this an Agatha Christie moment where we reveal the conclusion in a dramatic twist at the end: The MAGA movement is politically exteme from a historical point of view. And unless you do see yourself as such, you probably should stay away from it or vote for it. 

We will explore how extremism has happened in the US before, why extremist leaders are often targeted by assassins, why lying is actually working - in a different way than what you might t...

Is America seeing political extremism now? We are doing a historical analyzis of how the MAGA movement fits in - listen, make up your own mind, and share this with friends or family if you think this can be useful for them.

By and with Francis Lundh

Meet the queen of the Pornocracy, Marozia - this is Game of Thrones meets The Sopranos in a very real, but mostly forgotten, period in history where the Church was in serious trouble. The Popes were all controlled by a ruling family in Rome, with strong women and a strong appetite for power. 

By and with Francis Lundh

How bad must the Popes in Rome have been for a whole time period in the history of the papacy to be called "The Pornocracy"? Is it all protestant slander, or were the popes in the Middle Ages so twisted that the term was justified? Either way, we see a time period so horrible for the Church, that the institution as we know it might have gone down in flames. In this first episode we will look at the very rise of Christianity and the papacy as an institution, up until it starts going really, really bad. Prepare yourself...

Recently our topic of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact has become more and more relevant as history is an arena for information war with the current situation in Ukraine. We will see how the deal between Hitler and Stalin deteriorates, at the same time as we will look at how everything happening at this time in history plays an important role on what we currently see is unfolding. This episode you can listen to without having listened to the previous ones, and if you think this might be useful for more people to listen to, please consider sharing it.

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First Hitler, then Stalin. For the people of Poland 1939 is a terrible year. The effects of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact are becoming evident, as the world war is starting.

By and with Francis Lundh

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact sealed the fate of millions and kick started World War II. Join in as we are diving into one of the most cynical deals ever made, discovering how the most unlikely of partners; Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, united in unholy matramony. 

By and with Francis Lundh

Hardly game-changing, but potentially quite funny: The Australian Emu War is one of those strange moments in history where you just go: Is this for real? And indeed it is, it turns out flightless birds can have "the invulnerability of tanks"

By and with Francis Lundh

How often do you think about the Roman Empire? Turns out many people do that a lot. For this special episode we are joined by one of the best ever history podcasters: He is an Italian history professor living in the US, he is an author of several books and even a MMA fighter - say hi to the amazing Daniele Bolelli, and buckle up as we dig deep into what of today's civilization and mindset is really just echoes of ancient Rome. And could it have been different? Join us and find out.

By and with...

This is the tale of how Karl Marx and Mikhail Bakunin fought it out in what would be the most nasty intellectual battle of the 1800's - and how would the political left have looked like if the anarchists had won?

"I hate Communism because it is the negation of liberty and because humanity is for me unthinkable without liberty. I am not a Communist, because Communism concentrates and swallows up in itself for the benefit of the State all the forces of society, because it inevitably leads to the concentration of property in the hands of...

Welcome to the the revolutionary movement of the 1800's, a time where people were fighting on the barricades and had radical ideas about transforming society. We will, through the eyes of the revolutionary Mikhail Bakunin explore  the year of revolutions in 1848 and the various forms of socialism that will emerge, culminating with the power struggle with Karl Marx.  Bakunin will be seen as one of the forerunners of liberal socialism, anarchism, collectivism and the terms that will be used on the fraction to the political left wanting for decentralized socialistic societal structurs without an organized state. Bakunin was a co...

What will Artificial Intelligence mean for historical research and how will history view the emergence of AI in retrospect? Join me for a short discussion on a topic that is a little bit on the side, but without doubt potentiallt game-changing

By and with Francis Lundh

Ready your inner Amazon as you are about to meet some of the toughest women ancient history has to offer! Saddle up! 

By and with Francis Lundh

One year stands out when it comes to the transformation of Adolf Hitler from a low-life loser to the leader of the Nazi party: 1919. This is the extraordinary story of how the worlds perhaps most hated man emerged from poverty and hopelessness to become a mass murderer and a dictator responsible for starting the second world war.

By and with Francis Lundh

Harald Hardråde, by some known as the Last Viking, will lead an invasion force to claim the English crown that has been promised to him. New worlds will appear on the horizon, we will see why the battles of 1066 were inevitable and why the Viking age does not come to and end in that year - as many history books will tell you. Bonus material: Some Norse gangsta rap. 

By and with Francis Lundh

It is time for the big guns, it is time to get to know the most prolific characters in all of the Viking age - the big kings that will bring in under them large kingdoms, and they will do so with the faith in Christ. The times of Thor and Odin are fading, instead we will see the rise of a Viking saint in this fifth part of this series on the Vikings.

By and with Francis Lundh

This will be an action packed episode - discussing why 878 is a bigger game-changer than 1066, then telling the story of the Rus Vikings, before the dramatic siege of Paris in 885, the emegence of Rollo - the ultimate super-Viking, before we get into the real juicy part of the line of Norwegian kings. And as a bonus we will also do a short "best of" list of strange Viking names. 

By and with Francis Lundh

Imagine that you grow up worshiping Gods that teaches that honor is gained through torture and sacrifice and that are encouraging death on the battlefield - what will that do to you as a human being? In this episode we will delve into the treasure chest that is Norse Mythology and look at how the believers in Odin and Thor feared when they smashed asunder several British kingdoms before being stopped by one of history's real greats. 

By and with Francis Lundh

Who was the real Ragnar Lothbrok? Did Viking women fight in battles? And who are the mysterious women found in the richest Viking ship burial we know of? This is a fun one folks, Viking action galore. Enjoy!

By and with Francis Lundh

What does it mean to be a Viking? Why did the Viking age even start? Was it a war of religion, straight up pillaging - and how did they manage to push great kingdoms to their knees? We are going to tackle the entire Viking Age, here is part one.

By and with Francis Lundh

Imagine North becoming South and vice-versa. It's not fiction, it actually happened - several times. New scientific evidence is shedding light how one of these events, the so-called Laschamps excursion, that might have contributed to both shape humankind, and might even bee a contributing factor when it comes to solve the mystery of the Neanderthals. 

By and with Francis Lundh

Offended by critics, Isaac Newton decides he will leave science for alchemy and bible studies, keeping some of his most groundbreaking scientific discoveries that he has made to himself. Only after heavy persuasion and a scientific second wind he is publishing his theories that will change the world forever.

By and with Francis Lundh

What kind of personality is lurking behind one of humankind's biggest geniuses? What made the huge scientific breakthroughs of the 16th and 17th century possible? We will be dissecting the story of a certain Isaac Newton, the so-called architect of the modern world. Oh, and there will of course be a head on a spike, alchemy, religious crisis and emotional feuds as well. Enjoy.

By and with Francis Lundh

The fight for the truth is hardening as Russia's invasion of Ukraine is moving ahead. Censorship and propaganda is has never been quite like this before, in a world with new technology and methods

By and with Francis Lundh

A special episode discussing the situation in Ukraine and the battle for the truth, the role of social media and owning the narrative.

By and with Francis Lundh

The end is coming - Quisling and his regime in Norway are struggling on all fronts and the resistance is growing despite harder and harder punishments being dished out by the Nazi's. How will the people treat their self-proclaimed savior when the war is lost and 300.000 Wehrmacht soldiers on premise have surrendered?

(For sources and info check out gamechanginghistory.com)

By and with Francis Lundh

"Either I will be decorated or I will be court-martialled. Fire!". These were the words of the colonel responsible for sinking the Nazi heavy cruiser "Blücher" on its way to the Norwegian capital during the surprising invasion of April 9th 1940. The war is here and Nazi traitor Vidkun Quisling will seize power - this is the third episode in the series about this legendary treason and about the rise and fall of Nazism in Europe.  

By and with Francis Lundh

Things are heating up, Nazism is on the rise and the war is about to break out. We will follow the life of famous traitor Vidkun Quisling and his journey from minister of defense to befriending Hitler and changing the course of world war 2. 

By and with Francis Lundh

What makes a military ace and a humanitarian seek towards Adolf Hitler and Nazism? What do you have to do for your last name to end up in the dictionaries as an adjective synonymous with "traitor"? In this episode we will explore the rise of nationalism in Europe in general and Norwegian second world war traitor Vidkun Quisling in particular

By and with Francis Lundh