Since his 1991 death, Rainer Sonntag has been remembered as a martyr by generations of neo-Nazis and other far-right activists, especially in his native Germany. Less discussed, however, is the fact that he was also a spy for the communist authorities of East Germany and their counterparts in the Soviet Union—and that a young KGB operative named Vladimir Putin played a prominent role in his rise to power. To learn more, Lawfare senior editor Scott R. Anderson sat down with Leigh Baldwin, the editor of SourceMaterial, and independent journalist Sean Williams, who co-authored a recent article on the relationship between Putin and Sonntag for The Atavist Magazine, entitled “Follow the Leader.” They discussed the relationship between communist intelligence agencies and far-right German movements, how those movements reacted to the reunification of Germany, and what Putin might have learned from his early dalliances with foreign far-right political movements. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Astrophysicist Shawn Usman discusses securing cislunar space. Leigh Baldwin co-wrote 'Follow The Leader', a story about a German Neo-Nazi spy working for Putin. The podcast explores the rise of Neo-Nazis in East Germany, Putin's influence on right-wing populist groups in Europe, and the potential for Nazi expansion. It also delves into extremism, foreign influence, and the disturbing implications, as well as the strategic competition in cis lunar space, the need for small satellites in Syslunner, and concerns over satellite movements beyond the Moon.