Dogs have been man’s best friend for millennia, so it stands to reason that man’s best friend will follow man into the depths of hell, that is, war. This wasn’t simply to rip and tear the throats of man’s enemies (though that certainly would play a part) or to serve as cannon fodder. Oftentimes, the dogs utilized in war—war dogs—would outshine their human counterparts in acts of heroism. This has been going on for thousands of years, but it became apparent just how valuable dogs were during the Great War of 1914-1918.Among the most famous of all war dogs serving in the First World War was the Paris street orphan dog Rags, who was discovered by Private Jimmy Donovan during leave. After he brought Rags into the fold, the little mutt became the mascot of the First Division, soon learning how to retrieve messages, spot broken signal wires, literally save lives, and even saluting his fellow (human) soldiers. Rags became the most photographed dog in the world and lived until 1936, longer than most dogs even of his size. He was frequently honored by his former human comrades and even met figures like General Jack Pershing. He also was responsible for dog shows creating a new category of “Hero Dog” to allow for mutts to be entered. The only downside was he needed to be given his first and only bath.In this installment of the Infinitesimal Impossibilities series of History Impossible, we’ll be looking at the life of Rags and where he fit into the grander events of the First World War. His epic adventures took him all over Europe and the United States where he met hundreds among the adoring public. For all who own dogs (and even those who don’t), his story will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate just how much we should value our furry friends. In the end, Rags was a war hero, an adventurer, a mangy mutt, a lovable nuisance, and in his own way a smart ass. But above all else he was a good boy.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 PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanPhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouGregory ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

In this newest episode of History Impossible, I was joined by my friend, comrade, and frequent collaborator CJ Killmer, host of the Dangerous History Podcast, primarily to dive deep into the question of one of America's most underrated villains, President Woodrow Wilson, particularly on his track record and beliefs regarding one of the dooziest of topics: race. And to put it bluntly, Wilson, as outlined by CJ in his recent 5+ hour episode concerning this subject that's part of his larger Woodrow Wilson series, did not have a good track record when it came to race in America, particularly when it truly needed a rational and decent leader (which Wilson most certainly was not; on many things, but on this issue in particular).We focus on a number of focal points from CJ's original episode (which I highly recommend you all listen to), particularly on Wilson's brand of progressive racism (while of course comparing and contrasting with modern day's own version of it), but we also pay our respects to a lesser-known figure of African American history, William Monroe Trotter, whose standing up to Wilson and not allowing himself to be gaslit is one of the most impressive and heroic political stories I've ever heard.We also close out by diving deep into our own personal reservations about progressivism as a philosophy, largely (though of course not entirely) eschewing the left-right divide to really get at the core of what makes progressivism so puerile, at least in the context of American identity. This helped make this conversation, in my opinion, the most fun and interesting one CJ and I have had thus far (and that's no small feat), and listeners will finally hear me essentially admit my own political orientation, such as it is (and hopefully it'll give you a good chuckle).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 AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyFeegoaPierre GhazarianKevin GonyJayson GriesmeyerNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezDouglas MartocciaMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtAndrew SeeberCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanPhilipp SurkovShane TaylorJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouGregory ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

While there is plenty to say about how a pandemic affects us while we’re in the middle of it, there is just as much, if not more, to say about how a pandemic affects us when it ends.As of May of 2023, over three years have passed since the outbreak of COVID-19 and, according to the President of the United States Joe Biden, the emergency has ended. And yet, many people around the world, but in America in particular, continue to grapple with the realities of the pandemic that wreaked havoc on our way of life and struggle with finding ways to move on. Whether that means refusing to admit that the emergency is indeed over and overindulging in the safety measures made normal during those past three years, or overindulging in the reactions against the sociopolitical and institutional realities made manifest, or simply living their lives, the coda to our disorder is anything but clean.As made clear in the first pandemic episode covered on History Impossible, the effects of a global apocalypse have a way of heightening and letting loose what historian Norman F. Cantor called the “ideological anxieties” of their time and place. As is hopefully made clear in this sequel to that episode, the same can be said for how those apocalypses end. The so-called Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was by no means unique in how it helped create incentives some of the most significant changes of its time and place. In fact, almost 600 years earlier, another, far more devastating event had a very similar, and even more wide-reaching effect, especially when it was over: the Black Death. While it was certainly true that the plague was indeed a global pandemic, with the populations of the Arab and Chinese worlds being as deeply and profoundly affected by the disease as that of the European world, this is the story of how such a monumental disruption changed Europe—and thus modern history—forever, in some of the most fundamental ways imaginable.We must thus ask: what if such after-effects and changes weren’t limited to one pandemic almost seven centuries ago, but perhaps any pandemic, given the correct historical circumstances existing? With those circumstances, what if a death toll in the tens if not hundreds of millions isn’t even required to make such changes manifest? These are the questions we’ll be exploring in this episode about what happens after the end of the world as we know it.Infinite love and appreciation to Molly Pan for providing her immense musical talents to this episode. Make sure to stick around to the end to hear them.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 AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaJohannes BreitsameterCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyPaul DeCosterNathan DiehlBob DowningRob DuvalGavin Edwardseli123kyFeegoaPierre GhazarianKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckCarey HurstJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezDouglas MartocciaMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreAthal KrishnaSundarrajanPhilipp SurkovShane TaylorJared Cole TempleChrisTXRobert VSSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouGregory ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Hello everyone. This is an audio version of the essay I wrote for the History Impossible Substack (as well as here!) called "The Fiction(s) of History." In this special episode, I take a dive into the dueling narratives of historical progress (what my friend CJ Killmer of the Dangerous History Podcast calls the teleological approach to history; yes, he's much smarter than me) and historical cycles of the Strauss-Howe and Turchin-Nefedov variety. It's not all philosophy, despite the subject matter, and it does indeed touch upon some historical topics that I do intend to cover in more detail one day, as well as some that have been covered in other, superior work, like Darryl Cooper's MartyrMade.The question of progress or cycles isn't left hanging open either, though by no means am I telling anyone to think a certain way; this is more an exploration of my own interpretations of how history, in essence, "works." It's my hope that this helps illustrate my approach and perspective when tackling subjects--especially controversial ones--on History Impossible. It may also serve as a launching pad for future explorations into more conceptual areas that fit neatly into the History Impossible niche. Overall, though, I hope to add a little insight into this space I occupy.Thank you again to all who support and appreciate the show.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 AdamcikAlireza Atarian Benjamin Elias BorotaJohannes Breitsameter Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edwards eli123ky Feegoa Kevin GonyNathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter HauckCarey Hurst Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily SchmidtJulian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

In this newest History Impossible conversation, I’m speaking with Greg Zink, the host of the Smoke Filled Rooms podcast, a new and up-and-coming show that gives us a deep dive into political true crime. I’ve been following Greg since he started his show in early 2022, beginning with a series on the Nuremberg Trials, and when he tackled a topic I had been considering doing myself ever since I threatened all of you with a return to Hollywood’s scandalous history—namely, the death (and life) of Marilyn Monroe—I invited him onto History Impossible to discuss both it and the recent divisive Andrew Dominik (director of the sublime The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) pseudo-biopic of Marilyn Monroe, 2022’s Blonde.In addition to discussing that film, we also examined how it took pretty decisive aim against Hollywood as it currently exists by highlighting the scum-baggery of Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s (needless to say, controversial opinions—mostly my own—are voiced). We also examine how the film both succeeds and fails as a depiction of Marilyn Monroe’s complexity as a human being, and how, in showing the problematic relationship Monroe had with JFK, essentially manages to toe the line of actual slander/libel (though it doesn’t stop us from raking the Kennedy family over the coals later on). Following that discussion we delve into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Monroe’s death that Greg so expertly explored in his own five-part series.Needless to say, it’s a fun, controversial, and ultimately tragic ride (given the subject matter). But it was also a very enlightening and interesting conversation for me, given Greg’s attention to detail in such a notorious potential case. You may never look at Hollywood the same way again.…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 AdamcikAlireza Atarian Benjamin Elias Borota Charles C CJ Cliffydeuce CR daddygorgon Richard Davey Paul DeCoster Nathan Diehl Bob Downing Rob Duval Gavin Edwards eli123ky Feegoa Kevin GonyNathan Grote Al Hall Benjamin Hamilton Peter Hauck Joseph Hurst Thomas Justesen Mike Kalnins Bryn Kaufman Benjamin Lee Trevor Lindborg Maddy Mounty of Madness Jose Martinez Mike Mayleben Judy McCoid Monica Kostas Moros Ryan Mortenson Ben Mullen Skip Pacheco Molly Pan Jeff Parrent Jean Peters Brian Pritzl PJ Rader Gleb Radutsky Aleksandr Rakitin Edward Ray Jon Andre Saether Alison Salo Jake Scalia Emily SchmidtJulian Schmidt Cameron Smith Thomas Squeo Brian Steggeman Pier-Luc St-Pierre Athal Krishna Sundarrajan Philipp Surkov Jared Cole Temple ChrisTX Robert VS Steve Uhler Jonny Wilkie Ricky Worthey F. You Gregory ZinkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Happy 2023, everybody. I hope everyone's 2022 was a good one. It's hard to believe we're really getting into this new decade often portrayed as "the future" in old-school sci-fi/cyberpunk stories, isn't it?Anyway, I wanted to close out 2022/open up 2023 with something a little different; as you know I'm essentially turning my written Substack posts into audio versions for the supporters of History Impossible so you can all get some good exclusive content and this one is no exception. However, this essay I wrote about stakeholder capitalism and the economics of National Socialist Germany struck a different chord for me; uncharacteristically, it became more of a pure polemic that used history as a bedrock, rather than history that contains some elements of polemics. In the end, it turned into something more akin to (though by no means on the qualitative level of) Dan Carlin's beloved political show, Common Sense (something so many of us wish he would bring back but understand all too well why he probably won't).Since this essay ultimately contained what could best be called a "call to action" toward the end, I wanted to put it out there for everyone to hear, especially since this is a new year and all. Everyone who supports the show still gets the ad-free version and my undying thanks for your generosity. All I ask of everyone else is that you spread the word about History Impossible and help keep this show going.Many thanks and I sincerely hope you all have a blessed 2023....History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierrePhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerJonny WilkieRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

In this second part of our story about the birth of the Oxford English Dictionary, we cover the second half--perhaps the second hemisphere, to use a brain pun--of the main minds behind the creation of the multi-volume book. This is the story of William Chester Minor, an American polymath of sorts similar to James Murray, though of far greater education and class status.Minor's time growing up in Ceylon (what is now Sri Lanka) is discussed, as is his military education and time serving in the U.S. Civil War, where it is quite possible that his mind finally became broken. We then discuss his move to London, and the ghastly crime he committed that landed him in the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. His correspondence with the dictionary editors, and his developing friendship with James Murray is discussed, as well as his nightly battles with his own demons that never left him.But most of all, his massive contribution to the birth of the English lexicon is celebrated. It ultimately begs the question: if not for this mad American surgeon, would we still be languishing today, trying to develop a proper English dictionary?…History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierrePhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

If ever there was a story whose subject was small but whose effect was immense--i.e., the central theme of Infinitesimal Impossibilities--this would be that story.We don't often think about where words come from, and when we do it's usually pretty selective. This is for good reason: the English language has an almost unquantifiable number of words. And yet, back in the 19th century, the first serious endeavors were made to quantify these multitudes of words. The United States came first with the famous Webster's Dictionary (now Merriam-Webster), but the far more comprehensive and complete English dictionary--the Oxford English--would leave a much greater mark. The task ahead was as daunting as anything, with reality quickly settling in that this accomplishment wouldn't require normal men to complete. Thankfully, the two men at the center of this story were anything but normal. The first part of this tale covers one of them--a Scotsman by the name of James Murray--who was quite possibly the most brilliant man on the entire British Isles at the time and who hadn't set foot in school since he was 14 years old. While he certainly was passionate about cataloguing the language, little did he realize where this love of language was going to take him and who he would encounter along the way.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCliffydeuceCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithThomas SqueoBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierrePhilipp SurkovJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Hey everybody. This is the first of hopefully many audio versions of the essays/analyses I write for the History Impossible Substack. This one is going up on the public feed of the podcast (though you're all getting this before that release) so the bulk of my listeners can get a sense of what you fine people who support the show financially are getting to read and hear. But moving forward, all pieces written here will, for paying subscribers be available early to read. When the audio version goes up, that will typically be exclusive to paying subscribers both here and over on Substack, while the written version will become open to the public to check out.In this particular case, I’m promoting this version as “ad-free” since it’s going on the main feed and will have ads attached to it, but please note that none of my future audio versions of the articles on this Substack (or Patreon) will ever have ads. That’s just for the main feed.So anyway. Thank you, as always, for your kind and generous support. I could not do this without you.-AlexBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

NOTE: Please stick through the intro. There's an important announcement.WARNING: This episode contains the use of offensive racial epithets and disturbing depictions of bigotry that some listeners may find upsetting.What was like to be a child and grow up during the rise of the Nazis? Many have given us memorable answers to that question. There are even those who are still alive and remember it, however vaguely, though we are quickly losing them to the passage of time. But a more pressing and unusual question must be asked, especially in the context of this story: what was it like to be a child and grow up during the rise of the Nazis…while also being black?In this episode of History Impossible, we're going to explore this question by looking at the epic life story of a one Hans-Jurgen Massaquoi, the son of African nobility and German peasantry. We'll see how his existence was allowed for by the incredible story of Liberia itself, as well as its relationship with the early Weimar Republic. We'll look at how his existence was received both before and after the rise of the Nazis. We'll see how their education reforms and adoption of American-style eugenics impacted him. We'll cover the famous pre-war events that would help shape Hans into the man he would become, namely the famous Joe Louis v. Max Schmeling boxing match and the 1936 Olympics in which Jesse Owens took home the gold. We'll examine how he survived the war years and what it was like to live under such conditions as a German civilian.But most of all, we will be shown what it means to not only survive, but to thrive, despite all odds being stacked against you as you grow up in a world that is objectively and abjectly hostile to your very existence.History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon and PayPal. Please consider donating today to help keep me free and this show alive.David AdamcikAlireza AtarianBenjaminElias BorotaCharles CCJCRdaddygorgonRichard DaveyNathan DiehlGavin Edwardseli123kyKevin GonyNathan GroteAl HallBenjamin HamiltonPeter HauckGreg HunterJoseph HurstThomas JustesenMike KalninsBryn KaufmanBenjamin LeeTrevor LindborgMaddyMounty of MadnessJose MartinezMike MaylebenJudy McCoidMonicaKostas MorosRyan MortensonBen MullenSkip PachecoMolly PanJeff ParrentJean PetersBrian PritzlPJ RaderGleb RadutskyAleksandr RakitinEdward RayJon Andre SaetherAlison SaloJake ScaliaEmily SchmidtJulian SchmidtCameron SmithBrian SteggemanPier-Luc St-PierreJared Cole TempleChrisTXSteve UhlerRicky WortheyF. YouBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.