History's Devils

Who were the worst people in history? HISTORY'S DEVILS is a weekly deep-dive podcast that investigates the world's most infamous historical figures. Each episode explores the life, actions, and impact of a notorious person from history, examining the facts behind their reputation and the events that shaped their legacy. Hosted by Professor James Crossland, HISTORY'S DEVILS covers dictators, tyrants, war criminals, cult leaders, revolutionaries, con-artists, conspiracy theorists and other controversial historical figures, combining deep research with compelling storytelling to reveal the darker side of human history. Perfect for fans of dark history, history documentaries, historical biographies, and in-depth explorations of the people who changed the world for better - or for worse. All the devils are here. And we are ready to tell their stories.

History's Devils is a history podcast hosted by James Crossland, with 35 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

James Crossland hosts History's Devils, a history show with 35 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #36

  Claus von Stauffenberg and the Plot to Kill Hitler: The German Resistance Reconsidered

  Sep 8, 20261h 15m

  On this week’s episode of History’s Devils, we’re asking a difficult question – how do you find the devil in a hero? We’re talking about Claus von Stauffenberg, the man who on 20 July 1944, tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Sounds like a good guy, right? But, 80 years on from the end of the Second World War, questions remain about the backgrounds and motivations of Stauffenberg and the German resistance of which he was a part. James Crossland is joined by Roger Moorhouse , author of Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War to examine Stauffenberg's background, political beliefs, military career, and role in Operation Valkyrie – the plot to kill Hitler and neutralise the Nazi government. From his aristocratic upbringing to his service in Poland, France, and North Africa – where he received the devastating wounds that transformed his relationship with the Nazi regime – this episode explores Stauffenberg’s journey to his destiny in 1944 and the failed earlier German resistance conspiracies of 1938 and 1943. Along the way, Roger and James discuss why so many members of the resistance hesitated to assassinate Hitler or take decisive action against the Nazi state, they question Stauffenberg’s legacy as an unsullied German hero and explain the complicated motivations of the German resistance to Hitler. It’s a thought-provoking episode which, as an added bonus, talks a lot about killing Hitler! Covered in this episode Stauffenberg's conventional heroic image as the maimed German officer who attempted to kill Adolf Hitler and use Operation Valkyrie to overthrow the Nazi regime and negotiate peace with the Allies. The 2008 film Valkyrie , starring Tom Cruise, and whether its portrayal of Stauffenberg as an uncomplicated action hero obscures the political and moral complexities of the historical figure. Stauffenberg's aristocratic upbringing, involvement in the Wandervogel movement and enlistment in the Reichswehr cavalry in 1926. Stauffenberg's conservative aristocratic worldview, the Treaty of Versailles, the First World War, the Spartacist uprising, the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, and his attitude toward Hitler and the Nazi movement during the 1920s and early 1930s. Why 1938 became a crucial year for German opposition to Hitler, including the Beck-Oster conspiracy, the Sudetenland crisis, the Munich Agreement, Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Benito Mussolini, and Hitler's subsequent destruction of the Munich settlement through the occupation of the Czech lands in March 1939. The contrasts between Stauffenberg and Henning von Tresckow, whose opposition began after the 1934 Night of the Long Knives and the murder of his former superior Ferdinand von Bredow, leading to a consistent belief that Hitler was a criminal who had to be removed and killed. The weaknesses of the German resistance and the approaches to resistance taken by Hans Oster and Carl Goerdeler. The reluctance to use violence, unrealistic hopes of preserving Nazi territorial gains, and the difficulty of reconciling different visions ranging from socialism to monarchism. Tresckow's attempts to kill Hitler, including the bomb disguised as a brandy bottle smuggled onto Hitler's aircraft at Smolensk and the planned suicide attack by Christoph von Gersdorff using explosives during an exhibition of captured Soviet weapons. Stauffenberg's transformation in North Africa, where he lost his right hand, fingers on his left hand, and his right eye. Stauffenberg and Tresckow’s modification of the existing Valkyrie emergency plan so the German Reserve Army could seize control of key institutions, disarm the SS and Gestapo, and launch a coup after Hitler's assassination. Why Stauffenberg's bomb failed – his difficulty arming the explosives with his injured hands, the discarded second charge and the briefcase bomb being moved behind a massive oak table support. The collapse of the coup and Stauffenberg's legacy as a post-war German hero. Mentioned in this episode: Claus von Stauffenberg, Adolf Hitler, James Crossland, Roger Moorhouse, Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Operation Valkyrie, 20 July 1944, German resistance, German military resistance, Third Reich, Second World War, World War II, First World War, World War I, Treaty of Versailles, Reichswehr, Wehrmacht, Reserve Army, SS, Gestapo, Nazi Party, Nazi Germany, Operation Torch, Operation Barbarossa, Operation Bagration, D-Day, Holocaust, Holocaust by bullets, Einsatzgruppen, Polish campaign of 1939, occupation of Czechoslovakia, Sudetenland, Munich Crisis, Munich Agreement, Night of the Long Knives, Beer Hall Putsch, Spartacist uprising, Reichstag fire, Beck-Oster conspiracy, Henning von Tresckow, Hans Oster, Ludwig Beck, Hans Gisevius, Carl Goerdeler, Ferdinand von Bredow, Christoph von Gersdorff, Schlabrendorff, Werner von Haeften, Friedrich Fromm, Colonel Brandt, Frank Mason MacFarlane, Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Benito Mussolini, Erich Ludendorff, Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Paul von Hindenburg, Stefan George, Winston Churchill, Emperor Hirohito, Kreisau Circle, Abwehr, German aristocracy, German nationalism, German conservatism, German racism, antisemitism, anti-Nazism, assassination of Hitler, resistance to Hitler, military coup, coup d'état, Operation Valkyrie conspiracy, Hitler oath, unconditional obedience, Wehrmacht oath, moral revolt, saviour complex, post-war German memory, German national identity, usable history, German resistance memorialization, Bendlerblock, Wolfsschanze, Wolf's Lair, Smolensk, Rastenburg, East Prussia, Poland, France, North Africa, Silesia, Berlin, Munich, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Rhineland, Soviet Union, Eastern Front, Western Front, Kulturkampf, Kaiserreich, Weimar Republic, democracy, monarchy, aristocratic nationalism, German military tradition, 20 July plot bomb, assassination attempts against Hitler, German surrender, Allied peace negotiations, Nazi war crimes, Polish Jews, concentration camps. Chapters 00:00 — Claus von Stauffenberg: Hero, Villain or Something More Complicated? 04:02 — Valkyrie : Tom Cruise and the Hollywood Stauffenberg 05:46 — Stauffenberg's Aristocratic German Upbringing 08:26 — German Nationalism, the Reichswehr and Hitler's Rise 12:58 — The Munich Crisis and the 1938 Beck-Oster Plot 16:11 — Henning von Tresckow and the Night of the Long Knives 18:26 — Hans Oster, British Skepticism and the German Resistance 23:20 — Why the German Resistance Was So Divided and Passive 29:46 — Tresckow's 1943 Assassination Attempts Against Hitler 37:06 — Stauffenberg's War, North Africa and His Wounding 39:13 — The Hitler Oath and Stauffenberg's Turn Against the Regime 49:47 — Operation Valkyrie and the 20 July 1944 Bomb Plot 54:50 — Why Stauffenberg Failed to Kill Hitler 1:00:34 — The Collapse of the Coup, Stauffenberg's Execution and His Legacy Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" Follow HISTORY's DEVILS On Instagram @historysdevils https://www.instagram.com/historysdevils/ On Substack https://jamescrossland.substack.com/ Follow JAMES CROSSLAND On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/jamescrossland.bsky.social Tag HISTORY's DEVILS @historysdevils #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #HistoryPodcast #History #DarkHistory #storytelling History's Devils is a podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart The Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism

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  Episode #34

  Timothy McVeigh Part 1: From Gun-Loving Loner to America's Most Notorious Terrorist

  Sep 1, 202652 min

  This week's episodes explores how Timothy McVeigh became the Oklahoma City bomber, tracing his path from disillusioned Gulf War veteran to the deadliest domestic terrorist in American history, while examining the far-right movements, anti-government extremism and white supremacist ideology that shaped his radicalization. For this epic two-parter, James is joined by Craig Johnson , host of 15 Minutes of Fascism , to examine McVeigh's life, beliefs and legacy. Together they unpack the influence of The Turner Diaries , the impact of Ruby Ridge and the Waco siege, the culture of 1990s militia movements, and the concept of "leaderless resistance" that helped shape modern far-right terrorism. The conversation also explores how McVeigh's ideas continue to echo through contemporary extremist movements, from the Boogaloo movement to the January 6 rioters For anyone who wants to makes sense of far-right political violence in the year 2026, this is a can't miss episode! Covered in this episode McVeigh's childhood in Lockport, New York, his relationship with his father Bill McVeigh and grandfather Ed, and how firearms, Cold War fears and survivalist thinking shaped his worldview. The influence of The Turner Diaries , William Luther Pierce, the National Alliance and the American white supremacist movement on McVeigh's political radicalization. How conspiracy theories about globalism, anti-Semitism, white nationalism and anti-government ideology intersected within the American far-right during the late twentieth century. McVeigh's military career, service in the Gulf War, attempted Green Beret selection and growing disillusionment with the US government after combat. His immersion in gun shows, militia networks, extremist publications, Rush Limbaugh, anti-government propaganda and the concept of leaderless resistance. Why Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver and the siege at Waco became defining moments for anti-government extremists and convinced McVeigh that violent retaliation was justified. Mentioned in this episode: Timothy McVeigh, Craig Johnson, James Crossland, 15 Minutes of Fascism, Tate brothers, Oklahoma City bombing, Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City, Lockport, Buffalo, Bill McVeigh, Mildred "Mickey" McVeigh, Ed McVeigh, Second Amendment, Cold War, Soviet Union, The Turner Diaries , William Luther Pierce, National Alliance, George Lincoln Rockwell, American Nazi Party, white nationalism, neo-fascism, Aryan Nations, Christian Identity Movement, anti-Semitism, globalism, New World Order conspiracy theories, Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, The Spotlight, Ku Klux Klan, National Rifle Association (NRA), Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Green Berets, Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver, Vicki Weaver, Idaho, FBI, ATF, Waco siege, Branch Davidians, David Koresh, Seventh-day Adventists, Jonestown, Guyana, Terry Nichols, Decker Michigan, Michigan militia movement, Elohim City, Christian nationalism, leaderless resistance, Louis Beam, accelerationism, Janet Reno, Lon Horiuchi, Walter Smith, Lexington and Concord, American Revolution, fertilizer bomb, improvised explosive device (IED), domestic terrorism, terrorism, extremist radicalization, conspiracy theories, Oklahoma City bombing investigation, Southern Poverty Law Center, Ramszi Yousef, 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Al-Qaeda, John Doe No. 2, Felice Orsini, Richard Spencer, alt-right, Boogaloo Boys, Dylan Roof, Orlando nightclub shooting, January 6 Capitol attack, Day of the Rope, Dollar General shooting, political violence, white supremacist terrorism, anti-government extremism. Chapters 00:00 — Timothy McVeigh and the darkest path of far-right radicalization 08:20 — The Turner Diaries and the ideology behind white supremacist terrorism 21:10 — The Gulf War, military service and McVeigh's growing disillusionment 33:15 — Gun shows, militias and how radicalization spread before the internet 44:00 — Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver and the anti-government movement 53:10 — Waco, David Koresh and the siege that changed everything Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" Follow HISTORY's DEVILS On Instagram @historysdevils https://www.instagram.com/historysdevils/ On Substack https://jamescrossland.substack.com/ Follow JAMES CROSSLAND On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/jamescrossland.bsky.social Tag HISTORY's DEVILS @historysdevils #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #HistoryPodcast #History #DarkHistory #storytelling History's Devils is a history podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart The Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism

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  Episode #35

  Timothy McVeigh Part 2: The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Re-Shaping of America's Far-Right

  Sep 1, 202646 min

  In part two of the Timothy McVeigh episode, James is joined once again by Craig Johnson , host of 15 Minutes of Fascism , to explain how the Oklahoma City bombing was planned and executed. James and Craig also break down the means by which Tim McVeigh and his co-conspirator, Terry Nichols were captured, before assessing the dark legacy of the bombing and the impact it had on America's far-right far-right movements, anti-government extremists and white supremacists, shaping the practices of everyone from the Boogaloo movement to the January 6 rioters. For anyone who wants to makes sense of far-right political violence in the year 2026, this is a can't miss episode! Covered in this episode The planning of the Oklahoma City bombing with Terry Nichols, the symbolic selection of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and the influence of The Turner Diaries on the attack itself. How McVeigh built the fertilizer bomb, chose 19 April 1995 to coincide with Waco and Lexington and Concord, and carried out the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in US history before 9/11. McVeigh's arrest, the evidence linking him to the bombing, his trial, execution and insistence that the bombing was an act of war rather than murder. Why McVeigh failed to spark the revolution imagined in The Turner Diaries and how the FBI crackdown transformed the American militia movement during the late 1990s. The continuing legacy of McVeigh, The Turner Diaries , Richard Spencer, the alt-right, the Boogaloo movement, January 6 and the enduring evolution of far-right extremist violence. Mentioned in this episode: Timothy McVeigh, Craig Johnson, James Crossland, 15 Minutes of Fascism, Tate brothers, Oklahoma City bombing, Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City, Lockport, Buffalo, Bill McVeigh, Mildred "Mickey" McVeigh, Ed McVeigh, Second Amendment, Cold War, Soviet Union, The Turner Diaries , William Luther Pierce, National Alliance, George Lincoln Rockwell, American Nazi Party, white nationalism, neo-fascism, Aryan Nations, Christian Identity Movement, anti-Semitism, globalism, New World Order conspiracy theories, Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, The Spotlight, Ku Klux Klan, National Rifle Association (NRA), Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Green Berets, Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver, Vicki Weaver, Idaho, FBI, ATF, Waco siege, Branch Davidians, David Koresh, Seventh-day Adventists, Jonestown, Guyana, Terry Nichols, Decker Michigan, Michigan militia movement, Elohim City, Christian nationalism, leaderless resistance, Louis Beam, accelerationism, Janet Reno, Lon Horiuchi, Walter Smith, Lexington and Concord, American Revolution, fertilizer bomb, improvised explosive device (IED), domestic terrorism, terrorism, extremist radicalization, conspiracy theories, Oklahoma City bombing investigation, Southern Poverty Law Center, Ramszi Yousef, 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Al-Qaeda, John Doe No. 2, Felice Orsini, Richard Spencer, alt-right, Boogaloo Boys, Dylan Roof, Orlando nightclub shooting, January 6 Capitol attack, Day of the Rope, Dollar General shooting, political violence, white supremacist terrorism, anti-government extremism, terrorist spectaculars Chapters 1:00 — Why Timothy McVeigh decided to commit an act of terrorism 1:11 — Planning the Oklahoma City bombing with Terry Nichols 1:19 — 19 April 1995: The Oklahoma City bombing unfolds 1:26 — Arrest, trial and Timothy McVeigh's justification for mass murder 1:39 — From Oklahoma City to the alt-right: McVeigh's enduring legacy 1:46 — The Turner Diaries , January 6 and the evolution of modern extremism Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" Follow HISTORY's DEVILS On Instagram @historysdevils https://www.instagram.com/historysdevils/ On Substack https://jamescrossland.substack.com/ Follow JAMES CROSSLAND On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/jamescrossland.bsky.social Tag HISTORY's DEVILS @historysdevils #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #HistoryPodcast #History #DarkHistory #storytelling History's Devils is a history podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart The Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism

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  Episode #33

  Grand Theft Auto's History of America: Gangs, Guns and Police Corruption

  Aug 25, 202657 min

  In this episode of History’s Devils , James is joined by Bob Whitaker of the History Re-Spawned Podcast to explore the real American history behind the Grand Theft Auto video game series, focusing on how GTA depicts gang violence, the crack epidemic, police brutality, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, gun culture, corruption, capitalism, the War on Terror, and the changing American dream. The discussion traces the influence of Los Angeles gang culture, the Crips and Bloods, the availability of cheap firearms in poor neighbourhoods, the Rampart Scandal, Rodney King and the 1992 LA riots, all whilst considering how accurately Rockstar Games represents the history behind its fictional world. The conversation then moves to GTA V and its darker post-2008 worldview, exploring white-collar crime, capitalism, the financial crisis, private military companies, the War on Terror and torture before asking how Rockstar can possibly satirize Donald Trump’s America in the upcoming GTA VI . Covered in this episode The origins of Grand Theft Auto: Bob Whitaker explains how London-born brothers Sam and Dan Houser , working at Scottish developer DMA Design , transformed the cops-and-robbers game Race and Chase into Grand Theft Auto in 1997, drawing heavily on American film and popular culture. Why GTA is so American: The episode explores Sam Houser’s observation that GTA depends on America’s distinctive combination of car culture, larger-than-life personalities and widespread guns, despite the series being created in the United Kingdom. GTA: San Andreas and 1990s Los Angeles: Set in the fictional state of San Andreas in 1992, the game recreates Los Angeles as Los Santos , alongside fictional versions of San Francisco and Las Vegas, while protagonist Carl “CJ” Johnson navigates gang warfare, crime, drugs and the pursuit of money. The Crips, Bloods and GTA’s fictional gangs: The Grove Street Families and Ballas are examined alongside the real-world Crips and Bloods , whose rivalry emerged in South-Central Los Angeles during the 1970s and reached a peak of violence during the crack era of the 1980s and 1990s. Hollywood, rap and the construction of gang culture: San Andreas is compared with films including Colors , Boyz n the Hood and Training Day , as well as music from N.W.A., Dr. Dre and Tupac , revealing how popular culture rather than conventional historical research shaped Rockstar’s depiction of 1990s Los Angeles. The crack epidemic and the CIA-Contra controversy: The discussion examines the crack cocaine epidemic in South-Central Los Angeles, the CIA’s support for the Nicaraguan Contras, the 1986 congressional investigation associated with John Kerry , and Gary Webb’s Dark Alliance , while noting that parts of the CIA-drug trafficking story remain contested. Guns, the Cold War and the post-1989 black market: The episode looks at the TEC-9 , Uzi and AK-47 as symbols of the flood of cheap firearms into American markets following the Cold War, connecting GTA’s weapon arsenal to the economics of the global arms trade and American gun culture. Police corruption and the Rampart Scandal: Officer Frank Tenpenny , voiced by Samuel L. Jackson , is compared with real LAPD corruption, particularly the Rampart Scandal and the testimony of Rafael Perez , while the episode considers Rockstar’s longstanding distrust of police and government authority. Rodney King and the 1992 Los Angeles riots: The game’s climactic riot is connected to the Rodney King beating , the acquittal of LAPD officers in the subsequent trial, the Watts truce between the Crips and Bloods, and the devastating unrest that swept Los Angeles in April and May 1992. GTA V and post-financial-crisis America: The discussion shifts to Michael, Trevor and Franklin , whose lives reflect a more cynical America shaped by the 2008 global financial crisis , white-collar crime, real-estate speculation, stock-market manipulation, technology culture and changing ideas about masculinity. The War on Terror, Blackwater and torture: GTA V’s fictional private security company Merryweather is compared with Blackwater , while Trevor’s torture sequence is discussed in relation to Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and the normalization of torture in popular culture through shows such as 24 . GTA VI and the problem of satirizing Trump-era America: Bob Whitaker considers how Rockstar can satirize contemporary Florida, social media, influencers, Trump-era politics and American polarization when reality itself can seem like a Grand Theft Auto parody, particularly after Dan Houser’s departure from Rockstar in 2020 and with Lucia becoming a playable protagonist. Mentioned in this episode James Crossland, Bob Whitaker, Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Raymond Washington, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, John Kerry, Gary Webb, Drew McKevitt, James Woods, Rafael Perez, Frank Tenpenny, Samuel L. Jackson, Eddie Pulaski, Chris Penn, Alan Pinkerton, Donald Trump, Donald Love, Lucia, Rodney King, Elliot Ness, Martin Scorsese, Denzel Washington, Kiefer Sutherland, Carl "CJ" Johnson, Big Smoke, Michael, Trevor, Franklin, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, Tupac, Blackwater, Merryweather, CIA, Contras, Sandinistas, Crips, Bloods, Grove Street Families, Ballas, LAPD, CRASH, GTA, Grand Theft Auto, GTA San Andreas, GTA V, GTA 6, GTA Vice City, Race and Chase, Rockstar Games, Rockstar North, DMA Design, Assassin's Creed, Sid Meier's Civilization, Hearts of Iron, Colors, Boyz n the Hood, Menace II Society, Training Day, Straight Outta Compton, Snowfall, Dark Alliance, Gun Country, 24, The Godfather, Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead 2, The Untouchables, Crack epidemic, crack cocaine, War on Drugs, CIA-Contra controversy, Iran-Contra era, gang violence, gang warfare, police brutality, police corruption, Rampart Scandal, Rodney King beating, 1992 Los Angeles riots, Watts Truce, O.J. Simpson trial, redlining, ghettos, gun culture, TEC-9, Uzi, AK-47, Cold War, fall of the Berlin Wall, post-Cold War gun market, American dream, capitalism, white-collar crime, real estate speculation, stock-market manipulation, 2008 global financial crisis, trickle-down economics, masculinity, War on Terror, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, government corruption, militarization of law enforcement, social media, influencers, Florida Man, Trump-era America, satire, American popular culture, American cinema, hip-hop culture, British views of America, physical media Chapters 00:00 — Grand Theft Auto and the Dark Side of the American Dream 01:00 — How GTA Became a History of America 02:51 — Bob Whitaker on Studying Video Games as History 04:52 — GTA San Andreas: 1990s Los Angeles, Gangs and Crime 07:36 — Sam and Dan Houser: British Developers Satirizing America 12:19 — The Crips, Bloods and Real-Life LA Gang Warfare 18:00 — Crack Cocaine, the CIA and the Los Angeles Drug Epidemic 23:32 — TEC-9s, AK-47s and America's Post-Cold War Gun Market 27:29 — Rodney King, Rampart and the 1992 LA Riots 39:23 — GTA V: Michael, Trevor, Franklin and Post-2008 America 44:44 — Blackwater, Torture and the War on Terror in GTA V 50:01 — GTA 6, Donald Trump, Florida and the Future of Satire Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" Follow HISTORY's DEVILS On Instagram @historysdevils https://www.instagram.com/historysdevils/ On Substack https://jamescrossland.substack.com/ Follow JAMES CROSSLAND On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/jamescrossland.bsky.social Tag HISTORY's DEVILS @historysdevils #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #HistoryPodcast #History #DarkHistory #storytelling History's Devils is a history podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart The Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism

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  Episode #32

  The "Father" of Drones: Archibald Low and the Future of War

  Aug 18, 20261h 1m

  James Crossland is joined by aerospace historian and author Mark Piesing – author of N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia – to explore the extraordinary life and legacy of British inventor and “father of drones” Archibald Low (1888–1956), from his early experiments with television to his pioneering work on the First World War’s Aerial Target – one of the first full-size radio-controlled aircraft. The episode traces the development of unmanned aircraft through the interwar years, the Second World War, Operation Crossroads and the Cold War, while examining why Low faded from the development of the technology he helped pioneer. The conversation also asks what Low’s legacy means in the age of drone warfare, particularly after Ukraine’s use of cheap drones against Russian aircraft and air bases. James and Mark consider both sides of that legacy: drones can provide asymmetric military power and reduce risks to pilots, but remote warfare can also depersonalize conflict, make war easier to wage, and allow increasingly cheap weapons to be used against civilians and military targets alike. Check out Mark’s work at: https://markpiesing.com/about/ Covered in this episode Archibald Low’s early life in Croydon: Born in 1888 to engineer John Low, young Archibald grew up around steam engines, shipping cranes, machinery and the Victorian engineering culture of his father’s workshop on the Thames. The technological world that shaped Low: The episode examines the arrival of the telephone, Marconi’s radio communications, powered vacuum cleaners, Willis Carrier’s air conditioning and the Wright brothers’ 1903 flight at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Low the difficult inventor: His school years, experiments in his bedroom, disciplinary problems, studies at Central Technical College in South Kensington, and early engineering work reveal an intensely individualistic inventor who preferred teaching himself to following conventional rules. The inventions that anticipated the future: Low experimented with pre-selected gears, developed the Tele Vista as an early form of television, and later predicted technologies resembling mobile phones, fax machines, radio alarm clocks, automatic telephone redialling and portable music players. From television to radio-controlled weapons: After the outbreak of the First World War, Low joined the Royal Flying Corps/RAF and was directed toward military research, applying his television and radio-control ideas to unmanned aircraft. The Aerial Target of 1917: In March 1917, Low and a team of roughly 30 people produced the Aerial Target, a pilotless monoplane equipped with a radio receiver, gyroscopic controls and actuating gear, demonstrating that a full-size aircraft could be controlled remotely from the ground. The origins of drone warfare: The episode places Low in a much broader history of unmanned weapons, including Nikola Tesla’s 1898 radio-controlled torpedo boat, early radio-controlled airships, American inventor Charles Kettering’s Kettering Bug, and French experiments with pilotless aircraft. Drones between the world wars: After Low stepped away from military work, the Royal Aircraft Establishment continued developing radio-controlled aircraft, eventually producing the de Havilland Queen Bee for naval aerial gunnery practice, while American and French programmes explored increasingly sophisticated remotely controlled aircraft. Drones in the Second World War: The discussion covers radio-controlled aircraft, American drone programmes, the use of modified bombers as remotely controlled explosive weapons, the tragic death of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. during an experimental mission, and the development of drone technology for attacking heavily defended targets. Operation Crossroads and the nuclear age: At Bikini Atoll in 1946, remotely controlled Hellcats and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses were sent into nuclear mushroom clouds to collect scientific data, demonstrating a valuable role for drones in dangerous environments. Low's final years and predictions: Despite writing books such as It’s Bound to Happen and Electronics Everywhere , publishing Armchair Science and continuing to predict a technology-saturated future, Low became increasingly reclusive and died of lung cancer in 1956. The modern legacy of drone warfare: The episode connects Low's pioneering work to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, Azerbaijan’s use of Turkish and Israeli drones against Armenia, and the wider ethical question of whether remote warfare makes armed conflict cheaper, easier and more likely. Mentioned in this episode Archibald Low, James Crossland, Mark Pising, John Lowe, Dominic Cummings, Bernard Montgomery, Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, Willis Carrier, Guillermo Marconi, Nikola Tesla, Charles Kettering, Lawrence Sperry, John Logie Baird, William Joyce, Lord Haw-Haw, Oswald Mosley, Reginald Denny, Marilyn Monroe, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Vladimir Putin, Osama bin Laden, History’s Devils, Aerial Target, father of drone warfare, radio guidance systems, radio-controlled weapons, drone warfare, unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs, remotely piloted aircraft, mobile phones, television, Tele Vista, fax machines, radio alarm clocks, personal listening devices, Walkman, iPod, Armchair Science, Electronics Everywhere, Low Engineering Company, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Central Technical College, Croydon, London, River Thames, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, First World War, First World War aerial warfare, Second World War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Crimean War, Franco-Prussian War, Korean War, Battle of Midway, Operation Crossroads, Bikini Atoll, Operation Spiderweb, Tower 22 attack, Azerbaijan-Armenia war, Iranian-backed militia drone attack, First Blitz, Zeppelin raids, U-boats, U-boat bases, Western Front, German aircraft, V-weapons, V-1, V-2, Wasserfall, Me 262, Kettering Bug, de Havilland Queen Bee, Grumman Avenger, Flying Fortress, Liberator, Hellcat, radio-controlled airships, kamikaze drones, attack drones, drone swarms, cluster munitions, butterfly bomb, asymmetrical warfare, deterrence, hybrid warfare, hybrid navy, USVs, UAVs, saturation warfare, remote warfare, depersonalization of warfare, videogame warfare, artificial intelligence, AI, technological forecasting, futurism, military innovation, Revolution in Military Affairs, weapons innovation, autonomous warfare, drone ethics, technology and society, cheap weapons, technological accessibility, the future of war, the ethics of remote warfare, do drones make war easier to fight Chapters 00:00 — Archibald Low: The Father of Drone Warfare How a British inventor predicted mobile phones, television, remote warfare and other technologies of the future. 02:18 — Archibald Low: the Super Forecaster Why Low’s 1920s predictions about technology were decades ahead of their time—and where his forecasting had limits. 04:40 — Low’s Childhood in Victorian Croydon Growing up around his engineer father John Low’s machinery, steam engines and shipping cranes on the Thames. 06:03 — The Wright Brothers and the Birth of Low’s Drone Vision How Wilbur and Orville Wright’s 1903 flight at Kill Devil Hills inspired Lowe’s interest in aviation and unmanned aircraft. 08:54 — The Tele Vista: Low Invents Television? Low’s early television experiments and his demonstration of electrically transmitted images before the First World War. 10:21 — World War I and the Aerial Target How Low’s RAF research turned radio-control technology into a pioneering pilotless aircraft. 16:18 — 1917: The First Full-Size Radio-Controlled Aircraft The Aerial Target takes flight, while the Kettering Bug and other British, French and American experiments reveal the wider origins of drone warfare. 20:59 — Drones After World War I: Queen Bee and Beyond How the Royal Aircraft Establishment, the de Havilland Queen Bee and American program Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween" Follow HISTORY's DEVILS On Instagram @historysdevils https://www.instagram.com/historysdevils/ On Substack https://jamescrossland.substack.com/ Follow JAMES CROSSLAND On Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/jamescrossland.bsky.social Tag HISTORY's DEVILS @historysdevils #HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #HistoryPodcast #Podcast #History #DarkHistory #HistoricalBiography #TrueHistory #HistoryDocumentary #Deepdive #Storytelling History's Devils is a history podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures. History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of: Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart The Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism ...

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