Détente had come to an end. With the paranoid former KGB head Yuri Andropov assuming the Premiership and the election of the staunchly anti-communist Ronald Reagan, things were heating up in the Cold War.   As the Soviet ...

The official story is that Brazil was discovered by Pedro Álvares Cabral, a Portuguese sailor who while far out at sea on a voyage to India around the African continent spotted some seaweed and found what he believed to be a large island sittin...

The show has returned, Sorry for the long hiatus. This new series will focus on Brazil.  Former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has defeated Brazilian Incumbent president, Jair Messias Bolsonaro in the 2022 Braz...

This episode explores the history of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples, explaining the commonalities and differences in language, history, and culture. The second half of the show explains the modern history of Ukraine and Russia's attempt to a...

Oldie but goldie! Sorry for the lack of shows lately my lovely fans, I am still alive. This is one of my favorite episodes from the podcast covering a range of things I find nostalgic. The Japanese Beethoven  I am working on a...

Oda Nobunaga, fresh from his victories in the east was ready for the final battle that would determine the fate of Japan. All that remained in his way was the Mori clan, beaten and battered, located around the western tip of Honshu, Japan’s lar...

Oda Nobunaga was nearing his dream, of a unified Japan under his rule, all that remained were the wavering Ikko-Ikki and Mori clan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide, two of Nobunaga's most trusted generals, began a final campaign against...

The samurai were the result of centuries of corruption from the oldest clan in Japan, the Fujiwara. The Fujiwara held complete control of the government of ancient Japan, even at one-point controlling the emperor. Through this power abuse rose ...

The story continues after the inconclusive battles of the Kawanakajima plains. The Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen returned to the Tokugawa lands, but his untimely death would lead his son Takeda Katsuyori to become leader of the Takeda clan, Kats...

The age of the samurai was full of great men and great stories to go along with them. None are more iconic than the tale of Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, the Tiger of Kai and the Dragon of Echigo. Although Sengoku Jidai is best remembered ...

The Oda clan was at war on all fronts, if not for the disloyalty the other Daimyo had towards one another, the Oda would have certainly fallen. There was also disloyalty among the family of Nobunaga which was a constant thorn in his side. With ...

Oda Nobunaga was one of the most powerful lords and contender to be the new Shogun after his heroic victory at Okehazama, however he still had one problem to deal with, Saito clan in Mino province. Mino lay between the Oda homeland of Owari and...

Japan was once in a state of constant warfare and chaos, known as the Sengoku Jidai. This was the time of the Samurai, who ruled the land and fought each other for power in service of the emperor. Three great men would rise above all others and...

Shinzo Abe the longest serving Japanese PM and legend in Japanese politics was assassinated this week. The assassin did this because of Abe's alleged links to a bizarre cult based in South Korea, whose followers are called "Moonies" of which th...

Japan entered the 1960s on a bad note. The ANPO protests, the resignation of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and finally the assassination of Inejiro Asanuma. However Japan would make a complete turn around by the mid 60s becoming one of the most...

With the American occupation ending, Japan in the 1950s seemed to have a bright future ahead. This however was not the case, for virtually the entire decade of 1950 Japan went from protest to protest which brought chaos and instability to the l...

Following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the Soviet invasion of Manchukuo, Japan formally accepted the unconditional surrender terms imposed on her by the Allies. As general Douglas MacArthur landed on Japanese soil ...

Shinzo Abe is Japan's longest serving prime minister. Abe comes from a long dynasty of politicians including those who served The Empire of Japan in World War II. Japan unlike Germany was able to avoid most of the punishment dulled out after WW...

From Putin's Russia to fundamentalist Iran, appeasement is a word often used disparagingly in the media to describe an unconfrontational, cowardly way of avoiding international bullies. Appeasement became famous before World War II when the Wes...

This episode explores the history of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples, explaining the commonalities and differences in language, history, and culture. The second half of the show explains the modern history of Ukraine and Russia's attempt to a...

On February 24th Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking off the largest war Europe has seen since World War II. This invasion has sparked massive protests all over the world, and has seen the tanking of the Russian economy. This episode explains what...

Kazakhstan entered the New Year with a series of riots, the largest in the country's history. The riots were sparked by a hike in gas prices. More importanlty however they stem from the leadership of probably the most famous Kazakh man, Borat. ...

Jimmy Carter entered the presidency as a breath of fresh air, he walked the streets to the White House. His approval rating skyrocketed in the early days of his presidency however it wouldn't last long. This episode covers the presidency and po...

Jimmy Carter is perhaps the most misunderstood president of the modern era. Carter who is just a few IQ points shy of being considered a genius is one of our smartest presidents yet his presidency was viewed as a failure by most. This episode c...

Christianity was integral to the formation of the Apartheid state. Since the Dutch brought Christianity to the land of South Africa it has taken numerous forms, often times coming from a combination of the church and local customs.Prophets ...