In 1921, Reza Khan rose to power with the help of the British government. He led a modernization of Persia, insisting the international community refer to his country as Iran. His son, Mohammad Reza Shah, inherited the throne in 1941. The Shah expanded his authority using a violent secret police force called SAVAK. They terrorized the Iranian people and preyed on Iranians abroad. They helped enforced the Shah's rule, even as his White Revolution displaced rural communities and alienated Shia clergy. Decades-long economic exploitation and authoritarian repression ignited a series of phases lead ..read more

We’ve heard about a lot of evil on Secret Police, but the actions of the Kempeitai and the wider Imperial Japanese Army are particularly poignant for their brutality and the extent to which violence prevails if you believe your enemy is inhuman.  Who were the Kempeitai? How did the Kempeitai develop out of Japan’s long military history? What were the Kempeitai’s connections to both German and Russian secret police? What was the level of the Kempeitai’s involvement in various atrocities in China? Thank you all for your patience and your continued support! Sources:   Kempeitai: Japan ..read more

V for Vendetta is a graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Llyod. The story shows a bleak future where the United Kingdom is run by a totalitarian government run by a political party called Norsefire. A masked vigilante known simply as "V" is bent on sparking a revolution, driven by a vendetta against those in the government that subjected him and his country to repression and terror. V orchestrates a series of symbolic attacks, picking off government officials in an effort to inspire resistance. Evey Hammond gets caught up in V’s schemes when she’s rescued from Norsefire ..read more

The Tonton Macoute was a secret police force established by Haitian physician and dictator, Francois Duvalier, better known as Papa Doc. The Macoute brutalized the Haitian people and hijacked the country’s Vodou traditions to invoke fear of a mythical bogeyman. We’re going to go through the history of Haiti: how it was found by Europeans, the slave trade, the types of crops cultivated in Haiti, slave rebellion, and of course the secret police.  We’re going to find out how Papa Doc got into power. Who led the Tonton Macoute through its years of activity? Why did Papa Doc find it necessary ..read more

A conversation with Latvian journalist, and host of the Eastern Border podcast, Kristaps Andrejsons. We recap the Russian secret police series while Kristaps provides his unique perspective on my show, Soviet times, and the future of Russian security services.  Please check out Kristaps' show: https://theeasternborder.lv Aquarius by Viktor Suvorov: https://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-career-defection-Soviet-military/dp/0241115450  Secret Police IG: https://www.instagram.com/secretpolicepodcast/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsC0ajH6e2ko0wYGEhklbog    Thank ..read more

Almost 2 years ago, I was inspired by The Dictator's Handbook to start a podcast on secret police. It was a grueling task, much of it self-inflicted because I'm a sucker for detail, but this episode will be light.  This episode starts with a brief summary of each episode part I - XI: the leaders, the secret police, and the history.  Next, I'll share my thoughts and what I've learned on this journey.  We'll end with some behind the scenes and I'll show you what's next for Secret Police podcast. Follow my socials: IG: https://www.instagram.com/secretpolicepodcast/ Patreon: https ..read more

Just when you thought that Soviet security forces were a thing of the past, the double headed eagle rises from the ashes. The Federal Security Services or FSB are the Russian Federation’s modern day Chekists. Vladimir Putin and the security services have carefully crafted the image they want you to see, and Western journalists are very good at exaggerating the impact and the mystique of Putin. Both these elements have been at play since he took power. They say the first death in war is the truth, and information about Putin can be difficult to decipher what is fact from fiction. In this episod ..read more

In this 10th edition of Russian secret police, we’ll dive into the KGB’s downfall, the unraveling of the Soviet Union, and the atypical leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev. We’ll see how Gorbachev rose from life as a farm boy to the Kremlin’s Communist throne. We’ll discover how the KGB reacted to losing power and the final gasps of this security state in the face of Chernobyl, Glasnost, and Perestroika. Who was Mikhail Gorbachev? How did the KGB try to survive? How did the Soviet Union dissolve?   Sources: Taubman, William (2017). Gorbachev: His Life and Times. New York City: Simon and Schus ..read more

The downing of Korean Air Flight 007 demonstrates the level of stupidity and paranoia the Cold War reached. More astounding is this was the second passenger jet the Soviet Union shot down.  The first instance was in 1978 when Korean Air flight 902 was on route from Paris to Seoul with a stop over in Anchorage. This flight took the plane over the North Pole and due to the navigation technology they had at the time and how compasses function when flying over the top of the Earth, the pilots ended up off course. Instead of flying towards Seoul, they ended up flying toward Murmansk in the Sov ..read more

Happy almost birthday, Secret Police! Host of the History Impossible podcast, Alex Von Sternberg is a ton of experienced in the podcast space and one of the top established shows. He's covered many different topics, most recently the Black Death, as well as Muslim Nazis and a sort of obscure, yet arguably powerful group, called the Professional Managerial Class (PMCs).   On this episode, Jack and Alex discuss COVID, PMCs, erosion of trust in institutions, and much more. We let the conversation flesh itself out. Alex clearly has a passion for history and podcasting. That will become appare ..read more