Advertise on podcast: Liberty Dies With Thunderous Applause: Dictators of History

The dictator knock-out tournament continues. The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two dictators of Japan; Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa and General Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Imperial Japan. They discuss the three rulers who unified Japan, the wars and back-stabbing politics, the cause of Japan’s distinct culture and the birth of the Tokugawa dynasty They also discuss Tojo’s rise to power within the military and government, the attack on Pearl Harbour, the war in the pacific, numerous war crimes and the legacy of the second world war in the Pacific theatre. These two dictators battle it out in the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The dictator knock-out tournament continues. The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two dictators of the Congo; Belgian King Leopold II and Mobuto Sese Seko, the President of the Congo & Zaire. They discuss the Leopold II, his hunger for a colony, his evil plan to create the Congo Free State, severed hands, rubber harvesting and his French prostitute mistress/wife. They also discuss Mobutu's rise to power, his betrayal of his allies, the CIA, his leopard skin hat, unseemly corruption and his fall from power. These two dictators battle it out in the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The dictator knock-out tournament continues. The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two Mexican dictators; Aztec Emperor Montezuma II and Mexican President Porfirio Diaz. They discuss the creation of the Aztec Empire, human sacrifice, life in Tenochtitlan and the invasion of Hernan Cortes and the Spanish conquistadors. They also discuss Porfirio Diaz's military career, his suspicious election, the French invasion and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. These two dictators battle it out in the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

There's far too much to discuss of Germany in just one episode. In this short, bonus episode Uncle Ian will answer your Nazi Germany questions spanning topics such as: the Second World War, ongoing Nazi influence, Homer Simpson, complicity, accusations of madness and the other Reichs.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two German dictators; Kaiser Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler They discuss Kaiser Wilhelm's traumatic birth and disability, his love-hate relationship with his British relatives, his undiplomatic diplomacy, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand the subsequent 'blank cheque he gave that caused the first world war. They also discuss Hitler's Austrian upbringing, his failed art career, his failed Beer Hall Putsch, his election and consolidation of power, his role in the second world war and the holocaust. These two dictators battle it out in the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two Latin American dictators; Manuel Noriega of Panama and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. They discuss the creation of the Panama Canal, Noriega's rise up the military ranks, his covert work for the CIA, the suspicious plane crash that brought him to power, his drug smuggling and the war that toppled him from power. They also discuss Chavez's failed coup, his successful election, his failed redistribution programs, his long-running television show, his battles with the USA and the illness that brought him down. These two dictators battle it out in the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two Greek dictators; Agamemnon and Alexander The Great. They discuss Agamemnon's ruthless treatment of his children, Paris' seduction/abduction of Helen of Troy, the Trojan War, Achilles, Odysseus and his Trojan Horse. They also discuss Alexander's maneuvers to become King of Macedonia, his invasion of the Persian Empire, his unbeaten battle record, his brutal treatment of those who resisted him and his attempts to unite Greek and Persian culture. These two dictators battle it out in Round 23 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two Spanish dictators; King Philip II and General Francisco Franco. They discuss Philip's enormous Spanish empire, his marital misfortune, the Spanish Inquisition against religious heretics and the Spanish Armada sent to depose the Queen of England. They also discuss General Franco's ruthless campaign in North Africa, his friendship with Mussolini and Hitler, the brutality of the Spanish Civil War, his conservative Catholic rule and the recent discoveries of mass graves and concentration camps in Spain. These two dictators battle it out in Round 22 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of three North Korean dictators; #1 Kim Il-Sung, #2 Kim Jong-il, #3 Kim Jong-un They discuss Kim Il-sung's time in the soviet army, his relationship with Stalin, The Korean War and his unique Communist rule. They also explore Kim Jong-il's fantastical birth, his infamous debauchery, his kidnapping of film stars, his drug smuggling and, of course, the invention of the burrito. They reveal Kim Jong-un's Swiss education, his friendship with Dennis Rodman, his twitter beef with Donald Trump and his murder of his own family members. These three dictators battle it out in Round 21 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. Two of these dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the winner will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

It's a Liberty Dies Christmas Special! Featuring all your favourite dictators; Idi Amin, Joseph Stalin, Pope Alexander VI, Pol Pot, Kaiser Wilhelm, Adolf Hitler, Alexander the Great, General Tojo and Benito Mussolini.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two South Asian dictators; The Mughal Akbar The Great and Pakistani General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq They discuss Akbar's mongol lineage, his sometimes brutal conquest of India, his creation of his own religion and the legacy of his Mughal Empire. They also discuss Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's coup that brought him to power, his Islamisation of Pakistan, his very successful referendum and the incredibly mysterious plane crash that ended his rule. These two dictators battle it out in Round 20 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two Chinese dictators; Chairman Mao Zedong and current President of China Xi Jinping. They discuss Mao's involvement in the creation of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese civil war fighting the Nationalists, the world war fighting the Japanese, his brutality in taking control of China, the millions of deaths in his Great Leap Forward and the hysteria and horror of the Mao's Cultural Revolution. They also discuss President Xi Jinping's suffering under Mao, his ascension to the top of the CCP, the genocide of the Uyghur people, the attempted cover up of the coronavirus outbreak, his crackdown on Hong Kong and future plans for Taiwan. These two dictators battle it out in Round 19 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of Eastern European Communist dictators; Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia and Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania. They discuss Tito's rise up the Yugoslav Communist Party, his leadership of the resistance movement during World War Two, his imprisonment of Stalinists within Yugoslavia and the aftermath of his death. They also discuss Ceausescu's humble origins, his lucky ascension to leader of the ruling Communist Party, his ban on contraception and abortions and his widespread use surveillance and propaganda.  These two dictators battle it out in Round 18 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two female dictators; Cleopatra, The Last Queen of Egypt and Catherine The Great, Empress of Russia. They discuss Cleopatra's Macedonian heritage, her battles with he brother, her recruitment of Julius Caesar, her seduction of Mark Antony and her famous Shakespearean death. They also discuss Catherine's Prussian origins, the coup that placed her on the throne, her enlightenment ideas, ruthless treatment of dissenters, her territorial conquests and the myth surrounding her death. These two dictators battle it out in Round 17 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.

The hosts unravel the lives and legacies of two Roman Emperors; Caligula and Nero.  They discuss the Caligula's stellar ancestry, the origin of the nickname 'Caligula', his adoption by the Emperor Tiberius, his suspicious succession to Emperor, his cruel reign, sexual perversions and his eventual assassination.  They also discuss Nero's many connections to Emperor Claudius, his unbelievable mother Agrippina the Younger, his tutor Seneca, his cruel and disinterested reign, his obsession with the arts, his handling of the Great Fire of Rome and the revolt that led to Nero's suicide. These two dictators battle it out in Round 16 of the knock-out tournament to determine the single greatest dictator of all time. One of these two dictators will be eliminated from the tournament and the other will remain in contention to be crowned history's biggest dictator.