Episodes
Friday Sep 29, 2023
Russian Secret Police Summary! What Happens Next?
Friday Sep 29, 2023
Friday Sep 29, 2023
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.
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Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Russian Secret Police Pt. 11 The FSB
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
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 episode, we focus on the history and methods of Russia's modern security forces. They may not be beating Communist ideology into people but they were/are combatting terrorist groups, foreign adversaries, domestic opposition, and more. The FSB, unlike their predecessors, have the power of social media to almost literally visit you at home, something that would have required a real live agent in the past.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretpolicepodcast/
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Sources:
Russian Federation Explained. VanDeGraph. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVoHAyEwhBc&ab_channel=VanDeGraph
Political System and Politics in Russia Documentary. IntroBooks Education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWVigNrPVpw&list=PLVtoTh3hF-hyEPsA75YIss7EPCL0_vq9C&index=2&ab_channel=IntroBooksEducation
The Day Russian Democracy Died. NFKRZ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9af3KH-k8yc&list=PLVtoTh3hF-hyEPsA75YIss7EPCL0_vq9C&index=1&t=171s&ab_channel=NFKRZ
In Russia's Far East, a Jewish Revival byDavid Holley.
Yeltsin: A Revolutionary Life by Leon Aron. 2000.
Yeltsin: A Life by Timothy Colton. 2008
THE TRAGIC STORY OF HOW BORIS YELTSIN LOST TWO FINGERS. MATT REIGLE. Grunge. https://www.grunge.com/806982/the-tragic-story-of-how-boris-yeltsin-lost-two-fingers/
How did one join the Communist Party?*
https://www.quora.com/In-Soviet-Russia-how-did-one-officially-join-the-Communist-Party
*Take Quora with a grain of salt. I also looked at Wikipedia (not a source) but their bit on membership doesn’t have a citation.
‘Never go to bed sober’ - meet the great Russian leaders who abused alcohol by ALEXEY TIMOFEYCHEV. MARCH 13 2018. https://www.rbth.com/history/327805-leaders-who-abused-alcohol
Privatization. Investopedia. Privatization: What It Is, How It Works, Examples. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/privatization.asp#:~:text=Privatization%20describes%20the%20process%20by,goods%20quicker%20and%20more%20efficiently.
Hungarian Privatization. https://www.britannica.com/place/Hungary/Economic-and-social-change
What is a trade sale? https://www.freeagent.com/us/glossary/trade-sale/
Russian Privatization in Perspective with Paulo Zannoni. Yale University. October 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xox1alqQRQ&list=PLVtoTh3hF-hyEPsA75YIss7EPCL0_vq9C&index=5&t=634s&ab_channel=YaleUniversity
About Paulo Zannoni. https://theorg.com/org/prada-spa/org-chart/paolo-zannoni
What is a voucher? https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/voucher.asp
Economic Indicators:
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
https://fred.stlouisfed.org
Trading Economics
https://tradingeconomics.com/
RUSSIA STARTS ISSUING PRIVATIZATION COUPONS. Margaret Shapiro. October 2, 1992. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/10/02/russia-starts-issuing-privatization-coupons/c515c8a2-66ae-408d-bafe-7dd869b8a844/
Putin’s Story | The Puppet Show Banned In Russia (Kukly NTV 2000). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmdEiL6Avv0&ab_channel=WaleedHiggins
Curtis, G. E. & Library Of Congress. Federal Research Division. (1998) Russia: A Country Study. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/97007563/.
Organized Crime and the Russian State. Challenges to US-Russian Cooperation. J. Micheal Waller.
Michael Waller. https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/author/imp_jmichael_waller/
A chain of wars, a chain of crimes, a chain of impunity: Russian wars in Chechnya, Syria and Ukraine. О. Golubev, V. Malykhin, A. Cherkasov. Memorial Human Rights Defence Centre. 2023.
The battle(s) of Grozny1. Ib Faurby, Royal Danish Defence College in co-operation with Märta-Lisa Magnusson, University of Southern Denmark. Baltic Defense Review 2/1999.
Feature History - Chechen Wars (1/2). Feature History. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX-xs9VJ-BI&ab_channel=FeatureHistory
The First Chechen War - Documentary. Caesarius. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUH0TZRT3WA&lc=UgwQnSEvaaUf5n7bIFN4AaABAg&ab_channel=Caesarius
The First Chechen War - Jocko Willink. Global Frontier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpWshgCP6wo&t=9s&ab_channel=GlobalFrontier
Vladimir Putin and Russian Statecraft by Allen Lynch. 2011. Potomac Books. pp. 10–11.
Putin’s Parents. https://www.mtv.com.lb/news/articles/472895/putin_recalls_parents_wwii_ordeal_
*Much of this is written by Vladimir Vladimirovich himself so please take it with a grain of salt
Vladimir Putin - KGB to President... for Life? - Biography. Biographics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZcE45Ap4es&ab_channel=Biographics
Putin's Way (full documentary) | FRONTLINE. Frontline PBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIgqhU4lkgo&ab_channel=FRONTLINEPBS%7COfficial
History of Vladimir Putin. John Coogan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yo_peHjcKQ&t=47s&ab_channel=JohnCoogan
Did Vladimir Putin Support Anti-Western Terrorists as a Young KGB Officer? CATHERINE BELTON. June 20. 2020. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/20/vladimir-putin-dresden-kgb-330203
Mineral and Raw Materials Resources and the Development Strategy for the Russian Economy by Vladimir Putin. https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2008/08/putins-thesis-raw-text/212739/
The Russian Federal Security Service under President Putin by Eberhard Schneider.
SVR/FSB application process. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/10/02/how-to-become-a-russian-spy-a40036
Russian DKRO
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fsb-evan-gershkovich-russia-security-force-dkro-e9cf9a49
A ‘Risky Westward Turn’? Putin’s 9-11 Script and Ordinary Russians. John O’loughlin, Gearid O Tuathail, and Vladimir Kolossov. Europe-Asia Studies. 2004.
Flame-throwers used at Beslan siege by Andrew Osborn. The Independent, 24 October 2004.
Feature History - Russo-Georgian War. Feature History. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4LV6VnV9UI&ab_channel=FeatureHistory
Putin's palace. History of world's largest bribe. Алексей Навальный.
Timeline: Alexander Litvinenko death case. BBC. January 15, 2015.
Vladimir Putin's hard-core daily routine includes hours of swimming, late nights, and no alcohol. July 2018. Aine Cain.
US State Department Report on Human Rights Abuses. https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/ukraine/ukraine-crimea/#:~:text=ROLE%20OF%20THE%20POLICE%20AND%20SECURITY%20APPARATUS&text=The%20FSB%20also%20conducted%20security,combatted%20organized%20crime%20and%20corruption.
A new study says Russian trolls didn’t sway the 2016 election. Was the threat overhyped? Andrew Prokop. January 20, 2023.
Improvements and Protest in the Perestroika Years by William Moskoff. The National Council for Soviet and East European Research. September 18, 1992.
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Russian Secret Police Pt. 10 The KGB’s Downfall
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
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?
Twitter: @hush_popo
IG: @secretpolicepodcast
Sources:
Taubman, William (2017). Gorbachev: His Life and Times. New York City: Simon and Schuster.
Alexander Gorbachev - PhosAgro
https://www.alexander-gorbachev.info/about-me-1
Robert V. Daniels, The End of Communist Revolution. 1993.
Comparing Economic Systems in the Twenty-First Century, 2003, by Gregory and Stuart. ISBN 0-618-26181-8. "Material Balance Planning", (P.127)
Carr, Edward Hallett; Davies, Robert William (1971). Foundations of a Planned Economy, 1926-1929. Macmillan. p. 199.
Mikhail Gorbachev, Perestroika (New York: Harper Collins, 1987), quoted in Mark Kishlansky, ed., Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, 4th ed., vol. 2 (New York: Longman, 2001), p. 322.
Semenov, B.A. "Nuclear power in the Soviet Union." IAEA. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
RBMK Reactors - Design Overview | The Nuclear Reactor that was used in Chernobyl. Antares. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDPh1JA72nk&ab_channel=Antares
MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory. https://nrl.mit.edu/about
Inside MIT's Nuclear Reactor. MITK12Videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QcN3KDexcU&ab_channel=MITK12Videos
Nuclear 101: How Nuclear Bombs Work Part 1 of 2. Belfer Center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVhQOhxb1Mc&ab_channel=BelferCenter
World Nuclear Association. Nuclear Power Reactors. May 2023. https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-power-reactors/nuclear-power-reactors.aspx
Xenon Can Be a Problem. Illinois EnergyProf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZQwL-2WTgA&ab_channel=IllinoisEnergyProf
CHERNOBYL AZ-5 why it exploded. Mike Bell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOzJQJ1yAaM&t=598s&ab_channel=MikeBell
What is radiation?. Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission - CNSC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw0pHT47AAU&ab_channel=CanadianNuclearSafetyCommission-CNSC
The Only Radiation Units You Need to Know. SciShow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpQzhZ0RRDM&ab_channel=SciShow
Radiation Exposure in Healthcare. https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/radiation-risk-from-medical-imaging
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. High Radiation Doses. https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/health-effects/high-rad-doses.html
Was Chernobyl a cunning KGB conspiracy? Rein F. Deer. https://www.politico.eu/article/was-chernobyl-a-cunning-kgb-conspiracy/
Knight, Amy. “The KGB, Perestroika, and the Collapse of the Soviet Union.” Journal of Cold War Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2003, pp. 67–93. *Contact me if you want a copy of the PDF*
The Breakup of the Soviet Union Explained. History Scope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2GmtBCVHzY&ab_channel=HistoryScope
The Last Ditch Attempt to Save the USSR - August Coup of 1991 (Short Animated Documentary). History Matters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXfvo34Ubpc&ab_channel=HistoryMatters
"Mikhail Gorbachev was hospitalized in the Central Clinical Hospital". Forbes.ru (in Russian). 11 June 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
How Instagram Ruined Chernobyl…Again. Kyle Hill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=326wzbsmjGk&ab_channel=KyleHill
Original Pripyat Evacuation Recording - IT'S HISTORY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW6ryRYPRCE&ab_channel=IT%27SHISTORYMusic/Sounds:
Scorching Action by Jon Presstone
Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone
Gnossienne No. 1 by Erik Satie
Kalahari Wind by Humans Win
Exploring the Possibility by Jon Presstone
Emerging Science by Jon Presstone
Sneaky Snitch by Kevin MacLeod
Giant wyrm by Kevin MacLeod
Select clip(s) from South Park
Beethoven - Pathetique Sonata 3rd movement
Clips from The Simpsons S3 E5 - Homer Defined
Clip from South Park S20 Ep 1 - Member Berries
mycompasstv
***NO I AM NOT SPONSORED BY PIZZA HUT OR YUM BRAND : | ***
Friday May 26, 2023
Russian Secret Police Pt. 9 Brezhnev’s KGB
Friday May 26, 2023
Friday May 26, 2023
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 Soviet Union.
The jet was discovered on radar, the Soviets sent a Sukhoi Su-15 fighter to intercept the airliner. The airliner did not respond to warnings, and the fighter pilot, Alexander Bosov, seeing the plane was clearly marked as a Korean Airlines jet, tried to convince his superiors on the ground the craft he was looking at was a passenger plane. They ordered him to shoot it down. Bosov launched two R-60 short-range air-to-air missiles. One missed, the other hit the left wing and punctured the fuselage. One Korean passenger was killed and others were injured. KAL 902 was forced to land in a frozen lake in Korelia close to the Finnish border. In the aftermath, there were 2 deaths and 107 survivors of the incident, but the Soviets refused to cooperate with the international investigation as to why exactly the plane flew so far off course. Those 107 survivors on Flight 902 were lucky, unlike those on Flight 007. Victims of a titanic conflict between East and West.
We’re going to talk about events mostly during Brezhnev’s leadership of the USSR, a period that’s often dubbed the Era of Stagnation: lackluster economic growth and a feeling of no purpose. I heard a Russian youtuber describe this period as an existence within the movie GroundHog Day -- nothing changes. But the Soviet Union maintained their military might in terms of funding, technology, and firepower. In the game of superpowers, you couldn’t let your guard down. And the KGB was right there on the espionage front.
Twitter: @hush_popo
IG: @secretpolicepodcast
Sources:
The Russian Secret Police by Ronald Hingley
Brezhnev: The Making of a Statesman by Susanne Schattenberg
Cold War Conversations podcast - Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev - aspiring actor and poetry fan (209)
The Hated and the Dead podcast - EP38: Leonid Brezhnev
History of Modern Russia: From Tsarism to the Twenty-first Century (3 ed.) by Robert Service (2009).
The Life and Times of Soviet Socialism by Alex Dowlah and John Elliott.1997
The Soviet-Vietnamese Intelligence Relationship during the Vietnam War: Cooperation and Conflict By Merle L. Pribbenow II, December 2014
Vietnam Admits K.G.B. Interrogated American. Barbara Crossette. 1992. New York Times.
Drug Games. The International Olympic Committee and the Politics of Doping, 1960–2008 by Thomas M. Hunt. 2011
Feature History - Soviet-Afghan War. Feature History. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDQLHFBp4aM&ab_channel=FeatureHistory
KGB Spy Gadgets: The Ultimate Secret Cameras & Espionage Tools. Spyscape. Date unknown.
The KGB (Russian Secret Police): Its composition, aims and methods by Lt Cdr H.G. Graser. South African Journal of Military Studies. 1984.
Cold War Mystery – The Umbrella Assassin. Element 18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsVRYhLLPCM&ab_channel=Element18
Gennadiy Nikolayevich Osipovich. This Day in Aviation. Bryan R. Swopes. 2018. https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/gennadiy-nikolayevich-osipovich/
Music:
Scorching Action by Jon Presstone
Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone
Gnossienne No. 1 by Erik Satie
Kalahari Wind by Humans Win
Terrifying Journey (Extra Dire) by The Turquoise Moon
Scary Ambient Tension & Suspense Ghost With Pounding Impacts Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Sneaky Snitch by Kevin MacLeod
Select clip(s) from South Park
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Bonus Episode! Secret Police Interrogates History Impossible
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Happy almost birthday, Secret Police! Host of the History Impossible podcast, Alex von Sternberg has 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 apparent when you hear what he has done in the name of content creation.
*** SOCIALS ***
Twitter:
@hush_popo
@ARaderVon
Instagram:
@secretpolicepodcast
@historyimpossible
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Friday Mar 24, 2023
Russian Secret Police Pt. 8 KGBrinksmanship
Friday Mar 24, 2023
Friday Mar 24, 2023
Do you know somebody who was alive during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Do they remember how it felt thinking that the world may end in a literal flash? At least one could duck and cover their way into a false sense of safety. In this 8th episode of our Russia series, we are going to wrap up the early years of the KGB and explore some of the cold war tension in Berlin; uprising in Hungary, KGB activities in the US Civil Rights Movement, and the first visit of a Russian leader to the US. Khrushchev toured across the United States, met real Americans, and we missed a golden opportunity for photos of Khrushchev in Mickey Mouse ears.
What were Khrushchev’s limits when it came to liberalizing the Soviet Union?
How did the US and USSR back away from the brink of nuclear war?
Why was Khruschev not allowed at Disneyland?
** American Lung Association Donation! **
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** Support the show! **
patreon.com/secretpolicepodcast
or via paypal at secretpolicepodcast.com
Please provide a rating and subscribe!
Sources:
The Russian Secret Police by Ronald Hingley
Nikita Khrushchev – The Man Behind the Missile Crisis. Biographics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjGLD8bx7Qo&ab_channel=Biographics
Nikita Khrushchev. Spartacus Educational. https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSkhrushchev.htm
Taubman, William (2003), Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, W.W. Norton & Co., ISBN 978-0-393-32484-6
Khrushchev, Nikita (2004), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 1: Commissar, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02332-8
Khrushchev, Nikita (2006), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 2: Reformer, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02861-3
Khrushchev, Nikita (2007), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 3: Statesman, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02935-1
The Structure of KGB - Cold War DOCUMENTARY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeZZYRaGUXQ&t=471s&ab_channel=TheColdWar
1963 Fletcher Markle Interviews Walt Disney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nMrLcmBCuI&ab_channel=onstageDisney
How KGB spies were trained | Jack Barsky and Lex Fridman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4oRBsGW_Tc&ab_channel=LexClips
Why People Betray Their Countries, According to an Israeli Expert. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-09-20/ty-article-magazine/.premium/why-whistleblowers-betray-their-countries-according-to-an-israeli-expert/0000017f-dc31-df62-a9ff-dcf752540000
Secrets Of War, The Cold War 05 Inside The KGB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypuuxrxcVek&ab_channel=AnotherTv
KGB Assassinations. Spyscape. https://spyscape.com/article/the-13th-directorate-the-kgbs-top-secret-1960s-assassination-unit
Communist Control Techniques. An Analysis of the Methods Used by Communist State Police in the Arrest, Interrogation, and Indoctrination of Persons Regarded as “Enemies of the State.” National Security Archive. April 1956.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. https://okupacijasmuzejs.lv/en
The World Was Going Our Way: The KGB and the Battle for the Third World - Newly Revealed Secrets from the Mitrokhin Archive. Christopher Andrew. 2005.
Information about the Cooperation between the KGB of the USSR and the MfS of the DPRK. Wilson Center. August 1984.
REALPOLITIK: The KGB in Africa. Mark Hackard. 2015.
Soviet Intelligence in Latin America During the Cold War. Nikolai Leonov. 1998.
The Sword and the Shield. Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin. 2000.
The History of Russian Involvement in America's Race Wars. Julia Ioffe. October 2017.
Why did the USSR hand over West Berlin? (Short Animated Documentary). History Matters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YPbue5bfgk&ab_channel=HistoryMatters
1963 Fletcher Markle Interviews Walt Disney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nMrLcmBCuI&list=PLVtoTh3hF-hykIPanJdicW55k2WWqn9Ov&index=2&t=774s&ab_channel=onstageDisney
Khrushchev Does America (full length documentary). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxsNqAYXB8&list=PLVtoTh3hF-hykIPanJdicW55k2WWqn9Ov&index=3&ab_channel=docukino
Arkansas National Guard Prevent School Desegregation - 1957 | Today in History | 4 Sept 16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFVGKykCGyw&t=67s&ab_channel=BritishMovietone
Duck and Cover 1951 Bert the Turtle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60&t=493s&ab_channel=NuclearVault
Music:
Scorching Action by Jon Presstone
Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Cinematic Action Drums And Percussion With Dark Ambient Atmospheric Tension Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone
Darkness Marching (Trailer Music) Jon Presstone
Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
Russian Secret Police Pt. 7 The KGB: Spycraft
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
In this 7th episode of our Russia series, we will take a deep dive into the KGB itself. We’ll examine its structure, leadership, and most of all, its methods with particular interest in the KGB’s infiltration of governments across the globe. Who were some of the KGB’s most prominent agents? How did one become a KGB agent? All that and more on Secret Police!
*** Socials ***
Twitter @hush_popo
Instagram @secretpolicepodcast
*** Support the show! ***
patreon.com/secretpolicepodcast
or
secretpolicepodcast.com for one-time donations via paypal
Sources:
The Russian Secret Police by Ronald Hingley
Nikita Khrushchev – The Man Behind the Missile Crisis. Biographics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjGLD8bx7Qo&ab_channel=Biographics
Nikita Khrushchev. Spartacus Educational. https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSkhrushchev.htm
Taubman, William (2003), Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, W.W. Norton & Co., ISBN 978-0-393-32484-6
Khrushchev, Nikita (2004), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 1: Commissar, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02332-8
Khrushchev, Nikita (2006), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 2: Reformer, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02861-3
Khrushchev, Nikita (2007), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 3: Statesman, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02935-1
The Structure of KGB - Cold War DOCUMENTARY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeZZYRaGUXQ&t=471s&ab_channel=TheColdWar
1963 Fletcher Markle Interviews Walt Disney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nMrLcmBCuI&ab_channel=onstageDisney
How KGB spies were trained | Jack Barsky and Lex Fridman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4oRBsGW_Tc&ab_channel=LexClips
Why People Betray Their Countries, According to an Israeli Expert. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-09-20/ty-article-magazine/.premium/why-whistleblowers-betray-their-countries-according-to-an-israeli-expert/0000017f-dc31-df62-a9ff-dcf752540000
Secrets Of War, The Cold War 05 Inside The KGB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypuuxrxcVek&ab_channel=AnotherTv
KGB Assassinations. Spyscape. https://spyscape.com/article/the-13th-directorate-the-kgbs-top-secret-1960s-assassination-unit
Communist Control Techniques. An Analysis of the Methods Used by Communist State Police in the Arrest, Interrogation, and Indoctrination of Persons Regarded as “Enemies of the State.” National Security Archive. April 1956.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. https://okupacijasmuzejs.lv/en
The World Was Going Our Way: The KGB and the Battle for the Third World - Newly Revealed Secrets from the Mitrokhin Archive. Christopher Andrew. 2005.
Information about the Cooperation between the KGB of the USSR and the MfS of the DPRK. Wilson Center. August 1984.
REALPOLITIK: The KGB in Africa. Mark Hackard. 2015.
Soviet Intelligence in Latin America During the Cold War. Nikolai Leonov. 1998.
The Sword and the Shield. Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin. 2000.
The History of Russian Involvement in America's Race Wars. Julia Ioffe. October 2017.
Music:
Scorching Action by Jon Presstone
Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Cinematic Action Drums And Percussion With Dark Ambient Atmospheric Tension Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone
Darkness Marching (Trailer Music) Jon Presstone
Dramatic Gossip - Reality Documentary Tension Background by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP
Disclaimer! The section on the Cambridge Five was written using the assistance of ChatGPT and was vetted for dates and facts.
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Russian Secret Police Pt. 6 The KGB: Khrushchev’s Rise
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Many if not most people have heard of the KGB. Their spy craft is legendary and their presence was menacing. To Americans, they were the illusive boogeymen in the shadows of Cold War events. They're probably the most recognizable Russian spy agency and I’d bet money they’re the most infamous spy agency in history, ever.
In Part 6, we are covering Nikita Khrushchev's steady rise to power and ultimate succession of Joseph Stalin, but Khrushchev took a very different path and actively reversed Stalin's repressive policies to some degree.Over the next few weeks, we will cover, in smaller episodes, the history and methods of the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti, the KGB.
Thank you for listening!
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Sources:
The Russian Secret Police by Ronald Hingley
Nikita Khrushchev – The Man Behind the Missile Crisis. Biographics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjGLD8bx7Qo&ab_channel=Biographics
Nikita Khrushchev. Spartacus Educational. https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSkhrushchev.htm
Taubman, William (2003), Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, W.W. Norton & Co., ISBN 978-0-393-32484-6
Khrushchev, Nikita (2004), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 1: Commissar, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02332-8
Khrushchev, Nikita (2006), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 2: Reformer, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02861-3
Khrushchev, Nikita (2007), Khrushchev, Sergei (ed.), Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, Volume 3: Statesman, The Pennsylvania State University Press, ISBN 978-0-271-02935-1
The Structure of KGB - Cold War DOCUMENTARY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeZZYRaGUXQ&t=471s&ab_channel=TheColdWar
1963 Fletcher Markle Interviews Walt Disney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nMrLcmBCuI&ab_channel=onstageDisney
How KGB spies were trained | Jack Barsky and Lex Fridman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4oRBsGW_Tc&ab_channel=LexClips
Why People Betray Their Countries, According to an Israeli Expert. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-09-20/ty-article-magazine/.premium/why-whistleblowers-betray-their-countries-according-to-an-israeli-expert/0000017f-dc31-df62-a9ff-dcf752540000
Secrets Of War, The Cold War 05 Inside The KGB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypuuxrxcVek&ab_channel=AnotherTv
KGB Assassinations. Spyscape. https://spyscape.com/article/the-13th-directorate-the-kgbs-top-secret-1960s-assassination-unit
Communist Control Techniques. An Analysis of the Methods Used by Communist State Police in the Arrest, Interrogation, and Indoctrination of Persons Regarded as “Enemies of the State.” National Security Archive. April 1956.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. https://okupacijasmuzejs.lv/en
The World Was Going Our Way: The KGB and the Battle for the Third World - Newly Revealed Secrets from the Mitrokhin Archive. Christopher Andrew. 2005.
Information about the Cooperation between the KGB of the USSR and the MfS of the DPRK. Wilson Center. August 1984.
REALPOLITIK: The KGB in Africa. Mark Hackard. 2015.
Soviet Intelligence in Latin America During the Cold War. Nikolai Leonov. 1998.
The Sword and the Shield. Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin. 2000.
The History of Russian Involvement in America's Race Wars. Julia Ioffe. October 2017.

Welcome to
Secret Police Podcast
A crucial and often overlooked aspect of authoritarian regimes are the ranks of the political or secret police. More akin to a paramilitary force than your average cops, secret police enforce the ideology of the State and the personal agenda of a dictator.
On this podcast, Jack takes a deep and detailed dive into the history, methods, and the people of the world's most infamous secret police forces such as the KGB or the Gestapo.
Follow @secretpolicepodcast on Instagram! Please subscribe, give a rating, and a review. Thank you!

About the Host
The idea for Secret Police podcast came to me while reading The Dictator's Handbook by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith. There are plenty of references to secret police forces in this book. Being a curious person, I search for podcasts on the Okhrana for example and found a surprising lack of information. I discovered that while you can find content about specific secret police, no show had attempted to catalog all of them . . . until now.
I bring a long time interest in history, a bachelors of science in economics, a masters degree in epidemiology, and a couple years of podcast experience from running my OG show, Head Cold. I hope you enjoy the podcast!