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“The coming of the wireless era will make war impossible, because it will make war ridiculous.” - Guglielmo Marconi, 1912

Long before the first shots were fired in August 1914, Europe had been quietly preparing for disaster. In this episode, join the Hungry Historian as he traces the tangled web of events, ambitions, and anxieties that pushed the continent towards the brink of total war.

From the rise of nationalist movements to colonial rivalries, from shifting alliances to the dangerous confidence of military planning, we examine how a seemingly stable world was actually balancing on a fault line.

We’ll explore the diplomatic crises that nearly sparked conflict years earlier, the growing public appetite for confrontation, and why leaders repeatedly chose escalation over compromise. The assassination at Sarajevo may have lit the fuse, but this episode reveals just how long that fuse truly was.

Follow along as we unravel the political pressures, human miscalculations, and cultural forces that transformed a regional crisis into a global catastrophe, setting the stage for the most devastating war the world had ever seen.

As for a featured recipe, Chef Money is stopping by with the perfect addition to your next sandwich making adventure, and one that is inspired by the leaders of the First World War. You won't want to miss out on this recipe for "Kaiser Rolls"!

Cheers!

Kaiser Rolls

Ingredients:

• White bread flour
• Yeast
• Egg
• Softened Butter
• Sugar
• Salt
• Cold Milk
• Poppy Seeds
• Sesame Seeds

** Featured Recipe amounts and directions are available within the show or on the official Instagram page of The Hungry Historian.**

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"In fourteen years Leopold has deliberately destroyed more lives than have suffered death on all the battlefields of this planet for the past thousand years..." - Mark Twain

In this episode of The Hungry Historian, we dive into one of the darkest and most disturbing chapters of colonial history: the reign of King Leopold II over the Congo Free State.

What began as a supposed humanitarian mission quickly descended into a brutal system of forced labour, mutilation, and terror. All orchestrated to satisfy one monarch’s insatiable appetite for wealth and influence.

Follow along as the Hungry Historian discusses the tactics Leopold used to disguise exploitation as philanthropy, explore the violent machinery of the rubber trade, and follow the courageous voices who dared to expose the truth to the world.

From Henry Morton Stanley’s expeditions to the global humanitarian campaign that eventually forced change, this episode unravels the layers of greed, deception, and suffering that defined the Congo under Leopold’s rule.

Join the Hungry Historian as he examines how this grim period reshaped international activism, challenged Europe’s imperial conscience, and left behind a legacy Congo continues to confront today.

As far as a Featured Recipe goes, this time around Chef Money is switching out his cooking apron for his bartender one, and presenting you with his spin on a classic bar shooter - the Black Russian

Trust me, you'll need one or two of them following this tale of terror. It is not for the faint of heart.

Cheers!

Featured Recipe

Black Belgian

• 2 ounces of Vodka
• 1 ounce of Kahlúa
• Ice
• Rocks glass

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History isn’t just the tale of kings and queens, of armies and empires. It’s also the story of how we’ve suffered, how we’ve punished, and how far humanity has gone to make death a spectacle.

In this Halloween special, The Hungry Historian ventures into the blackest corners of the past. To the places where execution was an art form, and pain was meant to echo.

From the slow scrape of the blade to the crack of the rope, from ingenious devices of torment to punishments so vile they were outlawed even by tyrants, this episode is a grim reminder that cruelty is as old as civilization itself.

You’ll hear about deaths meant not just to end life, but to send a message. The tools, the theatre, the terrifying imagination behind them. Ritualized agony. Sanctified suffering. Justice twisted into horror.

Across centuries and continents, we’ll unearth stories that reveal what happens when power, vengeance, and fear collide. A place where death becomes performance. These are the moments history tried to forget… but the screams still linger.

So dim the lights, pour yourself something strong, and settle in. Because tonight, The Hungry Historian isn’t serving comfort, nor is he in the pursuit of a goodnight story.

Tonight, he is serving carnage.

⚠️ Listener discretion is very much advised. This one isn’t for the faint of heart.

Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

Cheers!

Ratcliffe's Colonial Catch

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
• ⅓ cup dry white wine
• 1 ½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

*Featured Recipe directions and Chef tips available within the show