Hard Fried History
210 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 65 ratingsMade by the curious, for the curious, Hard Fried History (HFH) is your crash-course in everything. HFH is a hybrid comedy-history podcast that provides you with quality and responsibly-sourced information, all while dispensing a healthy dose of sugar to help the medicine go down. Hosted by H. Price and Joshua Stokes (@joshuabstokes), HFH focuses on lesser-studied figures, events and eras, and if not, delivers refreshing interpretations and updated takes on better-known people and subjects.
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Episodes
Ep 125: Napoleon p3 - Wings of Wax
September 10, 2022 21:42 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBWhat were the major causes of the collapse of the Napoleonic empire? What happens when a nation that could be considered "too big to fail" fails anyway? In our conclusion of our French affair, we cover the devastation of Napoleon's war in Spain, his ruinous march to Moscow, the snuffed flame of Waterloo and his remaining days in exile.
Ep 124: Napoleon p2 - Expanding Dominion
September 10, 2022 21:39 - 1 hour - 85.3 MBHow did Napoleon and the armies of France build the Continental system? In this episode we explore the Eastward expansion of the Napoleonic empire, covering topics such as Napoleon's early conflicts with the papacy, the Battle of Austerlitz and the early origins of the "Spanish ulcer."
Ep 123: Napoleon p1 - Issued from the Isle
July 24, 2022 14:46 - 1 hour - 99.7 MBHow did the French Revolution shape Napoleon Bonaparte's view on effective governance? What exactly are the origins of the 'Corsican Ogre?' In this episode we begin the second installment of our six-part series, discussing Napoleon's beginnings, his place within the French Revolution, the Italian campaign and the coup of Brumaire, commonly cited as the end of the Revolution itself.
Ep 122: French Revolution p3 - Collapse of an Ideal
July 23, 2022 12:28 - 1 hour - 133 MBWhat were the worst abuses of the French Revolution? Why were Revolutionary champions such as Danton and Robespierre not ultimately immune from the guillotine? Are there ever noble-enough ends to justify excessive means? This week we explore these topics in the conclusion of our series on the French Revolution, covering the decisions leading up to the Great Terror, the formation of the Committee of Public Safety and what finally undid (consecrated?) the Revolution itself.
Ep 121: French Revolution p2 - Into the Maelstrom
July 14, 2022 15:12 - 1 hour - 106 MBAfter the initial upheaval, how are revolutions navigated? What forms do effective dissent take? Is the term 'mob-rule' necessarily synonymous with 'majority-rule'? In this episode, Henry and Josh continue their examination of the French Revolution following the fall of the Bastille and the arming of the citizens, glancing at the French attempt to create a new constitution, the organization and then polarization of the ascendent under-class and the rise of a group of idealists known as the J...
Ep 120: French Revolution p1 - The Anatomy of Revolt
July 14, 2022 14:57 - 1 hour - 104 MBHow do we know for sure when a nation is definitively and indisputably beyond redemption? What are some large portents or warning signs that indicate a country is on its last legs? In sum, how are revolutions built? Josh and Henry RETURN from their hiatus with the first in a three-part installment covering the rise and fall of French Revolution, discussing in this episode the social and economic factors that led up to the storming of the Bastille, including France's fiscal shortcomings, a wi...
The Amazons (Ep. 119)
March 02, 2022 20:05 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBWho were the Amazonian women of ancient Greek legend? This week we kick off Women's History Month with a look at the warrior women of the surrounding Black Sea region, what the most recent archeological record has borne as well as a few notable Amazons in myth and in history.
Home is where the Hurt is: The World War 1 story of The Harlem Hellfighters w/ Tre Tutson
February 23, 2022 19:46 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBIn this episode we discuss the most decorated unit of WW1: The Harlem Hellfighters, who battled the Germans and brought Jazz to Europe during the era of Jim Crow segregation. We are joined by Tre Tutson, a comedian from Texas and soon to be a national name. Remember to Like, follow and share!
The Rise and Fall of the Songhai: Sunni Ali Ber, Askia Muhammed and the Moorish plague (Medieval West Africa Part 3)
February 17, 2022 00:13 - 41 minutes - 25 MBOn this episode we discuss The Songhai Empire and its formation under the Mali Empire, Its internal conflicts that led to dynastic changes and the Invasion of the Pasha Moor army which destroyed the empire and threw Sub Saharan West Africa into turmoil just in time for the Atlantic Slave Trade.
The Hajj of Mansa Musa (Medeival W Africa p2)
February 09, 2022 18:48 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBHenry E Price wrote this - So you wanna be a baller? Shot caller? Worship and praise in the name of Allah? (It works better if you sing it in your head, phonix not phonetics). THIS WEEK we examine the reign of Mansa Musa, primarily discussing the details of his famous Hajj to Mecca, his reasons for undertaking this venture, the actual status of his finances and the Mali naval expedition off the coast of the Atlantic.
Episode 115: Medieval West Africa p1
February 02, 2022 19:46 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBWe're Back! In this episode we discuss the myths surrounding the creation of Medieval Ghana, the Gold Trade and the Epic of Sundiata - The Forrest Gump/Lion King/George Washington/King Arthur/Tom Brady of Mali. #Comedy #History #Funny #ForestGump #KingArthur #Georgewashington #Mali #TheLionKing #TomBrady
Ep 114: German Coast Uprising
December 25, 2021 14:09 - 55 minutes - 46.5 MBIn this episode Henry and Josh discuss America's largest slave revolt: Louisiana's 1811 German Coast Uprising where a collection of African tribes, maroons and enslaved people conspired, revolted and almost overran New Orleans.
Ep 113: The Road to Pearl Harbor (w/ Special Guest Tim Williams!)
December 02, 2021 05:22 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBWhat did WW2-era Japan have in common with Sunny D? They both unleashed the power of the sun. THIS WEEK! In honor of the upcoming 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, Josh, Henry and itinerant funny-man Tim Williams dive as deep as possible into the series of events leading up to this most infamous of days. Within, we cover topics such as the Emperor's active involvement in war preparations, the character of the escalating tensions between Japan and the US and the rawest nature of du...
Ep 112: Frederick Douglass p2 - Bearing the Flag
November 25, 2021 03:26 - 53 minutes - 35.5 MBExactly how was American Reconstruction bungled? Join us as we explore the question through the last thirty six years of Frederick Douglass' life, examining his role during the Civil War, the minor-league coup's launched during Reconstruction itself and the social causes advocated by Douglass up until the end of his life.
Episode 111: Frederick Douglass p1: America's Jeremiah
November 10, 2021 23:58 - 58 minutes - 38.9 MBWhat's the biggest personal obstacle you've had to overcome? This week we cover the first 39 years of the life of Frederick Douglass, discussing his escape from enslavement, the evolution of his ideas and his eventual connection to the conspiracy around John Brown.
Ep 109: Magic and Religion in Ancient Egypt (w/ special guest Will Loden!)
October 27, 2021 23:31 - 1 hour - 49.7 MBIs your heart lighter than a feather? This week we continue our spooky streak by exploring the mythology, spirituality and religious organization of Ancient Egypt, covering topics such as the Book of the Dead, the reasons for and process of mummification and the individual Day of Judgement that awaits us once we cross that final threshold. Joined by Houston-area favorite Will Loden!
Ep 108: Yokai - Mythical Monsters of Japanese Folklore
October 22, 2021 19:33 - 1 hour - 54.6 MBHave you ever encountered a troll under a bridge? In the spirit of Halloween, we decided to examine the folk monsters of Japan, covering both the attributes of the monsters themselves as well as the history of their commercial publication.
Ep 107: Osama bin Laden p3 - When Terror Reigned
October 14, 2021 03:54 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBWhat exactly was communicated (or not communicated) between the various intelligence agencies and executive branch in the months leading up to 9/11? How did Osama bin Laden spend the last ten years of his life? What scars remain from that horrific day? All this and more answered in this episode.
Ep 106: Osama bin Laden p2 - Insurgent Ascendent
October 09, 2021 23:17 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBWhere and how did al Qaeda spread? As we continue our investigation, we discuss the Black Hawk Down Incident, the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the first few attempts at the detention and assassination of Osama bin Laden and that time leaders of the Taliban had dinner with an oil baron in Sugar Land.
Ep 105: Osama bin Laden p1 - Shifting Sands
October 06, 2021 17:25 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBWhat do you really know about Osama bin Laden? This week we look at the first 35 years of America's, if not the world's, most infamous terrorist, covering the circumstances of his birth and childhood, his service in the Soviet-Afghan war and how his radical beliefs were shaped by the events and people around him. Also covered is the US' initial reaction to the emergence of bin Laden on their intelligence radars, the negotiation of Afghanistan's national identity after the Soviet withdrawal a...
Ep 104: Saudi Royal Family p3 - Oil on Troubled Waters
September 28, 2021 03:04 - 57 minutes - 40.7 MBIf both your old friends and your new friends are inviting you to sit with them in your grade-school's cafeteria, which group would you sit with? This week we conclude our series on the Saudi Royal Family, covering events such as the First Persian Gulf war, the most-recent frictions caused by Saudi Arabia's attempts to modernize and the global standing of Saudi Arabia today. (Sorry for the delay, been a busy week. Hope you enjoy and stay tuned!)
Ep 103: Saudi Royal Family p2 - Petrodollars Pay My Bills
September 16, 2021 03:47 - 49 minutes - 42.8 MBYou ever shut off the world's supply of oil and weren't assassinated by the CIA? Few could. This week we venture further into the history of Saudi Arabia, covering its opening toward the West, initial phase of modernization and how it navigated the precarious politics of the Middle East during the Cold War.
Ep 102: The Saudi Royal Family p1 - Origins of Saudi Nationalism
September 09, 2021 04:39 - 48 minutes - 41.3 MBWhat's the difference between an Emirate and a Nation State? Emirates don't get a seat at the UN. This week we begin our analysis of the rise of Ibn Saud and the Saudi Royal Family, covering topics such as European attempts to colonize the region, Saudi Arabia's place in both World Wars and the early attempts to modernize the largest country in the Middle East.
Ep 101: Exxon is American AF
September 02, 2021 02:45 - 53 minutes - 38.8 MBYou drinking my milkshake bro? This week, we examine the origins and modern history of Exxon Mobile, just your regular ol' multinational corporate Leviathan. So grab a seat, pull out your re-useable straw and slurp down some of this knowledge bro, plenty to go around.
Ep 100 (Yeet): The Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan, 1979 - 1989
August 25, 2021 23:38 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBHave you checked in with the enemy of your enemy? For our 100th episode special, Henry and Josh peak into the history of Afghanistan, covering the first of its approximately four decades of civil war and turmoil. Included within our analysis is the events that prompted the occupation, the nature and gradual escalation of the US support of rebel factions within Afghanistan and hints as to why Afghanistan is known to some as "the graveyard of empires." Thank you all who have stuck with us th...
Ep 99: Marquis de Lafayette - Herald of the Revolution
August 19, 2021 00:17 - 1 hour - 49.9 MBIf revolution comes, which side will you take? This week, we merely graze the surface of the life of a man who became absolutely immersed in revolution, turbulence and upheaval, first during the rebellion of the American colonies and then in France.
Ep 98: Canadian Divisions During WW2 (w/ Special Guest Graham Kay!)
August 12, 2021 00:24 - 53 minutes - 31.8 MBWhat exactly was Canada's role during World War Two? This week, Josh, Henry and Canada's own Graham Kay explore the question by tracing the itinerary of five Canadian battalions throughout Europe and how they contributed to the defeat of the Axis. Be sure to follow Graham Kay on IG and Twitter and check him out on his upcoming nationwide tour!
Ep 97: FDR p3 - American Caesar
August 05, 2021 02:58 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBWhat do you want your legacy to be? In finale of HFH's trilogy on this giant in American history, Henry and Josh talk about how FDR combatted American isolationism through the use of clever legal loopholes, the crucial months up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and both the military and geopolitical battles fought during WW2, as well as a brief examination of the triumphs and shortcomings of the man himself.
Ep 96: History Wormhole - Court Packing
July 29, 2021 03:58 - 44 minutes - 41.7 MBListen man lemme tell you, it's all about packin bowls, packin heat, packin out crowds and packin courts. FDR knew it and now you do too. For real though, THIS WEEK we are discussing Franklin Delano Roosevelt's attempt to add SIX seats to the US Supreme Court in early 1937, a brief overview of how the number of Supreme Court seats has expanded and contracted throughout America's history and what the hell greenbacks are.
Ep 95: FDR p2 - New Deal, Who Dis?
July 22, 2021 00:17 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBDo the well-off have a social obligation to help the down-trodden? In this week's episode, Franklin Delano Roosevelt ascends to the highest office in American government, implements a wide-range of social programs in an attempt to kickstart the struggling US economy and toes the line between entrenched American isolationism and the clear need to fight Fascism in both Europe and Asia.
Ep 94: FDR p1 - The Prodigy of Privilege
July 14, 2021 22:09 - 58 minutes - 47.4 MBHow privileged are you? This week we get a taste of the opportunities afforded to the ultra-wealthy New York elite through the eyes of our subject, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, tracing the circumstances of his birth, his struggle with poliomyelitis and his attainment of the governorship of New York. Part one of three!
Ep 94: Captain Robert Smalls - Broken Chains and Broken Barriers
July 07, 2021 17:15 - 58 minutes - 47.3 MBWhat glass ceilings have you broken? Our Person of Interest this week is Robert Smalls, a formerly-enslaved Civil War Hero who went on to serve in the South Carolinian House and Senate then US Congress for nearly 20 years.
History Wormhole - Pride
July 03, 2021 20:19 - 38 minutes - 29.1 MBThis week! Henry and Josh recap and elaborate on things discussed this month as well as in months prior, touching on people/subjects as Martha P. Johnson, the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust, the Battle of the Hundred in the Hands and the role of the winkte in Lakota society, among others. Sorry for the delay, it has been a rough week.
Ep 93: History Wormhole - Pride
July 03, 2021 20:19 - 38 minutes - 29.1 MBThis week! Henry and Josh recap and elaborate on things discussed this month as well as in months prior, touching on people/subjects as Martha P. Johnson, the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust, the Battle of the Hundred in the Hands and the role of the winkte in Lakota society, among others. Sorry for the delay, it has been a rough week.
Ep 91: Sappho of Lesbos - Lady with the Lyre
June 24, 2021 03:16 - 37 minutes - 29.8 MBWhat kinda sick jams did they bop in Ancient Greece? This week our subject is Sappho, a Grecian poet, bard and lyricist who is widely acknowledged as one of the earliest and most prolific female poets in history.
Ep 90 - The Lavender Scare - The Purge within the Purge
June 17, 2021 00:49 - 55 minutes - 44.5 MBHow did the atmosphere of conspiracy and paranoia unleashed by Senator McCarthy affect the homosexual community of Washington DC? This week we cover the Lavender Scare, a branch of the Red Scare that specifically targeted gay and lesbian employees within the federal government.
Ep 90: The Lavender Scare - The Purge within the Purge
June 17, 2021 00:49 - 55 minutes - 44.5 MBHow did the atmosphere of conspiracy and paranoia unleashed by Senator McCarthy affect the homosexual community of Washington DC? This week we cover the Lavender Scare, a branch of the Red Scare that specifically targeted gay and lesbian employees within the federal government.
Ep 89: Harvey Milk - "The American Dream Starts With the Neighborhoods."
June 10, 2021 01:39 - 53 minutes - 45.2 MBHow did San Francisco's property values get so high? This week we cover the life and times of the eclectic Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, progressive activist and "the unofficial mayor of Castro Street."
Ep 88: Stonewall Riots/Rebellion/Uprising - Dawn of Gay Liberation
June 02, 2021 18:07 - 51 minutes - 42.1 MBHave you ever been pushed too far? This week we discuss the Stonewall Inn, an otherwise obscure mob-run hole-in-the-wall dance bar that, in late June of 1969, became the center of a series of protests that served as a springboard for various pro-gay and lesbian organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance.
Ep 87: Jeff Fort - Chief of El Rukn
May 27, 2021 03:15 - 55 minutes - 47.2 MBHow much government cheddar can you misappropriate before you have to go to prison? This week we discuss this question through the eyes of notorious Chicago criminal Jeff Fort, one of the founders and eventual leader of the Black P. Stones gang and the El Rukn tribe of the Moorish Science Temple of America.
Ep 86: The 1971 Attica Prison Uprising
May 20, 2021 03:02 - 59 minutes - 46 MBWhat do you get when place 'law-and-order' politics at the intersection of a struggle for prisoner rights? Unfortunately, a recipe for disaster. This week we discuss the efforts of inmates in upstate New York's Attica prison to improve their living conditions, and the New York State government's excessive and disproportionate response.
Ep 85: Russia in the 90s p2 - Trickle Up Economics
May 12, 2021 17:38 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBYou've heard of Russia interfering with the 2016 election, but what of American interference in Russian elections? How did the Mafia fill the power vacuum left by the crumbled Soviet Union? What do you know about Russian stonks? All this and more on this episode of Hard Fried History.
Ep 84: Russia in the 90s p1
May 05, 2021 13:53 - 57 minutes - 55 MBWhat factors contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union? How did Russia transition from Communism to Capitalism in the early years of the “Wild 90s?” In the first of a two-part analysis, Henry and Josh take an initial peek behind the Iron Curtain and enter the world of fast money, backroom deals and bad Russian accents.
Ep 84: Russia in the 90s p1 - The Bigger They Are...
May 05, 2021 13:53 - 57 minutes - 55 MBWhat factors contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union? How did Russia transition from Communism to Capitalism in the early years of the “Wild 90s?” In the first of a two-part analysis, Henry and Josh take an initial peek behind the Iron Curtain and enter the world of fast money, backroom deals and bad Russian accents.
Ep 83: History Wormhole - MKULTRA
April 28, 2021 17:02 - 55 minutes - 52.6 MB"Hey buddy...you wanna party?" This week we explore the hidden world of secret government safe-houses and sketchy university laboratories where the CIA conducted their infamous MK-ULTRA program, under which agency-subsidized neurologists and biochemists conducted torturous experiments by bombarding people with electrical shocks and drug cocktails in an effort to turn people into highly-dependent and suggestible sleeper agents ready for deployment. OUR TAX DOLLARS.
Ep 82: Weimar Germany, 1929 - 1933
April 21, 2021 15:27 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBWhat were the final nails in the coffin of German Democracy? How did the Nazi party gain enough support to transform itself from a fringe movement on the margins of the political spectrum to the dominant party within Germany? What parallels exist between the rise of fascism in Germany and the rise of the alt-right in Western democracies? These questions and many more answered in this episode.
Ep 81: Weimar Germany, 1918 - 1929
April 14, 2021 18:27 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBHow exactly did Fascism rise in Germany? What should we be on the lookout for in the modern era? In the first of a two-part series, Josh and Henry take a look at Germany in the aftermath of World War One, the political and social circumstances that aided the rise of Fascism and which types of people found that poisonous ideology appealing and why.
Ep 80: Marielle Franco
April 08, 2021 00:06 - 42 minutes - 35.3 MBWhen do current events become history? This week we discuss the life and premature death of Marielle Franco, a Brazilian activist and politician who was assassinated by right-wing goons only three years ago.
Ep 79: Anna Mae Aquash - Woman Warrior
March 31, 2021 22:24 - 1 hour - 67 MBWhat cause would you give your life to? Our person of interest today is Anna Mae Aquash, a Canadian indigenous women who spent her life fighting for the improvement of conditions for American indigenous people throughout the 1960s and 1970s, perhaps most notably through the American Indian Movement (AIM).