Conflicted: A History Podcast

The Prophet is dead. In 632 AD, the armies of Islam explode out of Arabia, led by a series of aggressive new Caliphs. The Prophet’s young widow Aisha struggles to understand her new role as “Mother of the Faithful”. Meanwhile, Ali, snubbed for the title of Caliph, grapples with his conflicting feelings of bitterness and commitment to the stability of the Muslim community. All the while, an ambitious new rival, Muawiya, schemes and cajoles his way to absolute control over the new Islamic Empire. THE CAST: Aisha – The Prophet’s widow. “Mother of the Faithful”. Brave, jealous, and calculating. Muawiya – Rising star. “Son of the Liver Eater." A master politician, ruthless and cunning.  Ali – The Prophet’s son-in-law. “Lion of God”. The Fourth Caliph.  Abu Bakr – Aisha’s father; The Prophet’s oldest friend. The First Caliph.  Umar – Hothead, bruiser, warlord; The Second Caliph.  Uthman – “He of the Two Lights”; Corrupt and controversial. The Third Caliph. Muhammed – The Prophet. A merchant-turned-messenger from God.  Fatima – Wife of Ali. Daughter of Muhammed. Mother to Hussein. Hussein – Grandson of the Prophet. Murdered at Karbala. Martyr of the Shi’a faith. SOURCES: Humphreys, Steven. Mu’awiya ibn abi Sufyan: The Savior of the Caliphate. 2006. Madelung, Wilferd. The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. 1996. Kennedy, Hugh. The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In.  2007. Shah-Kazemi, Reza. Imam ‘Ali: From Concise History to Timeless Mystery. 2019. Hazleton, Lesley. The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammed. 2013. Hazleton, Lesley. After The Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shi’a-Sunni Split in Islam. 2009. Louer, Laurence. Sunnis and Shi’a: A Political History. 2020. Hoyland, Robert G. In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire. 2014. Betts, Robert Brenton. The Sunni-Shi’a Divide. 2013. Charles Rivers Editors. The History of the Sunni and Shia Split: Understanding the Divisions Within Islam.2014. Armstrong, Karen Keishin. Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. 2007. Cole, Juan. Muhammed: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires. 2018. Safi, Omid. Memories of Muhammed. 2009. Holland, Tom. The Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire. 2012. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Prophet Muhammed died in 632 AD, it triggered a succession crisis amongst his followers. After the dust settled, two divergent branches of the faith remained – Sunni and Shi’a. It is a deeply misunderstood story that has been unearthed and repackaged in the 21st century to inflame political animus and give superficial labels to complex tensions. In this episode, we will examine the very human, very relatable drama that unfolded against the backdrop of the rise of the Islamic Empire in the 7th century. THE CAST Muhammed – The Prophet. A merchant-turned-messenger from God.  Aisha – The Prophet’s favorite wife; Charming, fiery, and envious.  Ali – The Prophet’s cherished son-in-law. Lion of God. Humble, loyal, and honorable to a fault. Fatima - Daughter of the Prophet and wife to Ali. Abu Bakr – Aisha’s father, Muhammed’s close friend, and first Caliph. Hussein – Grandson of the Prophet. Murdered at Karbala. Martyr of the Shi’a faith. SOURCES: Hazleton, Lesley. The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammed. 2013. Hazleton, Lesley. After The Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shi’a-Sunni Split in Islam. 2009. Louer, Laurence. Sunnis and Shi’a: A Political History. 2020. Hoyland, Robert G. In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire. 2014. Betts, Robert Brenton. The Sunni-Shi’a Divide. 2013. Charles Rivers Editors. The History of the Sunni and Shia Split: Understanding the Divisions Within Islam. 2014. Armstrong, Karen Keishin. MuhammedL A Prophet for Our Time. 2007. Cole, Juan. Muhammed: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires. 2018.  Safi, Omid. Memories of Muhammed. 2009. Holland, Tom. The Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire. 2012. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fake coffee. Rotten meat. Poison milk. This is the story of a few good men and their bitter fight to make America’s food supply safe. Hounded by enemies and discredited at every turn, a handful of scientists and activists challenged the titans of the 19th century food industry – and won.  SOURCES: Blum, Deborah. The Poison Squad: One Chemists Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. 2018. Morris, Edmund. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. 1979  Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. 1906. Hilts, Philip J. Protecting America’s Health: The FDA, Business, and One Hundred Years of Regulation. 2003. Wilson, Bee. Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee. 2008. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tank battles, Cold War politics, and nuclear alerts. This is the epic conclusion of a two-part series on the Yom Kippur War. On October 6th, 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a brilliant surprise attack on the nation of Israel. Golda Meir struggles to restrain her generals from unleashing doomsday weapons, and Dr. Henry Kissinger navigates the perilous world of Cold War diplomacy in hopes of bringing the conflict to a swift end. Even Nixon makes an appearance. SOURCES: Morse, David R. Kissinger and the Yom Kippur War. 2015. Boyne, Walter J. The Two O’clock War. 2002. Blum, Howard. The Eve of Destruction. 2003. Klagsbrun, Francine. Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel. 2017. Herzog, Chaim. The War of Atonement. 1975. Charles Rivers Editors. The Yom Kippur War. 2017. Abraham Rabinovich. The Yom Kippur War. 2004. Bregman, Ahron. The Spy Who Fell To Earth. 2016. Oren, Michael B. Six Days of War. 2002. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yom Kippur War of 1973 has been described as the greatest military intelligence failure since Pearl Harbor. This is the story of how a vengeful surprise attack almost destroyed the nation of Israel. Told through the eyes of titanic personalities like Anwar Sadat, Golda Meir, and Moshe Dayan. (Part 1 of 2). SOURCES: Boyne, Walter J. The Two O’clock War. 2002. Blum, Howard. The Eve of Destruction. 2003. Klagsbrun, Francine. Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel. 2017. Herzog, Chaim. The War of Atonement. 1975. Charles Rivers Editors. The Yom Kippur War. 2017. Abraham Rabinovich. The Yom Kippur War. 2004. Bregman, Ahron. The Spy Who Fell To Earth. 2016. Oren, Michael B. Six Days of War. 2002. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 5th, 1864, the Shogun’s secret police raced against time to foil a sweeping terrorist plot in Kyoto. The ensuing bloodbath would have far-reaching consequences for the future of Japan.  SOURCES: Hillsborough, Romulus. Shinsengumi: The Shogun’s Last Samurai Corps. 2005. Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Revolution. 2014.  Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Assassins. 2017.  Jansen, Marius B. The Making of Modern Japan. 2000. Ravina, Mark. The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori. 2004. Esposito, Gabriele. Japanese Armies, 1868-1877. 2020. Charles Rivers Editors. Commodore Matthew Perry. 2020.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Marquis De Sade was a pariah in his time, a monster on the page, and a genius in death. But what crimes did the namesake of “sadism” actually commit? Where did his real-life appetites end…and his literary fantasies begin? (Explicit, obviously) SOURCES: Thomas, Donald. The Marquis de Sade. 1976. Du Plessix Gray, Francine. At Home with the Marquis de Sade. 1998. Lever, Maurice. Sade. 1994. Schaeffer, Niel. The Marquis De Sade: A Life. 1999. Gorer, Geoffrey. The Life and Ideas of the Marquis de Sade. 1933. Marquis de Sade. The 120 Days of Sodom. Marquis de Sade. Letters from Prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the US government deliberately sent thousands of mentally-disabled men into combat during the Vietnam War. A bonus episode and companion to Episode 12: "The Good Guys". SOURCES: Gregory, Hamilton. McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War. 2015.  Hsiao, Lisa. “Project 100,000: The Great Society’s Answer to Military Manpower Needs in Vietnam”. 1989. Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves. 2013. Charles Rivers Editors. The My Lai Massacre. 2015.  Jones, Howard. My Lai. 2015.  Fitzgerald, Frances. Fire In The Lake. 1972. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. 1990. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 1968 My Lai Massacre shocked Americans, but the true nature of the Vietnam War went far beyond anything the public could’ve imagined. This is the story of the war within the War, between the soldiers who brutalized Vietnamese civilians, and the unsung men who tried to stop them. SOURCES: Jones, Howard. My Lai. 2015.  Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Hersh, Seymour M. Cover-Up. 1972. Charles Rivers Editors. The My Lai Massacre. 2015.  Fitzgerald, Frances. Fire In The Lake. 1972. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. 1990. Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves. 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1945, the German city of Dresden was consumed in a firestorm engineered by the Allies. Many consider it to be a war crime. Others, a necessary evil. SOURCES Taylor, Frederick. Dresden: Tuesday, February 13th, 1945. 2004. McKay, Sinclair. The Fire and the Darkness: The Bombing of Dresden 1945. 2020. Charles River Editors. The Firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo. 2017. Gregg, Victor. Dresden: A Survivor’s Story. 2013. Harris, Arthurs. Bomber Offensive. 1947. Klemperer, Victor. I Will Bear Witness: A Diary. 1995. Harmon, Christopher. "Are We Beasts?: Churchill and the Moral Question of World War 2 Area Bombing". 1991. Editors, History.com. "Massive fire burns in Wisconsin". Nov 2009   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices