Explaining 20th Century East Europe
Sat Feb 07 2026
In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine 20th-century Eastern Europe, detailing the tragic shift from organic aristocratic societies to brutal, industrialized totalitarian regimes.
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FOLLOW ON X:
@whatifalthist (Rudyard)
@LudwigNverMises (Austin)
@TurpentineMedia
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(02:11) The Greatest Tragedy in Human History
(04:47) The Transition from Monarchy to Totalitarianism
(09:44) The Scythe Lens Mechanical Pressure
(21:41) The Staggering Intellectual Loss
(27:59) Capitalism Nobility and the Path to Democracy
(35:32) Defining Mass Politics
(54:19) The Ethnic Map of 1914 vs Modernity
(01:05:43) The Hot Seat of the Balkans and WWI
(01:22:47) The Eastern Front of WWI
(01:38:13) The Urge to Submission
(01:47:48) The Daily Horror of Stalinism
(02:05:33) WWII The German Colonial Dream
(02:17:15) The Legacy of the Holocaust and 40 Million Dead
(02:28:44) Contemporary Resilience and Neoliberalism
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In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine 20th-century Eastern Europe, detailing the tragic shift from organic aristocratic societies to brutal, industrialized totalitarian regimes. -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (02:11) The Greatest Tragedy in Human History (04:47) The Transition from Monarchy to Totalitarianism (09:44) The Scythe Lens Mechanical Pressure (21:41) The Staggering Intellectual Loss (27:59) Capitalism Nobility and the Path to Democracy (35:32) Defining Mass Politics (54:19) The Ethnic Map of 1914 vs Modernity (01:05:43) The Hot Seat of the Balkans and WWI (01:22:47) The Eastern Front of WWI (01:38:13) The Urge to Submission (01:47:48) The Daily Horror of Stalinism (02:05:33) WWII The German Colonial Dream (02:17:15) The Legacy of the Holocaust and 40 Million Dead (02:28:44) Contemporary Resilience and Neoliberalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices