History Rage

World War II in Asia began earlier—and was far darker.

When did World War II really begin in the Pacific? According to historian Jenny Chan, the answer isn’t 1941 and Pearl Harbor. It’s 1931—and the consequences reshaped Asia long before Europe went to war.

In this powerful and unflinching episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by Jenny Chan, historian, author, and co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education, to expose the forgotten atrocities of the Second World War in Asia. From the Mukden Incident and the invasion of Manchuria to the Rape of Nanjing and the horrors of Unit 731, this episode confronts the systemic violence that began a decade before Pearl Harbor—and challenges the Western narrative of WWII.

Jenny argues that framing the Pacific War as starting in 1941 erases millions of Asian victims. Japan’s occupation of Manchuria in 1931 marked the beginning of large-scale imperial expansion, biological warfare experimentation, forced labour, and state-sponsored sexual slavery. The brutality of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937 shocked even foreign observers. Meanwhile, Unit 731 conducted human experimentation on an industrial scale—research later shielded from prosecution in exchange for scientific data.

This episode explores:
Why WWII in Asia began in 1931, not 1941
The Mukden Incident and the failure of the League of Nations
The Nanjing Massacre and its global implications
Unit 731 and Japan’s biological warfare programme
Forced labour, “comfort women,” and racial ideology
Why many perpetrators avoided justice after 1945
How the war’s end triggered civil wars and Cold War conflicts across Asia

Jenny also explains how Cold War politics reshaped justice in Asia, why some alleged war criminals returned to positions of power, and how unresolved trauma still shapes East Asian geopolitics today.

This is essential listening for anyone interested in World War II history, Pacific War history, Japanese imperialism, war crimes, or the global consequences of empire.

About Jenny Chan
Jenny Chan is a historian, author, and co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education, a non-profit organisation dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of WWII in Asia.
Her book:
Maruta: Unit 731, Human Experimentation, and the Forgotten Asian Auschwitz
Buy: https://amzn.eu/d/01w9DEyv

She is also the creator of the YouTube channel Pacific Front Untold, featuring survivor testimonies and archival research.
Follow and connect with Jenny Chan:
Instagram: @PacificAtrocitiesEdu
YouTube: Pacific Front Untold: https://www.youtube.com/@PacificFrontUntold
Organisation: Pacific Atrocities Education: https://www.pacificatrocities.org/

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World War II did not begin with Pearl Harbor. It did not end cleanly in 1945. And for millions across Asia, its wounds never truly closed.
Listen now and rethink everything you thought you knew about the Pacific War.
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Think you know Boudicca? Discover the forgotten women who fought beside her.

The story of Boudicca is etched into history, but what if the most powerful warrior queen was actually one of three? In this episode of History Rage, regular host Paul Bavill sits down with journalist and bestselling novelist Elodie Harper to shatter modern prejudices and Victorian myths surrounding Iron Age warrior women. If you’ve ever been told that powerful women didn’t exist in ancient Britain, prepare to have that misconception thoroughly dismantled.

Inside the Episode
Elodie dives deep into the archaeological and written evidence—from warrior style burials to the contemporary Roman records of Tacitus—proving that female authority, status, and military power were very real features of the ancient Celtic world.

Discover the hidden history behind Elodie’s latest book, Boudicca’s Daughter. While the Romans recorded the brutal atrocities committed against Boudicca’s two unnamed daughters to humiliate their bloodline, history has long left them in their mother's shadow as mere ciphers. Elodie explains why she chose to give these women their names and voices back, exploring the psychological aftermath of their trauma and their roles as political figureheads in Rome's greatest provincial crisis.

From the pitfalls of Victorian romanticization to how Elizabeth I invented our image of Boudicca's red hair, this episode is a passionate rally against the failure of imagination in modern historical storytelling.

See Elodie Live at Chalke History Festival
Elodie Harper will be speaking live at the Chalke History Festival on Saturday, 27th June at 1:15 PM. Don't miss your chance to hear more about this incredible history immersive experience!
Get your tickets here: https://www.chalkefestival.com/

Support the Author & The Show
Buy the Book: Grab your copy of Boudicca's Daughter directly from the History Rage Bookshop and support independent retailers: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804544655
Follow Elodie Harper: Connect with Elodie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/elodielharper

Love Misunderstood Women in Power? Listen Next:
Episode 306: Kate Williams rages that Catherine the Great didn't die having sex with a horse.
Episode 298: Linda Porter rages that Mary Queen of Scots is not a bloody stupid woman.

Support History Rage
If you want to help us keep burying historical myths under King's Cross Station, consider becoming a History Rager on Patreon! For just £5 a month, you'll get entry into our monthly book draw, the invite to submit guest questions, access to monthly live streams, and the coveted History Rage mug.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Follow History Rage on Twitter/X: https://x.com/historyrage

Stay angry!
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The forgotten woman behind today’s global conspiracy thinking

Conspiracy theories didn’t begin with the moon landing. They didn’t start with QAnon. And they certainly didn’t begin on Reddit.
In this explosive episode of History Rage, Professor James Crossland returns to uncover the origins of modern conspiracy culture — and the overlooked figure who helped shape it. Long before talk of the “deep state,” the “New World Order,” or shadowy global elites, one British writer in the 1920s fused together Jews, Freemasons, Bolsheviks and secret societies into a single sweeping theory of world domination.

Her name was Nesta Helen Webster — and according to Crossland, she is “patient zero for the plague of conspiracy-fed stupidity.”
Drawing on his research into extremism, fascism and political violence, James explains how Webster inherited earlier myths about the Illuminati and the French Revolution and repackaged them for the post–First World War world. In an age of fear, upheaval and political instability, she offered something dangerously seductive: a simple explanation for complex events.

We explore:
The real history of the Illuminati in 1770s Bavaria
Why the French Revolution became a conspiratorial blueprint
How the Bolshevik Revolution intensified global paranoia
The role of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The rise of the British Fascisti
The roots of the American far right and the John Birch Society
How conspiracy thinking evolves, mutates and survives

From Adam Weishaupt to QAnon, from interwar Britain to modern America, this episode traces the long thread of conspiratorial belief and asks a crucial question: why do these ideas endure?

If you want to understand the historical roots of today’s global conspiracy movements — and why they feel so persuasive — this is essential listening.

About the Guest
Professor James Crossland is Director of the Centre for Modern and Contemporary History at Liverpool John Moores University. His research focuses on extremism, political violence, war crimes and the darker sides of modern history.
He is also host of the podcast History’s Devils, where each episode dives deep into some of history’s most troubling and complex figures — terrorists, war criminals, spies and ideological extremists.

Follow James:
X (Twitter): @DrJCrossland
Bluesky: @james.crossland.bsky.social
Podcast: History’s Devils (available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and all major platforms)
Follow History’s Devils on Instagram @historysdevils

Why This Episode Matters
Conspiracy theories thrive in times of fear. After the First World War, confusion and anger created fertile ground for simple answers. Webster provided a framework so adaptable that it still underpins movements today.

As James argues, conspiracy culture persists because it offers clarity where history offers complexity. It replaces polycausal explanation with villain-driven narrative. It provides belonging, identity and meaning.

Understanding its history is not optional — it’s essential.

Support History Rage
If you enjoy fearless historical debate and myth-busting:
Join the Rage on Patreon: www.patreon.com/historyrage
£5 per month includes:
Entry into the monthly book draw
Access to the monthly livestream
The coveted History Rage mug
Listen ad-free via Apple Subscriptions (£3 per month)
Follow and contact History Rage:
X (Twitter): @HistoryRage
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Email: historyragepod@gmail.com

And if you love the show, tell someone. Bring another historian aboard the Rage Train.

History is complex. Conspiracies are simple.
And that simplicity is the danger.
Stay angry.
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Discover the truth behind history's most persistent and monstrous sexual slur.

Think you know how Russia’s greatest empress met her end? If you are still repeating the infamous stallion myth, you have fallen hook, line, and sinker for 18th-century wartime propaganda.

In this special episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with the brilliant Professor Kate Williams to completely dismantle the pervasive, malicious lies built to tear down powerful women in history. From Cleopatra being branded a mere "seductress" to Marie Antoinette's alleged scandals, powerful women have always faced intensely gendered character assassinations.

But Catherine the Great took the brunt of it.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
The Cold Hard Truth: Exactly how Catherine the Great actually died (peacefully in her bed at age 67 from a stroke!).
The Origin of the Lie: How her British, French, and Polish enemies weaponized satirical gossip to reduce a massive global superpower to a monstrous joke.
The Real Legacy: Why Catherine was actually a groundbreaking vaccine pioneer, a champion of state education, and a builder of public health infrastructure.
Despot vs. Democrat: The fascinating dichotomy of an absolute ruler who implemented policies we now associate with modern democracies.

Stop letting 300-year-old "banter" dictate historical fact. It is time to respect one of Russia's most successful monarchs for her sharp political mind rather than a fabricated bedroom scandal.

Hear More From Kate Williams
· Grab the Book: Unpack the full history of how the images imposed on queens become all-consuming. Buy Kate's latest book, Regina: A New History of Women and Power, directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781474621359
· See Her Live: Kate will be speaking at the Chalke History Festival on Thursday, 25th June at 2:00 PM. Secure your spot and buy tickets now at the Chalke Festival Official Website: https://www.chalkefestival.com/
Connect: Follow Professor Kate Williams on social media for more historical insights on social media at @KateWilliamsme

Recommended Episodes to Catch Next
If this deep dive into historical misrepresentation got your blood boiling, check out these related episodes:
Episode 232: Elizabeth Norton rages about the Queens Regnant.
Episode 199: Una McIlvenna rages the truth about Catherine de Medici.

Support History Rage & Join the Revolution!
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Follow Us: Stay updated on all future rages by following the show on your favorite podcast platform.

Stay angry!
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What if everything you think you know about Ancient Greece is wrong?

In this episode of History Rage, bestselling historian Adrian Goldsworthy dismantles the comforting myth of a civilised, philosophical utopia. Forget marble statues and thoughtful men in cloaks — this is a world of bitter rivalries, brutal warfare, political volatility, and communities obsessed with proving they were the best.
Drawing on his latest book, Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped the Ancient World, Adrian reveals a Greek world far more dangerous, competitive and unstable than most documentaries dare to show.

Ancient Greece: 800 Rival States, Not One Noble Nation
There was no “Greece” in the modern sense. Instead, there were 800–1,000 fiercely independent city-states, constantly competing for prestige, power and survival.
In this episode, we explore:
Why the Persian invasions weren’t an attack on a united Greece
Why more Greeks fought for Persia than against it
How competition — not culture — defined Greek identity
Why colonisation, warfare and rivalry were normal
The performance culture of honour and reputation
This isn’t Plato’s academy come to life. It’s a volatile world where cities needed enemies — but not so destroyed that there was no one left to applaud their victories.

Athens vs Sparta: Democracy, Discipline and Myth
We also unpack the two giants of the Greek world:

Athens – Radical Democracy or Mob Rule?
Athens pioneered a form of direct democracy that feels startlingly modern — and terrifyingly unstable.
Every male citizen could vote
Thousands could serve on juries
Offices were filled by lottery
Citizens were paid for political service
Leaders could be exiled through ostracism
Adrian explains how Athenian democracy worked in practice — including how the Assembly once voted to execute an entire rebellious city… and reversed the decision the next day.
This was participation politics at its most extreme.

Sparta – Military Machine or Misunderstood Society?
Sparta’s reputation as a society of full-time soldiers doesn’t tell the whole story.
Because the Spartans wrote almost nothing themselves, much of what we “know” comes from outsiders — often centuries later.
Adrian challenges the clichés:
Were Spartans truly permanent warriors?
How rigid was their society in reality?
What was life like for the Helots?
Why did Sparta’s citizen population collapse?
How democratic was Sparta — really?
The result is a more complex, less cartoonish Sparta than Hollywood’s 300 ever allowed.

About Adrian Goldsworthy
Adrian Goldsworthy is a leading historian of the ancient world and bestselling author. Though best known for his work on Rome, he has written extensively on Greece and the classical world.

Book
Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped the Ancient World
Buy: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781800245426
🔗 Website: https://www.adriangoldsworthy.com

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History isn’t polite. It isn’t tidy. And it certainly wasn’t pacifist.
This is History Rage — where myth gets fed to Charybdis.
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