Podcasts · History · Fiction

Real Dictators

NOISER

164 episodes

Real Dictators is the award-winning podcast that explores the hidden lives of history's tyrants. Hosted by Paul McGann, with contributions from eyewitnesses and expert historians.

More about the show

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Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. Rafael Trujillo Part 2: Poacher Turned Gamekeeper

    · 55 min · S6 E157

    After an apocalyptic natural disaster Trujillo makes his own mark on the Dominican landscape. Erecting monuments to himself that leave little to the imagination and renaming whole cities in his honour, the outsized ego…

  2. Rafael Trujillo Part 1: Scourge of the Dominican Republic

    · 52 min · S6 E156

    Rafael Trujillo held the Dominican Republic in his grip for 31 long years, from 1930 to 1961. He ruled with extraordinary brutality and a colossal ego. Yet riding the currents of geopolitics, he managed to hold onto…

  3. Augustus Part 3: Birth of a Dynasty

    · 1 h 06 min · S6 E155

    With his enemies vanquished Octavian returns to a hero’s welcome. Consolidating personal rule over Rome’s vast dominions, he begins dismantling the old republic. The Senate declares him the most “August” of Caesars, an…

  4. Augustus Part 2: Caesar’s Revenge

    · 1 h 02 min · S6 E154

    Alongside Mark Antony, Octavian hunts down Great-Uncle Julius’s assassins. But Antony will soon go rogue, beguiled - just like Caesar - by Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. Octavian will strike without mercy. With General…

  5. Augustus Part 1: Rome’s First Emperor

    · 59 min · S6 E153

    On the Ides of March 44BC, Julius Caesar is murdered in the Senate. With Rome’s long-time dictator deposed, the would-be inheritors of his estate and offices begin jostling for position. But as it turns out, Caesar has…

  6. Tito Part 5: The Sun King

    · 1 h 01 min · S6 E152

    Tito becomes an international celebrity, with a jet-set lifestyle to match his status. His hybrid ‘coca-cola socialism’ sees Yugoslavia booming. But the good times have been built on shaky foundations. And as Tito ails…

  7. Tito Part 4: The Marshal Versus Stalin

    · 1 h 02 min · S6 E151

    In the war’s aftermath Tito exacts his bloody revenge. Manoeuvring the king out of the picture, Yugoslavia is swiftly consolidated under communist rule. A clash with the US risks further conflict, even a nuclear…

  8. Tito Part 3: The Partisan in the Mountains

    · 1 h 07 min · S6 E150

    When the Nazis invade Yugoslavia Tito takes to the mountains. Winston Churchill dispatches a crack team of paratroopers, led by a man rumoured to inspire the character of James Bond. Sneaking their way through the…

  9. Tito Part 2: The Man of Disguises

    · 1 h 02 min · S6 E149

    An assassination in Marseilles plunges the Balkans into turmoil. The Europe-wide battles of Black versus Red make their way onto the streets of Yugoslavia. Pegged as a trouble-maker and pursued by the authorities, the…

  10. Tito Part 1: The Young Gun

    · 58 min · S6 E148

    Josip Broz was the wartime resistance leader who became Tito, the strongman ruler of Yugoslavia. He defeated both Hitler and Mussolini. He stared down Stalin. He consolidated much of the Balkans as a single state,…

  11. Introducing: Founding Fathers: An American Dream - Episode 1

    · 1 h 00 min · Bonus

    This is a preview of a brand-new show from the Noiser Podcast Network. Hosted by Clarke Peters (The Wire, The Boroughs), 'Founding Fathers: An American Dream' tells the epic story of the birth of the United States of…

  12. Introducing: Real Vikings - Episode 1

    · 55 min · Bonus

    This is a preview of a brand-new show from the Noiser podcast network. Hosted by Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Silo), Real Vikings takes you on a deep dive into the Viking age. You’ll board longboats bound for new…

  13. Jean-Bédel Bokassa Part 3: A Coronation for the Ages

    · 1 h 03 min · S6 E147

    The new emperor of the Central African Republic is introduced to the world in a totally surreal manner - with white horses from Belgium, finery from France and songs from a Broadway musical. The CAR’s finances continue…

  14. Jean-Bédel Bokassa Part 2: The Power Grab, the Châteaux and the Missing Daughter

    · 58 min · S6 E146

    A new year brings new beginnings in the Central African Republic. President Bokassa attempts to modernise. But at the same time, the mass incarcerations and torture ramp up and corruption takes hold. And then things…

  15. Jean-Bédel Bokassa Part 1: The Butcher of Bangui

    · 1 h 01 min · S6 E145

    The former soldier in the French army who seized power in his African homeland. The leader of the Central African Republic who proclaimed himself emperor. The emperor who ruled as an avaricious dictator. Jean-Bédel…

  16. Introducing: Charles Dickens Ghost Stories - A Christmas Carol

    · 49 min · Bonus

    This is a preview of a brand-new audiobook from the Noiser Podcast Network. Join Sir David Suchet as he reads a selection of Charles Dickens’s most chilling short works, brought to life with sound design and original…

  17. Fidel Castro Part 10: Emergency on an Airplane

    · 58 min · S6 E144

    The end arrives. Embarrassed at a baseball game, the Maximum Leader responds with arrests and intimidation. We hear first-hand testimony from a Cuban on the receiving end of the violence. A nasty public fall and a…

  18. Fidel Castro Part 9: Down With Fidel!

    · 57 min · S6 E143

    After a tragedy in the Florida Straits, a dramatic tug of war takes place between Castro and America - all centred on a five-year-old boy. A new leader in the Soviet Union comes to power with fresh ideas which terrify…

  19. Fidel Castro Part 8: Miami Vice

    · 55 min · S6 E142

    When a bomb goes off on a south Florida street, it bears all the hallmarks of a Cuban expert. Castroland is going international. As exiles flock to Miami, Fidel sets off on a globe-trotting mission - meeting Colonel…

  20. Fidel Castro Part 7: Che Guevara in the Jungle

    · 57 min · S6 E141

    Castro sets out to create a breed of “new people” - turning Cuba into an island of mini-Fidels. A particular dairy cow becomes a national treasure and hot dog vendors are declared counter-revolutionary, as things get…

  21. Fidel Castro Part 6: The Cuban Missile Crisis

    · 56 min · S6 E140

    The first man in space arrives in Cuba for a special visit. A passenger liner from the Soviet Union docks in Havana. But it’s not carrying tourists. Out in the countryside a massive yet mysterious construction project…

  22. Fidel Castro Part 5: The Bay of Pigs

    · 57 min · S6 E139

    A man who was right there tells us the tale of one of history’s most notorious military failures. Castro’s former lover is given a handful of poison capsules and dispatched to Fidel’s hotel. A Havana schoolboy crosses…

  23. Fidel Castro Part 4: Havana’s TV Star

    · 58 min · S6 E138

    Castro goes on a victory parade, eventually arriving in Havana on top of a tank. Vengeance is wrought on the old dictator’s supporters, as the new leader moves into the Hilton hotel. Fidel takes a trip to Washington -…

  24. Fidel Castro Part 3: The Mountain Guerrillas

    · 55 min · S6 E137

    While Batista tries to convince the world that Castro is dead, Fidel regroups in the mountains. The world’s press descends on Cuba, hoping to meet this elusive rebel, and Fidel is only too happy to grant everyone…

  25. Fidel Castro Part 2: Shipwrecked in the Swamps

    · 59 min · S6 E136

    Castro wrestles with Marxism and begins another affair. Attempting to reignite the revolution, he swims naked across the US border. At a get-together in Mexico City, he strikes up a rapport with a scruffy Argentine…

  26. Fidel Castro Part 1: Rise of ‘The Crazy One’

    · 1 h 06 min · S6 E135

    Fidel Castro - a revolutionary turned strongman dictator, beloved by his supporters and loathed by his enemies. The bête noire of the United States who pushed the world to the brink of annihilation. The ultimate…

  27. Introducing: Titanic: Ship of Dreams - Episode 1

    · 52 min · Bonus

    This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser podcast network. Join host Paul McGann as he explores life and death on the most famous ship in history. You’ll be right there on board - setting sail…

  28. Benito Mussolini Part 7: Break for the Border…

    · 1 h 05 min · S5 E134

    As Italy switches sides, Hitler hatches a plan to rescue his pal. But with the Axis collapsing on all fronts, Mussolini makes for Switzerland - stowed away and in disguise. For Il Duce’s enemies, the race is on to get…

  29. Benito Mussolini Part 6: The Road to Perdition

    · 1 h 01 min · S5 E133

    It all starts to go horribly wrong… After the disastrous invasion of Greece, Mussolini sends troops to Russia. Benito’s Blitz prompts bemusement in Britain. An Italian assassin somehow survives the firing squad. A…

  30. Benito Mussolini Part 5: The Pact of Steel

    · 57 min · S5 E132

    At the Munich Conference, Mussolini postures as a peacemaker. With Hitler in the ascendancy, the Rome-Berlin Axis is upgraded to a military alliance. High on fascist adrenaline, Il Duce invades Albania. Soon, in the…

  31. Benito Mussolini Part 4: A Fine Bromance

    · 1 h 01 min · S5 E131

    Il Duce uses propaganda to become a folk hero - part saint, part Father Christmas. He bans journalists from mentioning his birthday or the fact he’s a grandfather - to promote an image of eternal youth. Ernest…

  32. Benito Mussolini Part 3: Murder in Broad Daylight

    · 1 h 02 min · S5 E130

    World leaders line up to hail the new Italian strongman. But the fascists are already silencing dissenting voices. An epochal discovery in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings unleashes a curse, or so Mussolini believes. Il…

  33. Benito Mussolini Part 2: The March on Rome

    · 1 h 05 min · S5 E129

    Wounded at the Front, Mussolini’s war ends early. A playboy aristocrat forms his own private army, offering inspiration to Il Duce. As Italian workers go on strike, Mussolini’s goons crack skulls on the streets. And in…

  34. Introducing: Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

    · 30 min · Bonus

    A brand-new release from the Noiser Network. Join Hugh Bonneville on a thrilling journey through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated Holmes mysteries - read in their original, masterful form. If you enjoy this…

  35. Benito Mussolini Part 1: Italy’s Fascist Godfather

    · 1 h 02 min · S5 E128

    We begin at the end… in 1945, with a pile of bodies dumped in Milan then strung up for all to see. Among them, the most powerful man in Italy. One of the most significant figures in modern history. How did it come to…

  36. General Videla Part 4: Dictator in the Courtroom

    · 53 min · S5 E127

    The Falklands War casts a long shadow over Argentina as the junta teeters on the verge of collapse. The country slowly returns to democracy. But that isn’t the end of Videla’s time in the spotlight. As a heroic legal…

  37. General Videla Part 3: God, Football, the Falklands

    · 58 min · S5 E126

    The 1978 FIFA World Cup rolls into Argentina. A surreal fortnight ensues. Fans flock to revamped stadia, while just metres away prisoners cower - hidden in secret torture facilities. As foreign journalists begin to…

  38. General Videla Part 2: Mr Clean’s Dirty War

    · 59 min · S5 E125

    Videla’s dirty war begins. ‘Subversives’ are rooted out, with torture centres established across the land - including one known as the ‘Argentine Auschwitz’. Education, music, children’s books and haircuts are…

  39. General Videla Part 1: The Skinny One and the Witch

    · 1 h 03 min · S5 E124

    Argentina. The story of a gaunt, hawkish man who earned the nickname “the Hitler of the Pampa”. A man whose awkward bearing belied his capacity for cruelty. A dictator who literally stole the children of his prisoners.…

  40. BONUS: Dictators’ Books

    · 26 min · S5 E123

    Almost every dictator, at one time or another, has put pen to paper. Some have wrestled with ideas, with philosophy. Many have merely vented - spewing their diatribes onto the page. Others have made forays into…

  41. Pinochet Part 3: Searching for the Disappeared

    · 50 min · S5 E122

    Pinochet consolidates control, creating a terrifying new secret police force. The dictator’s war on communism extends abroad, as Chile joins Operation Condor. But how long can Pinochet’s global allies allow him to go…

  42. Pinochet Part 2: The Caravan of Death

    · 40 min · S5 E121

    September 11th, 1973. The touchpaper is lit. President Allende realises he’s been double-crossed. Pinochet keeps his cards close to his chest. A loyal naval admiral finds his cars sabotaged and his phone lines cut. And…

  43. Pinochet Part 1: An Arrest in London

    · 48 min · S5 E120

    We travel to South America. In September 1973, Augusto Pinochet seizes power in Chile following a coup d’état. The aim is to topple the country’s socialist president. And it succeeds. But how does Pinochet - a…

  44. Introducing: D-Day: The Tide Turns - Episode 1

    · 53 min · Bonus

    This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser network. Host Paul McGann follows the real people involved in the D-Day landings. It’s 1944 and Europe is in the grip of the Nazi war machine. But on the…

  45. Oliver Cromwell Part 4: The Conquest of Ireland

    · 1 h 07 min · S5 E119

    In the final part of the Cromwell story, outrage at the King’s execution leads Ironsides to wage war on Scotland and, notoriously, Ireland. Insurgencies over, he’ll become Lord Protector - king in all but name. But as…

  46. Oliver Cromwell Part 3: To Kill a King…

    · 58 min · S5 E118

    With the King in captivity, both sides seek a settlement. But when Charles escapes, all trust is broken. For Cromwell there is only one course of action - a solution that will plunge the British Isles into unknown…

  47. Oliver Cromwell Part 2: Civil War Across the Realms

    · 58 min · S5 E117

    England is plunged into conflict. Oliver Cromwell, an obscure politician, soon proves himself an outstanding military commander. King Charles, meanwhile, unveils his own star signing - a dashing young cavalry officer…

  48. Oliver Cromwell Part 1: The Rise of Ironsides

    · 1 h 03 min · S5 E116

    Say “Oliver Cromwell” today and certain things come to mind. He won the English Civil War and prompted the execution of Charles I. He purged the realm with such zeal that he even cancelled Christmas. In Ireland, where…

  49. Introducing: The Curious History of Your Home - Baths

    · 34 min · Bonus

    A brand-new podcast from the Noiser network. Join domestic historian Ruth Goodman as she explores the remarkable, often epic, tales behind everyday objects. This taster episode is all about the bath. A murderous…

  50. Enver Hoxha Part 2: Stalin’s Shadow, Europe’s North Korea

    · 50 min · S5 E115

    As a new premier takes charge in Moscow, Hoxha makes a new friend in China. The Albanian dictator tasks an entire media industry with maintaining his image. But as his country sinks into an economic mire and his own…

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