Forbidden History

It’s the early morning of June the 26th, 1718 and in the basement of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg, Russia, lies a young man. His face is covered in bruises, his back is bleeding, and his eyes are sunken holes in their sockets, wreathed in black. The door is flung open, and another man strides into the prison chamber. In his hand is a hard leather whip about three and a half feet long, ending in a beak-like hook. He walks over to the prisoner, who closes his eyes and quietly sobs. He knows what’s coming. The prisoner is Tsarevich Alexei, heir to the Russian throne. His torturer is his own father, Tsar Peter the Great. Peter the Great was one of the most bloody and brutal rulers in Russian history. Known for leading his own torture interrogations, and using forced labour to construct his architectural visions, his son is only one of thousands of people who will suffer at his hands during his reign. Yet he is remembered as one of Russia’s greatest ever rulers. Creating a navy, a city, and being one of the first Tsars to travel Europe in 100 years, his love of science and learning saw him transform his antiquated realm into a European power of the modern age. But given the high price paid by his people, his predisposition for violence, and how the future of his reign was cemented by torture, can he truly be seen as Peter ‘the Great’ today? Cast List: Tony McMahon A former BBC news producer, award short-listed author, print journalist and historian. Hallie Rubenhold A bestselling author, social historian and historical consultant for TV and film. Her notable works include “The Five; The Untold Lives of The Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” and “The Covent Garden Ladies”. Nigel Jones A historian, journalist, former deputy editor of History Today magazine and former reviews editor of the BBC’s History Magazine. Dominic Selwood A historian, barrister, bestselling author, novelist, and frequent contributor to national newspapers including The Independent, The Spectator and The Daily telegraph. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the morning of September 18th, 1931, and through the walls of their apartment in Munich, Germany, a man and woman can be heard arguing. The man is Adolf Hitler, who would go on to lead as German Chancellor and be one of the world’s most infamous dictators who committed heinous crimes against humanity. The woman, his 23-year-old niece, Geli Raubal. Within hours of the argument, Geli was dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. The gun was Hitler’s. The official verdict ruled her death a suicide, but with rumours of an inappropriate relationship with her uncle did Geli Raubal kill herself or was it a Nazi murder cover-up? In this episode we look at Geli Raubal’s life and death under closer examination, to see how conclusions drawn in the case are now being questioned as to their accuracy. Does the evidence suggest she was involved in a violent altercation before her fatal shooting? Is the angle of the gunshot wound unusual for a suicide attempt? Do multiple witness statements contradict Hitler’s testimony? These events and the secrecy surrounding the investigation have caused many to question the official verdict with suggestions of incest, murder, and a cover up within the Nazi Party just before they seized power. So, what is the truth? Was this suicide or murder? And how did this case affect the Nazi Party’s rise to power? Cast List: Gerhard Fuermetz A German historian and researcher from Augsburg University. Dr Linda Papadopoulos The Reader in Psychology at London Metropolitan University, with a 17-year career working as a research scientist and practicing psychologist. Nigel Jones A historian, journalist and former deputy editor of History Today magazine and former reviews editor of BBC History Magazine. Roger Moorhouse A historian and author of many books on the Second World War, including ‘Killing Hitler’. He is a specialist in modern German history with particular focus on Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 25th of August 1942, during the height of the Second World War, a flying boat destined for Reykjavik in Iceland crashed into the side of a hill in the Scottish Highlands. Among those who lost their lives was the VIP they were transporting. He was Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of King George VI of the United Kingdom and uncle to the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. During his lifetime, George became one of the best-known public figures of the age, yet after his mysterious death the details of his life were seemingly erased from history. Some believe that this is the result of a government cover up, but what were they trying to hide? In his youth the duke was one of the more scandalous members of the royal family. Wherever he would travel rumours would follow him of fleeting affairs, drug addictions, illegitimate children, and relationships with men. In his later life, once settled and married, some have theorised his involvement in espionage through WWII, with stories of him attending secret meetings with representatives of global powers. Others however paint a far darker picture of the duke’s true intentions suggesting the theory he was plotting to overturn the British Government, fraternising with the enemy and negotiating peace with Adolf Hitler. In this episode, we examine the life of Prince George, Duke of Kent and discover just what had the prince been involved in, and did it play a part in his untimely death? Cast List: Christopher Warwick A royal biographer and historian, he is the author of fourteen published books on modern royal subjects and is the authorized biographer of HRH the Princess Margaret. Dr Caroline Porter A British historian specialising on the 20th Century. Guy Walters A British author, historian, and journalist who has written several books on WWII. As a journalist for The Times, he writes on historical topics for the national press. Lynn Picknett A historian and researcher specialising in exposing historical conspiracies, she is co-author to several notable works including “Turin Shroud: How Leonardo da Vinci Fooled History” and “War of the Windsors” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forbidden History is a documentary podcast series which explores the past’s darkest corners, sheds light on the lives of intriguing individuals, and uncovers the truth buried deep in history’s most controversial legacies. Hosted by Janine Harouni, each episode will delve into the history archives to reveal new perspectives on familiar stories. Series one starts October 12th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices