Best Rudyard Lynch Podcasts (2025)

1
Explaining Sex and Power in History 2:50:45

Play Pause

3d ago2:50:45

2:50:45

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine how sexual dynamics between men and women have shaped civilizations, arguing that modern society's departure from archetypal gender roles threatens societal stability. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.t…

1
Explaining the Holy Roman Empire 2:23:39

8d ago2:23:39

2:23:39

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a deep dive into the thousand-year Holy Roman Empire, exploring how this decentralized German confederation shaped European civilization, from Charlemagne's coronation through medieval peak to Napoleonic dissolution, revealing patterns that illuminat…

1
Explaining the Crusades 2:16:40

10d ago2:16:40

2:16:40

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze the Crusades through civilizational patterns, exploring the clash between ascending Western Europe and declining Islamic civilization during medieval power transitions. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: ⁠⁠https://ww…

1
Explaining the Volkerwanderung 2:01:08

12d ago2:01:08

2:01:08

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore the Völkerwanderung—the massive Germanic, Slavic, and Arabic migrations (200 BC-600 AD) that transformed Europe from Mediterranean-centered classical civilization into the foundations of medieval Christendom. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpenti…

1
Explaining the Death of God 2:01:21

1M ago2:01:21

2:01:21

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore how Western civilization shifted from a deeply religious, meaning-filled worldview to modern materialism and nihilism over the past 500 years, and discusses why this "death of God" is a global phenomenon affecting everything from birth rates to …

1
Explaining the Napoleonic Wars 1:45:48

2M ago1:45:48

1:45:48

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the Napoleonic Wars through the lens of "Great Man" versus socioeconomic theories of history. Napoleon's unprecedented military genius and institutional reforms demonstrate how individual agency can shape entire civilizations, challenging Marxis…

1
The Rise and Fall of the Bluepill 1:07:04

2M ago1:07:04

1:07:04

A historic shift occurred in the early 20th century when the West completely suspended any concept of reality or meaning. We adopted a new religion whose core belief was that it WASN'T a religion—agnostic liberalism that declared thousands of years of human struggle for glory and meaning "unnecessary." This tyranny greater than Rome or the Catholic…

1
Explaining the French Empires 2:17:12

2M ago2:17:12

2:17:12

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze France's three distinct empires across four centuries, examining why France—despite superior geography and population—repeatedly failed to achieve lasting global dominance like Britain, cycling through spectacular rises and political collapses t…

1
Explaining the Creation of France 2:24:42

2M ago2:24:42

2:24:42

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about France's metamorphosis from post-Roman fragmentation to unified nation-state, analyzing how Frankish conquests, feudal innovations, and religious conflicts shaped French cultural identity. They reveal the paradoxical consequences of centraliz…

1
Explaining Jewish Civilization 55:23

2M ago55:23

55:23

After reading 3,000+ pages for this series, I've concluded the Jews represent history's most improbable civilization. Pennsylvania alone has almost as many people as all Jews worldwide (15 million), yet this tiny desert tribe has repeatedly altered world history's trajectory over 4,000 years. They've produced ONE-THIRD of all Nobel Prize winners wh…

1
Explaining the Pax Romana 1:59:05

2M ago1:59:05

1:59:05

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss the Pax Romana—a 200-year period of Mediterranean peace from Emperor Augustus to Marcus Aurelius. They explore Rome's governance evolution, imperial degeneracy, cultural transitions, technological stagnation, and Christianity's rise. The convers…

1
Explaining Every Jewish Migration | Expulsion 48:49

2M ago48:49

48:49

After reading THOUSANDS of pages on Jewish civilization, I've hit that "skeleton key" threshold where the soul of a civilization becomes clear. Like India, Judaism is an "asterisk civilization"—for every principle, there's a paradoxical counterpoint. The sheer historical complexity demands its own dedicated video. Modern discourse about Jews suffer…

1
Explaining Native Mexican Civilization 1:02:43

2M ago1:02:43

1:02:43

The once-mighty Maya civilization—with populations LARGER than today's Yucatan—faced apocalyptic collapse in the 10th century. As unprecedented drought persisted, desperate nobles demanded increasingly extreme blood sacrifices while peasants abandoned a system clearly abandoned by the gods. The priests, whose calendar had predicted this cycle of ri…

1
Explaining Latino History 1:55:07

3M ago1:55:07

1:55:07

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss Latino history through a geopolitical and cultural lens. They analyze Latin America's development across five distinct regions, exploring how Spanish colonial structures, cultural dynamics, and economic dependencies have shaped the continent's p…

1
Explaining Mexican History 2:05:51

3M ago2:05:51

2:05:51

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore Mexican history from pre-colonial Mesoamerican civilizations through Spanish conquest to modern times. They examines cultural evolution, governance challenges, and social transformations while highlighting how geographic, racial, and colonial le…

1
Explaining Native American History 2:01:51

3M ago2:01:51

2:01:51

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine Native American genetic origins and cultural complexity, challenging popular narratives of "noble savages." They discuss surprising genetic links to Pacific Islanders and ancient Europeans, the sophisticated warfare and political structures of t…

1
Was Churchill a Villain? 1:03:31

3M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

World events keep derailing my civilization series! As a professional historian, I felt compelled to address the recent Rogan/Cooper podcast pushing the revisionist claim that Churchill was the villain of WWII who caused millions of deaths by refusing Hitler's peace offer. Let's examine what the historical evidence actually shows about this controv…

1
Explaining Frontier Era America 1:46:52

3M ago1:46:52

1:46:52

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett dive deep into the American frontier era (1790-1890) and examine how diverse cultural groups shaped westward expansion. Through personal anecdotes and historical analysis, they explore how regional identities and ecological changes forged the American c…

1
Explaining the British Empire 1:54:31

4M ago1:54:31

1:54:31

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the British Empire as history's largest colonial enterprise, analyzing its evolution from America-focused beginnings to India-centered expansion. hey consider the empire's contradictions—brutal exploitation alongside institutional development—wh…

1
Explaining Victorian Britain 1:33:11

4M ago1:33:11

1:33:11

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss Victorian Britain as a pivotal historical era characterized by unprecedented innovation, social change, and global influence. They analyze how a small nation drove massive technological and intellectual developments while balancing competing soc…

1
Explaining the Age of Exploration 1:40:28

4M ago1:40:28

1:40:28

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the Age of Exploration, analyzing how European powers united previously isolated civilizations through maritime expansion. The hosts balance intellectual curiosity about explorers' remarkable achievements with critical reflections on conquest's …

1
WTF is the Left Even Doing? 59:34

4M ago59:34

59:34

We're living through a historic inflection point where the left lost the presidency but still dominates virtually every Western institution. Despite their electoral defeat, they control the bureaucracy, UN, Big Tech, media, academia, and even the Catholic Church—while the right has built no alternative power structures. The burning question is what…

1
Explaining African Colonialism 1:36:54

4M ago1:36:54

1:36:54

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett present a critique of the lasting social, cultural, and economic changes that emerged from the 1960s, with particular focus on how these changes continue to shape modern African society. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: ht…

1
Explaining Steppe Anti-Civilization 39:26

5M ago39:26

39:26

Beyond the Big Four Eurasian civilizations (Europe, India, Middle East, China) that dominated 90% of humanity, there existed a fifth major player—not a civilization, but its opposite. The Steppe produced history's greatest conquerors despite having 1/100th the population and no cities or formal religions. These nomadic warriors influenced world his…

1
Explaining the 1960s 1:35:42

5M ago1:35:42

1:35:42

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett present a conservative critique of the lasting social, cultural, and economic changes that emerged from the 1960s, with particular focus on how these changes continue to shape modern American society. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new p…

1
Explaining the 1950s 1:28:06

5M ago1:28:06

1:28:06

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze the 1950s challenges common narratives, exploring how post-WWII trauma, technological advancement, and social transformation shaped modern Western society. Through detailed historical analysis, they deconstruct popular misconceptions about the e…

1
Explaining the Origins of Science 1:17:17

5M ago1:17:17

1:17:17

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine science's historical development, challenging conventional narratives by tracing its roots in Christian philosophy and ancient traditions. The hosts analyze how empirical methodology transformed into modern "scientism," arguing that contemporary…

1
We live in a Totalitarian Society 51:53

5M ago51:53

51:53

As a Zoomer, I process World Wars as ancient history despite their recent shadow. The 20th century stands in opposition to ALL previous human experience, rejecting thousands of years of shared wisdom. Our unprecedented wealth and technological power convinced us to believe things previous generations would find INSANE—that men and women are identic…

1
Explaining the Iron Age 1:30:35

5M ago1:30:35

1:30:35

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss how the adoption of iron weapons and tools democratized warfare, disrupted Bronze Age aristocracies, and facilitated new social structures and philosophical movements. They analyze parallel developments in Greece, Persia, India, and China, exami…

1
The Politics of Dehumanization 51:15

6M ago51:15

51:15

Reality operates through paradox—simultaneously everything and nothing, connected yet divided. The most revealing truth? People project their own nature onto their enemies. The left accuses the right of exactly what it does itself: institutional control, hatred, and power obsession. Modern civilization's greatest hypocrisy? Proudly championing "hum…

1
Explaining the Bronze Age Collapse 1:37:26

6M ago1:37:26

1:37:26

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore how an interconnected world of chariot-riding elites, complex trade networks, and temple bureaucracies imploded within a single generation. From mysterious Sea Peoples to the rise of iron weapons, they unpack how this collapse birthed a new hero…

1
Explaining Ancient Israel 1:44:29

7M ago1:44:29

1:44:29

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore how ancient Israel, despite its small size, revolutionized human thought through monotheism. They discuss how Jewish identity emerged from the intersection of various civilizations, developed through cycles of conquest and resistance, and ultima…

1
Explaining Medieval Asia 1:13:34

7M ago1:13:34

1:13:34

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the medieval decline of Asia, analyzing how regions that were once the world's centers of culture, economics, and technology—particularly China, India, and the Islamic world—gradually lost their dominance between 1000-1500 AD. -- 📰 Be notified e…

1
Shatter the Glass of Modernity 52:14

7M ago52:14

52:14

Why are people SHOCKED by the obvious consequences of their actions? We print money and act surprised at inflation. We pursue godless lives and wonder why we feel empty. I've spent years asking the most accomplished people I know—CEOs, politicians, artists—how to live happily as a young man, and received NO satisfying answers. This episode identifi…

1
Explaining South-East Asian Kingdoms 1:32:39

7M ago1:32:39

1:32:39

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about Southeast Asia: where ancient slave empires meet modern tech hubs. From Angkor's temples to Singapore's skylines, discover how this crossroads between India and China shaped global trade while maintaining its uniquely fluid cultural identity.…

1
Explaining the Silk Road 1:25:49

7M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explores how the Silk Road shaped global civilization through expansive trade networks, cultural exchange, and power dynamics between Europe, the Middle East, India, and China. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.…

1
Ancient Europe 1:29:03

8M ago1:29:03

1:29:03

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore the fascinating world of Ancient Europe, from the mysterious megalith builders to the warring Celtic tribes. Listen as they uncover how waves of migration, technological advances, and cultural shifts shaped the continent. Learn how archaeology, …

1
Medieval Britain 1:27:38

8M ago1:27:38

1:27:38

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a fascinating deep dive into Medieval Britain. They explore how a tiny population in northwest Europe shaped the modern world. From the fall of Roman Britain to the Norman Conquest, they unpack how the English created their cultural identity, legal c…

1
Explaining the French Revolution 1:15:04

8M ago1:15:04

1:15:04

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about the French Revolution and the fascinating parallels between 18th-century French social dynamics and today's political landscape. From bureaucratic upheaval to radical terror, journey through the chaos that transformed France and birthed moder…

1
Explaining the English Civil War 1:15:34

8M ago1:15:34

1:15:34

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore pivotal historical moments about the English Civil War. They masterfully weave together religious conflict, economic transformation, and cultural dynamics to explain how this crucial conflict shaped modern capitalism, the Industrial Revolution, …

1
A Live Conversation with Samo Burja 1:04:07

8M ago1:04:07

1:04:07

In this episode of Whatifalthist, host Rudyard is joined by Samo Burja, founder of Bismarck Analysis and Palladium Magazine. They engage in a wide-ranging discussion covering political dynamics, the impact of technology on society, and the historical parallels that can be drawn from current events. For full shownotes, visit highlight: https://highl…

1
Explaining the Protestant Reformation 1:07:55

8M ago1:07:55

1:07:55

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about the Protestant Reformation, masterfully drawing parallels between historical information technology revolutions (like the printing press) and our current internet age, exploring how such advances fundamentally alter how societies process info…

1
Explaining 17th Century Western Europe 1:11:07

9M ago1:11:07

1:11:07

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch is joined by business development executive and agriculture technology industry entrepreneur Austin Padgett and explore 17th century Western Europe's pivotal transformation. They examine how the Protestant-Catholic divide, parallel to modern political polarization, shaped warfare…

1
Is Bureaucracy Killing Civilization? 55:00

9M ago55:00

55:00

The World War-era historians—Spengler, Toynbee, Quigley—operated at intellectual levels we can't match today. Despite our "progress" myth, we've intellectually regressed. These giants accurately predicted our 21st century collapse: atheism, caesarism, social alienation, population decline. Their most urgent warning? BUREAUCRACY would destroy Wester…

1
A Message to Pennsylvanians 1:19:26

9M ago1:19:26

1:19:26

Growing up with Catholic/Protestant parents showed me how ideas shape reality—and why people throughout history die for them. As a child, I couldn't understand why someone would sacrifice their life for beliefs. Now I realize justice isn't just an abstract concept—it's what separates America from Argentina. Reading Orwell's 1984 as a teenager horri…

1
The Great Wave Crashes 42:11

9M ago42:11

42:11

Sick in Montpellier, France during the early virus days, surrounded by Yellow Vest protests and social decay, I read "The Great Wave" about inflation history at 2AM and experienced a horrifying revelation—everything suddenly connected. Like a horror movie where scattered clues form a terrifying pattern, I saw civilization's trajectory with perfect …

1
Explaining 17th Century Eastern Europe 1:13:10

10M ago1:13:10

1:13:10

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg dive deep into the fascinating yet often overlooked realm of 17th century Eastern Europe. Join Rudyard and Erik as they bring this pivotal era to life: unravel the rise and fall of Poland-Lithuania, Russia's emergence as a great power, and Sweden's surprising d…

1
The Greatest Lie Ever Told 52:40

10M ago52:40

52:40

While history remained relatively objective, anthropology has been utterly destroyed by pseudoscience—THREE-QUARTERS of Amazon's top anthropology books are scientifically fraudulent! My research across multiple fields has uncovered something unprecedented: the 20th century pulled off the most astonishing deception in human history. Despite unpreced…

1
Long Ripples in History 1:08:17

10M ago1:08:17

1:08:17

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch is joined again by Bismarck Analysis's Samo Burja (podcast host: Live Players) for a mind-bending discussion and deep dive into the concept of "long ripples" — how ideas and events from the distant past continue to shape our present and future in unexpected ways. From Plato's inf…

1
Industrial Revolution 57:02

10M ago57:02

57:02

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg explore the origins, impacts, and global spread of the Industrial Revolution, from 18th century Britain to modern challenges. Unleashing progress or Pandora's box? This episode presents a unique perspective, framing the Industrial Revolution as "the magic of ki…