Episodios

  • In the Part 3 Discussion, we cover evidence for the Moscow Trials (more to come in the Part 3.5 Narrative), The Spanish Civil War, Molotov-Ribbentrop, and more. Our host is Legacy Prole, Taylor!

    The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective, mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

    Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

    Support the show at www.patreon.com/prolespod

    Recommended Additional Reading

    Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

    Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn by Domenico Losurdo

    Recommended Additional Listening

    Stalin's Constitution & Life in 1930s Soviet Union w/ Samantha Lomb

    How Stalin Tried to Prevent World War II w/ Michael Jabara Carley

    Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective

    Foundations of Leninism

    Sources

    Stalin’s Constitution: Soviet Participatory Politics and the Discussion of the 1936 Draft Constituion by Samantha Lomb

    The New Soviet Constitution: A Study in Socialist Democracy by Anna Louise Strong

    Stalinist Values: The Cultural Norms of Soviet Modernity, 1917–1941

    The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Spanish Civil War

    Broué, P. (1990). Party opposition to Stalin (1930-1932) and the first Moscow trial. In J. W. Strong (Ed.),

    Essays on revolutionary culture and Stalinism. Selected papers from the Third World Congress for Soviet and East European studies. Craig, G. A. (1951).

    Documents on German Foreign Policy 1918–1945. Series D (1937–1945). Volume III. Germany and the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. Volodarsky, B. (2015). Stalin's agent. The life and death of Alexander Orlov. London and New York: Oxford University Press.

  • In the narrative for Part Three of "The Stalin Eras”, Tony and Jeremy detail Joseph Stalin’s life within the context of Soviet history through the years 1935-1936.

    This narrative, titled “Triumph and Tribulations” highlights the USSR as a rising star to both the global proletariat and colonized peoples, the utter triumph of socialist construction during the Great Depression, the highly progressive 1936 Soviet Constitution, and finally the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War!

    Stay tuned for the next episode which will continue the narrative through from 1936-1939 focusing mostly on the controversial Moscow Trials, the Great Purge, the climax of the Spanish Civil War, and apocalyptically - the beginning of World War II.

    The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective, mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

    Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

    Support the show at www.patreon.com/prolespod

    Recommended Additional Reading

    Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

    Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn by Domenico Losurdo

    Recommended Additional Listening

    Stalin's Constitution & Life in 1930s Soviet Union w/ Samantha Lomb

    How Stalin Tried to Prevent World War II w/ Michael Jabara Carley

    Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective

    Foundations of Leninism

    Sources

    Stalin’s Constitution: Soviet Participatory Politics and the Discussion of the 1936 Draft Constituion by Samantha Lomb

    The New Soviet Constitution: A Study in Socialist Democracy by Anna Louise Strong

    Stalinist Values: The Cultural Norms of Soviet Modernity, 1917–1941

    The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Spanish Civil War

    Broué, P. (1990). Party opposition to Stalin (1930-1932) and the first Moscow trial. In J. W. Strong (Ed.),

    Essays on revolutionary culture and Stalinism. Selected papers from the Third World Congress for Soviet and East European studies. Craig, G. A. (1951).

    Documents on German Foreign Policy 1918–1945. Series D (1937–1945). Volume III. Germany and the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. Volodarsky, B. (2015). Stalin's agent. The life and death of Alexander Orlov. London and New York: Oxford University Press.

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  • Comrades!

    We are hard at work on the Stalin Eras, as you all know. Part 3 in particular, given the Moscow Trials, The Military Trial, Ezhovchina, and other major topics, this episode in particular has taken a LOT of work. We have also uncovered a bunch of archival material that we hope will create context that we believe has never been presented in the English language.

    On top of that, a few listeners have given us feedback that, particularly given the very dense nature of the material, that they feel like they are falling behind and thus unable to engage with the discussion online and participate in the live-listens we do for every new Stalin Eras episode on the Patreon.

    As such, we are taking an intermission of sorts (still slaving away in the podcast mines) to give people time to catch up and to give us the time to properly represent our vision in Part 3 as the DEFINITIVE collection of materialist analysis and historiography on the Stalin Era of Soviet History.

    We didn't want to leave you hanging, so, here is a peek behind the Iron Curtain of the paywall, featuring our two most recent Q & Rae episodes. We hope you enjoy. Please consider subscribing so that we may continue to put the effort that we have put into the Stalin Eras into all of our future episodes.

    We hope you're enjoying it, and solidarity forever.

  • In the discussion for Part Two of “The Stalin Eras”, the gang responds to questions from Jen (aka Big Nasty), host of How the Red Was Won and overall badass comrade. The years in focus are, again, 1930-1934, and based upon the previous episode (which you should listen to if you haven't already).

    We talk Stalin's sigma male grindset, writing letters to the man himself, the rise of fascism, and the contradictions facing the USSR at this time.

    The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective, mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

    Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

    Support the show and get bonus content at patreon.com/prolespod

    Recomended Resources on "Holodomor" as Genocide Question

    Academics who do not consider the Ukraine famine of 1932-1933 to be a genocide include: J. Arch Getty, Stephen Wheatcroft, Mark Tauger, R.W Davies, Hiroaki Kuromiya, Ronald Grigor Suny, Stephen Kotkin to name a few.

    Recommended Additional Reading

    Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

    Another View of Stalin by Ludo Martens

    Recommended Additional Listening

    Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective

    Foundations of Leninism

    Episode Sources

    The Lesser of Two Hells by Alvin D Coox

    Practicing Stalinism by J Arch Getty

    Excesses Are Not Permitted byJ Arch Getty

    Origins of the Great Purges by J Arch Getty

    I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong

    I Was Stalin's Bodyguard by Achmed Amba

    The Pattern Of Soviet Power by Edgar Snow

    Revolution on my Mind by Jochen Hellbeck

    Stalin's Library by Geoffrey Roberts

    The Great Conspiracy by Michael Sayers & Albert E Kahn

    Conjuring Hitler by Guido Giacomo Preparata

    Molotov Remembers, Conversations with Felix Chuev

    Black Bolshevik by Harry Haywood

    Teachers of Stalinism by E Thomas Ewing

    Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin, Christopher Read, 2017, Routledge Publishing

    Next to Stalin by A.T. Rybin

    Betrayal of an Ideal by G.A. Tokaev

    Soviet Famine 1930–1933: "The Law of Spikelets" Myth Explained by Polistrum

    In Search of New Facts: Interwar Japanese Military Intelligence Activities in the Baltic States and Finland: 1918–1940 by Shingo Masunaga,

    Wrestling with Aspects of Interwar Stalinism by William J. Chase,

    Why I resigned from the Trotsky Defense Committee by Mauritz Alfred Hallgren, 1937, International Publishers

    Muder at the Kemerovo Mines by Ernst Fischer

    Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg, 1949), Vol. 29

    The Goebbels Diaries: 1942-1943 by Joseph Goebbels,

    “Secret Hitler-Benes Negotiations in 1936-37.” bt Gerhard L. Weinberg

    The Road to Terror. Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks by J. Arch Getty and Oleg V. Naumov

    Russian Soviet Archives

    U.S. Archives, Library of Congress

    Czech Republic Archives

    Vienna Bureau of the Austrian Chancellor

    The Red Book, Leon Sedov, 1936, Byulletin Oppositsii, Nos.52-53, October 1936

    The Prophet Outcast: Trotsky, (1929–1940), Isaac Deutscher, 1963, Vintage Russian Library

    The Russian Enigma, Ante Ciliga, 1940, Pluto Press

    “Red Wreckers in Russia.”,by John D Littlepage

    My Life, byLeon Trotsky

    Leon Sedov: Son, Friend, Fighter, Leon Trotsky

    Harvard Trotsky Archive, Houghton Library, Harvard University

    The Great Terror. A Reassessment by Robert Conquest

    Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution 1888-1938 by Stephen Cohen

    The Kirov Murder and Soviet History by Matthew Lenoe

    Many, many diaries published on https://prozhito.org/

  • In the narrative for Part Two of “The Stalin Eras”, Justin and Jeremy detail Soviet society and all that comes with it under Stalin’s leadership from 1930-1934.

    This narrative, titled “Stewards of the Human Soul”, covers the varied personal experiences of Soviet citizens from the center to the periphery of the USSR, the winding down of rapid industrialization and collectivization, the controversial anti-religious and anti-kulak campaigns, the so called “show trials” on industrial sabotage, the true nature of internal opposition, and the astonishing results of the first five year plan.

    Stay tuned for the next episode which will feature a full length discussion with guest host Jen of How the Red Was Won. Jen joins to guide an in-depth discussion about the era covered in this narrative episode.

    The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective, mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

    Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

    Support the show and get bonus content at patreon.com/prolespod

    Recomended Resources on "Holodomor" as Genocide Question

    Academics who do not consider the Ukraine famine of 1932-1933 to be a genocide include: J. Arch Getty, Stephen Wheatcroft, Mark Tauger, R.W Davies, Hiroaki Kuromiya, Ronald Grigor Suny, Stephen Kotkin to name a few.

    Recommended Additional Reading

    Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

    Another View of Stalin by Ludo Martens

    Recommended Additional Listening

    Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective

    Foundations of Leninism

    Episode Sources

    The Lesser of Two Hells by Alvin D Coox

    Practicing Stalinism by J Arch Getty

    Excesses Are Not Permitted byJ Arch Getty

    Origins of the Great Purges by J Arch Getty

    I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong

    I Was Stalin's Bodyguard by Achmed Amba

    The Pattern Of Soviet Power by Edgar Snow

    Revolution on my Mind by Jochen Hellbeck

    Stalin's Library by Geoffrey Roberts

    The Great Conspiracy by Michael Sayers & Albert E Kahn

    Conjuring Hitler by Guido Giacomo Preparata

    Molotov Remembers, Conversations with Felix Chuev

    Black Bolshevik by Harry Haywood

    Teachers of Stalinism by E Thomas Ewing

    Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin, Christopher Read, 2017, Routledge Publishing

    Next to Stalin by A.T. Rybin

    Betrayal of an Ideal by G.A. Tokaev

    Soviet Famine 1930–1933: "The Law of Spikelets" Myth Explained by Polistrum

    In Search of New Facts: Interwar Japanese Military Intelligence Activities in the Baltic States and Finland: 1918–1940 by Shingo Masunaga,

    Wrestling with Aspects of Interwar Stalinism by William J. Chase,

    Why I resigned from the Trotsky Defense Committee by Mauritz Alfred Hallgren, 1937, International Publishers

    Muder at the Kemerovo Mines by Ernst Fischer

    Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg, 1949), Vol. 29

    The Goebbels Diaries: 1942-1943 by Joseph Goebbels,

    “Secret Hitler-Benes Negotiations in 1936-37.” bt Gerhard L. Weinberg

    The Road to Terror. Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks by J. Arch Getty and Oleg V. Naumov

    Russian Soviet Archives

    U.S. Archives, Library of Congress

    Czech Republic Archives

    Vienna Bureau of the Austrian Chancellor

    The Red Book, Leon Sedov, 1936, Byulletin Oppositsii, Nos.52-53, October 1936

    The Prophet Outcast: Trotsky, (1929–1940), Isaac Deutscher, 1963, Vintage Russian Library

    The Russian Enigma, Ante Ciliga, 1940, Pluto Press

    “Red Wreckers in Russia.”,by John D Littlepage

    My Life, byLeon Trotsky

    Leon Sedov: Son, Friend, Fighter, Leon Trotsky

    Harvard Trotsky Archive, Houghton Library, Harvard University

    The Great Terror. A Reassessment by Robert Conquest

    Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution 1888-1938 by Stephen Cohen

    The Kirov Murder and Soviet History by Matthew Lenoe

    Many, many diaries published on https://prozhito.org/

  • Breht O’Shea, host of Revolutionary Left Radio, joins to guide a discussion based on the events covered in the narrative for Part One (which you should listen too first, if you haven’t already!).

    In this discussion, the gang led by Rae and Jeremy answer wide ranging questions about the nature of Stalin’s rise to prominence in the party, Lenin’s death, the dreaded NEP Men, the first five year plan, and the trials, tribulations, and triumphs in everyday life of Soviet citizens.

    The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective, mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

    Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

    Support the show here: www.patreon.com/prolespod

    Thematic Introduction Source: "Forword" of Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse

    Episode Sources

    I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong

    Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse

    The Great Conspiracy: The Secret War Against Soviet Russia

    The Great Soviet Encyclopedia

    Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin by Christopher Read

    Small Comrades: A Revolutionizing Childhood in Soviet Russia 1917-1932.

    Recommended Additional Reading

    Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

    Silencing the Past by Michel-Rolphe Trouillot

    Recommended Additional Listening

    The Indigenous Peoples of the Soviet Union w/ Alice and Dennis Bartels

    Foundations of Leninism

    Soviet Cinema

    Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective

  • In the narrative for Part One of “The Stalin Eras”, Rae and Jeremy detail Joseph Stalin’s life within the context of Soviet history through the monumental years of 1917-1929.

    This narrative, titled “Reconstruction In One Country”, covers Soviet history from the early days of the October Revolution, through the Civil War and Imperialist interventions, the Volga Famine, Stalin’s rise in party leadership, the New Economic Program, ultimately ending with the start of rapid industrialization/collectivization, and the of Soviet Union’s first five year plan.

    Stay tuned for the next episode which will feature a full length discussion with guest host Breht O’Shea of Revolutionary Left Radio. Breht joins to guide an in-depth discussion about the era covered in this narrative episode.

    The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective, mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

    Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

    Support the show here: www.patreon.com/prolespod

    Thematic Introduction Source: "Forword" of Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse

    Episode Sources

    I Change Worlds by Anna Louise Strong

    Stalin: A New World Seen Through One Man by Henri Barbusse

    The Great Conspiracy: The Secret War Against Soviet Russia

    The Great Soviet Encyclopedia

    Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin by Christopher Read

    Small Comrades: A Revolutionizing Childhood in Soviet Russia 1917-1932.

    Recommended Additional Reading

    Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

    Silencing the Past by Michel-Rolphe Trouillot

    Recommended Additional Listening

    The Indigenous Peoples of the Soviet Union w/ Alice and Dennis Bartels

    Foundations of Leninism

    Soviet Cinema

    Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective

  • In this introductory episode we cover the who, what, where, and why of “The Stalin Eras”, a multi-part series on the life and times of Joseph Stalin. In addition, we also lay the foundations of young Stalin’s life: from his humble birth in 1878 to his revolutionary career leading into the October Revolution of 1917.

    This first narrative of the series, “From Soso to Stalin”, begins with his childhood, before movin into his time in church school followed by seminary, and finally his early days as a labor leader and journalist for the Party leading into the October Revolution. And ofcourse, we cover young Stalin’s daring bank robbery!

    The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective,” mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic ProlesPod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, in podcast format.

    Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

    Episode Sources

    Reflections on Stalinism (2024) by J Arch Getty

    Secret British ‘black propaganda’ campaign targeted cold war enemies (2022)

    Stalin: Passage to Revolution (2020) by Ronald Grigor Suny

    Revisioning Stalin and Stalinism Complexities, Contradictions, and Controversies (2020) Edited by James Ryan and Susan Grant

    Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin (2017) by Christopher Read

    US., Soviet Textbooks Give Different Accounts of History (1987)

    Death of the department that never was (1978)

    On Stalin (1953) by W.E.B Dubois

    Recommend Reading

    Stalin History & Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo

    The Collected Works of J.V. Stalin: Volume I

    The Collected Works of J.V. Stalin: Volume II

    Recommended Listening

    Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective

    Ep 61 - Foundations of Leninism

    Was the Soviet Union Totalitarian? w/ Robert Thurston

  • As we are VERY busy working on the Stalin Eras series which premiers as early release for paid Patreon subscribers on September 18, and for the main feed September 23, we did not feel that we could do a typical episode justice. Instead, we decided to put together an episode of short clips from almost all of our bonus content that is available to paid subscribers over on the Patreon page. There are timestamps below in case you have already heard some of the content or want to easily reference/skip something. The bits on media (particularly the X-Men 97 episode) contain spoilers, so be mindful of that also.

    We tried to collect a mixture of humorous clips, serious clips, and thoughtful clips. Some of this content was recorded before Rae and Martín got decent microphones, so many apologies for the terrible audio quality on some of their parts.

    We have all dedicated a lot of time and energy to this podcast and first and foremost we hope that you are enjoying it and finding it helpful in your lives. It takes a lot to bring bi-weekly content, as well as a constant stream of bonus content, and our hope is that we can eventually move away from full-time wage labor toward full-time revolutionary education and entertainment but we cannot do that without your help.

    If it is within your means, please find a tier that interests you over at the ProlesPod Patreon page and smash that subscribe button. If you are unable to support financially, that's okay. We get it! We also have a free tier with study guides to accompany the main feed episodes, as well as occasional exclusive content and announcements. If you're an absolutely dedicated comrade, it really helps us reach more people if you post reviews on any of the sites like Spotify, Apple, or any other place that it might be available, and comment on our YouTube episodes!

    Check out the Stalin Eras trailer, which drops today, and make sure to follow so that you can get notifications when the genre-bending episodes premier! It will be Soviet history as you've never heard it before...

    0:35.5 - 3:11.5 Introduction 3:17.8 - 4:56.3 The Secret Speech Ep 6 - Ukraine: Birth of Nationalism 5:10.7 - 6:47.1 The Non-Politics of HBO's The Sympathizer (2024) 6:54.4 - 9:39.7 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy 9:53.2 - 13:56.8 The Secret Speech Ep 8 - Foundations of Leninism (Theory Explained) 14:03.5 - 15:35.6 The Secret Speech Ep 2: Latvia's Red Partisans of World War II 15:44.8 - 17:28.7 The Secret Speech Ep 7 - Ukraine: Descent to Fascism 17:40.9 - 19:18.6 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy 19:29.7 - 23:13.0 The Non-Politics of HBO's The Sympathizer (2024) 23:31.5 - 24:46.9 The Secret Speech Ep 1 - X-Men 97: A Marxist Perspective 25:04.0 - 28:03.0 Kids Who Die by Langston Hughes 28:04.8 - 28:48.4 The Sadistic Exploitation of America's Sweethearts 29:12.6 - 32:25.8 The Secret Speech Ep 8 - Foundations of Leninism (Theory Explained) 32:42.6 - 36:04.7 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy 36:33.3 - 37:22.4 The Secret Speech Ep 6 - Ukraine: Birth of Nationalism 37:42.3 - 40:38.8 *SPOILERS* The Secret Speech Ep 1 - X-Men 97: A Marxist Perspective 40:54.0 - 48:36.8 Q & Rae #1: Family, Ethics of Socialist Content Creation, and Life Abroad 49:08.0 - 57:28.7 The Secret Speech Ep 4 - Taiwan: A Short Long History 57:49.4 - 1:00.1 The Secret Speech Ep 3 - The CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy
  • Join the Proles and friend of the pod, Joel, for our first ever episode focused solely on a theory text. If you’ve been following along with the TheoryBeats project on Patreon, you already know the text. It is the the monumental "Foundations of Leninism" by Joseph Stalin. Rae takes the lead on this one.

    We’ll take you through each of the nine sections of this text, unpacking the history and context while making connections to other thinkers, theorists, and movements both historically and today.

    You can find the full text freely available to read at:

    https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1924/foundations-leninism/

    Thank you to our (actual and legitimate, not a joke) sponsor, "Quotations from Michael Parenti" published by Red Prints Publishing through Marxist-Leninist Reading Hub. To learn more and to get a copy of the book, head here: https://www.mlreadinghub.org/books/quotations-from-michael-parenti

    If you’d like to listen to the TheoryBeats, find studyguides, surprise drops, and more, don’t forget to head to Patreon.com/ProlesPod to subscribe. (Even the free tier has special stuff for you!)

    If you like our work and want to support it, don’t forget to rate and review us on any of the podcast catchers, follow us on social media @ProlesPod and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss our Stalin Eras series that’s coming up.

  • CW: This episode contains frank discussions of murder, torture, and sexual assault of both adults and children, primarily in the context of anti-semitic pogroms against Jewish people. Please proceed carefully through the episode or skip it entirely if any of these things may be difficult for you to hear.

    Justin picks up where Jeremy left off to cover the development of OUN/UPA, Stepan Bandera's insecure self-promotion, and how the Ukrainian Nationalists were no better than the Nazis. Slava Ukraini bad. As last time, we try to bring some levity to the discussion, but it is a disgusting period for Eastern Europe and we couldn't sugar coat it.

    Sign up at Patreon where you can get access to early release episodes, study guides, bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Sources:

    Ukrainian Nationalists and the Holocaust by John-Paul Himka

    Stepan Bandera: The Life and Afterlife of a Ukrainian Nationalist by Grzegorz Rossolinski-Liebe

    Intro Music:

    "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes

    Midroll Ad:

    Written and read by Jeremy

    Music "Macho Man Reagan Sandwich" by DJ DTA

    Outro Music:

    Eastern Bloc Beats by DJ DTA

  • CW: This episode contains frank discussions of murder, torture, and sexual assault of both adults and children, primarily in the context of anti-semitic pogroms against Jewish people. Please proceed carefully through the episode or skip it entirely if any of these things may be difficult for you to hear. To signal the depravity of racist language in quotes used in this episode we have used a bleep instead of "contextually stating" the slur or "n-wording" it.

    Jeremy leads us in a discussion of the early history of what we now know as Ukraine, all the way through the early twentieth century, before taking a depressing turn into the brief period in which nationalists controlled the region from 1918-1921. This brief and tragic era of Ukraine is dominated by a “civil war” and countless pogroms, primarily perpetrated against Jewish residents of the area. We do our best to lighten the material in the first half of the episode, but honestly, there’s nothing to be joked about in the latter half.

    Sign up at Patreon where you can get access to early release episodes, study guides, bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod.

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Resource Links - Soviet Books:

    Ismail Badiou Soviet Book Archive (over a thousand soviet era books!)

    Lazy Izdihar Soviet Book Archive

    Sources:

    The Gates of Europe by Serhii Plokhy

    In the Midst of Civilized Europe by Jeffrey Veidlinger

    Medieval Ukraine by Charles River Editors

    Intro Music:

    "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes

    Midroll Ad

    Written and read by Jeremy

    Music "Gyro Maidan" by DJ DTA

  • For this episode we’re joined by guest expert Beth Pitts for a journey into the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We’re talking about the past, present, and future of indigenous resistance in Ecuador to begin to think about what their struggle can teach us, the benefits and limitations of taking legal action against the imperial nation-state, and the ways in which we can broaden our understanding of the frontline of struggle.

    For our full interview with members of the Siekopai Remolino community, head over to the Patreon. (Don’t worry; we translated it into English.)

    For information on the communities mentioned, access to their fundraisers, and our guest expert’s book:

    Siekoya Remolino website: https://www.siekoyaremolino.org/ and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/siekoyaremolino

    Siekopai social media: Twitter: @Siekopai, Facebook: @Siekopai, Instagram: @Nacion.Siekopai

    Sëra Foundation crowdfunding campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/siekopai-indigenous-amazonian-youth-foundation

    Native People of Sarayaku website: https://sarayaku.org/

    Children of the Jaguar documentary (Sarayaku): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma1QSmtuiLQ

    Interview Alexandra Narvaez (Sinangoe): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwmQMdGuBMc

    Under Rich Earth documentary (Intag): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRinnhejBIw

    Moon Guide to Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands: https://www.moon.com/?s=bethany+pitts

    Don’t forget to subscribe to ProlesPod on your favorite podcast catcher. Rate, review, and share with your friends. It really helps us a lot.

    If you want to keep the party going, make sure you’re subscribed to our Patreon where you can find the companion study guide to every episode (even at the free tier!!), TheoryBeats, early release of main feed episodes, The Secret Speech (bonus content), surprise drops, and you can be the first to know about our limited run merch.

    If you have any questions or feedback, please email us at [email protected]. Find and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TwitterX, and Tiktok.

  • Charles Xu joins the show to give us a whirlwind tour of the history of Taiwan starting from about 15,000 years ago to the late 1980s to explain to us the origins of the current tensions between China and the West (led by the United States of America, ofcourse) that has been recklessly escalating to a war!

    The history covered here is covered in much more detail on the Qiao Collective website which hosts their outstanding Taiwan: An Anti-Imperialist Resource.

    Charles Xu is a member of the Qiao Collective. The Qiao Collective is a diaspora Chinese media collective challenging U.S. aggression in China.

    Sign up at Patreon where you can get access to early release episodes, study guides, bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod.

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Intro Music:

    "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes

    Midroll Ad

    Written and read by Jeremy

    Music "Monstertruck Meow" by DJ DTA

  • CW - This episode, almost from start to finish, tells a lot of horrific stories of both physical and mental abuse and mutilation of some of the most marginalized and at-risk types of folks. If this is something that will be difficult to get through for you, please skip the episode or take it slow.

    In this episode, we discuss a topic that is widely known but often skimmed. Instead of focusing on the people involved or the "funny" cases, we talked more about the monstrous nature of the project and the blatant disregard for human life and wellbeing. All for a made up thing that they never even got close to figuring out.

    Sign up at Patreon where you can get access to early release episodes, study guides, bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod.

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Intro Music:

    "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes

    Jolly West Music:

    "Tusko's Last Parade" by DJ DTA

    Vitamin midroll:

    Written by Rae and read by Jeremy

    Music "Mind Melters" by DJ DTA

    Outro Music:

    "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

  • We are joined by Iskolat to discuss the heroric struggle of Latvia's Red Partisans during World War II - also known as the Great Patriotic War. For years this communist resistance stifled and sabotaged the Nazi occupation of Latvia. Focusing on the rarely discussed era of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, we connect it's past to it's present working class struggles.

    Note: This episode was filmed before before Rae and Martín joined the Prolespod.

    Sign up at Patreon where you can get access to early release episodes, study guides, bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod.

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Intro Music:

    "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes

    Baltic Air midroll:

    Written and read by Rae

    Music "Baltic Dreams" by DJ DTA

    Outro Music:

    "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

  • The unveiling of TheoryBeats, a new project by ProlesPod and DJ DTA. Let us know what you think!

    To get all future TheoryBeats, you can sign up for any paid tier at the Patreon. There are a number of other cool perks and more on the way!

    FoL Pt 1 Read by - Jeremy

    Music by - DJ DTA

  • In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Evan from Left of the Projector Podcast to delve into a Marxist analysis of the new animated series X-Men '97. We explore the show's portrayal of the mutant struggle through a Marxist lens, examining characters like Magneto and Professor X as representations of different revolutionary strategies. We discuss the complex dynamics of Genosha, a nation of mutants, as it transitions from slavery to liberation, drawing parallels to real-world post-colonial struggles. We also analyze the show's depiction of the exploitation of mutant labor and the justification for their oppression, mirroring the dynamics of class struggle in capitalist societies. Additionally, we critique the show's portrayal of international relations and the hypocrisy of organizations like the UN. Finally, we touch upon the challenges faced by the mutant state after the revolution, including the constant threat of counter-revolution and the complexities of governance.

    Sign up at Patreon where you can get access to early release episodes, study guides, limited-drop merch, bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod.

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Sources:

    "Letter to American Workers" V.I. Lenin

    https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1918/aug/20.htm

    Intro Music:

    "X-men 97 Theme" by The Newton Brothers

    Outro Music:

    "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

  • In this episode, we're joined by our two newest co-hosts, Rae and Martín, to take the Proles' first trip to Mexico. In this wide-ranging episode, we cover a (brief) workers' history of Mexico, the rise of the current president AMLO, what his presidency has meant for Mexican people, and some insight on the upcoming presidential election.

    There were a shocking number of resources consulted for this episode, but those specifically referenced (in English) are here:

    https://jacobin.com/2023/08/amlo-presidency-mexico-morena-pri-neoliberalism https://ausm.community/the-4t/ https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/the-contradictions-of-amlo/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C4O2WlWPHw

    A note that several of our sources are in Spanish, but if you're a Spanish speaker interested in the resource list, don't hesitate to reach out.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for updates on the re-launch of our Patreon.

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Intro Music:

    "Proles Pod Theme" by Ransom Notes

    Outro Music:

    "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

  • In this episode, the Scottish comrades return to discuss the revolutionary life of John Maclean. No, not that one... or that one. The Scottish revolutionary that spent his entire life fighting for the proletariat and who was in jail when British fascist Winston Churchill rolled tanks on Glasgow during the Battle of George Square to destroy the voice of the oppressed.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Twitter @prolespod.

    If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected] May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever.

    Intro and Outro Music:

    "Proles Pod Theme" by Ransom Notes