The Empire Never Ended

Boris introduces The Empire Never Ended to a very special Bavarian boy named Fritz Kuhn who, through summer camps, mass rallies, and marching (so much marching) throughout the '30s, tried to reconcile racial Americanism and German Nazism through his German-American Bund. Though his career was brief, Kuhn amassed tens of thousands of followers and inspired much of the symbolism and look of future groups. He also embodied the very model of the US Nazi huckster as he embezzled funds to supply his vast array of mistresses. Hitler may have hated him, but the legacy of 'zee Bund' lives on. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! And check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

Dive into the bizarre saga of Father Charles Coughlin, a charismatic yet controversial priest whose fascist radio broadcasts captivated America in the 1930s. Discover his troubling ties with extremist groups and the notorious Christian Front, along with shocking insights into his anti-Semitic rhetoric. Unravel the toxic political alliance between Coughlin and Joe Kennedy, and explore the financial grift behind his church projects. This tale uncovers the lingering impact of a figure largely forgotten in today's discourse.

Trailer for their second episode of Arc 3, where Boris takes TENE on a tour of an underappreciated part of American history - the Italian-American Fascists of the interwar period. They look at the largely forgotten story of Mussolini's supporters in the US as well as the brutal uphill struggle against them. Boris describes spectacular street battles and assassinations that seem more cinematic than real as Rey and Fritz get to know their fascinating participants. Meet early fascist Joseph Di Silvestro, leader of 300,000-strong Sons of Italy organization in America which he (tried to) pledged to Mussolini. Learn about Edmondo Rossoni, the IWW organizer who helped invent fascist corporatism in Italy. Gawk at the befeathered WASP "Khaki Shirt" supporters of fascist Italy and swoon for charming celebrity anarchist, Carlo Tresca. And don't forget the hapless failson of Gabriele D'Annunzio, Hugo! Also: Mussolini and the American media, brick fights at the opera, how the invasion of Ethiopia affected Harlem, and the boys accidentally join the Fascist League of North America. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! And check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

Dive into the dark legacy of Henry Ford, exploring his radical anti-Semitism and disturbing ties to Nazi Germany. Discover Ford's ambitious but failed project in Brazil, Fordlandia, alongside his oppressive labor practices that sparked conflict and violence. The discussion exposes Ford's complex persona, from his capitalist contributions to his unsettling ideologies, linking him to broader narratives of American fascism. With humor and insight, the hosts also share amusing tales from their Australian interview experience, wrapping the episode with a lively touch.

Jumping forward a bit in time to the post-war Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), Boris takes The Empire Never Ended on a quick tour of Partisan Cinema and its historical context. Boris, Fritz, and Rey discuss some of the genre's most iconic films: Slavica (1947), Kozara (1962), Battle of Neretva (1969), Battle of Sutjeska (1973), and the epic Nazi-slaughter romp, Walter Defends Sarajevo (1972). Boris and Rey discuss Tito's cinephelia and his uncommon celebrity, while Fritz describes his favorite scenes and struggles to say "Sutjeska". Also, the uncanny similarities between Battle of Neretva and the Empire Strikes Back, the central role of music in Partisan films, the failure of Chetnik media, and a shitton of terrified horses. Links to the films: Slavica (no subtitles) Kozara (no subtitles) Battle of Neretva (subtitled or dubbed) Battle of Sutjeska (subtitled) Walter Defends Sarajevo (subtitled) This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! And check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

Movie night at the TENE compound! In this spiritual sequel to their episode on Yugoslav partisan films, the Empire Never Ended visits Hollywood depictions of Yugoslavia in World War II. The crew watches wartime propaganda flick Chetniks! The Fighting Guerillas (1943), genre-setting Corman B-film The Secret Invasion (1963), boomer dad favorite Force 10 from Navarone (1978), and made for TV movie Dirty Dozen: Fatal Mission (1988). They discuss the extreme swings in Hollywood's attitude toward Chetniks over time, the development of the Dirty Dozen model now followed by The Suicide Squad, Hollywood's shaky handle on history, the trope of the stoic Partizan woman, and the multiple interpretations these films offer their audience. Also: Obama's big day and Krist Novoselic for some reason... This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! Check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

TENE interviews the 'Antifa Guy' himself, Mark Bray, to ruminate on the phenomenon of anti-fascism in America and Europe since the timely publication of his book Antifa: and Anti Fascist Handbook following Charlottesville in 2017. He elaborates on the history and limitations of the term 'antifa' itself and comments on ludicrous attempts to connect it to everything from the Capitol Riots to California forest fires. Mark examines the transition from the so-called 'Alt-Right' to Qanon and more terroristic groups and the crew meditates on the differences between coalitions, fronts, and assemblies in confronting such developments. They also discuss left critiques of anti-fascism and its intertwining with mutual aid and anarchist efforts in the US. Also featured: armed Antifa, media spectacle, Tucker Carlson, and Mark handles some inane calls from 'listeners'. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! Check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

To wrap up their second arc of episodes, the TENE Crüe analyzes an extremely interesting Bulgarian documentary / travelogue from 2003 called Whose is this Song? (Chia e tazi pesen? / Чия е тази песен?) which follows the director, Adela Peeva, as she follows the multiple claims on and origin stories for a single song from her childhood. Beginning in Turkey, Peeva travels to Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bulgaria; at each stop locals claim this song as their own, often denying that other nations are even capable of its composition. Rey, Boris, and Fritz show how this journey sums up Arc 2 in many ways. Boris also brings in a couple more songs that took on various and contradictory political meanings depending on their singer. Finally, the fellas give a brief update on the Astral Bone Gnawers' Lodge in the Montenegrian Orthodox Church and tease the coming arc of episodes on Fascist America. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! And check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

In many ways, VMRO (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization) is a quintessential Balkan nationalist group. It not only encompassed a great variety of ideological forms of nationalism, from liberalism, through socialism (including even anarchism) to Stalinism and fascism, they were also the original Chetniks, as well as the group that trained Ustashas to become efficient terrorists. VMRO preferred all forms of struggle that included guns, from guerrilla fighting to terrorism, with an emphasis on assassinations. VMRO leadership also assassinated a lot of VMRO members: like any good anti-imperialist group, VMRO consisted of many factions, as well as factions inside of factions - which at times made things very similar to a meeting of the Peoples Front of Judea trying to figure out the difference between them and Judean Peoples Front and the Judean Popular Peoples Front. In this final free episode of our Balkan arc, TENE tries to make sense of it all and tell an understandable and concise history of the group and their different and changing positions on Macedonian self-determination, from the idea of independent Macedonia as a part of a Balkan Federation, to more vague ideas of Macedonian autonomy. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! And check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

Boris leads TENE through the rise of the Bosniak national idea in the 19th and early 20th centuries to Muslim collaboration in the Second World War. Despite a multiplicity of identities and politics among Musilms in Bosnia, shifting imperial borders and modernizing land reforms spur a nationalist turn among Bosnian Muslim landowners. Enter Mehmed Spaho who attempts to create a single national identity through his Muslim Yugoslav Organization, leaving the project to Džafer-beg Kulenović after his death who will eventually become vice president of the fascist Independent State of Croatia. Boris discusses the on-again, off-again relationship between Ustashas and Muslim collaborationists leading both to the formation of the SS Handschar Division and, believe it or not, Muslim Chetniks. Fritz briefly narrates the Villefranche-de-Rouergue Mutiny of '43 of Muslim SS trainees and Boris recounts the nutty tale of independent warlord Husein "Huska" Miljković who went from the Commies to Fascists and back again. To top it all off, Rey discusses Husein Đozo, SS major, imam and buddy of Grand Mufti Amin al-Husseini and Boris discusses the slow momentum of Muslim involvement in the Partizan movement. Also, Fritz fails to differentiate 'đ' and 'dž', Muslim Goths, Rey re-considers serfdom, and hot cadastral stats! This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! And check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube