Secret Police

What happens when a loose collective of states and political entities see a revolution in France and then invasion by Napoleon? Hint: it probably has to do with secret police.

Following the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, the Confederation of German State banned together by common language. The experience of being occupied by a foreign enemy and seeing their neighbors bleed from revolution inspired the German States' first collective police network.

Along with the police network also came the development of an extensive international spy ring. They aimed to protect Germany's many sovereigns and prevent petty and political crimes. 

 

Socials:

IG: @secretpolicepodcast

X: hush_popo

Gmail: secretpolicepodcast@gmail.com

Special Thanks to:

Jan Bögel as Paul Hilken

Sources:

Police and State in Prussia 1815-1850 by Alf Lüdtke

The Gestapo: A History of Horror by Jacquese Delarue 

The Gestapo: The Myth and Reality of Hitler’s Secret Police

 

International Policing in Nineteenth-Century Europe: The Police Union of German States, 1851-1866. (2025). Blogspot.com. https://deflem.blogspot.com/1996/09/international-policing-in-19th-century.html

 

Facts About Germany. Geography & Climate. https://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/germany-glance/geography-climate 

 

Ten Facts About Agriculture. https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/environment/agriculture-in-germany-ten-facts#:~:text=Grain%20is%20grown%20on%20about,followed%20by%20barley%20and%20rye. 

 

Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2023. Kirin Holdings. https://www.kirinholdings.com/en/newsroom/release/2024/1219_01.html#:~:text=The%20Czech%20Republic%20consumed%20152.1,31st%20consecutive%20year%20since%201993. 

 

Sullivan, R. E. (1999, July 26). Charlemagne | Biography, Accomplishments, Children, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlemagne 

 

Wagner, G. A., Krbetschek, M., Degering, D., Bahain, J.-J., Shao, Q., Falguères, C., Voinchet, P., Dolo, J.-M., Garcia, T., & Rightmire, G. P. (2010). Radiometric dating of the type-site forHomo heidelbergensisat Mauer, Germany. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(46), 19726–19730. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1012722107

 

The. (1998, July 20). Saint Leo III | Pope, Charlemagne Coronation. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Leo-III

 

Why Did Russia & Prussia Have Such Similar Names? Name Explain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdqE-u0JJz0&ab_channel=NameExplain 

 

‌Smith and Locke on Property | Adam Smith Works. (2019). Adamsmithworks.org. https://www.adamsmithworks.org/documents/smith-and-locke-on-property 

 

Carl Schurz. (2025). American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/carl-schurz

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‌Barkin, K. (1998, July 20). Otto von Bismarck | Biography, Significance, Accomplishments, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-von-Bismarck/Prime-minister

Proclamation of the German Empire, 1871. (2018, August 23). Palace of Versailles; Versailles. https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/key-dates/proclamation-german-empire-1871#:~:text=On%2016%20December%201870%20a,in%20the%20Hall%20of%20Mirrors.

The Siege of Paris. (2022, November 15). Warfare History Network. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-siege-of-paris/

Swift, J. (2024, February 20). Siege of Paris (1870−71) | Summary. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Siege-of-Paris-1870-1871

Barkin, K. (1998, July 20). Otto von Bismarck | Biography, Significance, Accomplishments, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-von-Bismarck/Prime-minister

Bauer, D. S. (2025). Georges Boulanger: The Third Republic’s Spy Master? Proceedings of the Western Society for French History, 39. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.0642292.0039.018

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Bauer, D. S. (2025). Georges Boulanger: The Third Republic’s Spy Master? Proceedings of the Western Society for French History, 39. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.0642292.0039.018

 

‌The. (1998, July 20). Frederick III | Hohenzollern Dynasty, Prussian Reforms, German Unification. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-III-king-of-Prussia-and-emperor-of-Germany

 

Kaiser Wilhelm’s Left Arm and the Fate of the World. (2025). Blogspot.com. https://roadstothegreatwar-ww1.blogspot.com/2025/01/kaiser-wilhelms-left-arm-and-fate-of.html

 

Why did Wilhelm II get rid of Bismarck? (Short Animated Documentary). History Matters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX0Q8ZCz6GY&ab_channel=HistoryMatters 

 

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Barkin, K., & Strauss, G. (2023, September 21). History of Germany | Flag, Maps, Facts, Unification, & Pictures. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Germany/Germany-from-1871-to-1918

 

The. (1998, July 20). Alfred von Schlieffen | Biography & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-von-Schlieffen 

‌Limbach, R. (2009, March 24). Schlieffen Plan | German WWI Strategy & Impact. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Schlieffen-Plan‌ 

The Schlieffen Plan - And Why It Failed I THE GREAT WAR Special feat. AlternateHistoryHub. The Great War. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHeMPV5VDR4&ab_channel=TheGreatWar 

Showalter, D. E., & Royde-Smith, J. G. (2000, January 12). World War I | Causes, Years, Combatants, Casualties, Maps, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I/Forces-and-resources-of-the-combatant-nations-in-1914

Domestic Sabotage: The Explosion at Black Tom Island (U.S. National Park Service). (2017). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/articles/black-tom-wwi.htm

(2025). Warhistoryonline.com. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/plot-destroy-black-tom-island-wwi-visit-u-boat-deutschland.html

Reading the Enemy’s Mind: Espionage in World War I | Historical Documentary | Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWKP1vPSGbU&t=7s&ab_channel=Lucasfilm 

Music:

Scorching Action by Jonathan Margrove

Blood Kiss by Hainbach - Topics

Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by Media Music Group

Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone

Bones - Quirky and mysterious plucked strings. Murder mystery and gothic mood by Gerardo 

Final Speech by Humans Win

On the Edge of War Jon Presstone

Gnossienne No. 3 by Erik Satie

 

Sound FX:

Storyblocks

In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka, Mississippi's state government felt that segregation was threated by Federal encroachment. Segregation was the legal practice of separating blacks and whites in public life in the Deep South of the United States. 

From 1956 to 1973, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission enforced segregation from the shadows. The Commission spied on Mississippi residents, American citizens, and promoted segregation across America. The Ku Klux Klan helped.

Socials:

IG: @secretpolicepodcast

X: hush_popo

Substack: @secretpolicepodcast

Gmail: secretpolicepodcast@gmail.com

 

Sources:

Sov Com Database: https://da.mdah.ms.gov/sovcom/ 

 

Mississippi State Secrets. History Channel. May 2, 2006. Uploaded to YouTube by bayridge53, January 3, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz0JFELRwko&list=PLyw95kShWfm_rHz4ZaCyC7PtRRstx6Dx8&t=846s&ab_channel=bayridge53 

 

Origin of Names of US States. US Department of the Interior. Indian Affairs. https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/origin-names-us-states 

 

Bureau of Transportation Statistics. US Department of Transportation. Tonnage of Top 50 U.S. Water Ports, Ranked by Total Tons. https://www.bts.gov/content/tonnage-top-50-us-water-ports-ranked-total-tons 

 

The Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB). United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/ms-htf/mississippiatchafalaya-river-basin-marb 

 

Mississippi. Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Mississippi-state 

 

Soil Resources Areas of Mississippi. Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station. Department of Agronomy. D. E. Pettry. May 1977.

 

Treaty of Tordesillas. Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Tordesillas

Jun 7, 1494 CE: Treaty of Tordesillas. National Geographic. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/treaty-tordesillas/ 

 

Privateers in the American Revolution. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/privateers-in-the-american-revolution.htm#:~:text=A%20Privateer%20Commission%20was%20issued,or%20lightly%20armed%2C%20commercial%20ship 

 

Unboxing Mississippi: What It's Like Living in Mississippi. Nick Johnson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVKOaT1blLM&list=PLyw95kShWfm_rHz4ZaCyC7PtRRstx6Dx8&index=11&ab_channel=NickJohnson 

 

A Brief History of English Privateers. The Collector. Cale Gressman. May 9, 2023. https://www.thecollector.com/english-privateers/ 

 

Chartered Company. Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.britannica.com/money/chartered-company 

 

Virginia Company. Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Virginia-Company 

 

The Popham Colony of 1607. Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/discover_history_explore_nature/history/popham_colony/index.shtml 

 

Price, D. A. (1998, July 20). Pocahontas | Biography, Cultural Legacy, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pocahontas-Powhatan-princess

 

Price, D. A. (1998, July 20). Jamestown Colony | History, Foundation, Settlement, Map, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamestown-Colony/The-Starving-Time-and-near-abandonment-1609-11#ref247839

 

John Rolfe - Historic Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service). (2022). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/john-rolfe.htm

 

Teach Democracy. (2024). Teachdemocracy.org. https://teachdemocracy.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-15-4-c-laws-of-the-indies-spain-and-the-native-peoples-of-the-new-world#:~:text=The%20Spanish%20conquistadors%2C%20who%20went,conquistadors%20attacked%20and%20slaughtered%20them

 

Brief Biography of William Penn. (2025). Ushistory.org. https://www.ushistory.org/penn/bio.htm#:~:text=King%20Charles%20II%20of%20England,honor%20of%20the%20elder%20Penn

The People Involved in the French and Indian War. (2025). American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/people-involved-french-and-indian-war#:~:text=The%20Algonquin%2Dspeaking%20people%20largely,with%20the%20Algonquins%20and%20French

 

Yazoo Land Fraud - New Georgia Encyclopedia. (2017, June 8). George R. Lamplugh. New Georgia Encyclopedia. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/yazoo-land-fraud/

 

Progress of the Nation -- 1790 to 1890 by Robert P. Porter, Henry Gannett, and William C. Hunt. For 1890 Census Estimates.

 

Cawthon, W. (2017). Was the South Poor Before the War? – Abbeville Institute. Abbevilleinstitute.org.

https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/was-the-south-poor-before-the-war/#_ednref20

 

Tonge, P. (1983, March 22). Natchez: in 1850 half of the millionaires in the US lived here. The Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0322/032230.html

 

Cotton in a Global Economy: Mississippi (1800-1860) - 2006-10. (2025). Ms.gov. https://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/cotton-in-a-global-economy-mississippi-1800-1860

 

Social and Economic History, 1817–1890. (2017, October 16). Mississippi Encyclopedia. Mississippi Encyclopedia. https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/overviews/social-and-economic-history-1817-1890/

 

Industry and Economy during the Civil War (U.S. National Park Service). (2017). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/articles/industry-and-economy-during-the-civil-war.htm#:~:text=The%20North%20produced%2017%20times,100%20produced%20in%20the%20South.

 

Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2018, January 18). United States Policing and “Gun Rights” Began With Slave Patrols. Truthout. https://truthout.org/articles/united-states-policing-and-gun-rights-began-with-slave-patrol/#:~:text=By%201704%2C%20the%20South%20Carolina,militia%20rolls%20in%20every%20locale

 

Slave Patrols. (2017, July 11). Mississippi Encyclopedia. Mississippi Encyclopedia. https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/slave-patrols/

 

Trigger Events of the Civil War. (2025). American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/trigger-events-civil-war

 

Springston, R. (2019, May 23). Fighting myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings about race, slavery and the Civil War • Virginia Mercury. Virginia Mercury. https://virginiamercury.com/2019/05/23/fighting-myths-misconceptions-and-misunderstandings-about-race-slavery-and-the-civil-war/

 

Williams, D. (2020, September 27). Banned Books Week: Maine Authors - First Amendment Museum. First Amendment Museum. https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/banned/

 

John Brown. (2025). American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-brown

 

First Sack of Lawrence. Matthew E. Stanley. Civil War on the Western Border. (2024). Civilwaronthewesternborder.org. https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/first-sack-lawrence

 

Capital-Star Guest Contributor. (2020, March 2). Here’s 15 things you didn’t know about the “Dred Scott” decision | Opinion • Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Pennsylvania Capital-Star. https://penncapital-star.com/civil-rights-social-justice/heres-15-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-dred-scott-decision-opinion/#:~:text=2

 

Dred Scott v. Sandford. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/60us393

 

The Election of 1860. (2025). Tulane.edu. https://www2.tulane.edu/~sumter/Background/BackgroundElection.html

 

War Declared: States Secede from the Union! - Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (U.S. National Park Service). (2023). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/kemo/learn/historyculture/wardeclared.htm

 

Gienapp, W. E. (2025). Abraham Lincoln and the Border States. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, 13(1). http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.2629860.0013.104

 

Civil War Trail Map Guides & Mobile App. (2025). VisitMaryland.org. https://www.visitmaryland.org/article/civil-war-history

 

Mississippi Soldiers in the Civil War - 2009-04. (2025). Ms.gov. https://mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/mississippi-soldiers-in-the-civil-war

 

The South During the Civil War | Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877 | U.S. History Primary Source Timeline | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress. (2015). The Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/civil-war-and-reconstruction-1861-1877/south-during-the-civil-war/

 

Cornerstone Contributions: Investing in the Confederacy: The Role of Bonds in Funding the Confederacy. (2023, May 25). DHR. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/blog-posts/cornerstone-contributions-investing-in-the-confederacy-the-role-of-bonds-in-funding-the-confederacy/#:~:text=The%20Confederate%20government%20turned%20to,(Weidenmier%201993%3A2)

 

Post, E. G. (2021, July 29). The Economic Challenges of the Confederacy - Emerging Civil War. Emerging Civil War. https://emergingcivilwar.com/2021/07/29/the-economic-challenges-of-the-confederacy/

 

Reconstruction. (2017, July 11). Mississippi Encyclopedia. Mississippi Encyclopedia. https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/reconstruction/

 

Black Codes. (2025). American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/black-codes

Mississippi Black Code, 1865 | The American Yawp Reader. (2016). Americanyawp.com. https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/reconstruction/mississippi-black-code-1865/#:~:text=South%20Carolina%20and%20Mississippi%20passed,also%20denied%20other%20fundamental%20rights

 

U.S. Constitution - Fourteenth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. (2025). Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/

 

U.S. Constitution - Fifteenth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. (2025). Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-15/

 

Ku Klux Klan in the Reconstruction Era - New Georgia Encyclopedia. (2020, August 12). New Georgia Encyclopedia. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/ku-klux-klan-in-the-reconstruction-era/

 

Fedell, V. A. (2022, December 16). VICKSBURG FACTS: The bloody steps to the Vicksburg Massacre - The Vicksburg Post. The Vicksburg Post. https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2022/12/16/vicksburg-facts-the-bloody-steps-to-the-vicksburg-massacre/

 

The End of Reconstruction - Vicksburg National Military Park (U.S. National Park Service). (2024). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/vick/learn/historyculture/the-end-of-reconstruction.htm#:~:text=White%20Democrats%20took%20control%20of,1877%20that%20made%20Rutherford%20B

 

Emmett Till | Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2016). Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/emmett-till

 

Graball Landing | Emmett Till. (2024). Emmett Till. https://www.emmett-till.org/graball-landing

 

Mississippi Burning | Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2019). Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/mississippi-burning

 

Man convicted of 3 killing civil rights workers dies in jail. (2018, January 13). AP News. https://apnews.com/article/3d82e778b5d643088268c3214ae904f8

 

Media, C. (2011, September 9). The Case of the Supposedly Sealed Files—And What They Revealed - Nieman Reports. Nieman Reports. https://niemanreports.org/the-case-of-the-supposedly-sealed-files-and-what-they-revealed/#:~:text=But%20then%20there%20was%20the,to%20see%20them%20until%202027

 

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education. (2023, April 25). Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252031.htm

 

Taft, I. (2024, November 7). Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba Is Indicted on Federal Corruption Charges. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/us/jackson-mayor-indicted-federal-corruption.html

 

Dred Scott v. Sandford. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/60us393

 

Yazoo Land Fraud - New Georgia Encyclopedia. (2017, June 8). New Georgia Encyclopedia. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/yazoo-land-fraud/

 

Pottawatomie Massacre | Civil War on the Western Border. (2024). Civilwaronthewesternborder.org. https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/pottawatomie-massacre

 

Trouble Brews in Mississippi. British Pathe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Fo4AWaXis&ab_channel=BritishPath%C3%A9

Music:

Scorching Action by Jonathan Margrove

Blood Kiss by Hainbach - Topics

Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by Media Music Group

Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone

Bones - Quirky and mysterious plucked strings. Murder mystery and gothic mood by Gerardo 

Final Speech by Humans Win

Discovery of Lost Worlds by Humans Win

On the Edge of War Jon Presstone

Mississippi Ridin’ Son by Yagull Music

Suspenseful Piano Documentary Music Trailer by Media Music Group

 

Sound FX:

Storyblocks

Special thanks to KFW Youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@kyfirearms

It's said that there were three sources of power in Chile: God, Pinochet, and DINA. The DINA was Chile's secret police from 1973 to 1977 in the early years of the Pinochet dictatorship. They were often compared to the Gestapo or the KGB by American intelligence. 

La Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional (DINA) was the regime’s iron fist that kidnapped, brutalized, butchered, and disappeared thousands of people inside Chile. Under the guidance of director Manuel Contreras, the DINA also launched terror campaigns in the United States, Europe, and Chile’s neighbors. DINA answered to Pinochet only and in many ways superseded the armed forces.

Socials:

IG: @secretpolicepodcast

X: hush_popo

Gmail: secretpolicepodcast@gmail.com

 

Sources: 

The Pinochet Files: a declassified dossier on atrocity and accountability. Peter Kornbluh. 2013.

 

The Condor Years: how Pinochet and his allies brought terrorism to three continents. John Dinges. 2004.

 

Geography Now! Chile. Geography Now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P4Hi99hUJc&list=PLyw95kShWfm8YA_28vi9Z__aac61xES84&index=7&ab_channel=GeographyNow 

 

Why is the Atacama Desert called the “Driest Desert in the World”? Tierra Atacama. January 29, 2021. https://tierraatacama.com/journal/why-is-the-atacama-desert-called-the-driest-desert-in-the-world/ 

 

The world’s ten largest copper mines. Mining Technology. June 18, 2024. https://www.mining-technology.com/marketdata/ten-largest-coppers-mines/?cf-view 

 

Which countries produce the most copper? World Economic Forum. December 12, 2022. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/12/which-countries-produce-the-most-copper/ 

 

World Factbook. Chile. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Updated January 15, 2025. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/chile/#people-and-society 

 

Biotec-LATAM. Chile. https://biotec-latam.com/en/countries/chile 

 

Chile - Country Commercial Guide. International Trade Administration. Updated December 7, 2023. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/chile-agricultural-sector 

 

Pisco Sour. Liquor.com. November 13, 2020. https://www.liquor.com/recipes/pisco-sour/  

 

The San Antonio, Both the Gem and the Rogue of Magellan’s Fleet. John Sailors. Medium. June 19, 2022. https://johnsailors.medium.com/the-san-antonio-both-the-gem-and-the-rogue-of-magellans-fleet-79d8f19f01d4#:~:text=The%20San%20Antonio%20was%20the,a%20price%20of%20330%2C000%20maravedis. 

 

A Super Quick History of Chile. Mr History. November 4, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9na4XyC3-4&ab_channel=MrHistory 

 

Ferdinand Magellan - First Circumnavigation of the Earth. Simple History. February 9, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylwiOLab5AA&ab_channel=SimpleHistory 

 

The Germans in Chile: Immigration and Colonization, 1849-1914. By Young, George F. W.. New York, 1974. Center for Migration Studies. Maps. Tables. Figures. Appendices. Bibliography. Index. Pp.  xi,  234. Paper.

 

Chile - History, Geography, Economy and Culture. Geodiode. January 31, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfBc4N86mA&list=PLyw95kShWfm8YA_28vi9Z__aac61xES84&index=6&ab_channel=Geodiode 

 

General Augusto Pinochet - General & Dictator of Chile Documentary. The People Profiles. August 5, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhOjb_MYueo&list=PLyw95kShWfm8YA_28vi9Z__aac61xES84&index=3&ab_channel=ThePeopleProfiles 

 

Real Dictators. Pinochet Part 1: An Arrest in London. Noiser. August 27, 2024. 

 

History of Chile. Encyclopedia Britannica. Paul W. Drake & John J. Johnson. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Chile 

 

Brief Life History of Augusto José Ramón. FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LZR7-7NL/augusto-jos%C3%A9-ram%C3%B3n-pinochet-ugarte-1915-2006 

 

What is nitrate?. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). https://www.epa.gov/mn/what-nitrate#:~:text=Nitrate%20(NO3)%20is%20a%20compound,fertilizers%20for%20crops%20and%20lawns. 

 

Brief Political History of Chile. Crónica Panamericana. December 4, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsWDarMiVCw&ab_channel=Cr%C3%B3nicaPanamericana 

 

History of our constitutions. Hagamos Historia. Educatión Civica Constitucional. Ministry Secretary General of the Government. https://www.gob.cl/hagamoshistoria/en/timeline/ 

 

Chile Under Pinochet: Recovering the Truth by Mark Ensalaco. November 15, 1999.

 

The Van Buren Hospital in the history of Chile by Carlos Astudillo. 2014. https://hekint.org/2017/02/22/the-van-buren-hospital-in-the-history-of-chile/ 

 

María Verónica Pinochet renuncia a herencia de su madre Lucía Hiriart by Cristián Meza. June 9, 2023. https://www.eldinamo.cl/pais/2023/06/09/maria-veronica-pinochet-renuncia-a-herencia-de-su-madre-lucia-hiriart/ 

 

Intelligence Memorandum/ Chile: Allende’s Economic Record. Central Intelligence Agency Office of Economic Research. April 1972. Sanitized Copy released on September 23, 2011. 

 

Friedman, Jeremy, John Masko, and Jingyu Liu. "Copper Nationalization in Chile." Harvard Business School Case 722-016, March 2022.

 

Salvador Allende. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Salvador-Allende

 

The Case of Chile. Rodrigo Caputo and Diego Saravia. January 2019. Macro Finance Research Program. Becker Friedman Institute. University of Chicago. 

 

Salvador Allende. Last Words to the Nation. https://www.marxists.org/archive/allende/1973/september/11.htm 

 

Biglaiser, Glen. (2002). The Internationalization of Chicago's Economics in Latin America. Economic Development and Cultural Change. 50. 269-86. 10.1086/322875. 

 

Milton Friedman. The Library of Economics and Liberty. https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Friedman.html  

 

Point Four Program. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Point-Four-Program 

 

Pinochet's German godfather by Wilfried Huismann. March 9, 2023. Tagesschau. https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/wdr/chile-pinochet-diktatur-nazis-rauff-100.html 

 

The Assassination of Chilean Ambassador Orlando Letelier: The FBI Files | Retold. 

Retold - Documentaries & Reconstructions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnwAGLpuRiY&ab_channel=Retold-Documentaries%26Reconstructions 

Orlando Letelier. Frederick Shepherd. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Orlando-Letelier 
 

In Memoriam, Ronni Moffitt. JewishCurrents. September 21, 2012. https://jewishcurrents.org/september-21-in-memoriam-ronni-moffitt 

 

Augusto Pinochet. John Simkin. Spartacus Educational. September 1997 (updated January 2020). https://spartacus-educational.com/COLDpinochet.htm 

 

It became an obsession’: the long search for the remains of Pinochet’s victims.John Bartlett in Calama Mon. September 11, 2023. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/11/long-search-remains-pinochet-victims-chile-coup 

Chile’s 1988 Plebiscite and the End of Pinochet’s Dictatorship. The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. https://adst.org/2014/11/chiles-1988-plebiscite-and-the-end-of-pinochets-dictatorship/ 

 

Insurers’ response to riots in Chile reflects a broader trend. Juan Pablo Covarrubias V.  October 26, 2021. https://global.lockton.com/gb/en/news-insights/insurers-response-to-riots-in-chile-reflects-a-broader-trend  

 

Chile: Pinochet Money-Laundering Exposed: U.S. Senate Investigation Uncovers Secret Bank Accounts. Human Rights Watch. March 16, 2005. https://www.hrw.org/news/2005/03/16/chile-pinochet-money-laundering-exposed 

 

The Complicated Legacy of the “Chicago Boys” in Chile. Daniel Matamala. September 21, 2021. Promarket. https://www.promarket.org/2021/09/12/chicago-boys-chile-friedman-neoliberalism/ 

 

GOLDSMITH WEIL, Jael. Milk Makes State: The Extension and Implementation of Chile's State Milk Programs, 1901-1971. Historia (Santiago) [online]. 2017, vol.50, n.1 [citado  2025-02-14], pp.79-104.

 

Lucía Hiriart, Powerful Wife of Chile’sDictator, Dies at 98. John Bartlett. December 19, 2021. New York Times.

 

Music:

Scorching Action by Jonathan Margrove

Blood Kiss by Hainbach - Topics

Kalahari Wind by Humans Win

Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP

Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone

Andante Sostenuto piano solo classical by Raighes Factory

Tension in the Dark by Jon Presstone 

Gnosienne by Eric Satie performed by Neil Cross and Raighes Factory

Bones - Quirky and mysterious plucked strings. Murder mystery and gothic mood by Gerardo Garcia Jr

Shake It and Break It (Weary Blues) by Humans Win

Old Money Old Problems by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP

 

Sound FX:

Storyblocks

WexFlex Music

SoundEffectsFactory

Project Soundbox

Bengi Sounds

Sound Effect Database

 

WEBQ (Who Else But Quagmire)Historical Aviation Film Unit

Pepe truelo

Played N Faved - Sound Effects & Stock Footage

Coffee Spill

Foley Sounds Effects

Attractive Sounds

 

Disclaimers: scenes are dramatizations and probably didn’t actually happen in that way. For example, Pinochet was not at La Moneda during the coup. The opening scene is not a real scenario involving Carter Cornick.

If greed were a person he would be Belgian monarch, King Leopold II. In this episode, we will explore the incredibly dark history of the Congo region in Central Africa. Congo has a history of exploitation by European colonizers and extractive industries. The worst of these predators was King Leopold II whose need to secure a colony for Belgium drove the him to deceive the international community for decades.

His deception was a cover for his quest to create wealth for his own fortune and for Belgium at the cost of an estimated many millions of lives. Leopold’s personal property, the Congo Free State, utilized the barbaric services of The Force Publique, a secret police force that terrorized the Congolese people.

 

Socials:

IG @secretpolicepodcast

X hush_popo

Gmail secretpolicepodcast@gmail.com

Sources:

Geography Now. Geography Now! CONGO (Democratic republic). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD3ZFQ62Vxc&ab_channel=GeographyNow

 

The Kongo Kingdom. Infographics Africa. The Rise and Fall of the Kingdom of Kongo: Tales of Three Kings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z73ievjudi8&ab_channel=InfographicsAfrica 

The Kingdom of Kongo. Step Back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8DmKlw1jcA&ab_channel=StepBack 

 

Congo River Basin. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Congo-Basin 

 

 Congo: The Epic History of a People by David Van Reybrouck. (2015). 

 

The Kongo kingdom: Long-standing diplomatic and trade connections with Europe. The Africa Museum. https://www.africamuseum.be/en/discover/history_articles/kongo-kingdom 

 

Revising the Population History of the Kingdom of Kongo by John K. Thornton. The Journal of African History (July 2021).

 

The Miserable Story of The Congo. Hoser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4INpgF4YPhA&ab_channel=hoser 

 

Berlin Conference of 1884–1885. Encyclopedia of Africa. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Kwame Anthony Appiah. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780195337709.001.0001/acref-9780195337709-e-0467 

Why is Belgium a country? - History of Belgium in 11 Minutes. Knowledgia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxEySPSUcXs&t=42s&ab_channel=Knowledgia 

Encyclopedia Britannica. Leopold I. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leopold-I-king-of-Belgium 

 

The History Behind the ‘Victoria’ in Victoria’s Secret. Time Magazine. Merrill Fabry. https://time.com/4140242/victorias-secret-fashion-show-history/ 

 

A Habsburg Tragedy – Crown Prince Rudolf by Judith Hare. (1978). 

 

Association Internationale Africaine. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Association-Internationale-Africaine 

 

Henry Morton Stanley. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Morton-Stanley 

 

A Brief History of The Scramble For Africa. A. J. Merrick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzF88HBlAHY&t=358s&ab_channel=A.J.Merrick 

 

What Each Nation Wanted From the Scramble for Africa. Vologda Mapping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygUZ7K-0nVY&t=70s&ab_channel=VologdaMapping 

 

How did Italy Lose to Ethiopia? (1895) | Animated History. The Armchair Historian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hln0GjuUQk&ab_channel=TheArmchairHistorian 

 

The Berlin Conference (1884 - 1885). Logic Owl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO3-SNpCbSo&t=76s&ab_channel=LogicOwl 

 

Perspectives in History podcast. Congo Free State. Willem Conner

 

King Leopold's ghost : a story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild. 2002.

 

The 10 richest royal families in Europe, ranked by Hillary Hoffower. Business Insider. October 21, 2019. https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-family-net-worth-europe-ranked-2018-5#4-queen-elizabeth-ii-england-7 

 

A coffee for the crown: The cost and worth of the Belgian Monarchy. Rita Alves. July 21, 2024. The Brussels Times. https://www.brusselstimes.com/1143977/a-coffee-for-the-crown-the-cost-and-worth-of-the-belgian-monarchy 

 

Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator. https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm 

 

Weinstein, Barbara. The Amazon Rubber Boom, 1850-1920. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983.

 

Dean, Warren. Brazil and the Struggle for Rubber: A Study in Environmental History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.

The International Natural Rubber Market, 1870-1930. Zephyr Frank, Stanford University and Aldo Musacchio, Ibmec São Paulo. Overview of the Rubber Market, 1870-1930. https://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-international-natural-rubber-market-1870-1930/ 

 

Armies of East Africa. Peter Abbott. 2009

 

Shaw, Bryant P. Force Publique, Force Unique: The Military in the Belgian Congo, 1914 - 1939. 

 

Constitution de la Belgique, decretre par le Congre National, le 7 Fevrier 1831. 

 

1831 Belgian Constitution. https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_1831 

 

Geographic Support Project. Republic of the Congo Tribal Summaries. Central Intelligence Agency. October 1964.

 

The Atrocities of The Congo Free State. Disturbing History. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjI29dUqhs&ab_channel=DisturbanHistory 

 

AmericaBestHistory. BRUSSELS, BELGIUM 1897 Exposition Internationale de Bruxelles. https://americasbesthistory.com/wfbrussels1897.html 

 

Historical currency converter (test version 1.0). https://www.historicalstatistics.org/Currencyconverter.html 

 

The human zoo of Tervuren (1897). Royal Museum for Central Africa. https://www.africamuseum.be/en/discover/history_articles/the_human_zoo_of_tervuren_1897#:~:text=At%20the%20instigation%20of%20King,like%20animals%20in%20a%20zoo. 

 

The Rulers of Belgian Africa, 1884–1914 by Lewis H. Gann & Peter Duignan (1979). 

 

Commonwealth War Graves. The final hour: The end of the First World War in Africa. 21 November 23, 2023. https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/blog/the-final-hour-the-end-of-the-first-world-war-in-africa/#:~:text=The%20East%20African%20Campaign%20ww1&text=Compared%20with%20the%20confined%20trench,many%20different%20climates%20and%20terrains

 

Violence and Colonial Order: Police, Workers and Protest in the European Colonial Empires, 1918–1940 by Martin Thomas. 2012.

 

UNHCR CDR Background Paper on Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Rwanda by the Centre for Documentation and Research. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). December 1, 1998.

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Industrial mining of cobalt and copper for rechargeable batteries is leading to grievous human rights abuses. Amnesty International. September 12, 2023. 

 

Department of Energy's Office of History and Heritage Resources. Major sources consulted include the following: Richard G. Hewlett and Oscar E. Anderson, Jr., The New World, 1939-1946: Volume I, A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (Washington: U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 1972), 17, 23, 26, 65, 285-88, 291-92; Vincent C. Jones, Manhattan: The Army and the Atomic Bomb, United States Army in World War II (Washington: Center of Military History, United States Army, 1988), 62-65, 79-80, 286-287, 292-311; Robert Bothwell, Eldorado: Canada's National Uranium Company (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984), 3-8, 38-77, 119-44.

 

Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet. New Jersey Department of Health. May 1998. Revised June 2005.

ASKING BELGIANS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT KING LEOPOLD II. Eric Osa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fstVjSdw9oc&list=PLyw95kShWfm_ydGobR4a6uDkyd7BIur1o&index=11&ab_channel=EricOsa 

 

Digital 2024: The Democratic Republic of the Congo by Simon Kemp. February 23, 2024. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-democratic-republic-of-the-congo#:~:text=The%20DRC's%20internet%20penetration%20rate,January%202023%20and%20January%202024. 

 

Congo (DRC) Country Profile – Military / Security by by COL L. Bortoluzzi Garcia. Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute. Army War College. September 13, 2020.

 

History and renovation. Africa Museum. https://www.africamuseum.be/en/about_us/history_renovation 

 

(1890) George Washington Williams’s Open Letter to King Leopold on the Congo. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/primary-documents-global-african-history/george-washington-williams-open-letter-king-leopold-congo-1890/ 

 

Belgium/Democratic Republic of the Congo Trade. The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC). 2022. https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/bel/partner/cod 

 

Belgium and DR Congo: working together for the future. Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. July 4, 2022. https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/policy/policy-areas/highlighted/belgium-and-dr-congo-working-together-future 

 

How did Patrice Lumumba die? Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-patrice-lumumba-die 

Music:

Scorching Action by Jonathan Margrove

Blood Kiss by Hainbach - Topics

Kalahari Wind by Humans Win

Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP

Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone

Andante Sostenuto piano solo classical by Raighes Factory

Tension in the Dark by Jon Presstone 

Gnosienne by Eric Satie performed by Neil Cross and Raighes Factory

Bones - Quirky and mysterious plucked strings. Murder mystery and gothic mood by Gerardo Garcia Jr

Shake It and Break It (Weary Blues) by Humans Win

Love of God Cello by SBA

 

Disclaimers: NO AI was used to write or edit the contents of the show.
The opening scene is an excerpt from George Washington Williams' Open Letter to King Leopold II
January 15, 2024 changed the opening scene.

In 1921, Reza Khan rose to power with the help of the British government. He led a modernization of Persia, insisting the international community refer to his country as Iran. His son, Mohammad Reza Shah, inherited the throne in 1941.

The Shah expanded his authority using a violent secret police force called SAVAK. They terrorized the Iranian people and preyed on Iranians abroad. They helped enforced the Shah's rule, even as his White Revolution displaced rural communities and alienated Shia clergy. Decades-long economic exploitation and authoritarian repression ignited a series of phases leading to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

 

Substack: Secret Police Podcast

YouTube: Secret Police Podcast

Instagram: @secretpolicepodcast

X/Twitter: @hush_popo

 

Sources:

 

1979 Iranian Revolution, Explained | Last Persian Shah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXlHxrBJoik&ab_channel=Timeline-WorldHistoryDocumentaries 

 

Geography Now! Iran. Geography Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xQM4Zy5zIk&ab_channel=GeographyNow 

 

Top pistachio producing countries

https://nazari-pistachio.com/articles/top-pistachio-producers/#:~:text=The%20US%2C%20Iran%2C%20and%20Turkey,respectively%20in%20the%20market%20share. 

 

Top Saffron Producer Countries. https://agromedbotanic.com/saffron-producer-countries/

 

A Super Quick History of Iran. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sTf1FIxnJs&ab_channel=MrHistory 

 

The Background of Human Rights. https://www.youthforhumanrights.org/course/lesson/background-of-human-rights/the-background-of-human-rights.html 

 

Zoroastrianism Explained. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl9QgeHdKYk&ab_channel=Cogito 

 

Shia-Sunni split:

Shia and Sunni: Understanding different Muslim interpretations

https://the.ismaili/global/news/features/shia-and-sunni-understanding-different-muslim-interpretations 

 

Muslim Schism: How Islam Split into the Sunni and Shia Branches. Kings & Generals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-85dXjgMiSU&ab_channel=KingsandGenerals 

 

Muslim Populations

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2009/10/07/mapping-the-global-muslim-population/ 

THE FUTURE OF WORLD RELIGIONS: POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTIONS, 2010-2050 Appendix C: Defining the Religious Groups (DM me if you want the PDF).

 

Fath-Ali Shah’s descendants. Joseph M. Upton, The History of Modern Iran: An Interpretation. Contributors: – Author. Publisher: Harvard University Press. Place of publication: Cambridge, 1960, p.4 

 

The history of the oil and gas industry from 347 AD to today. Umar Ali. https://www.offshore-technology.com/comment/history-oil-gas/?cf-view 

 

Evolution of a Drilling Rig. https://energyhq.com/2017/02/evolution-of-a-drilling-rig/ 

 

Australian Dictionary of Biography. William Knox D'Arcy (1849–1917) by David Carment. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/darcy-william-knox-5882 

 

Great British Pound inflation calculator. Bank of England. https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator 

 

1941 Invasion of Iran - Regime Change WWII-Style. Mark Felton Productions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-McQMJvaZbk

 

The Persian Coup 1921 And The British Thirst For Oil. The Great War. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX3V9wgOTOA&t=82s 

 

The French Mandate. https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria/The-French-mandate 

 

The Shah by Abbas Milani. January 2011.

 

History of Iran. Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Iran Chamber Society. https://www.iranchamber.com/history/mohammad_rezashah/mohammad_rezashah.php 

 

Anderson, Jack; Les Whitten (11 July 1975). "CIA: Shah of Iran a dangerous ally". St. Petersburg Times. Washington. Retrieved 16 July 2013.

 

Operation Ajax: CIA Oil Coup in Iran - COLD WAR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbEKMMtfujc&ab_channel=TheColdWar 

 

Oil Profit distribution. All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer. 2003. 

 

Operation Ajax | TAKEN HOSTAGE | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xceDBZeolIM&ab_channel=AmericanExperience%7CPBS 

 

Manticore Mythology. Paleothea by Alilia Athena. https://paleothea.com/mythical-creatures/manticore-mythology/ 

 

Tortured Confessions by Ervand Abrahamian. 1999. 

 

The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East by Robert Fisk. 2005.

 

Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński. 1982.

 

Censorship. https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/censorship-sansur-in-persia 

 

White Revolution. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/White-Revolution

The Unthinkable Revolution by Charles Kurzman. 2004.

 

The Mystery Letter That Triggered The Iranian Revolution. Radio Farda. https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-taheri-on-iranian-revolution-mystery-letter-shah/29754850.html 

 

A message to the friends of the Iranian people across the Middle East. Reza Pahlavi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z64L7DUi9jo&ab_channel=RezaPahlavi 

 

2500-year celebration of the Persian Empire. Persepolis, Iran. October 1971. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VSaqhXuV7Q&ab_channel=CultureTube 

 

The New American Bible. Saint Joseph Edition. The Book of Ezra Chapter 1 verses 1-4. July 1970.

Islamic Revolution International Center. http://iricenter.org/ 

 

Note: The Recap section was written with the assistance of ChatGPT-4.

 

Music: 

Scorching Action by Jonathan Margrove

Blood Kiss by Hainbach - Topics

Kalahari Wind by Humans Win

Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by MEDIA MUSIC GROUP

Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone

Eye Of The Storm (Feat. Cicely Parnas) - Instrumental Version

Gnosienne by Eric Satie performed by Neil Cross and Raighes Factory

 

Edit: March 12, 2026 - The thumbnail image for this episode was replaced with another image with two changed in order to amend one historical inaccuracy and to add context. The previous image had the Islamic Republic's flag for a background. The current image has the Persian flag of the regime of which the Shah ruled. The second change is a USA countryball with a thumbs up was placed behind the SAVAK logo to better illustrate American involvement. If you'd like to see the old image, feel free to email me. Thank you!