Yitzchak Trebitsch was an active participant - under various names - in some of the twentieth century’s most important events: mass immigration, WWI wartime espionage, radical right-wing Germany, Chinese civil war and the Japanese invasion during WWII. But in the end he was a nobody.

His death was attributed variously to Nazi poison, Allied vengeance, Buddhist enemies, or enraged Jews.

His story is stranger than fiction, but there are important lessons we can take from it.

Timestamps

[0:03:07] Origins: Hungarian Jewish Childhood

[0:04:40] Early Crimes: Theft and Deception

[0:07:54] Religious Transformations: Conversions and Missionaries

[0:11:00] Political Ambitions: Brief Parliamentary Career

[0:18:23] Wartime Intrigue: Espionage and Escapes

[0:28:00] Political Extremism: Far-Right Conspiracies

[0:35:00] Global Wanderings: International Adventures

[0:41:30] Spiritual Journey: Becoming a Buddhist Monk

[0:45:00] World War Machinations: Nazi and Japanese Connections

[0:48:44] Final Act: Decline in Shanghai