Dictators

Get an inside look at far-right extremism and domestic terror groups. From Gimlet and VICE News, American Terror follows reporter Ben Makuch as he investigates the ideologies and inside workings of hate groups in America. Listen to the first episode right here, then follow American Terror to catch the rest of this eight-episode series. 

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Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, assassination-aiding King of Poisons.

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In 1791, France adopted a new constitution, placing power in the hands of the people. Robespierre’s job was done... or so he thought. War was coming, and with it, the growing threat of enemies both internal and external. In his quest to squash the counter-revolution, Robespierre plunges the country into the merciless and bloody Reign of Terror. 

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He entered the Age of Enlightenment as a young, well-educated student who saw the French nobility and clergy as corrupt — and society as ripe for an overhaul. As France plunged into crisis after crisis, Robespierre transformed from idealistic lawyer… to agitator for revolution.

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Since the 1920s, many archaeologists have examined the mummified remains of King Tut. But one Egyptologist believes that King Tut’s murder shouldn’t be solved by examining his body but by exploring what happened in Egypt after he died. This episode originally aired on Unsolved Murders.

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Before becoming the world’s most famous mummy, King Tut was a teenage pharoah coming out of his father’s shadow. When he suddenly died at age 19, it sent shockwaves through his empire. But it wasn’t until the 1920s that a new theory came into play: King Tut was murdered. This episode originally aired on Unsolved Murders.

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Still harboring an unquenchable thirst for gold, Coronado takes his expedition north from Mexico on a wild goose chase through “Tierra Nueva.” They unleash their brutality on indigenous villages. But ultimately all Coronado will have to show for it is a single piece of copper, and the bitter resentment of his countrymen.

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In 1535, the second son of a wealthy Spanish family sailed to Mexico and married into a wealthy estate. But he wanted more. He wanted fame. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado raises himself out of obscurity to become one of the most powerful men in the region. Then sets out in pursuit of the rumored Seven Cities of Gold.

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He was one of the most ruthless conquistadors of the era, epitomizing the unbound cruelty of the most reckless Spanish invaders. Pedro de Alvarado served as Hernán Cortés’s right-hand man during their expedition into Tenochtitlan. His paranoia there led to the slaughter of thousands. He continued to spread the carnage in Guatemala in campaigns against the K’iche, the Tz’utujil, and the Pipil.

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Emperor Moctezuma couldn’t stop Cortés from reaching his legendary city. But the conquistador’s plans for conquest and glory had more than a few hiccups. Still contending with an old rival, Cortés was forced to march out of Tenochtitlan — and when he returned, the city fought back. La Noche Triste, or the Night of Sorrows, cost thousands of Spanish and Tlaxcalan lives. And still, the ruthless Cortés pressed on.

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