Initially predicted to fall during the 2011 Arab Spring, Bashar al-Assad clung to power through a devastating civil war, surviving only after critical military intervention from Russia and Iran. It was in the midst of this conflict that Australian journalist Luke Waters secured a rare one-on-one interview with the President in Damascus.

On this episode of Putschcast, Luke reflects on that historic meeting. Assad insisted he was merely fighting terrorists, believing history would vindicate him as Syria's saviour. But did he truly believe his own rhetoric? How do you even secure a sit-down with a leader accused of war crimes? And what was going on behind the scenes? We uncover the story behind the interview.

To find out how Assad's regime actually fell, listen to Putschcast episode 1.

To watch Luke's TV interview with Assad from 2016, click here.

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He was a prince, an outlaw, a prophet. Or was he? He stood before the most powerful ruler on Earth and delivered a single, thunderous demand: "Let my people go!" 

Long before Spartacus, Moses led a slave revolt that children still learn about today, and it is a foundational story for the Jewish faith and the State of Israel.

Was Moses more than a biblical hero? Was he, in fact, one of the world's first revolutionaries? A master of political subversion who reshaped the ancient world?

We’re going to look past the Charlton Heston epic, past the parting of the Red Sea, and into the heart of a burning question: How much of this story is a divine miracle, and how much is a revolutionary's blueprint that has inspired others to this day?

Joining us in the Putschcast interrogation room is Garry Stevens, a Bible buff and host of the podcast "History in the Bible", who has dedicated more than a decade of his life to trying to discern what is truth and what is fiction.

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After the gruesome end of World War II and in a city filled with rubble, a disciple of Stalin built a fortress. He was the goateed architect of German Socialism who made it onto the cover of Time magazine and who didn’t shy away from setting up one of the most rigid police states to cement his power. His name? Walter Ulbricht.

Now almost forgotten, Ulbricht rose to power and faced an uprising only 4 years after founding his own state. His response? A brutal crackdown. Always on his side, his most loyal protege, Erich Honecker. For decades, the two men who couldn’t have been more different didn't only build Socialism; they also built a wall together.

But what happens when the student decides the master's time is up? A textbook palace coup. The year was 1971, when the old guard, Ulbricht, found himself outmaneuvered by his closest ally - or so he thought.

Joining us is Olaf from the Netherlands, who is the face of ‘East Germany Investigated’, a popular YouTube channel that dives deep into the history of the German Democratic Republic.

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From most-wanted terrorist and enemy No. 1, with a US$10 million bounty on his head, to a respected statesman giving a historic speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has defied the odds and made a name for himself in only 11 days, after setting out from his mini state in Idlib to bring down the dreaded Assad regime, following a bloody 13-year civil war.

In the first-ever Putschcast episode, Arabic scholar and writer, and former Damascus resident Jaron Sutton, alongside our flabbergasted hosts Oliver and Dave, tries to make sense of what just happened and where this mysterious man will take his war-ravaged homeland.

As always, we will also try to answer the key podcast questions: Was it a putsch? Was it a bloody or velvet one? And, most importantly, was it successful?

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Stay tuned and keep your bayonets and guillotines sharpened! In 2025 a new global podcast is coming that will explore riots, rebellions and revolutions, and the intoxication of power that goes along with it. 

Each episode will focus on a unique event in history where power changed hands for better or worse, suddenly or through a long decline. We will get to meet powerful dictators, revolutionary protagonists, and unsung heroes who shaped history across the lands and ages.

Help us build a history and politics buff's empire by simply following 'Putschcast' on Facebook, Instagram or Youtube, or by visiting our upcoming website www.putschcast.com 

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https://putschcast.com/