When Rome Burns

By Michael Stevens

Fifteen years of making teenagers care about dead people taught Michael Stevens one thing: the best history lessons happen when everything's falling apart. The former high school teacher turned podcas... more

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FAQs about When Rome Burns:

How many episodes does When Rome Burns have?

The podcast currently has 164 episodes available.

When Rome Burns episodes:

May 18, 2026 The Simón Bolívar Lies They Teach in Schools (The Truth Will Shock You)
What if everything you learned about South America's greatest hero was a carefully crafted lie? In this episode, Michael Stevens tears down the mythology around Simón Bolívar and reveals the complex, flawed human being behind the legend.
Turns out the "Great Liberator" wasn't exactly the selfless freedom fighter your textbooks made him out to be. Stevens digs into the uncomfortable truths that most history classes skip over, showing how Bolívar's real story is actually more fascinating than the sanitized version we all grew up with.
🎯 What You'll Discover:
• How Bolívar's family owned 1,000 enslaved people and massive plantations before he became a "liberator"
• Why he lost more battles than he won early on, including the crushing defeat at La Puerta in 1814
• The shocking truth about his 1828 power grab when he suspended Gran Colombia's constitution and declared himself dictator
• How his "noble" decision to free enslaved people was actually a military recruitment strategy
👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want the real story behind the legends, not the whitewashed version schools serve up.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces the Bolívar mythology problem
[01:45] Born into wealth: the plantation fortune nobody mentions
[04:15] Military failures: when the future liberator kept losing
[06:30] The dictator years: how Bolívar grabbed absolute power
[09:00] Slavery and strategy: the uncomfortable military calculations
[11:00] Why these lies matter for understanding Latin American history today
This isn't about tearing down heroes for fun. Stevens shows how understanding Bolívar's real complexity, his genuine achievements alongside his authoritarian tendencies, gives us better insight into why Latin America developed the way it did. The mythology serves nobody when we're trying to learn from history.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, and next week Stevens is covering why the Boston Tea Party story you know is completely wrong.
🔍 Topics: Simón Bolívar, Latin American independence, historical myths, Gran Colombia, Venezuelan history
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: naval warfare, military history, battleships, hitler

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14min
May 17, 2026 How Simón Bolívar's Dream Republic Turned Against Him (The Betrayal That Broke History)
What if the very republics you fought to create turned into your biggest enemies? That's exactly what happened to Simón Bolívar, the man who liberated half a continent only to watch his dream of a united South America crumble in his own lifetime. In this episode, Michael Stevens breaks down how the great liberator became a dictator in the eyes of his own people, and why his final years read like a political thriller gone wrong.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• How Gran Colombia completely collapsed by 1830, splitting into three separate nations despite Bolívar's vision
• The shocking 1828 assassination attempt that forced Bolívar to become the very thing he once fought against: a dictator
• Why Bolívar died penniless and in exile at just 47, fleeing the countries he had saved from Spanish rule
👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want to understand how even the greatest heroes can become villains in their own stories.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces the final fall of Bolívar's dream
[01:45] Gran Colombia starts tearing itself apart from within
[04:30] The 1828 assassination plot that changed everything
[07:15] Bolívar declares himself dictator to save his republic
[09:30] The bitter end: exile, poverty, and death at 47
[11:00] What Bolívar's tragedy teaches us about political idealism
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: Simón Bolívar, Gran Colombia, South American independence, political collapse, historical biography
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: founding fathers, d-day, ancient rome, cultural disasters, empire decline, gold standard, historical catastrophes

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13min
May 17, 2026 The Hidden YouTube Creators Bill Gates Watches (But You Don't Know About)
What if Bill Gates's YouTube watch list could make you smarter than 90% of people? In this episode of When Rome Burns, Michael Stevens reveals the educational YouTube creators that tech billionaires follow but most people have never heard of. These aren't your typical YouTubers.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• The 7 channels Bill Gates actually watches (and why each one will change how you think)
• How educational YouTube grew 400% in five years while entertainment content stagnated
• The "8.3-minute rule" that separates great educational content from mindless scrolling
• Why 2.1 billion people now use YouTube as their primary learning platform
👤 Perfect for: curious minds who want to upgrade their YouTube algorithm from cat videos to content that actually matters.
The numbers are wild. Educational creators have 73% higher retention rates than entertainment channels. People stick around because they're actually learning something. And here's the kicker: 89% of viewers say they discovered new interests through educational YouTube that changed their perspective on entire subjects.
Stevens breaks down each creator's approach, from science channels that make quantum physics feel like common sense to history creators who turn ancient civilizations into compelling narratives. Plus, you'll get the exact search strategies to find these hidden gems before they blow up.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces the secret YouTube ecosystem
[01:30] Bill Gates's actual watch history revealed
[04:00] The science channels that make MIT professors jealous
[07:00] History creators who beat Netflix documentaries
[10:00] Philosophy channels that clear up 2,000 years of confusion
[12:00] How to find tomorrow's educational superstars today
Your YouTube recommendations are about to get a serious upgrade. These creators don't just inform, they transform how you see the world.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes drop daily, your next intellectual breakthrough is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: YouTube education, Bill Gates recommendations, educational content creators, learning platforms, knowledge discovery
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: war stories, hitler, american revolution, naval warfare, strategic bombing, history podcast, gold standard, empire decline

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14min
May 16, 2026 Why Netflix's Algorithm Is Ruining Your Movie Taste (And How to Escape)
Ever notice how Netflix keeps serving up the same five movie genres, no matter how many times you thumbs-down that romantic comedy? Michael Stevens breaks down why algorithms are keeping us trapped in viewing bubbles and reveals five battle-tested methods to discover films that'll actually surprise you.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why Sundance's 15,000 submissions vs. 200 selections creates a discovery goldmine most people miss
• The 18% rule that explains why your Netflix feels boring (and how to break it)
• How Film Twitter became the secret weapon for finding hidden gems before they hit mainstream
• Regional festival circuits where tomorrow's breakthrough directors are hiding today
• The critic deep-dive strategy that unlocks decades of overlooked masterpieces
👤 Perfect for: movie lovers tired of scrolling endlessly through the same Netflix suggestions and ready to discover their next obsession.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens reveals the algorithm trap
[01:45] The Sundance submission secret most viewers never hear about
[03:30] Breaking Netflix's 18% engagement ceiling
[05:15] Film Twitter's hidden recommendation engine
[07:00] Regional festivals: where the magic happens first
[09:30] The critic rabbit hole method that always delivers
[11:45] Your action plan to escape the bubble
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: Netflix algorithm, film discovery, Sundance Film Festival, movie recommendations, streaming platforms
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: economic collapse, nazi germany, founding fathers, military history, history podcast

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16min
May 16, 2026 How Power Corrupted the Man Who Freed South America: Simón Bolívar's Dark Turn
What happens when the man who freed an entire continent becomes the very thing he fought against? In this episode, Michael Stevens breaks down how Simón Bolívar, South America's great liberator, watched his dream of unity crumble while power slowly corrupted his ideals.
By 1826, Bolívar controlled Gran Colombia - over 1 million square miles with 3 million people. But size became his curse. Stevens reveals how the hero who defeated Spanish rule couldn't defeat human nature, including his own.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why Bolívar's 1826 Congress of Panama failed spectacularly (only 4 countries showed up)
• How Gran Colombia lost 40% of its territory in just 4 years through rebellion and secession
• The psychological toll of leadership revealed in Bolívar's 10,000+ letters and documents
• Why even revolutionary heroes aren't immune to corruption's pull
👤 Perfect for: anyone who's ever wondered how good intentions turn into authoritarian nightmares, and history lovers who want the real story behind Latin America's most complex figure.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces Bolívar's impossible dream
[01:45] Gran Colombia's massive scale becomes unmanageable
[04:20] The Congress of Panama: when grand visions meet harsh reality
[06:30] Power's gradual corruption of the great liberator
[08:15] Rebellions tear apart everything Bolívar built
[10:30] The human cost of trying to hold it all together
This isn't just about one man's fall from grace. Stevens connects Bolívar's struggle to every leader who's watched their vision collapse under the weight of reality. The patterns repeat, and the lessons still matter today.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, and next week Stevens tackles another empire's spectacular collapse.
🔍 Topics: Simón Bolívar, Gran Colombia, Latin American independence, political corruption, leadership failure
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: american revolution, paper money, history podcast, catherine the great, political meltdowns, ned kelly

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15min
May 15, 2026 How Simón Bolívar Turned His Worst Military Defeat Into South America's Freedom
Most people think Simón Bolívar was just another revolutionary who got lucky. What if the opposite was true? What if his greatest military disaster in 1815 was actually the moment he figured out how to liberate an entire continent? In this episode, Michael Stevens reveals how eight months of exile and crushing defeat taught Bolívar the blueprint for South American independence.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• How Bolívar wrote The Jamaica Letter while completely broke and predicted the exact political future of South America
• Why his upper-class background actually hurt his early military campaigns (and how exile fixed that problem)
• The brutal 1819 Andes crossing with 2,500 men that lost 25% of his force but won a continent
• How strategic retreat became Bolívar's secret weapon against Spanish forces
👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want to understand how real leaders turn catastrophic failure into world-changing victory.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces Bolívar's darkest hour
[01:45] The 1815 defeat that broke everything
[03:30] Eight months in Jamaica: from exile to epiphany
[05:15] The Jamaica Letter's shocking predictions
[07:00] Why being rich made Bolívar a worse general
[09:30] The Andes crossing that changed everything
[11:00] How defeat became the key to independence
This isn't just another story about a South American revolutionary. It's about how the worst thing that can happen to you might actually be exactly what you need. Stevens connects Bolívar's transformation to the kind of strategic thinking that separates true leaders from everyone else.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on your podcast app and turn on notifications. Multiple new episodes drop daily, so your next historical revelation is just one tap away.
🔍 Topics: Simón Bolívar, South American independence, military strategy, Jamaica Letter, leadership lessons
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: ned kelly, ancient rome, historical disasters, economic collapse

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15min
May 15, 2026 Why Suda51 Intentionally Makes Games That Confuse Players
What if the key to creating unforgettable art is making your audience completely confused? Game director Suda51 has built his entire career on this counterintuitive philosophy, turning fever dreams into cult gaming classics that players still obsess over decades later. Michael Stevens breaks down how one Japanese developer's refusal to play it safe revolutionized an entire industry.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• How Suda51 literally captures game concepts from his actual dreams and turns them into playable experiences
• The brutal rejection story behind Killer7 and why getting turned down by publishers actually made it better
• How Grasshopper Manufacture grew from 5 people with crazy ideas to a studio that publishers now chase
• The otaku protagonist strategy that made No More Heroes a breakout hit when everyone said it would fail
👤 Perfect for: anyone who's ever been told their creative ideas are "too weird" or wondered how artists turn wild concepts into reality.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces the dream notebook method
[01:30] Why publishers rejected Killer7 and how that saved the game
[04:00] Building Grasshopper Manufacture on pure creative vision
[07:00] The No More Heroes gamble that changed everything
[10:00] Why confusion creates deeper player engagement
[12:00] Lessons for any creative trying to do something different
This isn't just about video games. It's about what happens when you stop trying to please everyone and start creating something that matters to you. Suda51's approach works because he understands something most creators miss: authentic weirdness beats generic perfection every time.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes drop daily, and next week Michael's covering another creative maverick who changed their field by breaking all the rules.
🔍 Topics: creative process, game development, artistic vision, Japanese gaming, indie studios
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: founding fathers, catherine the great, historical failures, war stories, empire decline

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16min
May 14, 2026 Why Bolívar and Miranda Hated Each Other: The Fight That Split a Revolution
What if two revolutionary heroes who should have been allies instead became bitter enemies? In this episode, Michael Stevens reveals how a 33-year age gap and completely opposite personalities turned freedom fighters Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Miranda into rivals who literally had each other arrested.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why a 60-year-old revolutionary veteran clashed with a 27-year-old hothead in 1810 London
• How Miranda's careful 14-month republic crumbled while Bolívar wanted to keep fighting
• The shocking moment when Bolívar arrested his own leader and handed him to the Spanish
• How Bolívar's revenge tour covered 1,200 miles in 90 days to prove Miranda wrong
👤 Perfect for: history fans who love the messy human drama behind the textbook heroes.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] The awkward London meeting that started everything
[02:15] Why Miranda's slow, careful approach drove young Bolívar crazy
[04:30] The 14-month republic that fell apart exactly how Bolívar predicted
[06:45] The arrest that shocked even the Spanish
[08:30] Bolívar's 90-day rampage across Venezuela
[10:15] What this feud teaches us about revolutionary leadership
This isn't just another story about great men doing great things. It's about how even heroes can be petty, jealous, and completely wrong about each other. Stevens breaks down the personalities, egos, and tactical disagreements that split a revolution and shows why sometimes the biggest enemy of change is other people who want change.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite historical disaster is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: Simón Bolívar, Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan independence, Latin American revolution, revolutionary leadership
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: historical catastrophes, economic collapse, cultural disasters, world war 2, naval warfare, political meltdowns, american revolution

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18min
May 13, 2026 Why South America's Greatest Hero Failed at Politics (Bolívar's Fatal Mistake)
What if the man who liberated an entire continent couldn't build a nation that lasted even a decade? Simón Bolívar freed six countries from Spanish rule, but his political dream of Gran Colombia crumbled faster than anyone expected. In this episode, Michael Stevens breaks down how revolutionary heroes often struggle with the hardest part: what comes after victory.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why Bolívar's Gran Colombia fell apart in just 10 years, even after he liberated Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
• The fatal political mistake that turned South America's greatest liberator into a failed president
• How Bolívar went from controlling half a continent to dying broke and alone in 1830, giving up his personal fortune for the cause
👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want to understand why building something new is always harder than tearing down what came before.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces Bolívar's impossible challenge
[02:00] From military genius to political disaster
[04:30] The Gran Colombia experiment begins to crack
[07:00] Why liberation skills don't translate to leadership
[09:30] Bolívar's final years and the lesson for today's leaders
[11:00] Key takeaways about revolutionary movements
This isn't just about one man's failure. It's about the pattern that keeps repeating throughout history: the people who break systems often can't build the ones that replace them. Stevens connects Bolívar's story to modern political movements and shows why understanding this gap matters right now.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications.
New episodes drop daily, your next favorite historical insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: Simón Bolívar, Gran Colombia, South American independence, political leadership, revolutionary movements
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: catherine the great, american revolution, battleships, hitler

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18min
May 13, 2026 The $20 Trillion Lie: How Paper Money Became Worthless (And You Don't Know It)
What if everything you thought you knew about money was built on a lie? In 1971, President Nixon made one phone call that changed money forever, and most people still don't realize what actually happened. In this episode, Michael Stevens reveals how your dollar bills went from being backed by real gold to being worth... well, basically nothing but trust.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why China's Tang Dynasty created the first paper money in 806 CE (and it wasn't what you think)
• The exact moment in 1971 when America abandoned real money for good
• How your great-grandparents could walk into any bank and trade paper dollars for actual gold coins
• Why Sweden's banking experiment in 1661 shows us exactly what happens when paper money goes wrong
👤 Perfect for: anyone who's ever wondered why we trust colorful pieces of paper as "real" money and wants to understand the system that actually runs our world.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] The $20 trillion deception hiding in your wallet
[01:45] China's Tang Dynasty accidentally invents fake money
[04:20] When American dollars were actually worth something
[06:30] Nixon's weekend phone call that broke the global economy
[08:15] Sweden's banking collapse: a preview of what's coming
[10:30] What this means for your money today
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow When Rome Burns on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, covering the historical disasters that explain today's chaos. Your next "holy crap, I had no idea" moment is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: paper money history, gold standard, Nixon shock, monetary system, currency collapse
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
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Keywords: history podcast, historical disasters, naval warfare, operation citadel, hitler, australian history

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15min

FAQs about When Rome Burns:

How many episodes does When Rome Burns have?

The podcast currently has 164 episodes available.