{"podcast":{"title":"Reichs & Republics | The German History Podcast","slug":"reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533","podcast_index_feed_id":7771533,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/BATTLEGUIDETOURSLTD9754164360","website_url":null,"image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/fa8e532a-df40-11f0-bab4-7796f184e14d/image/650005d582d8aaf56dfa5f00c3c41d5b.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Battle Guide","episode_count":18,"summary":"Takes you beyond the familiar clichés to uncover the richness and diversity of the German past. Join us as we untangle this complex story, dispelling the popular myths and misapprehensions about a national history that still shapes the world we live in. Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon ⁠⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host⁠⁠ To comment and ask questions, please join our community:⁠ https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters⁠ Support via Paypal:⁠⁠ http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal⁠⁠⁠ Merchandise and Shop: ⁠⁠https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all⁠ Our WW1 Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/⁠ Our WW2 Podcast:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com⁠⁠ Untitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/ Battle Guide YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT⁠⁠ If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter:⁠⁠ ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter⁠⁠ Katjas socials X (Twitter): ⁠ https://x.com/hoyer_kat Substack: Zeitgeist ⁠https://www.katjah…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-15T04:21:55.747941+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 14: Erich Mielke and the Origins of the Stasi","slug":"episode-14-erich-mielke-and-the-origins-of-the-stasi","published_at":"2026-06-16T15:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533/episode-14-erich-mielke-and-the-origins-of-the-stasi","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BATTLEGUIDETOURSLTD9148550754.mp3","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BATTLEGUIDETOURSLTD9148550754.mp3","summary":"In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the origins of the Stasi, East Germany’s notorious secret police, and the ruthless mindset of its long-serving chief, Erich Mielke. From Soviet influence and early political repression to mass surveillance and paranoia, they examine how the GDR built one of the most intrusive police states in modern history. Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal Merchandise and Shop: https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/ Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com Untitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/ Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter Katjas socials X (Twitter): https://x.com/hoyer_kat Substack: Zeitgeist https://www.katjahoyer.uk/ General Enquiries: republics@battleguide.co.uk Credits: - Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon - Production: Linus Klaßen - Editing: Hunter Christensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the origins of the Stasi, East Germany’s notorious secret police, and the ruthless mindset of its long-serving ch…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3078,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533/episodes/episode-14-erich-mielke-and-the-origins-of-the-stasi/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533/episode-14-erich-mielke-and-the-origins-of-the-stasi.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}