Lavrentiy Beria: Stalin’s Architect of Terror

[@worsethanjoerogan8061]

What I like most about Beria's life story is when they finally came for him he cried, sobbed and begged like a coward when faced with experiencing what he did to countless others

[@Nantosuelta]

a cowardly worm to the last

[@richardanderson8302]

Damn commies

[@jimstanga6390]

Dean Cutler - well....so did Yagoda and Yezhov....

[@justahawkeye]

@Brocialist Party of America Sorry Bro, you described childs play over your brocialist screwing billions of people during 2nd half of the 20th century. And I know that from my own experience, not just theoretic saloon socialist perspective.

[@allsystemsgo8678]

Hopefully he was terrified and died painfully.

[@StephenButlerOne]

You know youre bad when Stalin tells his daughter not to catch a lift of you.

[@StephenButlerOne]

@chanctonbury63 sorry typo nazi.

[@StephenButlerOne]

@chanctonbury63 Извините, товарищ

[@StephenButlerOne]

@chanctonbury63 Google translate shift. I was bored watching the United saints game.

[@StephenButlerOne]

@chanctonbury63 manchester United v Southampton game. You may call it soccer. Just finished. Edit--saints is Southampton nick name in my land. Which isn't Russia. You should be able to guess by now.

[@StephenButlerOne]

@chanctonbury63 why would you even think I was a Russian bot. My post was hardly pro, or anti Russian. Just a joke on the behalf of Stalin. Wouldn't that be a crime of some type? If I was Russian.

[@SerTasera]

"furiously brown-nosing Stalin like a sentient suppository." You, sir, are a poet.

[@alanfike]

Fuckit, I'm THAT GUY, but unlike I'm mistaken Morris M seems to deserve the credit, as author of the episode. Not trying to deflate what you pointed out, which I liked. Just pushing a spotlight on the other guy.

[@diandoxlee7346]

I like that, "sentient suppository."

[@hitheremynameisbingo]

I legit laughed out loud at the "sentient suppository" line, OMG 😂

[@RickReasonnz]

Beautiful beautiful words

[@whocares7144]

Yes, nice alliteration!

[@jmace2424]

I’d love to live in a parallel world where hitler became an artist, stalin became a priest, and himmler just stayed farming chickens.

[@deltahunter4810]

J Mace Kaiserreich

[@dawida1078]

Thatd make me sad :(

[@hisexcellencypresidentofre4118]

Ofcourse you can. Just think it in ur mind

[@jmace2424]

Imagination! 😃

[@hisexcellencypresidentofre4118]

Exactly 🤷👌

[@74jailbreaker]

I first learned about Beria through the movie the Death of Stalin. It's a great dark, satirical comedy but it's also very interesting how those days following Stalin's death there was such a power struggle.

[@MeatyTF2Mercs]

Ikr

[@supaheat1486]

Great movie

[@thunderbird1921]

But...but...it was supposed to be a communal system! HAHAHAHAHAHA Communism is the biggest farce in human history.

[@stephenquinn3447]

I learned about him in a video about if operation long jump succeeded

[@Ayo.Ajisafe]

Movie is hilarious and simultaneously brutal.

[@Daniel-rh7kh]

Soviet History is so underrated, people usually don't go deep into it, glad to see such work being done.

[@alicemoore2036]

Daniel The reason is because Marxism was shown clearly for the ugly thing bared.

[@tigerstyle4505]

Leninism. Marxism is a totally different thing. Marxism-Leninism (Bolshevik ideology and the ideology of most of the Eastern Bloc and their satellite states) is really just Leninism. The actions and revolutions of a more pure Marxist strain tended towards mass movements, unions, minimized violence, democracy and a distinct libertarian tendency where Leninism and it's vanguard party theory can only result in bloodshed and power struggles. Most Marxists (especially during Stalinist Russia and many still today) readily denounce the USSR and their tactics (see Luxemburg) and do not seek anything resembling totalitarian dictatorships and police states. I'm not a Marxist myself, but I think it's important not to conflate the two very different thoughts as they are most definitely not the same. Marx and Marxism became more of a trope and a popular idea that was played to by an opportunist Lenin and the Bolsheviks under him, similar to the Nazi's use of leftist symbols, slogans, rhetoric due to their popular support in Germany at the time while both wings of the party were explicitly anti Marxist, anti socialist/communist and especially anti Bolshevik. This all fits into the context of the Russian revolution which was very much guided by popular support of Libertarian Socialist ideals before the counter revolution of the Bolsheviks as they systematically crushed opposition and solidified their grip on power. Too much nuance for the unthinking people of the world, but we don't have many great long term examples of Marxism in action on a long-term scale and anyone saying otherwise doesn't understand Marxism or Leninism well at all. Because Leninism is what we've seen crush much of the world under it's extremely flawed ideology, not Marxism. And Leninism's rise was the greatest blow to Socialism the world has ever seen and it's fall in most if the world Socialism's biggest win so far. Nuances matter ✌

[@ДмитрийСергеевич-б5м]

What are the main mistakes of Lenin? In what way does Leninism contradict Marxism?

[@tibfulv]

Indeed, Leninism is at its worst by far where it conforms to Marxism, as Lenin discovered to the detriment of Russia after the Revolution. He was forced to reverse most of the Marxist measures after they led to a broken economy and the death of millions. The NEP was a little known part of Soviet history, and short-lived, because after it came Stalin. Indeed, Lenin might be an interesting subject for this channel, as he's a lot more complex and tragic than the run-of-the-mill Soviet leader.

[@numberjackfiutro7412]

Most leftists say that the Soviet regime wasn't real Communism, but it WAS true Communism. Karl Marx explicitly said in the Communist Manifesto among other works that Communism involves a totalitarian stage, Marx called it " Dictatorship of The Prolitariat ". Plus, the implementation of Communism requires totalitarianism because most people don't give up their possessions, labor, etc willingly, not without being compensated in some way, Thus the confiscation and other things inheirant to Communism can really only happen on a national level at the barrels of state guns. Moreover, totalitarianism is needed to sustain Communism.

[@malcolmabram2957]

The big irony of Beria was that during his brief reign following the death of Stalin, he was negotiating an aid package with the USA, similar to the Marshall plan for Germany and the MacArthur plan for Japan. This was one of the contributing factors to his downfall in a coup led by Khruschev. The Soviets refused aid from the west yet this contributed to years of economic stagnation during the Brezhnev era. Beria took quite a different stance after the death of Stalin and if he had succeeded in an economic aid package the history of the west v East, ie The cold War, not to mention the Soviet Union might have been very different.

[@dasdoohjhgf3975]

ერთადერთი ადეკვატური კომენტარი

[@prestonjones1653]

I'm not sure itbcould have been too different. Maybe the Soviets would have collapsed later, maybe in the mid-2000s, or even the 2010s, but it would have collapsed and there would have been a cold war between the two nuclear powers.

[@jeffreylebowski2440]

would have been like china today

[@LAZISH]

So true!!! These details should be spoken out too. Otherwise, it's half truth

[@emperorpalpatine6239]

@@dasdoohjhgf3975 Lmao, gotta love how Georgian nationalists idolise criminals like Beria due to the latter being Georgians. Did you miss the part where he was raping women and little girls? Does that sound worthy of admiration to you?

[@Nebukadnezzer]

I'm not saying The Death of Stalin is a documentary, but it has introduced me to many of these (horrible) guys.

[@allsystemsgo8678]

Same here

[@Kruppt808]

Info about history is good regardless if it's a doc or comedy. It can inspire you to learn more then you knew before you watched it.

[@countofdownable]

Jason Isaacs as Marshall Zhukov stole the show.

[@simonpeter5032]

Referring to Adolf Eichmann as "that" instead of "him". *+15 points*

[@cpegg5840]

Eichmann’s type of evil is the most insidious-banal indifference. I’m glad he swung from a rope, even if it was 17 years late

[@rogerthat3157]

Biased, why wouldn't he call beria as "that" then

[@justinweber4977]

@@rogerthat3157 it would have become tedious to do through an entire video. But, as a quick jab at someone, it works well.

[@roskcity]

@@rogerthat3157 Not biased.

[@Christopher-fr1sj]

Do you know Jesus Christ can set you free from sins and save you from hell today Jesus Christ is the only hope in this world no other gods will lead you to heaven There is no security or hope with out Jesus Christ in this world come and repent of all sins today Today is the day of salvation come to the loving savior Today repent and do not go to hell Come to Jesus Christ today Jesus Christ is only way to heaven Repent and follow him today seek his heart Jesus Christ can fill the emptiness he can fill the void Heaven and hell is real cone to the loving savior today Today is the day of salvation tomorrow might be to late come to the loving savior today Romans 6.23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Mark 1.15 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hebrews 11:6 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jesus

[@Gronk79]

Beria: "Show me the man, and I will find you the crime."

[@frederickthegreatpodcast382]

Stalin told Harry Truman, “This is our Himmler”

[@petebondurant58]

Stalin said the same thing to the Germans when the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed.

[@alanpennie8013]

Alec Avdakov That was rather a neat put down. Stalin could do subtle sarcasm when he wanted (even though he hadn't been to college)

[@petebondurant58]

He had 50,000 books in his library, most of which were filled with notes written by him in the margins.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@petebondurant58 He was quite the literature buff. Probably why he had so many writers killed. It was an extreme form of literary criticism.

[@TH-sn7mw]

And the SOB even looks like Himmler

[@KPW2137]

Speaking of Beria: he is still pretty well known and recognized. However, ever heard of Mao`s secret police head, Kang Sheng? Exactly.

[@nickmitsialis]

Sounds like a villain from Mortal Kombat.

[@DarkLordoftheMeme]

I have, according to Jung Chang this Chinese version of Beria always caried a puppy with him wherever he went!

[@nigeh5326]

Any recommendations for books on him?

[@tengkualiff]

Pretty sure he knows

[@jaewok5G]

if you're any good at being the secret police, no one should know your name!

[@HSMiyamoto]

You forgot the story about how Beria's killers were so devoted to " literally "erasing" him from Soviet history that subscribers to the official Soviet encyclopedia were mailed a new, expanded article about the "Bering Strait" with directions that the owner was to paste the page over the page in which the Beria entry was printed. Although this happened after Orwell published "1984", this story would be retold in US schools, at least, of how the "Memory Hole" in the "Ministry of Truth" that swallowed up all evidence of information the regime had previously said was true (whether or not if was) was not so far-fetched as one might think.

[@jasoncarswell7458]

that is indeed a valuable example. I knew about Yezhov being erased from the picture of the canal, but I'd never heard of Beria's encyclopedia article being erased that way. I'm not surprised. Live by the summary execution, die by the summary execution.

[@capcompass9298]

@@jasoncarswell7458 Very interesting photos of Yezhov (and not-Yezhov). I didn't realise he was Beira's boss.

[@jasoncarswell7458]

@@capcompass9298 NKVD Chairmen tended to train their deputies in the art of murder, torture and false accusations... and then have them practiced on them. Happened to Yagoda at Yezhov's hands, then Yezhov at Beria's hands, and finally Beria at Ivan Serov's hands.

[@nicholasbrassard3512]

@@jasoncarswell7458 it's like sith lords and their apprentices xD

[@titanicwang2044]

"Dark humour is like food... Not everyone gets it" ~Stalin

[@devanman7920]

This might be the most underated comment I've ever read 😂

[@Kruppt808]

Stalin was funny? 😂😂

[@drakashrakenburgproduction5369]

@@Kruppt808 he had some...interesting quotes.

[@erichodge567]

Good one...

[@Mericaa47]

@Frederick Röders Except that in capitalism people work for food while in communism the people leading the country are the only people with food.

[@copperhammer]

Beria to Stalin: "Give me the man and I 'll give you the crime "

[@andriichub8742]

I am Ukrainian and Beria and his atrocious deeds are widely known here due to the harm they caused both my people and other nations of former soviet nation. Thank you for telling this story and for bringing awareness about his crimes and the fact that the bloody dictators never act alone and that they need loyal lieutenants to rely on.

[@ДмитрийСергеевич-б5м]

Beria is better than an alcoholic Poroshenko)

[@kentamitchell]

I fervently hope that the Ukrainian people have a happier future ahead of them- in the past century they have certainly been through hell.

[@brosephyolonarovichstalin2915]

I know that life was cheap back then but anyone who knows anything about Stalins regime knows what a disgusting turd Beria was. Wonderful presentation Simon. You’re fantastic.

[@2HRTS1LOVE]

Yes, the murdery psychos are always backed by a team of murdery psychos, aren't they? Birds of a feather, I guess, sadly for the rest of the world.

[@mohammedcohen]

Read Anne Applebaum's 'Red Famine'...

[@chilongqua1238]

"Stalin's architect..." Me: "This sounds pleasant!" "...of terror" Me: "... never mind..."

[@Mister_Kourkoutas]

CHI LONG QUA the “Stalinist Baroque” style of brutalist Soviet architecture is definitely a terror. One need only look at Pragues skyline. The beautiful“Vienna of the North” marred by hideous communist era high rises.

[@donkeyslayer4661]

Pretty Lame!

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

Albert Speer, Beria is not

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

​@@Mister_KourkoutasThose buildings are not Stalin's Baroque, but usually constructed much later... to see that, look upon the architecture of such towns as have been built as palaces to house the NKVD/OGPU Overlords of the Gulag; the down towns of cities like Magadan, Norilsk, Vorkuta... there architecture feels almost spookily Draculean, yet, classically Romanesque. angular ensembles, with lines clearly showing the influence of totalitarian, even Nazi forms, the pale, intricately carved colonnaded square buildings of pale panted panes, rimmed by mounts and cornices of bare white cement, look almost beautiful, if the viewer ignores their multilayered, deep, Luciferical touch. the high rises, were the fruits of a time when the evils of a bloodthirsty maniacs rule were watered down to a mediocre stench of the Grimpen quagmire of a fallen civilization

[@horrortackleharry]

One thing I know for sure about Beria: he would have worn a Vincero watch.

[@luciavaughn3793]

😲 😏

[@toonbat]

"Oh dear. Look at the time."

[@Ayo.Ajisafe]

😂😂

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:45 - Chapter 1 - Early life (Born into the fires revolution) 6:20 - Chapter 2 - Rise to power (The NKVD & the terror) 13:05 - Chapter 3 - WWII (The soviet himmler) 15:40 - Chapter 4 - The last 100 days (a statesman emerges ?)

[@KarchK]

My grandfather was a gulag prisoner for over 8 years and was released in 53 right after Stalin died , I never knew it was Berija who ordered his and so many others’ release ..

[@tballstaedt7807]

In my opinion, this was a move by Berria to survive in the absence of Stalin. Berria had to distance himself from Stalin's policies to cover his own crimes as a reformer. I think his plan was to lay all of it at Stalin's feet.

[@MrCrosby.s_lunch]

You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Beria then😂

[@GigaChadh976]

@@MrCrosby.s_lunch If it weren’t for Beria his grandad would have never gone to prison in all likelihood

[@redjirachi1]

I guess even a monster like Beria can still do a good deed if he gets something out of it. It's always fascinating to me when history's great villains do in fact have something positive to their name

[@acetate909]

The Death of Stalin is a great satirical film about the events that transpired after Stalin died. I highly recommend it. It's an English movie by Armando Iannucci who made In The Loop.

[@Lowlandlord]

The only really sad thing is that because of Beria and how grotesque he was, I don't want to watch that movie with him in it again.

[@mysticthesauce]

@@Lowlandlord I'd tell you to not worry since it's lighthearted in a twisted sort of way but beria is like the nail of realism that reminds you the events in the films were completely true, they don't show away from how fucked up of a monster he was, the comedy aspect even fades away from the last minutes or the film too + he's actually shown being a fucking worm with a little girl, so yeah

[@mygreenfroggy]

Sentient suppository?? Ten points for a new one for the list of insults, lol! Excellent juxtaposition of words.

[@stephaneclerc667]

The poor but audible s alliteration added to his voice and accent really make a big difference but yes, I will definitely use that insult on colleagues starting tomorrow

[@genehakman9422]

AsapNicky Bars or he just has his settings private. You must be one of those communist enthusiasts, quite sure that if YOU were the dictator, things would be better. Funny how they never are lol.

[@genehakman9422]

AsapNicky Bars is English not your first language?, this video is very anti-communist. The OP was also just remarking about the "sentient suppository " quip, which happens to be a very funny bit of writing (if you understand English). And you seem to be anti-Semitic, so we're done here.

[@kubist5424]

Lost it at that one.

[@dukadarodear2176]

Ruth Beaty Yes. Up your's Stalin!

[@matthewmckenna248]

Hats off to you for bringing out these episodes. And could you cover Dwight D Einesinhower?

[@Kruppt808]

We like Ike

[@thevoid4060]

@@Kruppt808 everybody likes ike

[@neoamaru]

Been watching this channel's videos now every day for the past month and a half, i gotta say, Simon's way of presenting this one was special! i like the tongue-in-cheek humor, he'd make a great history teacher ;)

[@nielcarpnava]

Biographics: Lavrentiy Beria: Stalin's Architect of Terror Me: Lavrentiy Beria: Stalin's Greatest A-- Kisser

[@Chaosdude341]

Y'all are such an incredible team. The writing and the articulation are like an old school boxing combo -- immediately classic.

[@BlueHooloovoo]

I believe Beria would of been exactly the kind of leader Stalin was, brutal and repressive. A serial murderer and rapist like Beria got exactly what he deserved. I only wish Stalin suffered the same fate.

[@tamolamo4698]

Well conditions of Stalin's death is wery suspitious it's posible that he was poisoned. He lied half dead on the flor in the pool of his own urine for 3 days...

[@BlueHooloovoo]

+Tamo Lamo - Well at least we can be comforted that Stalin got to feel a sense of helplessness near the end, albeit very briefly. Too bad it didn't go on for longer considering the horrors he visited upon millions. But rarely do dictators get what they truly deserve.

[@alanpennie8013]

@Irina He was a horrible person but actually quite "liberal" on policy issues.

[@nickmitsialis]

Well as the joke in the movie went, "Nobody" wanted to run the risk of disturbing 'Uncle Joe' while he was 'resting'--other wise you might end up getting 'liquidated/disappeared'

[@royperkins3851]

He did Beria killed him with digoxin triggering a massive stroke that although it didn't kill him outright it made sure the bastard laid there and suffered for three days before he died! The greatest irony was that Beria killed Stalin to save himself from the executioners block ,yet those others like him from Stalin's circle Who no doubt would have been purged /executed if Stalin's purge Had happened didn't trust him either, he killed the monster he served and ironically still ended up with a shot to the back of the head after shitting himself and begging for his life!

[@toastedaudiolab]

"...and furiously brown nosing Stalin like a sentient suppository." That's the best line ever.

[@g0679]

toastedaudiolab Wonderful imagery.

[@kevinfelton689]

I almost got offended when Simon said I'd never heard of Beria, but then I realized that I'd only heard of him because of the comedy movie The Death of Stalin

[@ifteqarahmed7449]

Simon is amazing. Just cant stop listening to his voice as he narrates history with dramatic reality. I almost find myself living hundreds of years in time

[@Biographics]

Thank you :). One of my favourite things about biographies!

[@michaellynes3540]

Simon almost looks just like Beria in facial appearance

[@jbourne5181]

Loved your comment "terminal case of death".......I'm still laughing

[@markbencetti7693]

Loved it too.

[@carlwessels2671]

Reminds me of the old saying,a sexually transmitted, terminal condition, life.

[@billbyrd1361]

Amazing how in modern times we see the same exact thing going on. Certain people that are politically damaging keep coming up dead. Now the total is past 100. Its almost as if the same EXACT play book is being used. Latest examples: Christopher Sign and Jeffrey Epstein.

[@Viroh]

Oh boi, I love this series. Listening to real stories about people who played it big in life helps me forget about the small stuff and focus on what matters, and the new weekly episodes always refresh my viewpoints. Keep it up Simon!

[@thecitizenoftheinternet1077]

The irony: Beria sounds like "Bury ya".

[@bitbybit6988]

funny because he usually burned the corpses of innocent Abkhazians instead of burying them.

[@michaellynes3540]

Khrushchev: I will bury you in history.

[@DanMcLeodNeptuneUK]

I highly recommend checking out 'The Death of Stalin'. Excellent cinema!!

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

Dan McLeod John Issacs made me laugh my ass off in that movie

[@anotherhuman459]

Pretty good movie, idk why but it seems like he knew what was coming but still he played his part trying to change it but he failed horribly.

[@Mdebacle]

Steve Buscemi considered playing Khrushchev the role of a lifetime.

[@abbaszaidi8371]

MVP- Jason Isaacs as brogue Yorkshireman Zhukov

[@thomassummerhill6357]

Essential reading if you enjoy this era. Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiorri . Great book 👍

[@kenarnold9132]

"As he slithered his way up the greasy pole to power" Yep. How many brutal leaders in history deserve this description?

[@stephenreeds3672]

All of them. Welcome Boris!

[@flamixflame2685]

@@stephenreeds3672 why do you keep saying welcome Boris

[@stephenreeds3672]

@@flamixflame2685 Don't know about keep on saying? "Only once. Like Beria, Boris seems only interested in power. And look what he's doing with it.

[@Sana_a04]

"This is our Himmler" - Stalin at the Yalta conference introducing Beria to FDR.

[@robowisanveithasung6022]

He should’ve said our dirlewanger

[@gioduduchadze2430]

2:20 Georgians don't usually leave their wives and children, but when they do....

[@sethabdul7824]

They become mass murderers

[@matthewtuckman4447]

Actually thats not always the sole reason Stalin for an example was abused by his father and once Stalin threw a knife at his father to stop him from abusing his mother and his mother was devult and very strict wich is why Joseph hated her and even called her "an old whole" in front of others or his colleagues

[@MAKOFBEST]

I didn't know Johnny Sins loved history so much.

[@derwolf8174]

I learned of him through "The Death of Stalin" I love that movie

[@joepeake8972]

Simon Russell Beale did a great job with the character.

[@nadtz]

I know who Beria is, I grew up somewhat fascinated by the USSR and I love reading and history. I got into more than a bit of trouble in school when I argued with a teacher about Stalin being at least as bad if not worse than Hitler, but back then I guess people didn't really say that.

[@CHE6yp]

"..you've never heard of." HA! Didn't expect someone from ex-USSR here, did you? Everyone here knows Beria.

[@rogerpattube]

It was a stupid comment from our host to say that no one heard of Beria. From NZ, never studied history but of course know who Beria was.

[@jefftheriault7260]

A certain amount of preaching to the choir, yes. I think perhaps that was a little bit of word of mouth advertising on his part. Those who know might comment to those who don't, who might find themselves interested in finding out, despite themselves. A gain for all, in the end.

[@jefftheriault7260]

@Tropic Lightning And that's the absolute truth. Perhaps the biggest chunk of it we're going to find.

[@MrPoupard]

A psychopathic monster. and as so often in history, it comes in an ordinary package. Thank you for this … horribly fascinating.

[@wmellor87]

Human beings scare me. Every one of them has the makings of a keg of dynamite ready to explode at any provocation

[@bezahltersystemtroll5055]

@Leonardo's Truth why would a just god torture his own creation?

[@arifakyuz7673]

I doubt that Pope Francis said that.

[@arifakyuz7673]

Probably because said creation did a bad thing and is being punished? “Just” doesn’t only mean “altruistic”

[@KhaganVonUngern-sternberg]

You speak as if you're not human yourself

[@supergamergrill7734]

Not all humans are bad. ALao many humans overthrew dictator

[@martybcurry]

Bye the way, awesome series, Simon. Being a history nut, and always seeking out obscure nuggets of truth and trivia, you have made my day many times by revealing fascinating facts that my 40 years of reading have left in darkness. Cheers!

[@evenkeel6131]

My word did Stalin have a stellar mustache.

[@thomassummerhill6357]

@@MrWhodatsay It was rumoured he had halitosis, his breath was rancid ☠️

[@MountainDewComacho494]

I love your biographies. This was especially great as I had never heard of Beria. Truly both fascinating and repulsive.

[@chimaloo]

You should do a video on Ante Pavelic, head of the Croatian Ustasa during the 30s

[@petebondurant58]

They were a lot more fun in the 1940s.

[@tonywilliamson-bruscaglia3070]

“Greasy pole of power” that’s a new one for Stalin’s rod.

[@fergalfarrelly8545]

I love how Simon get stuff no one else could get. Not just the same old people talked of in a dozen other documentaries. Great job Simon. I love your work.

[@zurgboy07]

I only ever learned about him when I watched a Movie. This guy makes Himmler look like a saint.

[@nicka.9842]

Can you do a video on Leonid Brezhnev and Nikita Khrushchev?

[@saulgoodmanKAZAKH]

"Beria is such an unique surname for a Russian" "Oh, he is Georgian, like djugashwilli."

[@StopFear]

There is something with this video which can imply a false image of history. Beria was horrible and is guilty for orchestrating deaths of many loyal soviet people. BUT it’s important not to put all the blame on him AS IF Stalin and Stalin’s other commanders/underlings weren’t responsible for huge numbers of deaths apart from Beria. It is actually the theme of modern Stalin lovers and Soviet Union apologists. They claim that Stalin only rarely signed orders to exile or kill people, and that the guilt is solely on Beria and some other “disloyal” politburo members. They basically say they were ordering executions and smearing people behind Stalin’s back and that Stalin was almost innocent of all of it. That’s obviously not true.

[@EnmmanuelDidier]

Stalin was signing, every night, an order for hundreds of executions, as a list of names in a binder (the "binder method" for judging and sentencing was also applied by the NKVD administrative courts - which included a representative of the Prosecutor general Vyshinsky - the "dvoikas" and "troikas"). The few Stalin spared on the list were sent to the Gulag, like the Kolyma gold mines in Siberia where they were worked to death. Sometimes, he added on the list: "6000 more" because he found it too short. NKVD had quotas of people to execute monthly and were told they would be punished if they did not fulfill them, and rewarded if they did. So, guess what they did... Search for NKVD operational order 00447, NKVD mass operations and NKVD national operations.

[@niallmcdonagh1093]

This is the reason I watch KZbin. Articulate, informed, non judgemental, spell-binding narrative bringing to light the forgotten flooded lower chambers of history. Food for the intellect and stimulus to the soul!!!!

[@IronMan-qi3yg]

I like the way Simon Whistler speaks. He sometimes hesitates and quickly draws breaths between words as if he's shooting a massive load in his breeches.

[@Biographics]

Lol

[@lnkrishnan]

This was amazing presentation, Simon. My recommendation would be for you to end all your videos with a question for your audience - us - to ponder over - sort of like ending the crescendo that you've built up through the duration of the video. I felt that the earlier biopics sort of left me on the edge, and this one about Lavrentiy left us thinking about what was presented well after the presentation was finished.

[@Vladamite]

My absolute favorite biographical video. I know that sounds morbid but I have been interested in this man for a while and have often tried to imagine what different path the Soviet Union would have taken if Beria had managed to win his power struggle against Khrushchev. Anyway, good work my man, I cannot wait for your next video.

[@gabri770]

Nice , been waiting for this for a long time. Keep up the good work 👍🏻👍🏻

[@StevenTorrey]

Montefiori writes that toward the end of his life, Stalin would hold drunken meeting with Molotov, Khrushchev, Beria, etc. and at these parties he would drunkenly sentence people to death written on a napkin. One Stalin died, there was general fear that Beria would actually carry out these drunken death sentences. You can see why Beria himself would soon after Stalin's death, would meet his own death.

[@meiketorkelson4437]

"Was he a genuine reformer, we will never know..." Give the pile of dead teenagers buried in his garden, I can make an educated guess...

[@mikdan8813]

Thank you for mentioning Katyn, Simon! Respect from Poland!

[@bitbybit6988]

I still don't understand how more people don't talk about Katyń massacre. It's insane how much respect the soviet monsters get just for fighting fascists and everything they do bad is ignored.

[@gordonmckenzie926]

Don’t forget that Beria’s henchman was Vasily Blokhin who personally murdered tens of thousands on Beria’s orders.

[@kevi152]

Marshal zhukov did not wait and dragged beria out kicking and screeming. Zhukov said it was his most commendable deed. Zhukov was no conspirator ; after all he won the war almost singlehandedly. Read his biography / autobiography.

[@mojotheaverage]

Zhukov was a beast of a commander

[@LurganGoon91]

@@mojotheaverage and an extreme war criminal

[@scotsbillhicks]

Rokossovskiy, Konev, Chuikov, Timoshenko, and quite a few others would disagree.

[@brucepierson9941]

Never, ever give up your guns.

[@PaulSteMarie]

ROFL: "brown-nosing Stalin like a sentient suppository" That one is right up there with "the nattering nabobs of negativity", written by William Safire for Spiro Agnew.

[@Zelksys]

Fatherless sons don't make killers? You might want to look at some crime statistics.

[@southerncross3638]

I agree, it usually makes them sissy,s , or gay , or soy boys.

[@Thomas-rw4dx]

@@southerncross3638 i dont think not having a dad can change your sexuality

[@SamS-uv2ql]

@@Thomas-rw4dx That's because, unlike the guy above, you are not a virgin

[@matthewtuckman4447]

@@Thomas-rw4dx i agree parents has nothing to do with your sexuality

[@kcsledge95]

Making the case for Beria being a suck-up to Stalin immediately made immediately me think of him as Stalin's Himmler. LOVE being vindicated!

[@kllk12ful]

Stalin actually did think of Beria as his 'Himmler'

[@supercobra1746]

@@kllk12ful > Stalin actually did think of Beria as his 'Himmler' Wow, you can actually read thought over distance and time! @kcsledge95 > Making the case for Beria being a suck-up to Stalin immediately made immediately me think of him as Stalin's Himmler. LOVE being vindicated! It makes me think that a story is a lie )))

[@mcmoose64]

Watch the film "The Death of Stalin". It captures perfectly the insanity of the time . One of the most brutal dark comedy/satires of all time .

[@tomlyons8440]

"its only a war crime if you lose." Stalin

[@robertphillips6296]

There was an article in the official Soviet encyclopedia about him one year only to have a replacement page sent to the books owners with instructions to remove the offending page and replace it with the new one. He was sort photoshopped out of official photographs and references to him were expunged from all official paperwork. One young girl after being rapped by him tried to commit suicide, as the story goes he was to have stayed by her side talking and begging her not to die?

[@slavicemperor8279]

He was Georgian, just like Stalin and he also died the same year as him

[@Hivernal]

Him dying was a direct consequence of stalin's death so yeah

[@StelzCat]

He was born in Abkhazia, so it is debatable wither he really was one. Stalin incorporated the territory in Georgian SSR later on. Also, he did not die, he was shot, if you ever listened to story.

[@Narrowcros]

He also betrayed and poisoned Stalin

[@alanpennie8013]

@@Narrowcros I hope this is true, but it is supposition rather than fact

[@rainbowstalin594]

>He was born in Abkhazia, so it is debatable wither he really was one He was born in Abkhazia but he wasn't an Abkhazian, he was a Mingrelian . a ethnicity that's very close to Georgian and are nowadays considered to be subgroups of Georgians. Edit:But then again 'Abkhazians' themselves aren't really from Abkhazia since they came from the North Caucasus.

[@tenhirankei]

We've heard of Beria before this video. Anyone who saw the Living Daylights may recall the Soviet general that told Bond that Smiert Spionam AKA SMERSH was a Beria operation of Stalin's time.

[@IlmarKiisk]

Would love to hear about Genrikh Yagoda, the man behind starting the Stalin's great purges, which ended with his own death eventually.

[@satrio303]

don't forget about the dwarf Yezhov

[@thenumbah1birdman]

@@satrio303 who is this "Yezhov" person? He didn't exist, according to my 1940 edition of the Soviet encyclopedia.

[@MathiaArkoniel]

I've been subscribed to your Top10's channel since the early days, and am subscribed to all channels that you narrate on Simon. Your way of narrating is AMAZING! Even ads sound awesome presented by you. Your voice has fantastic inflactions in the right places, great tone and timber, but best of all, you sound geniuine and sincer every single time (even about the watch). lol. Really awesome. I hope to keep watching/listening to you talk about interesting subjects for many years to come.

[@jdb47games]

0:38 Anyone with a decent knowledge of history will have heard of Beriya.

[@intercommerce]

Untrue, I have extensive historical knowledge and never heard of him until the movie Death of Stalin on Netflix, which led me here

[@carlwessels2671]

@@intercommerce First heard of him on a blooper record of a western. In mid sixties. There's a lot of shooting,then a voice breaks in announcing Lavrenti Beria has just been shot. Back to the western, well that ought to hold him. Right after all the shots.

[@rogerpattube]

@@intercommerce By definition then you did not have 'extensive historical knowledge'.

[@robertgrason393]

untrue. I have 2 or 3 degrees in modern history and had never heard of him until i read simon seabag montifioris book on Stalin

[@ethanbidois2877]

Untrue. I have extensive knowledge on the galactic civil war, human covenant war, and emu war is extensive, and I’ve got 5-6 degrees in historical related things, and I’ve never heard of this guy.

[@wendigo017]

Please release Hitler episode, I mean you have done a lot of Nazis so I doubt it would be a problem. Josip Broz Tito would also be interesting.

[@BichaelStevens]

And Pinochet

[@wendigo017]

No, there would be shitton of right wingers disliking lol

[@Jae20818]

Wendigo01 I’m on the right, and I don’t see how we would dislike it, unless Simon made it a pro nazi, anti-Jew video. I don’t see that happening.

[@BichaelStevens]

@@wendigo017 Guess who you're talking to, bucko. Saddle up fuckboy

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

Hitler is too well known anyway. Everybody knows about his life and if you don't know something it's extremely easy to find online for him. Tito is a good idea though

[@Tansea]

"Sentient suppository" I bow down to your brilliance.

[@nuclearnadal2821]

Simon has combined words that turn into puns. I praise Simon for his choice of words to describe something or someone. For the next episode i'd suggest you do one for Friedrich Nietzsche.

[@samuraisoul1043]

thank you simon , shell , jack and morris you are a great team loving the vids

[@christopherobrien8800]

One thing that was worth a mention was how Zhukov became loyal to Khrushchev, Beria on multiple occasions recommended Zhukov to be purged only for Khrushchev to convince Stalin otherwise, this is why the red army backed Khrushchev. In relation to Beria's death, one of the theories is that Zhukov shot Beria himself and let it be known that he waited a long time to do so, like portrayed in the movie Death Of Stalin.

[@Isildun9]

Honestly, Beria's rise to power seems to be a walking, talking exemplar of the 33rd Rule of Acquisition: "It never hurts to suck up to the Boss."

[@TheBigBadTributer]

He looks like a Soviet Himmler tbh

[@MisterSpinalzo]

and Jason Alexander

[@bman6065]

I don't see it

[@chrisbartek7732]

Stalin once said to Truman "This is our Himmler."

[@reynardus1359]

Stalin's architect of terror? The author is ignorant of history. Beria was just another moving piece. Yagoda, Ezhov were by far more prolific murderers. And they all ended up as victims of the terror they facilitated.

[@stephenh5944]

Fitting, if you ask me.

[@recklesskelly7521]

"America is an oppressive regime." Russia: "Really??? I don't think so. Have you been paying attention history of Mother Russia??"

[@dpagan8512]

Your series of history of all types and personalities is to me , among the best every made..keep it up !!!

[@drpsionic]

Of all the stories of the death of Beria, the one I have found most believable given the people involved, is that when the meeting of the Presidium began, the person sitting across from Beria opened his briefcase, took out a pistol and shot him dead on the spot. There is no firm knowledge of whom that was but the speculation is that it was Kruschev himself.

[@kenxclout]

Speaking of watches what do you call a belt with a watch on it? A waist of time 🤪🤪

[@rodericksloan1255]

Gee Ken, you should be a stand-up ?????? well, you tell me.

[@kenxclout]

Roderick Sloan I have no idea what you are trying to say but thank you ig

[@Crablegking]

oh God why?

[@stephaneclerc667]

Badum tss! Had to, sorry

[@lordgarion514]

Fine, you get a thumbs up, but I assume you will see yourself out?😃

[@dangerbreed5521]

Can you do the Ottoman Empire who was responsible for the Armenian Genocide?

[@fabiangrujic3721]

Danger Breed I don’t he will do the whole empire but i think he will fo one about the architect behind it

[@MetallicMadness85]

or Americas genocide on 1.5 million Iraqis.

[@jacksonmacpherson6101]

Do you mean Enver Pasha (might be pronounced pascha i am not 100 percent sure)?

[@DH702..]

You can't do a biography on a whole empire that lasted centuries . It would take hours

[@andrewganley9016]

Stalin and Beria make Hitler and Himmler look like begginers

[@StephenLuke]

RIH Lavrentiy Beria (1899-1953)

[@SuperGreatSphinx]

Rest In Heaven

[@StephenLuke]

@@SuperGreatSphinx Wrong! It’s “Rot in Hell”.

[@davidpike5069]

All you hear about is the Germans. Thanks. You should look into the Japanese in WW2

[@nigeh5326]

David Pike there are some great books about Stalin and the Soviet period. I enjoyed Hitler and Stalin by Alan Bullock in my Uni days as an example. There are also some great documentaries about all aspects of the USSR on U Tube as well.

[@leontrotsky9268]

David Pike the reason why we learn about the nazis is because they did it all with so much organization and on such a massive scale it was so bad a soviet general, the same one who sent millions to die, puked on seeing one of the camps

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

@@leontrotsky9268 And yet the Soviet Union killed more people than the Nazis. The reason it's ignored is because the media and academia have a left wing bias

[@cartmann227]

@Nick Taylor Great Chairman, please

[@DH702..]

@@leontrotsky9268 what about the hundred million under the soviets? Many more were killed there and it was organized .

[@TheKing60210]

Do one on Robert Mugabe

[@matthewlaurence3121]

He is still alive, though being in his 90s and rumoured to be ill, likely not for much longer. Once Mugabe is dead we can expect some biographic videos detailing his life. A criminal more than worthy of notoriety.

[@PatchedThePipe]

I once wrote a short essay about R.M that went something like this.... Robert Mugabe..... WHAT A CUNT! A+

[@msjulie3613]

@@PatchedThePipe you don't even know him# south African here

[@trollerjakthetrollinggod-e7761]

@@msjulie3613 He used North Korean trained death squads to attack minorities for not voting for him, as well as nationalizing major farms and mass printing money, causing one of the worst cases of hyperinflation in history.

[@msjulie3613]

@@trollerjakthetrollinggod-e7761 woahhhh

[@PrezMcIntyre]

Can we get a video on Heinz Guderian?

[@rpm1796]

Absolute...and erich Von M. and my choice for Normandy....Walter Model..over Rommel.

[@g0679]

Garfield McIntyre I love his company’s condiments.

[@PawelSorinsky]

They did it.

[@pyrusrex2882]

Nothing like a little dose of Comrade Beria to brighten your day. Stalin wouldn't let him near Svetlana once she turned 10. He died appropriately, though, on his knees in in the cellar.

[@ElizabethF2222]

Beria "slithered his way up the greasy pole of power" and was one of the "walrus mustached leader's (Stalin's) confidantes." Simon, you really have a way with words! LOL Love this channel. Very educational and interesting with all your witty sayings. Keep these biographies coming!!

[@Maelli535]

Good video, pretty accurate as well (I know a lot about Stalin and his cronies). Just a note: the "zh" in the name Yezhov is pronounced like the "s" in "pleasure" (it's this character in Russian: ж).

[@TheForkhandles]

Why does this presenter say that Beria's name has been ''removed from the history books''? He features prominently in all the history books I've read which deal with Stalin's Russia.

[@supercobra1746]

That was a practice in those days. Tho erase people from books and even photos. You gotta do it after you unlawfully killed a man :-) I bet you didn't read this in your books. And this is a true story of Lavrentiy Beria: *1934-1938* He build economy of Georgia from zero to the leading economy. (Hint: You have to put some people in jail in order to do that) 12:25 Purges were targeting mainly Kommunists themselves, common folks only benefited. *1938* After he got in charge of NKVD - *he released 30%* of GULAG prisoners. Organized special university-prisons for prisoners with a crime past Example: Korolev - the father of Sputnik was doing time for waste of budget spendings, Beria put him to work. *1940*: Katyn massacre was found by Dr. Goebells. Prisoners had ID on them. They were shot with galvanized shells bullets from the future. No document trace is found. All other executions are documented. *WW2*: organized defence of Caucasus *1944*: deportation of Crimean Tatars. It was either trial and execution for collaborting with Hitler(terrorism, bombing, mass executing) or deportation. 16:00 Kruschev killed Beria. Using Kruschev's memoires on the matter is dumb. Mass rapist he is not. Most importantly: Beria built Nuclear "Shield" in a shortest time possible and stopped WW3. He built Moscow Subway, Moscow State University MSU, and a lot more. He was responsible for building the strongest economy in the world. 1947-1953: 36% GDP growth per year. Prices on everything were declining and wages were growing. After 7 years, prices went down 2-3 times on EVERYTHING. Beria is a greatest effective manager known to mankind.

[@tellyintokyo]

Maybe dear narrator meant text books (used in US and UK public education)

[@matthewtuckman4447]

@@supercobra1746 what about Stalin

[@rachelrobertdavies5269]

Do you have a new writer? This was brilliant! "Terminal case of death"... perfect.

[@newgabe09]

Great informative video. I'm going to Georgia as a tourist soon, just as there's demonstrations happening. I really appreciate learning some of the background to this in such an easy way

[@greulich9635]

Beria went with the times. He saw that Stalin liked to see people who did not conform to die so Beria tried to get as many of them killed as possible. When Stalin died he reformed as quickly as possible to ensure power.