The Butterfly King – Episode 2: Lies, Lies, Lies

Podcast: Hell in Heaven (The Butterfly King)
Date: March 21, 2024
Host: Becky Milligan (Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

In this riveting installment of "The Butterfly King," host Becky Milligan investigates the mysterious 1943 death of Bulgaria's King Boris III, asking: Was it assassination, and if so, who ordered it? The episode weaves through personal testimonies, historical records, and expert analysis to explore the tangled relationships between Bulgaria, Nazi Germany, and its Jewish population during WWII. The central focus: Was King Boris a hero who saved Bulgaria’s Jews—a stance that may have made him a target of Hitler’s wrath? And could sophisticated poison, aided by German doctors, be the lethal weapon behind his “official” heart attack?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bulgarian Rescue of Its Jews

• National Crisis and Uproar
  • March 1943: Bulgaria begins the deportation of its Jews under Nazi pressure ([01:35-03:03]).
  • Widespread protests among politicians, clergy, and citizens halt the trains.
  • Historians and Holocaust survivors attribute this defiance to King Boris:

    “Somebody had to say stop.” — Michael Barzohar [03:03]
    “The head of the country... Sir Boris.” — George Bozduganov [03:10]

• Hero or Collaborator?
  • King Boris receives a posthumous Jewish community award in LA. Some praise him, others remain skeptical ([05:08-07:43]).
  • Survivor testimonials, such as from Michael Barzohar and Elaine Asa, credit Boris’ actions for lives saved ([07:36-09:11]).

2. Delving Into the Death: Motives, Means, and Poison

• Why Kill Boris?
  • His actions spared the Bulgarian Jews, making him an enemy in Hitler’s eyes ([03:20-03:23], [28:22-29:44]).
  • Boris repeatedly bluffed and resisted Nazi plans, including inventing fake labor camps to keep Jews from deportation ([29:16-30:46]).
• Archives & The Hunt for Evidence
  • British archives become crucial after Bulgarian archives disappear post-Communism ([10:07-11:59]).
  • Host and producer search for proof of poison ([13:35-15:39]).
• Exploring Chemical Means
  • Colonel Hamish de Brechengorden (chemical weapons expert) discusses nerve agents as plausible weapons, fitting symptoms of Boris’s demise ([14:27-15:39], [27:01-27:32], [38:18-39:02]).
  • Poison would be hard to trace and send a chilling message to others ([27:53-28:22], [38:40-39:02]).
• Challenging the Poison Narrative
  • Princess Maria Luisa, Boris’s daughter, and esteemed historians express skepticism about the Nazi-poisoning theory, citing lack of concrete proof ([41:15-42:03], [53:20-56:19]).

3. Shifting Alliances and Political Intrigue

• Bulgaria’s Tough Choices
  • Boris was not a Nazi – instead, a shrewd political survivor walking a treacherous tightrope ([17:19-19:03], [23:46-25:09]).
  • He joined the Axis only under dire pressure, desperately trying to protect his country ([20:29-20:46], [26:06-26:29]).
• Duping Hitler
  • Despite Axis alliance, Boris covertly hinders Nazi objectives (especially Jewish deportations and troop deployments), angering Hitler further ([43:22-45:19]).
  • Secret negotiations with the Allies suggest Boris aimed to switch sides ([44:31-45:03]).

4. The Final Days and Contested Legacy

• The Meeting with Hitler
  • A last, brutal confrontation at the Wolf’s Lair, with eyewitnesses suggesting violence ([45:19-45:53]).
  • Boris returns home unwell, keeps illness secret from his family, deteriorates, and dies after 14 days ([50:10-51:28]).
• Suspicious Circumstances
  • Multiple German doctors at Boris’s bedside raise suspicions ([52:43-54:11]).
  • Eudoxia (Boris’s sister) leaves a posthumous letter highlighting her suspicions about Dr. Seitz, a Berlin doctor ([53:20-54:11]).
  • Newly discovered archival document points to an “Asiatic poison” paralyzing the heart, mistaken for a heart attack ([47:00-49:00]).
• Debate Among Historians
  • Tessa Dunlop cautions against seeing only the Nazi hand:

    “You are seeing what you want to see. You’re looking around the room and you’re only seeing swastikas.” — Tessa Dunlop [54:54]

  • Princess Maria Luisa:

    “All these things...are simply theories or hypotheses or just fantasy. But there’s nothing rational. I have no proof. I’m confident, convinced. It wasn’t...the Germans.” [55:50-56:19]

5. Legacy — Hero, Villain, or Both?

• A Divided Memory
  • George Bozduganov: "King Boris, third Bulgarian national hero of 20th century." [35:04]
  • Yet his image, as teased for the next episode, may be more complicated, with hints at “blood on his hands” ([56:59-57:05]).

Notable Quotes

• On Saving Bulgaria’s Jews:

  “Not a single Jew, Bulgarian or foreigner living in the kingdom was killed or deported from the country to the Nazi camps. Neither one.” — George Bozduganov [34:40]
  “King Boris was playing here a very subtle game.” — Michael Barzohar [31:18]

• On the Nature of the Alliance:

  “So Boris had two options. Resist Hitler, knowing that he’d invade anyway...or give in and save all that bloodshed.” — Becky Milligan [20:09]

• On Poison as a Weapon:

  “The idea behind using deadly toxins and chemicals is actually—they’re very difficult to attribute. There’s a lot of uncertainty, there’s a lot of deniability.” — Colonel Hamish de Brechengorden [27:53]

• On Conspiracy and Evidence:

  “She was sort of pointing...saying that this Dr. Seitz...from Berlin, was...something suspicious about him.” — Princess Maria Luisa [53:54]

• On Historian Skepticism:

  “You are seeing what you want to see. You’re looking around the room and you’re only seeing swastikas.” — Tessa Dunlop [54:54]
  “I have no proof. I’m confident, convinced. It wasn’t...the Germans.” — Princess Maria Luisa [56:08-56:19]

Important Timestamps

• 01:35-03:17: Protests halt Jewish deportations in Bulgaria
• 07:36-09:11: Personal testimonies credit Boris for Jewish survival
• 14:27-15:39: Introduction of nerve agents as possible method of assassination
• 27:53-28:22: Poison’s deniability as an assassination tool
• 34:08-35:04: “Not a single Jew...not one” – survivor testimonial
• 50:10-51:28: Boris’s last days and his children’s memories
• 53:20-54:11: Suspicion cast by family on German doctors
• 54:54 & 56:08: Historian and family push back on Nazi-poison theory

Memorable Moments

• Boris’s Bluff: Outsmarting Hitler with faux-labor camps, saving thousands ([29:16-30:46]).
• Eudoxia’s Secret Letter: Family legacy of suspicion over German doctors ([53:20-53:54]).
• Contradictory Legacies: Celebrated by some Jewish communities, distrusted by others ([05:08-07:43], [37:25-38:18]).
• Archival Breakthrough: Discovery of “Asiatic poison” reference ([47:00-49:00])—key forensic lead and thriller moment.

Episode Tone & Style

• Blends deeply-researched history, journalistic skepticism, and conversational warmth.
• Balances survivor memory, expert insight, and archival sleuthing.
• Keeps a pace both dramatic and reflective, unafraid to question even its own theories.

Next Episode Tease

The investigation will delve further into the nature of "Asiatic poison," with hints at a possible connection to snake venom and darker shadows in Boris’s legacy ([56:25-57:05]).

This episode grapples with the murky boundaries between heroism, survival, and complicity—leaving listeners with a sense of the enduring mystery and the moral gray zones of history’s most dangerous times.