The forgotten woman behind today’s global conspiracy thinking

Conspiracy theories didn’t begin with the moon landing. They didn’t start with QAnon. And they certainly didn’t begin on Reddit.

In this explosive episode of History Rage, Professor James Crossland returns to uncover the origins of modern conspiracy culture — and the overlooked figure who helped shape it. Long before talk of the “deep state,” the “New World Order,” or shadowy global elites, one British writer in the 1920s fused together Jews, Freemasons, Bolsheviks and secret societies into a single sweeping theory of world domination.

Her name was Nesta Helen Webster — and according to Crossland, she is “patient zero for the plague of conspiracy-fed stupidity.”

Drawing on his research into extremism, fascism and political violence, James explains how Webster inherited earlier myths about the Illuminati and the French Revolution and repackaged them for the post–First World War world. In an age of fear, upheaval and political instability, she offered something dangerously seductive: a simple explanation for complex events.

We explore:

The real history of the Illuminati in 1770s Bavaria
Why the French Revolution became a conspiratorial blueprint
How the Bolshevik Revolution intensified global paranoia
The role of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The rise of the British Fascisti
The roots of the American far right and the John Birch Society
How conspiracy thinking evolves, mutates and survives

From Adam Weishaupt to QAnon, from interwar Britain to modern America, this episode traces the long thread of conspiratorial belief and asks a crucial question: why do these ideas endure?

If you want to understand the historical roots of today’s global conspiracy movements — and why they feel so persuasive — this is essential listening.

About the Guest

Professor James Crossland is Director of the Centre for Modern and Contemporary History at Liverpool John Moores University. His research focuses on extremism, political violence, war crimes and the darker sides of modern history.

He is also host of the podcast History’s Devils, where each episode dives deep into some of history’s most troubling and complex figures — terrorists, war criminals, spies and ideological extremists.

Follow James:

X (Twitter): @DrJCrossland
Bluesky: @james.crossland.bsky.social
Podcast: History’s Devils (available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and all major platforms)
Follow History’s Devils on Instagram @historysdevils

Why This Episode Matters

Conspiracy theories thrive in times of fear. After the First World War, confusion and anger created fertile ground for simple answers. Webster provided a framework so adaptable that it still underpins movements today.

As James argues, conspiracy culture persists because it offers clarity where history offers complexity. It replaces polycausal explanation with villain-driven narrative. It provides belonging, identity and meaning.

Understanding its history is not optional — it’s essential.

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History is complex. Conspiracies are simple.

And that simplicity is the danger.

Stay angry.

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