Last Podcast On The Left: Episode 638

Heinrich Himmler Part II - The Reich Stuff

Date: October 10, 2025
Hosts: Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, Ed Larson

Overview

This episode continues the deep dive into the life and mind of Heinrich Himmler, architect of the Nazi SS and one of the most terrifying, bizarre, and obsessive figures in the Third Reich. The hosts trace Himmler’s early failures, occult interests, and path to power, analyzing how his personal obsessions shaped the deadly Nazi bureaucracy. They blend sharp, irreverent humor with historical insight, revealing the roots and rise of Himmler’s influence in both chilling and absurd detail.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Himmler After the Failed Putsch (04:05–10:20)

• Following Hitler’s failed 1923 coup, Himmler’s life bottoms out.
• He becomes an unemployed, isolated extremist, entrenched in the volkish (folkish) movement, obsessed with racial purity and land-based German myths.
• The parallels between radicalization then and now are drawn, especially the echo chamber effect and culture of blame.
  • Quote: “When a movement is founded on hate and blame, it becomes baked into every decision that movement makes… the hate becomes exponentially larger and more intense as time goes on.” —Marcus Parks (10:18)

2. The Nazi Occultism Myth—Reality and Exaggeration (15:00–20:30)

• Himmler’s obsession with the occult is explored. He wasn’t practicing ritual magic but was deeply into pseudoscience, fake history, and esoterica.
• The hosts distinguish sensational stories ("Indiana Jones stuff") from genuine, insidious myth-making inside Nazism, where pseudo-history justified policies and created Nazi “universe building.”
  • Quote: “This is about universe building. It's world building... to create a body of work that stands behind Nazism... You use that as the line from the beginning of your new culture.” —Marcus Parks (16:52)
• Occult beliefs provided legitimacy and coherence to Nazi ideology, especially for the SS.

3. Constructing the "Aryan" Myth and Nazi Worldview (23:15–32:00)

• The concept of Aryans, with historical roots in bad 18th and 19th-century linguistics and volkish grifters, is detailed—tying together pseudo-history, anti-Christian sentiment, and nationalist longing.
  • Cites Alfred Rosenberg’s book, The Myth of the 20th Century, and its effect.
  • Nazis portrayed Jesus as non-Jewish and Christian philosophy as “stolen” Aryan wisdom.
  • Nazi ideology sees life as a mythic struggle between the “honor of a knight” and the “weakness of love.”

4. Mein Kampf: Its Impact and Parallels (30:03–34:57, 36:00–38:32)

• Mein Kampf as a manifesto echoes beliefs Himmler already held—he finds community in it, not inspiration.
• Hitler’s book is explored for its tediousness, paranoia, and myth-mongering.
  • Quote: “Himmler loved [Mein Kampf] because it was proof that there were plenty of other people out there who thought exactly the same way that Himmler did.” —Ed Larson (32:46)
• The creepiness of “white people built civilization” rhetoric then and now is dissected.

5. Building Nazi Institutions and Bureaucracy (56:05–1:10:45)

• Himmler’s rise: Returns to the Nazi party with “gifts” (local goons). Initially stuck with admin work—but that’s his zone of genius.
  • Quote: “Hate ain't hitting the table unless somebody fills out the Excel sheets.” —Marcus Parks (59:51)
• His failed career as a chicken farmer lampooned; parallels drawn between his agricultural and genocidal fantasies.
• The obsession with paperwork, inventory, and administrative detail is linked directly to the efficiency of the Holocaust.

6. Formation of the SS and Nazi Racial Institutions (1:12:19–1:38:00)

• Himmler is given command of the fledgling SS, which he shapes as the Nazi “knightly” order—distinct from the chaotic, street-level SA (Stormtroopers).
• Establishes the SS as an occult-driven elite, crafting their mythos around Hyperborea and the Holy Grail.
• Implements eugenics, strict racial criteria, and conformity—obsessed with uniforms, visual branding (Himmler designs the famous black SS uniform himself), and internal policing.
  • Quote: “Himmler actually knew the power of branding and especially the power of conformity.” —Ed Larson (96:17)

7. Nazification, Bureaucratic Cruelty & Expansion (1:39:39–1:56:00)

• Himmler builds a new Nazi aristocracy, tightly knit and poised for the seizure and exercise of real state power.
• The process of “Nazification”—turning all of German society into a reflection of SS discipline and values—described as a relentless, boiling-frog transformation.
• Discusses how Nazi ideas infiltrated government and daily life, sometimes through “faux pas” and social pressure rather than laws.
• Parallels drawn to modern “corporate” takeover by unqualified but administratively savvy operators.

8. Seizure of Power, Reichstag Fire & Dachau (2:03:12–2:08:00)

• The Nazis use electoral gains and the 1933 Reichstag fire (arson, then spun as a communist plot) to orchestrate Hitler’s rise to chancellor and unleash a reign of violence.
• Founding of Dachau concentration camp as a “pit of despair,” with Himmler as its architect.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I feel like a lot of this could have been stopped by one well-placed older black woman named Hermler just giving a withering look to the Nazis.” —Marcus Parks (02:36)
• “Nazis love merch... the power of creating group iconography is so powerful.” —Marcus Parks (11:24)
• “Heinz Himmler’s Entirely Unreasonable and Strict Rules for Proper Living—world’s worst self-help book.” —Henry Zebrowski (12:13)
• “He’s a power scavenger. Himmler knew how to set up rules so other people would be sure to break them—then he could rise.” —Marcus Parks (72:45)
• “The SS is just a guy. The SS are not soldiers. They’re just men in uniform.” —Ed Larson (66:46)
• “He might not have an Aryan body but he has a Nordic brain.” —Marcus Parks (101:31)
• “Be careful what you pretend to be. The problem with pretending to be a monster is that both the pretender and the believer end up in the exact same spot.” —Ed Larson (111:55)

Timeline of Key Segments

• [01:01] Show start and tone-setting Nazi jokes
• [04:05] Himmler’s life post-putsch, radicalization, volkish influences
• [10:20] Analysis of how hate-based movements escalate and reflect online radicalization
• [15:00] The Nazi occult myth: Pseudoscience vs. Indiana Jones
• [23:15] Aryan mythmaking, Christian reinterpretation, The Myth of the 20th Century
• [30:03] Mein Kampf's impact and laughably bad writing
• [36:00] Hitler and Himmler’s intellectual kinship, Himmler not “inspired” but vindicated by Mein Kampf
• [56:05] Himmler’s return, bureaucracy, and admin genius
• [66:39] Early SS, occult foundation, Himmler as designer of Nazi imagery
• [79:56] Himmler’s personal life: marriage, prudishness, home life
• [82:29] Adolf Hitler’s slow path to power, political context
• [104:26] Nazi adoption of American eugenics, SS family policies
• [109:23] Nazification of German society, the pressure to conform
• [120:13] How Nazis enter government: coalition, manipulation by elites
• [124:33] The Reichstag fire: myth vs. fact, Nazi opportunism
• [127:11] Creation of Dachau, the birth of the concentration camp system

Overall Tone and Approach

• The episode balances the absurdity and horror of Nazi beliefs with irreverent, dark humor, without minimizing the scale or seriousness of Nazi crimes.
• The hosts puncture myths and pop culture exaggerations (e.g., Nazi occultism as “magic”) to focus on the bureaucratic, obsessive, and fundamentally human roots of Nazi evil.
• Frequent asides and jokes maintain the show’s trademark style, but cutting historical analysis and warnings about the legacy of fascism and modern parallels are front and center.

For First-Time Listeners/Those Who Haven’t Heard

This episode delivers an in-depth, historically grounded yet irreverent portrait of how Heinrich Himmler—a failed nobody obsessed with rules, myths, and paperwork—became the architect of Nazi terror. The hosts show how Himmler’s blend of personal inadequacy, occult fantasy, and administrative obsession created the machine of the SS and, by extension, the Holocaust. The parallels to contemporary radicalization, conspiracy culture, and the dangers of bureaucracy in evil hands are frequently, pointedly brought up.

Suggested Next Episode

Part III (“The Birth of the Camps”) is teased as a deeper look into Dachau and the escalation from hateful fantasies to industrial murder.

[End of Summary]