Last Podcast on the Left – Episode 642: Heinrich Himmler Part VI – Mein Cramps

Date: November 7, 2025
Hosts: Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel (with guest Ed Larson)
Podcast Network: The Last Podcast Network

Overview

This episode marks the grand finale of a six-part deep dive into the life and crimes of Heinrich Himmler, one of the most infamous figures of Nazi Germany and architect of the Holocaust. The hosts close out their exploration of Himmler’s rise, his role in genocide, his bizarre personal quirks, the disintegration of the Third Reich, and his demise. True to the show’s tone, they blend rigorous research with dark humor, irreverence, and poignant warnings for our present day.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The End of the War Draws Near

([03:17]–[08:55])

• The episode picks up with Nazi Germany overextended after their campaign for “Lebensraum” (living space) and the Final Solution’s devastating progress.
• Nazi advances in the East stall with the failure of the invasion into the Soviet Union and Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, shifting American and Russian war efforts.
• The Allies, representing 26 nations, join forces against the Axis powers, launching bombing campaigns like Operation Gomorrah over Hamburg (30,000 civilians dead) and D-Day.

"By the end of 1941, the Nazis had spread across Europe like a disease... The SS and the Gestapo under Himmler’s command had kept the people of Europe in a state of constant terror."
— Marcus Parks [03:22]

2. The Downfall of Reinhard Heydrich: Operation Anthropoid

([11:16]–[15:38])

• The assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, Himmler’s ruthless number two, is detailed. A Czech/British operation (Anthropoid) kills Heydrich—after a failed submachine gun attack, a grenade mortally wounds him, and he dies of sepsis.

"Even though the agents hadn’t obliterated Heydrich on site… what they’d done instead was far more satisfying. He died a slow, painful death from sepsis over the next five days."
— Marcus Parks [15:13]

• Heydrich’s death shakes Himmler, revealing how vulnerable even the top Nazis truly were.

3. Escalation and Logistics of Mass Murder

([17:31]–[23:19])

• Himmler accelerates the Holocaust, inaugurating Auschwitz as a mass extermination center.
• The twisted double priority: both exterminating Jews and maintaining a slave labor force for the Nazi war machine create conflicting, self-defeating policies.
• Other Nazis sometimes balk at the resources poured into mass extermination:
  "Not every Nazi wanted every Jewish person dead… It was a distraction, it was fighting the war."
  — Marcus Parks [22:22]
• Again, Marcus underscores that Hitler and Himmler’s mutual fanatical antisemitism was utterly core to the genocide.

4. Himmler's Weaknesses: Health Issues and the Influence of Felix Kersten the Masseur

([33:17]–[45:25])

• Himmler’s lifelong nervousness and intense stomach cramps shape his daily behavior (“mein cramps”).
• Enter Felix Kersten, a Finnish-Estonian massage therapist. Kersten becomes a huge influence in Himmler’s life, providing relief and growing political sway.

"Felix became the most influential person in Himmler’s life following Heydrich’s death. As a result, Felix would play a surprisingly large role in the story of WWII—far larger than you’d expect from any one masseur."
— Marcus Parks [35:16]

• Kersten’s story is recounted with signature LPOTL banter comparing him to “Himmler’s Mike Lindell” (the MyPillow Guy), and speculating about the effect of massages on Nazi policy.

• Kersten is described as a complicated figure:

  • By giving Himmler relief, he unfortunately enables Himmler to focus on mass murder.
  • However, over time, Kersten uses his influence to push for the release of concentration camp prisoners, eventually saving thousands near the war’s end.

5. Covering Their Tracks: The Nazis’ Final Atrocities and Complicity

([49:15]–[56:53])

• As the Soviets advance and the horrors of Nazi crimes threaten to be revealed, the Nazis try to hide evidence:
  • Paul Blobel is tasked with exhuming and burning the corpses of mass graves, such as at Babi Yar (over 100,000).
• Himmler ensures other top Nazis are fully complicit by delivering a frank speech so none can later feign ignorance about the genocide.

"It was now in every top Nazi’s best interest to either help Himmler cover up what he’d done or avoid defeat. The hidden message: if I’m going down, you’re all going down with me."
— Marcus Parks [56:35]

6. Unraveling of the Third Reich; Himmler's Delusions and Desperation

([61:02]–[87:34])

• Hitler’s health and judgment collapse; the failed 1944 assassination plot (Operation Valkyrie) further isolates him.
• Himmler is tasked with direct military command despite nil experience—his decisions lead to disastrous retreats and mass deaths, including child soldiers being slaughtered on the Eastern Front.
• Himmler grows delusional, believing in superstitious Nazi pseudo-science (trying to build a real-life Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, as a doomsday weapon [82:07–85:53]).

"Himmler became obsessed with a scheme to build a bizarre electrical weapon based on fantasies surrounding Norse mythology…”
— Marcus Parks [82:07]

• As the Allies close in, Himmler tries desperately to flip, offering to surrender to the West to avoid Soviet justice, but is universally rejected—Allies see through the ploy.

7. Denouement: Himmler's End and the Final Toll

([90:01]–[108:41])

• Himmler loses all command, attempts to whitewash his role, and even meets with the World Jewish Congress to try to “bury the hatchet.”
• He flees, disguises himself (poorly), but is eventually captured by the British, who see through his alias.
• Before he can face justice, Himmler commits suicide by cyanide capsule.

"Himmler, just glanced at the [camp] pictures, shrugged and asked, 'Am I responsible for the excesses of my subordinates?'"
— Marcus Parks [105:14]

• His body is buried in an unmarked grave; his brain and death mask’s location remain a mystery.

8. Reflection on the Consequences and Modern Resonance

([108:41]–[114:40])

• The hosts tally the staggering human cost of Himmler and Nazi Germany’s crimes:
  • Soviet Union: 26 million killed (15 million civilians)
  • Himmler personally responsible for ~5.3 million deaths (high-end estimate)
  • Millions of Germans—soldiers and civilians—die due to the fascist regime’s choices
• Marcus warns of the dangers of mediocre, delusional “believers” with unchecked power, drawing parallels to contemporary American politics.

"Himmler... was a small, mediocre, wholly inadequate man... but he was also a believer… I do believe our current administration is full of believers, and while they may not want to say it, these believers are fascists—even if... they don’t understand what the word means."
— Marcus Parks [111:14]

• He urges listeners to emulate the resistance of Joseph Hartinger, emphasizing peaceful, direct opposition to fascism in one’s community.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the damage done by Himmler:
  "Out of the estimated 80 million who died worldwide, it was Heinrich Himmler who was personally responsible for more of those deaths than anyone else."<br> — Marcus Parks [108:41]

• Comparing Himmler to present-day politics:
  "Believing in the promise of America means that you are, by definition, anti-fascist… So what I ask of you… is to stand up and, like Joseph Hartinger, be one of the 100…”
  — Marcus Parks [111:59]

• On complicity and cowardice:
  "Heinrich Himmler, the greatest mass murderer in history, was a small, mediocre, wholly inadequate man… above all, a coward to the core of his soul."
  — Marcus Parks [111:14]

• Dark humor & gallows banter:
  "I'm gonna pull your pants down and slap your tush because it looks like two Himmlers next to each other."
  — Henry Zebrowski [03:09]

• On the logic of Nazi homeopathy:
  "If Heiner Himmler had his way, there would be no chemical treatments of any kind, and definitely no vaccines."
  — Marcus Parks [41:21]

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:17 | Recap: Nazi occupation of Europe, Himmler’s role, war turns against Nazis. | | 11:16 | Operation Anthropoid – assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and aftermath. | | 17:31 | Auschwitz’s opening; the logistical contradictions of genocide and forced labor. | | 33:17 | Himmler’s health woes and introduction of Felix Kersten, his influential massage therapist. | | 45:25 | Kersten starts influencing Himmler’s decisions, including pressure to reduce camp deaths and save prisoners. | | 49:15 | Nazis' attempts to cover up genocide as Allies advance. | | 56:53 | Himmler makes all Nazi officials complicit in the Final Solution, “no one can say they didn’t know.” | | 61:02 | Internal Nazi collapse, Himmler’s disastrous military command, delusional pursuit of “superweapons.” | | 87:34 | Himmler frantically attempts to negotiate with the Allies and save himself as war ends. | | 92:21 | Himmler loses command, issues exculpatory orders as Allied victory looms; Kersten arranges final prisoner releases. | | 96:03 | Himmler’s final, farcical attempts to clear his name with Jewish and Swedish representatives. | | 101:27 | Himmler’s failed escape and arrest; suicide by cyanide to avoid trial and execution. | | 108:41 | The deadly toll on Jews, Soviets, and Germans as a result of Himmler’s actions; the ruin of Germany. | | 111:14 | Modern-day warnings: the danger of small, unremarkable “believers” wielding fascist power. | | 111:59 | Marcus’s call to action: "Stand up…be one of the 100," invoking the real courage needed to resist fascism. |

Tone & Style

The episode maintains The Last Podcast on the Left’s trademark style:

• Research-rich storytelling interspersed with profanity, absurdity, and black comedy
• An ability to treat horrifying history with factual care, rage, and irreverent banter
• Wrapping horrific content with an urgent, heartfelt call to civic responsibility

Final Reflections

This final episode not only marks the dissolution of Himmler and the Nazi regime but acts as a pointed warning. The hosts warn against complacency and breakdown the compounding tragedy of mass complicity, cowardice, and delusion. The story of Himmler isn’t one of a demonic “evil genius,” but of a dull, insecure fanatic whose ideological commitment and willingness to “just follow orders” fueled catastrophe on an unprecedented scale.

For further research & action:

• Mutual Aid by Dean Spade (free at anarchistlibrary.org)
• Local resources: mutualaidhub.org

"Taking care of these motherfuckers does not mean using violence... Violence never did anything but give the Nazis more power every time. Be one of the 100. Stand up with whatever power you have."
— Marcus Parks [113:41]