From Caesar to JFK – How assassinations have shaped the world

The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Podmasters

Society & Culture, Government, News, Politics

4.6 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 August 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

From the assassination that sparked the First World War to the covert drone strikes of today, targeted killing has been used to shape history and shift the balance of power for generations. Today in The Bunker, Seth Thévoz is joined by Simon Ball, professor of international history and politics at the University of Leeds and author of Death to Order: A Modern History of Assassination, to explore the long, shadowy history of assassination as a political tool. Buy Death to Order: A Modern History of Assassination through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	We run adverts on our podcasts so we can pay our team and our freelancers.
0:04.8	But we know that commercial messages are not everyone's cup of tea.
0:08.4	So if you'd rather listen without ads, there's an easy solution.
0:12.5	Just support us on Patreon for ad-free episodes.
0:15.9	Follow the link in the show notes to find out more.
0:18.6	This edition of The Bunker is sponsored by Naked Wines. I'm
0:22.5	Seth Teval. And I'm Zoe Grunewold. And here at the bunker, we don't believe in guest work.
0:27.9	We go to the experts for the best insights into news and politics. And why should wine be any
0:32.7	different? That's why we're pleased to recommend Naked Wines. I enjoy their Baricas Galadoro Reserva from Portugal.
0:40.6	Well, I'm trying their small and small Savignon Blanc from New Zealand. Seth, tell me,
0:46.1	what's your wine knowledge like? Very specialised, so pretty good on things Portuguese, but
0:51.3	non-existent on those other things. How about you, Zay? I drink most anything, but I have to say I'm really enjoying this savenient blanc. It's citrusy, it's got notes of gooseberry. I could just drink the whole bottle. What makes naked wines so convenient is that they deliver top-quality wines right to your jaw from world-class winemakers from across the globe, whether it's a French rosé, a New Zealand
1:12.0	reeling or even a Lebanese syria. Naked can help you find your next bottle to fall in love with.
1:17.5	And this premium doesn't have to come at a punishing price. By working directly with the
1:22.4	winemakers, they can pass on the benefit and offer bottles up to 33% less than typical retail prices.
1:29.1	Head to Nakedwines.co.uk forward slash the bunker to get six top-rated wines for just £39.99.
1:37.2	That's £6.67 a bottle. I repeat, that's six bottles of wine for just £39.99 with delivery included. That's Nakedwines.com.uk,
1:49.0	forward slash the bunker, to grab six bottles for just $39.99. Click the link in the description.
2:07.5	Hello and welcome to The Bunker, where we look at the news without the nonsense.
2:08.7	I'm Seth Teville.
2:16.0	From Franz Ferdinand to Indira Gandhi, assassinations have had a huge impact in making the world today.
2:19.1	And much as we try to deny it, they have also been an instrument of state policy. Not always successfully, as Fidel Castro survived countless
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