The First Terrorist? Felice Orsini - The Man Who Tried to Kill Emperor Napoleon III

In this episode of HISTORY’S DEVILS, host James Crossland is joined by Lisa Traynor (Royal Armouries) to uncover the story of Felice Orsini—the little-known figure behind the first modern terrorist attack.A radical Italian nationalist, Orsini changed undertandings of political violence with his 1858 assassination attempt on Napoleon III in Paris. Using a unique improvised explosive device known as the Orsini Bomb, his actions inspired a generationa of radicals and pioneered the tactic of terrorism for the modern age.This episode explores the origins of terrorism, revolutionary politics, and the rise of political violence in 19th-century Europe. How did Orsini’s attack influence future extremists? And why has his legacy been largely forgotten? Check out James’ book on the subject: The Rise of Devils: Fear & The Origins of Modern TerrorismSee what Lisa and her team are up to at Britain’s Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds Further ReadingMichael St John Packe, The Bombs of OrsiniCarola Dietze, The Invention of Terrorism in Europe, Russia and the United States Chapters00:00 Introduction to Modern Terrorism02:46 The Life and Times of Felice Orsini05:38 Political Context of 19th Century Italy08:28 The Rise of Italian Nationalism11:12 Orsini's Revolutionary Activities14:14 The Daring Escape from Prison17:01 Orsini's Celebrity Status and Impact19:43 The Shift to Terrorism as Tactic22:36 The Availability of Weapons in the 19th Century26:17 The Velodog and Personal Protection28:32 Orsini's Revolutionary Ideals29:31 The Design and Function of the Orsini Bomb35:20 The Spectacle of Terrorism41:32 The Aftermath and Political Repercussions49:19 Legacy of Orsini and the Concept of TerrorismThanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween"Follow HISTORY's DEVILS On Instagram @historysdevilshttps://www.instagram.com/historysdevils/On Substackhttps://jamescrossland.substack.com/Follow JAMES CROSSLANDOn Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jamescrossland.bsky.socialTag HISTORY's DEVILS@historysdevils#HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #HistoryPodcast #Podcast #History #DarkHistory #HistoricalBiography #TrueHistory #HistoryDocumentary #Deepdive #Storytelling History's Devils is a history podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures.History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of:Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce LockhartThe Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism...