From Caesar to JFK – How assassinations have shaped the world

Death to Order: a modern history of assassination — targeted killings and state policy

In this episode host Seth Tyvel interviews Simon Ball, author of Death to Order, to map the history of political assassination, state-sponsored killings, and the long-term effects of targeted political violence. Ball offers a working definition: assassination as an organized conspiracy to kill an individual for political purposes. He contrasts assassination with mass-casualty terrorism and traces how both non-state and state actors used targeted killing across the 20th century and into the modern era.

Historical context and key case studies: franz ferdinand to indira gandhi

The conversation explores landmark incidents — from the 1914 Sarajevo assassination that precipitated World War I to mid-century cases like the British governor of Sarawak, and Cold War operations such as the Letelier killing in Washington, D.C., and the Bulgarian umbrella poisoning of Georgi Markov. Ball explains how intelligence services gradually adopted assassination as a tool, and how episodes like the Old Marshal assassination in Manchuria shaped national trajectories.

Methods and technology: firearms, explosives, and hijacking as drivers

Ball outlines the practical evolution of assassination methods. Close-range firearms remained effective throughout the century, while the 1970s saw a marked rise in explosive-based attempts and mass-terror techniques fueled by increased air travel and the wider availability of plastic explosives. These technological shifts transformed how non-state groups and states planned attacks.

Secrecy, plausible deniability, and the cover-up of state covert operations

The episode emphasizes secrecy and deception as core features of state-sponsored assassinations. Ball describes how cover stories and diplomatic camouflage often accompany operations, and how plausible deniability shields sponsoring states for decades in many instances. He also notes cities like London became operational hubs for foreign-directed targeting during the 1970s and 1980s.

Political consequences: security cultures, backlash, and democratic distance

Ball argues that waves of assassinations prompted Western democracies to build layered security systems for leaders. While protecting individuals, these systems can distance political elites from the public and create inequalities in state protection. The episode also covers counter-assassination backlashes — from communal violence in South Asia to state reprisals — and how these responses often worsen conflict.

Why this matters: archives, policy lessons, and modern implications

Ball’s archival research shows policymakers’ responses matter as much as the attacks themselves. The episode offers lessons for historians and security planners about transparency, accountability, and the long-term political costs of covert killing. For listeners interested in national security, political violence, and modern history, this interview unpacks assassination as both tactic and policy instrument.