Mike and Jake take on their first theory episode by starting Leon Trotsky's book Fascism: What It Is and How to Fight It.

Mike and Jake celebrate the anniversary of Mussolini's death a week late by wrapping up his story on Karl Marx's birthday. They explore his escape from captivity, his ever-changing mental state in German occupied Italy, and his final attempt to escape and his execution.

Mike and Jake explore Italy's involvement in the second world war. They learn exactly how incompetent Mussolini was with regard to warfare and what happens to him as a result.

Mike and Jake appropriately celebrate St. Patrick's Day, by having Mike's friend Patrick from the UK. The three discuss the shit show that was Brexit and other nonsense the Tories have put the country through and wonder if the UK is on the road to fascism.

Mike and Jake return to Mussolini's mediocre book. Mussolini spends a lot of time describing a banquet and awful things Popes have done and very little time on the actual plot. Some guy tries to kill Claudia and this is resolved almost immediately.

Mike and Jake explore the time between the Italo-Ethiopian war and WWII, seeing exactly how Mussolini's and Hitler's relationship changed in that time.

Jake forgot that he had to write notes for this episode, so Mike and Jake (try to) talk about neo-Confederates and the Lost Cause myth to wrap up the year in our first completely unscripted episode.

Mike and Jake get back to reading Mussolini's book. A mob forms and is quickly placated and a nun gives pretty useless advice to our protagonist.