Toto Koopman: Socialite, Vogue Model and WWII Spy

Toto Koopman: Socialite, Vogue Model and WWII Spy

Toto Koopman was remarkable; she was a high society socialite who risked her life wining and dining with Italian blackshirts in order to gather information for the Dutch intelligence service in WWII. When she refused to work as a spy for the Italians, she was thrown in a detention camp. She escaped and hid in the mountains. When she was captured again she was taken to Ravensbrück concentration camp. There, got a role at the hospital by pretending she was a nurse; she risked her own life forging documents to save the lives of women destined for the gas chamber. She was truly unapologetic about who she was, individualistic and brave. Before the war, she'd defied society's expectations as a Vogue cover model working with Coco Chanel by having high-profile relationships with both men and women - including Hollywood star Talulah Bankhead and newspaper baron Lord Beaverbrook. So why have most of us never heard of her?


In this episode, author and historical novelist Maryka Biaggio gives a roaring account of the incredible life, achievements and character of Toto Koopman, a story we should all know.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.


If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(1489)

One Life: The 'British Schindler' Nicky Winton & The Kindertransport

One Life: The 'British Schindler' Nicky Winton & The Kindertransport

Nicholas Winton masterminded an effort that saved the lives of 669 Jewish Children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War Two. There's a new movie out called 'One Life' telling the incredible sto...

24 Jan 202443min

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic and romanticised buildings on earth. Commissioned by a Mughal ruler to mark the passing of his beloved wife, it is thought that this monumental marble mausoleum...

23 Jan 202429min

The Life and Death of Vladimir Lenin

The Life and Death of Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin died just over 100 years ago, on the 21st of February, 1924. The Russian revolutionary leader fought in no battles, spent much of his time in libraries and was in his 40s before he held...

22 Jan 202436min

What if Hitler Had Invaded Britain?

What if Hitler Had Invaded Britain?

How prepared was Britain for a Nazi invasion? The common perception is of a country woefully unprepared for war; hastily assembled defences manned by characters from 'Dad's Army', and a government unf...

17 Jan 202442min

Mike Sadler: The Last SAS Soldier

Mike Sadler: The Last SAS Soldier

In this episode, we remember Mike Sadler the last of the original SAS men who recently died at the age of 103. Major Sadler was the navigator for the regiment’s founder David Stirling, guiding raiding...

15 Jan 202446min

Japan's Tokugawa Shogunate

Japan's Tokugawa Shogunate

The Warring States period brought Japan to its knees. It was a time of turbulence and treachery, with rival warlords fighting bitterly for control of the land. But by the dawn of the 17th century, one...

11 Jan 202429min

The Plague of Athens

The Plague of Athens

In 430 BC, in the midst of the Peloponnesian War, the powerful city-state of Athens was struck down by a disastrous plague. Athenians fell sick with a dizzying array of symptoms, from fevers and vomit...

10 Jan 202425min

2. Thomas Cochrane: The Battle of Basque Roads

2. Thomas Cochrane: The Battle of Basque Roads

2/3. Thomas Cochrane and his crew of the HMS Imperieuse embark on their greatest and most audacious scheme yet; Cochrane leads a flotilla of burning vessels and exploding bomb ships piled high with gu...

8 Jan 202450min

Populärt inom Historia

motiv
massmordarpodden
historiska-brott
p3-historia
olosta-mord
historiepodden-se
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-brottsligt
rss-massmordarpodden
rss-seriemordarpodden
konspirationsteorier
nu-blir-det-historia
rss-historien-om
krigshistoriepodden
podme-bio-4
militarhistoriepodden
vetenskapsradion-historia
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
palmemordet
rss-arkiv-stieg