Peace In Their Time: Recent Episodes
peaceintheirtime
Peace In Their Time is a history podcast dedicated to explaining the causes of World War II, and how it became the largest conflict that mankind has ever seen. It will be a deep dive into events both global and local that accumulated over the 1920s and 30s, and will cap off with the war years themselves (someday I hope). If you're a fan of historical context and enjoy play-by-plays of nations in crisis, this is the show for you.
Today I finally get to talk about the IJA, specifically its organization and doctrine. Turns out a conflict with China was a low priority and that came back to bite them!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Ness, Leland Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945, Volume 1: Tactical Organization of Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces Helion & Company 2014
- Peattie, Mark, Edward J. Drea, and Hanx van de Ven The Battle for China, Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 Stanford University Press 2011
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
My deep-dive into the Imperial Japanese Navy concludes with the unexpected heart of the fleet, the carriers!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997
- Peattie, Mark R Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 Naval Institute Press 2013
- Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013
- Newdick, Thomas Japanese Aircraft of World War II 1937-1945 Amber Books Ltd 2017
- Francillon, Rene J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War Putnam Aeronautical Books 1970
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I'm a little under the weather, so all business today. I'm talking about the heavy cruisers, battleships, and submarines of the IJN.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997
- Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I get started talking about Japanese ship designs, specifically the Destroyers and Light Cruisers. Especially with the Destroyers, the smaller size of these vessels belied a powerful punch that the IJN hoped would prove decisive in the war to come.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997
- Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Technically this is the start of the miniseries covering the first couple years of the Second Sino-Japanese War. But before I properly get going with that, I am going to cover the militaries of the war. And today I am starting with the Imperial Japanese Navy, the IJN. This formidable force wasn't built in a day, so I'm taking an episode to talk about its doctrine and the guiding principles it operated under going into WWII.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997
- Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
It took almost two years of judicial attacks and the confidence inspired by the 1936 electoral landslide for FDR to summon the gumption to go after the Supreme Court. Second term misfortune struck quickly though, and the battle left its mark on the president.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal Simon and Schuster 2012
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
In 1935 the Roosevelt administration came up against the most effective opposition faced yet, which would setup a showdown between the United States' executive and judiciary. Today I introduce the US Supreme Court and the devastating day that set the stage for that confrontation.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal Simon and Schuster 2012
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
By 1935 the material conditions of the average America were still unacceptably low and millions had no hope of private employment. Help was on the way though, and FDR would spare no expense in making the new Works Progress Administration a success.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, Nick American Made, The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work Bantam Books 2008
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The next round of advancing worker power during the New Deal saw organized labor's allies in Congress successfully secure their right to organize. And a massive split in the labor movement would set the stage for a quick to materialize test of those new rights.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Dray, Philip There is Power in Union: The Epic Story of Labor in America Anchor Books 2010
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935: The Age of Roosevelt Volume II First Mariner Books 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
FDR didn't call it the cornerstone for nothing.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935: The Age of Roosevelt Volume II First Mariner Books 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today is the start of the New Deal's second chapter, and I cover the lay of the land before getting in deep with some of the era's greatest reforms.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935: The Age of Roosevelt Volume II First Mariner Books 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The saga finally concludes and the Second Spanish Republic is destroyed. Its demise started with an army coup and it ended with one too.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The fall of Catalonia wasn't much of a fight, and its loss set off a scramble to try and set the terms for the winding down of the war.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I'm entering the endgame of the SCW, and today I cover the last Republican offensive, the Battle of the Ebro. Fun bonus are the half-hearted machinations going on behind the scenes to try and negotiate a peace. If my voice sounds weird today I'm recovering from a pretty dire illness so hopefully it doesn't sound too terrible!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I conclude my coverage on the violent quest for internal order in the two zones of Spain.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Preston, Paul Architects of Terror: Paranoia, Conspiracy, and Anti-Semitism in Franco's Spain Harper Collins 2023
- Ruiz, Julius The "Red Terror" and the Spanish Civil War: Revolutionary Violence in Madrid Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Madrid was a busy place in the fall of 1936, and you can bet the action happening on the front was matched by events unfolding in the city itself.
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Preston, Paul Architects of Terror: Paranoia, Conspiracy, and Anti-Semitism in Franco's Spain Harper Collins 2023
- Ruiz, Julius The "Red Terror" and the Spanish Civil War: Revolutionary Violence in Madrid Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
No civil war would be complete without purges and oppression going on behind the frontlines, and this one was no exception.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Preston, Paul Architects of Terror: Paranoia, Conspiracy, and Anti-Semitism in Franco's Spain Harper Collins 2023
- Ruiz, Julius The "Red Terror" and the Spanish Civil War: Revolutionary Violence in Madrid Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Wherein I try and contextualize the conflict from the viewpoint of the Anarchists.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Danny Revolution and the State: Anarchism in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 AK Press 2020
- Guillamon, Agustin Ready for Revolution: The CNT Defense Committees in Barcelona 1933-38 AK Press 2014
- Guillamon, Agustin Insurrection: The Bloody Events of May 1937 in Barcelona AK Press 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Against the backdrop of military defeat, the misadventures of the Spanish Republic's government roll on.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Republican zone behind the frontlines of the civil war was a hot mess, and nowhere was it hotter or messier than Catalonia. As it turns out the Leftist joke "Anarchists and Communists can be friends until the Revolution" isn't actually a joke.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Starting a long break from the battlefield, today I am covering political jockeying and the social/economic conditions faced in the zone of Spain controlled by the Nationalists.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
- Payne, Stanley G. Fascism in Spain 1923-1977 University of Wisconsin Press 1999
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Busy episode today as in the first part I cover the blizzard battle of Teruel, in the second the lopsided Aragon Offensive, with updates at sea and in the air in between.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With Bilbao fallen and the Basques effectively knocked out of the war, the Republic was desperate to stall the final collapse of their enclave on the northern coast of Spain. Two large offensives were launched with the intent of drawing Franco's attentions south, but their failures only minimally delayed the final result for their isolated comrades.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Madrid may have been a bust, but Franco still had the initiative. Looking around on where to strike next, he settled on the Republican-held coastal strip along the northern coast. While this was indeed where the anti-Fascist forces were weakest, the combination of terrain and determined fighters would turn the campaign into a months-long affair taking up the bulk of 1937.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Picking back up with the course of the fighting, the Italians enter the fray in force in both the south and north of Spain. Franco also tries again to make a play on Madrid, to about the same results as before.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The aftermath of the Battle of Madrid left both sides of the war realizing that the conflict was going to be a long and grinding one, and so each began scrambling to consolidate their positions and expand their armies.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The big showdown in the Spanish capital got underway in early November 1936 and lasted until just after the new year. While the Nationalists would hurl their forces in the fray time and time again, the resolution of the defenders in forcing them back would shock the world. And maybe even themselves a little bit.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Nationalist assault Madrid begins.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The SCW was from word go an international affair, although the help rendered was not even on the two sides. Today I take a look at how material aid for both factions materialized.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I finally get to some of the real-deal fighting as the first two months of the war sees the balance of strength already turn against the Republic.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With Spain split between warring zones that by the late summer of 1936 would each function as coherent entities, the battlelines were set. Which means today I am taking a look at the internal conditions of each zone to establish where each side stood as the big battles approached.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
After the initial shock of the uprising had passed, Republican forces mobilized to contain the military uprising.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Spanish Civil War was kicked off by a massive army uprising across the country, which turned all of Spain into a battlefield for the first weeks of the conflict.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The final six months leading up to the Spanish Civil War kicked off with the electoral triumph of that nation's Popular Front coalition. But this time around the Reactionary element of Spain was not about to give the new government even the opportunity of governing. The nation sank into chaos as the political right-wing withdrew its support for the Republic and the army began plotting a massive uprising.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The first two years of the Second Spanish Republic were marked by a great burst of reformist energy after years of stagnation. The changes made though sparked a conservative reaction that would in turn dominate the next two, and set the stage for the proponents of the New and Old Spains to be hopelessly polarized against each other.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Evans, Danny Revolution and the State: Anarchism in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 AK Press 2020
- Payne, Stanley G. Fascism in Spain 1923-1977 University of Wisconsin Press 1999
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The establishment of the Second Republic represented an acknowledgement that Spain had changed greatly, and that reforms had been long overdue. The new state though was not without controversy, and even from those early days its opponents would be working to undermine its work.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Evans, Danny Revolution and the State: Anarchism in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 AK Press 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I take a look at some of the basic conditions found across the regions of Spain and the big political players around in 1931. Also covered are the immediate events that led to the Second Republic's foundation and some of the happenings during its first months.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Evans, Danny Revolution and the State: Anarchism in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 AK Press 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The overview of Spain leading up to the Second Republic continues as I cover the turbulent period from 1833-1931. Monarchs and governments would rise and fall, civil and foreign wars would be fought, but rarely would a political order manage to last more than a decade or so.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today marks the start of the Spanish Civil War miniseries, and true to form I'm going to do some table setting. Today I introduce the conflict, why it was important, and focus in on Spain's imperial experience to explain the long-term conditions that made Spain so unstable.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kamen, Henry Empire: How Spain Became a World Power 1492-1763 Perennial 2004
- Elliott, J.H. Imperial Spain 1469-1716 Penguin 2002
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Hey all, it's been a while since I took a break on making this show, and I've hit a nice little stopping point, so I'm taking some time off! Additional details in the recorded announcement.
The British response to Axis aggression concludes with a brief overview of its foreign policy, which yeah can be summed up with the word "appeasement." Feeling themselves behind in rearmament compared to the Axis, especially Germany, the UK took the course of offering concessions to buy time to build a military that could counter the emerging threats. Too bad for them a reckoning is exactly what the Nazis wanted, which turned their approach on its head.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Shen, Peijian The Age of Appeasement: The Evolution of British Foreign Policy in the 1930s Sutton Publishing Limited 1999
- Roi, Michael L. Alternative to Appeasement: Sir Robert Vansittart and Alliance Diplomacy, 1934-1937 Praeger Publishers 1997
- Davis, Richard Anglo-French Relations Before the Second World War: Appeasement and Crisis Palgrave Macmillan 2001
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The tour of the British Empire concludes with a quick check-in on the four Dominion countries that fought alongside the UK during WWII.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999
- Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986
- Darwin, John The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World System 1830-1970 Cambridge University Press 2009
- Bothwell, Robert The Penguin History of Canada Penguin Books Ltd 2006
- Bashford, Alison and Stuart MacIntyre The Cambridge History of Australia Volume 2: The Commonwealth of Australia Cambridge University Press 2013
- King, Michael The Penguin History of New Zealand Penguin Books 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
For this latest installment on the British Empire during the 30s, I am taking a look at the major Asian holdings. This includes both the formal colonies in the east, and the more informal imperial network in the west.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999
- Fromkin, David A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East Holt Paperback 1989
- Darwin, John The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World System 1830-1970 Cambridge University Press 2009
- Tarling, Nicholas The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volume 2: The 19th and 20th Centuries Cambridge University Press 1992
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Since I missed a couple weeks I figured I'd do a little catch-up on the release schedule. Today I provide a (very) basic overview of conditions in British Africa, how the colonies contributed to the UK's capabilities, and also touch on Britain's complex relationship with the Egyptians.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999
- Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986
- Darwin, John The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World System 1830-1970 Cambridge University Press 2009
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The struggle for India never truly stopped during the 1930s, although the resistance to the British Raj was hardly ever as straight-forward as it is portrayed in the West. Bouts of open protests and resistance marked the first half of the decade, but the second half saw the opening up of political offices across the country. This result in a rush for power that stabilized the Raj, but only just.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983
- Brown, Judith Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy Oxford University Press 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Leaving the British isles behind for now, I'm going to be spending the next couple of episodes covering its empire's crown jewel, India. The turn of the decade to the 30s saw the British Raj in crisis as laws confirming the colony's system of government had to be approved, and the Indians were not about to have the status quo get reaffirmed. Resistance would materialize in the form of Gandhi's celebrated Salt Satyagraha, but that would merely be the first round in the renewed struggle with the British authorities.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983
- Brown, Judith Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy Oxford University Press 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today is the last of the military overviews for the foreseeable future, and I'm covering the Royal Air Force! They were famous for their fighters, but their extensive pool of bombers dominated the attentions of the branch's planners until close to the outbreak of the war.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Philpott, I.M. The Royal Air Force 1930-1939 Pen & Sword Books Ltd 2008
- Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
- Chant, Chris Allied Fighter Aircraft 1939-45 Amber Books Ltd 2009
- James T.C.G. Growth of Fighter Command, 1936-1940: Air Defense of Great Britain, Volume 1 Routledge 2013
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Now that I've gone off on the army leadership for the British, I switch topics to the actual weapons they used. Which was a far brighter story, just don't ask about the tanks.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Gordon, David Weapons of the WWII Tommy Pictorial Histories Publishing Co. 2011
- Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
- Porter, David World War II Tanks: Western Allies 1939-45 Amber Books 2009
- Taylor, Dick The Second World War Tank Crisis: The Fall & Rise of British Armor 1919-1945 Pen & Sword Books Ltd 2021
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The British Army had a rough go of it in the years leading up to the war and during the first few years. Today I take a look at why that was, and the challenges that had to be addressed under live fire.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Dannatt, Richard & Robert Lyman Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918-40 Osprey Publishing Ltd 2023
- Fraser, David And We Shall Shock Them: The British Army in the Second World War Hodder & Stoughton 1983
- Taylor, Dick Armored Warfare in the British Army 1914-1939 Pen & Sword Books Ltd 2022
- Taylor, Dick The Second World War Tank Crisis: The Fall & Rise of British Armor 1919-1945 Pen & Sword Books Ltd 2021
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I finally get to go over the notable ships of one of the big navies!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hobbs, David British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development, and Service Histories Seaforth Publishing 2013
- Friedman, Norman The British Battleship 1906-1946 Seaforth Publishing 2015
- Konstam, Angus British Aircraft Carriers 1939-45 Osprey Publishing 2010
- Friedman, Norman British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After Seaforth Publishing 2010
- Konstam, Angus British Destroyers 1939-45: Pre-War Classes Osprey Publishing 2017
- Konstam, Angus British Destroyers 1939-45: Wartime Built Classes Osprey Publishing 2017
- McCartney, Innes British Submarines 1939-45 Osprey Publishing 2006
- Martindale, E.V. Submarines of World War II 1939-45 Amber Books 2024
- Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I finally get to cover one of the truly big navies of the period! In this first episode covering the Royal Navy, I'll be taking a look at the planning and strategy of the British admiralty in the 1930s. Obviously things didn't go according to plan, but it's good to have context on what their intentions were going into the war.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Field, Andrew Royal Navy Strategy in the Far East 1919-1939: Preparing for War against Japan Frank Cass 2004
- Gordon, G.A.H. British Seapower and Procurement between the Wars: A Reappraisal of Rearmament Macmillan Press 1988
- Harding, Richard The Royal Navy, 1930-2000: Innovation and Defense Frank Cass 2005
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Rearmament presented the leadership of the UK with a dilemma. The economic recovery afforded the military the means necessary to lay at least the groundwork for future success, but not in every branch. And not perfectly anywhere, which hey was the story everywhere else too. What ensued were years of back-and-forth over how the country's slender resources would be allocated.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Shay Jr, Robert Paul British Rearmament in the Thirties: Politics and Profits Princeton University Press 1977
- Levy, James P. Appeasement and Rearmament: Britain 1936-39 Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc 2006
- Price, Christopher Britain, America, and Rearmament in the 1930s: The Cost of Failure Palgrave 2001
- Gordon, G.A.H. British Seapower and Procurement between the Wars: A Reappraisal of Rearmament Macmillan Press 1988
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I switch over to events in the UK during the 30s and how they handled the challenge of the Axis. I'll be starting off with a look at their economic situation in the aftermath of the Depression and leaving the Gold Standard. Which for once was mostly good news, but still very much a recovery from years of disaster.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I wrap up this miniseries with a look at French diplomacy during the 30s. Upon recording this episode I realized there may have been not one single success during this entire period, an impressive record even by the standards of this show.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Julian The Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy, 1934-38 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Nere, J. The Foreign Policy of France from 1914 to 1945 Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd 1975
- Jordan, Nicole The Popular Front & Central Europe: The Dilemmas of French Impotence, 1918-1940 Cambridge University Press 1992
- Bernard, Philippe and Henri Dubief The Decline of the Third Republic, 1914-1938 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Coverage of the French military is wrapped up today with a look at the development and equipment of their navy and air force.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Baughen, Greg The Rise and Fall of the French Air Force: French Air Operations and Strategy 1900-1940 Fonthill 2018
- Chant, Chris Allied Fighter Aircraft 1939-45 Amber Books 2009
- Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
- Jordan, John & Robert Dumas French Battleships 1922-1956 Seaforth Publishing 2009
- Jordan, John & Jean Moulin French Destroyers 1922-1956 Seaforth Publishing 2015
- Jordan, John & Jean Moulin French Cruisers 1922-1956 Seaforth Publishing 2013
- Martindale, E.V. Submarines of World War II 1939-45 Amber Books 2024
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Equipment and organization episode! Even if the French commanders got thoroughly discredited after 1940, the actual gear used by the army kept a decent reputation. But that might not be entirely justified as their arsenal was riddled with deficiencies all its own.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Doughty, Robert Allan The Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine 1919-1939 Archon Books 1985
- Porch, Douglas Defeat and Division: France at War, 1939-1942 Cambridge University Press 2022
- Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
- Johnson, Lee The French Army 1939-45 Osprey Publishing 1998
- Porter, David World War II Tanks: Western Allies 1939-45 Amber Books 2009
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I'm talking about bunkers today and I desperately hope you guys are as excited as I am.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Doughty, Robert Allan The Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine 1919-1939 Archon Books 1985
- Kaufmann, J.E. and H.W. Kaufmann Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II Praeger Security International 2006
- Porch, Douglas Defeat and Division: France at War, 1939-1942 Cambridge University Press 2022
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we move away from the overview history of France to focus on purely military matters. Namely, how the French went wrong in preparing for the next war and how that would play into the disaster of 1940.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Doughty, Robert Allan The Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine 1919-1939 Archon Books 1985
- Kaufmann, J.E. and H.W. Kaufmann Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II Praeger Security International 2006
- Porch, Douglas Defeat and Division: France at War, 1939-1942 Cambridge University Press 2022
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
For France, lacking in both population count, natural resources, and industry when compared to their hostile neighbor, the colonies were indispensable. But the lackluster engagement from the Popular Front government would help drive local leaders from forming partnerships with their imperial overlords, as even a supposedly friendly government ruled with a clumsy hand. So while the major components of the empire were productive, the people actually living there began envisioning futures separate from Paris.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Julian The Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy, 1934-38 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986
- Conklin, Alice L et al France and Its Empire Since 1870 Oxford University Press 2011
- Thomas, Martin The French Empire at War, 1940-45 Manchester University Press 1998
- Brocheux, Pierre and Daniel Hemery Indochina: An Ambiguous Colonization 1858-1954 University of California Press 2009
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The honeymoon period of the Popular Front was basically nil within the actual French government. The establishment may have been willing to entertain limited reforms, but sweeping changes were out of the question, killing the momentum of the entire movement and dooming it to failure.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Julian The Politics of Depression in France, 1932-1936 Cambridge University Press 1985
- Jackson, Julian The Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy, 1934-38 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Bernard, Philippe and Henri Dubief The Decline of the Third Republic, 1914-1938 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
- Weber, Eugene The Hollow Years: France in the 1930s WW Norton & Company Inc 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
By the time the Popular Front came to power it seemed like nothing would be the same in France. Politics were polarizing, the Communists became a viable electoral force, and the old order appeared dead and buried. Strikes were sweeping the nation and the business class appeared to be in retreat. It wouldn't last, but it felt great at the time.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Julian The Politics of Depression in France, 1932-1936 Cambridge University Press 1985
- Jackson, Julian The Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy, 1934-38 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Bernard, Philippe and Henri Dubief The Decline of the Third Republic, 1914-1938 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
- Weber, Eugene The Hollow Years: France in the 1930s WW Norton & Company Inc 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Switching topics to France in the mid-to-late 1930s, today I cover the early coming together of the Popular Front in France. Expect becoming re-acquainted with the political and economic situation there at the time, as well as an introduction to the key factions and figures that would comprise the Front.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Julian The Politics of Depression in France, 1932-1936 Cambridge University Press 1985
- Jackson, Julian The Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy, 1934-38 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Bernard, Philippe and Henri Dubief The Decline of the Third Republic, 1914-1938 Cambridge University Press 1988
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
- Weber, Eugene The Hollow Years: France in the 1930s WW Norton & Company Inc 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I finally wrap this miniseries with a look at the Hitler Youth, how it developed and its role in the Nazi state. I also touch on the effects of Nazism on the German educational system. Like most things it had any effect on, it wasn't great!
Bibliography for this episode:
- HW Koch The Hitler Youth: Origins and Development 1922-1945 Cooper Square Press 2000 (originally Barnes & Noble Books 1975)
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Gellately, Robert Hitler's True Believers: How Ordinary People Became Nazis Oxford University Press 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I take a look at the development of the Nazi security apparatus while under the supervision of the SS. This will include a proper description of the activities of the Gestapo, as well as how the regular police fit into the picture, and how these groups interacted with the SD. Plus, a guest appearance from the SA.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hohne, Heinz The Order of the Death's Head: The Story of Hitler's SS Penguin Books 2000
- Weale, Adrian Army of Evil: A History of the SS Penguin Books 2010
- Siemens, Daniel Stormtroopers: A New History of Hitler's Brownshirts Yale University Press 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today is the first of a two-parter covering the General SS. The sub-section of the group covered a lot of the administrative activities, but also oversaw the efforts to merge the police forces of Germany into the organization. This would never be totally completed, but the closeness of the SS and law enforcement in Germany was such that they would be linked for most of the Third Reich's existence. On top of that, there was the SD lurking around offering yet another instrument of monitoring and control.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hohne, Heinz The Order of the Death's Head: The Story of Hitler's SS Penguin Books 2000
- Weale, Adrian Army of Evil: A History of the SS Penguin Books 2010
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Name of the episode says it all. Today covers the pre-war development of the SS-TV, the Concentration/Death Camp guards, and the SS-VT, the early form of the Waffen-SS.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hohne, Heinz The Order of the Death's Head: The Story of Hitler's SS Penguin Books 2000
- Weale, Adrian Army of Evil: A History of the SS Penguin Books 2010
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
No story of the militarization of German society would be complete without talking about the SS. Possibly the most iconic image of Nazi Germany, aside from images of its victims, was the ominous, black-clad figure. This first installment will introduce the group, its general composition, as well as some of its high-level developments to start off this miniseries within a miniseries.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hohne, Heinz The Order of the Death's Head: The Story of Hitler's SS Penguin Books 2000
- Weale, Adrian Army of Evil: A History of the SS Penguin Books 2010
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The lengths that I covered last week that the Nazis went to in order to keep the people happy were not done for the love of leisure. The demands of the Third Reich and its rearmament drive were all-consuming and behind the facade of a happy, prosperous Germany was a reality of unrelenting labor.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kershaw, Ian Popular Opinion & Political Dissent in the Third Reich: Bavaria 1933-1945 Oxford University Press 1983
- Gellately, Robert Hitler's True Believers: How Ordinary People Became Nazis Oxford University Press 2020
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The aggression and militarization of society in Nazi Germany may have been most openly expressed in its rearmament and bellicose foreign policy, but a critical element too was in how that state engaged with its own people. Getting everyone onboard with a general war was no small task for a state in its infancy, and this week I start taking a look at how Nazism engaged with people on the street.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Gellately, Robert Hitler's True Believers: How Ordinary People Became Nazis Oxford University Press 2020
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
It seemed that after the re-occupation of the Rhineland that Hitler had gotten the measure of the UK and France, and that what had seemed impossible previously was now quite the opposite. To that end, he was finally able to achieve one of the biggest goals of both the Nazis and German nationalists in general: the unification of Austria to Germany.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Emondson, C. Earl The Heimwehr and Austrian Politics, 1918-1936 The University of Georgia Press 1978
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The name of the game for 1930s Germany was escalation. Not just in armaments, but in diplomatic moves as well. From small moves to prevent coalitions forming against them, to major plays to bring down the Versailles order, the Nazis only grew bolder as they began to realize the West lacked the wherewithal to stop them.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
We all know the Germans annexed Austria in 1938, but the story of how they tried to overthrow their southern neighbor in 1934 doesn't get as much attention. Today I'll be covering the politics and instability that created a window of opportunity, or perhaps more the scant impression of one, to be exploited by the Nazis.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Emondson, C. Earl The Heimwehr and Austrian Politics, 1918-1936 The University of Georgia Press 1978
- Beller, Steven A Concise History of Austria Cambridge University Press 2007
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Military conquest was always an ambition of Hitler and the Nazis, a central thesis of theirs was that war was necessary to strengthen their nation. But while the military was built-up almost from scratch, victories were sought on the diplomatic front. Which is the new facet of German aggression being moved onto. Today specifically be about the Geneva Disarmament Conference, the colossal waste of time it wound up being, and how it set the tone for Nazi diplomacy in the future.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Bennett, Edward W. German Rearmament and the West, 1932-1933 Princeton University Press 1979
- Nere, J. The Foreign Policy of France from 1914 to 1945 Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd 1975
- Kitching, Carolyn J. Britain and the Geneva Disarmament Conference: A Study in International History Palgrave Macmillan 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
For the 200th episode I'm taking a dive into the minutia of the German Army's arsenal. Ironically, some of the most famous German weapons were only introduced in the later half of the war, when they were losing ground left and right. The years of their build-up and conquest were marked by much more modest pieces of equipment that nevertheless had their qualities.
Was the German Army of WWII the unstoppable demon army of military myth? Or were they the luckiest flock of goose-steppers ever to visit Paris? Turns out they were simply a professional force that brought just enough new ideas to the table that they made everybody else look bad there for a while. Today I break down the broad strokes of German doctrine and organization for its army, everybody's favorite WWII topic since 1945.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I know that half the military history internet is devoted to the technical specs of the German military in WWII, but for completions sake I'm going to be adding to that pile. Today I cover the organization, doctrine, and models of weapon used by the two supporting branches of the German military.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986
- Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
- Donald, David Warplanes of the Luftwaffe Aerospace Publishing Ltd 1994
- Williamson, Gordon Hitler's Navy: The Kriegsmarine in World War II Osprey Publishing Ltd 2022
- Williamson, Gordon German Light Cruisers 1939-45 Osprey Publishing Ltd 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
In the second half of this installment, I wrap up the woes the Wehrmacht faced by the end of the 30s, problems that would never be fully resolved. Also covered is the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair, two unrelated scandals that nevertheless Hitler used as cover to solidify control of the army.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
- Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I've been slacking a lot on the release schedule, so enjoy a second episode for this week. Today I'm still talking about rearmament, but this time it's just the planning on the military side. Turns out expanding your army to support thirty times more troops, all the while building a world-class air force from scratch, and half-heartedly constructing a navy in a little over half a decade creates some problems.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
- Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The reality of Nazi Germany's bid to conquer Europe and dominate the world was that it simply lacked the economic capacity to actually do those things. That didn't stop Hitler from trying though, and he pushed the economy to the breaking point getting as many weapons and the biggest army he could.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Jeffreys, Diarmuid Hell's Cartel: IG Farben and the Making of Hitler's War Machine Metropolitan Books 2008
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
- Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
A sudden transformation of the economy needed collaborators to be carried out in such a short time frame as the Nazis were demanding. And it also demanded a closer relationship between the state and capital, leading to an unholy alliance that brought out the worst in both the German business class and the upper echelons of the Nazi government.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Jeffreys, Diarmuid Hell's Cartel: IG Farben and the Making of Hitler's War Machine Metropolitan Books 2008
- Manchester, William The Arms of Krupp 1587-1968 Little, Brown, and Company 1968
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
One of the most striking accomplishments of the Nazi state during the 1930s was the speed with which it built an army capable of conquering Europe. It wasn't a perfect army mind you, but it was capable all the same. And given that it was built up from the weak interwar army in just six years, well something unusual was afoot in Germany. And that something was a startling overhaul of the economy towards war production, to an extent unheard of in peacetime. The first stage of this masked war economy is where I'll be starting on this new miniseries covering the rise of the Nazi war machine.
A sudden transformation of the economy needed collaborators to be carried out in such a short time frame as the Nazis were demanding. And it also demanded a closer relationship between the state and capital, leading to an unholy alliance that brought out the worst in both the German business class and the upper echelons of the Nazi government.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
- Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I bring my coverage of the Italo-Ethiopian war to a close today with a two-topic episode. First I cover events and changes in Italy brought on by the war, and then I give a general overview of the brutal regime and resulting insurgency in Ethiopia.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
- Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
- Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
- Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
- Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
One immediate effect of the Italians invading Ethiopia was that it kicked the international crisis that had formed beforehand into overdrive. Most governments might have preferred to keep to a light touch response, but public outcry was such that governments had to either respond or face actual consequences. But despite public pressure and the downfall of some politicians, help was badly lacking for the Ethiopians.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
- Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
- Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
- Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I conclude the events of the initial Italian invasion of Ethiopia. It's an anti-climatic affair, with the collapse of the main Ethiopian armies the big challenge facing the invaders were the distances and geography involved. Still, there were numerous half-hearted gestures that delayed the Italians establishing their rule for many months after proper hostilities had concluded, and which set the stage for a long period of unrest that the occupiers were never able to control.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
- Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
- Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
- Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
- Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I cover the big battles of the war, and sad to say, they do not go Ethiopia's way at all. Despite promising tactical successes in the first few months of the conflict, the weight of Italian firepower finally overwhelmed the defenders on all fronts.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
- Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
- Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
- Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
- Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I finally begin covering the actual Italian invasion of Ethiopia, which will take three installments. The first few months of the invasion were marked by a slow Italian advance, Ethiopia getting its army together, and the invaders quickly turning to chemical weapons.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
- Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
- Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
- Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
- Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week I cover the other two branches of the Italian military, the navy and air force. Like the army, the get bad reputations. Also like the army, there are reasons for this, which I get into during the episode.
It's finally time to take a specific look at the fighting forces of one of the major players in our story. And since this is a new kind of episode for me, I'm happy that I'm taking the baby step of talking about one of the smaller examples. Italy gets maligned a lot during this period, and there are good reasons for this, but today I not only want to cover how its army worked, but also where these deficiencies came from.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I'm trying something new today, and this episode isn't intended to advance the narrative at all, but it is intended to give a crash-course on military organization and important kinds of equipment. It's not intended for everyone, as some of you already know everything that I cover, and many of you who do not are not going to be interested in the material. And that's OK! I just wanted to throw this out there just to get a baseline of familiarity of the material established.
The Ethiopian Crisis kicked off over a border incident in the village of Walwal in October-December 1934, and then proceeded to slow-burn develop until the Italian invasion actually came in October 1935. It was a period of diplomatic maneuverings, and served to deliver a fatal blow to the system of collective security that had been so painfully built up during the 1920s.
- Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
- Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
- Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
- Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
- Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Ethiopia was not Mussolini's preferred target in the early 1930s. His expansionist ambitions gravitated more towards the Balkans, and Yugoslavia in particular. But diplomatic and military realities, the pressure of an emerging fascist rival, and Italy's own weakness forced his attention towards East Africa as an alternative.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
- Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
- Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I wrap up the intro to Ethiopia this week by covering the key points of Menelik's successful reign, and the rise to power of Ras Tafari Makonnen. Who before this episode is finished will have established himself under his much more famous royal name of Haile Selassie. His reign would see forceful attempts at modernization, which was carried out against a ticking clock, as there always seemed to be a threat to Ethiopia.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Marcus, Harold G. A History of Ethiopia University of California Press 1994
- Adejumobi, Saheed A. The History of Ethiopia Greenwood Press 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today marks the start of another new miniseries, this time cover the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. But before I get going on the main topic, I'm going to be spending the next two episodes introducing modern Ethiopia. If you missed the overview histories from last season, you're in luck as this is a crash course how the country unified and survived the scramble for Africa.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Marcus, Harold G. A History of Ethiopia University of California Press 1994
- Adejumobi, Saheed A. The History of Ethiopia Greenwood Press 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Given all the misfortune to have befallen the Roosevelt administration going into the 1934 mid-terms, you'd probably think FDR and the Democrats were going to pay a political price. Well, turns out their opposition wasn't exactly the most effectual. Or in the case of Huey Long it was complicated by actually being a Democrat at the time. Anyway, today I'm looking at the early opposition figures to the New Deal, and how they failed to counter the new normal in the United States.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
One of the big criticisms of the New Deal, and one of the most valid, was the fact that it didn't do much of anything to try and tackle the plight of African-Americans. Sure, the relief efforts and public works projects were mostly made available to all Americans. But these efforts didn't reckon with the institutional discrimination of the country, nor the fact that they had toiled as second-class citizens for generations already, and therefore would have benefited enormously from reforms to address that. Those reforms were not forthcoming, and today we'll get into why, along with other ways African-Americans experienced the New Deal.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Organized labor might as well have been pronounced dead during the 1920s, and the Depression didn't seem like it'd be a big help in rejuvenating it. But thanks to a dramatic policy change from the Roosevelt administration, unions got a new lease on life. This would of course be challenged by the owner class, and the first couple years of worker resurgence would be met with physical force.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
By 1933 the bright golden haze on America's meadows had been dimmed down to a featureless beige. Twelve years of bad times, which included four years of outright Depression, had wrecked the nation's farms. It would take unprecedented levels of intervention and organization to bring the truly lean years to a conclusion, and the collateral damage would be severe.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Possibly the most defining programs of the New Deal were the public works projects that created well-paying jobs for millions of Americans in the depths of the Depression. This shouldn't be a surprise, much of the nation's most iconic infrastructure, still in use in many cases to the modern day, was built through these programs. But they were not without controversy as today I'll be covering today alongside the accomplishments.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The great economic straight-jacket of the 1920s and 30s was the Gold Standard, which created a global system that seemingly locked everybody into a stable system. I've talked about that enough already, so today I'm talking about how the Roosevelt administration began distancing itself from the old ways.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The narrative of the New Deal really kicks off here, as I discuss the work of the National Recovery Administration. Okay, that's not totally accurate. I'm mostly talking about the public antics of its boss, former brigadier general Hugh Johnson. Who will easily win the award for most self-destructive character in this mini-series.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Wherein the special session of Congress of 1933 concludes, and I can stop making blurbs about bills and government agencies.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The reforms in Washington, DC keep coming and this week we tackle public relief, housing, and farm management.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Probably the most consequential legislative session in United States history was the special session of Congress that was summoned for the first 100 days of the FDR administration. Today, and for the next two episodes after, I'll be breaking down the major pieces of legislation that constituted the New Deal's first round. Both what they were and what they hoped to accomplish in the face of the Great Depression.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Getting back onto the chronological history of the United States, I take a look at the lame-duck period leading up to FDR's swearing-in. Unlike other lame-duck periods, things actually happened during this one. The economy entered a last freefall that might have spelled the end of the nation, the population sunk into despair, and Hoover tried to sabotage the incoming administration. But it didn't matter, the New Deal was coming all the same.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume I: The Crisis of the Old Order 1919-1933 First Mariner Books 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt Volume II: The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935 First Mariner Books 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
FDR takes the national stage with his appointment to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and he's off to the races. No, that's not a crack on his bout with polio, although I finally get around to covering that today. Even with health and marital setbacks, FDR never lost sight of the high office he coveted, which carried him through to the triumph of 1932.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Smith, Jean Edward FDR Random House 2008
- Dallek, Robert Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life Viking 2017
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal Simon & Schuster 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The time has finally come to return to the United States and kickoff the history of the New Deal. But what would the New Deal be without the blue-blooded president with the gumption to defy convention? Today starts a quick two-parter covering the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt up to his election to the presidency in 1932.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Smith, Jean Edward FDR Random House 2008
- Dallek, Robert Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life Viking 2017
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal Simon & Schuster 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
To close out this miniseries on the First Five-Year Plan I'm covering Soviet diplomacy during the early 30s. The Great Depression came at a good time for the USSR and covered up much of its weakness during the dislocations of the period, but there was still threats that needed addressing.
- Haslam, Jonathan Soviet Foreign Policy 1930-33: The Impact of the Depression Macmillan Press Ltd 1983
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
- Kenez, Peter A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Life in the Soviet cities might not have wracked up the fatality count during the early 1930s that the countryside did, but it had its share of suffering all the same. Food shortages, goods shortages, black markets, all became painful facts of life that urban Soviets acclimated to.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s Oxford University Press 2000
- Lewin, Moshe Making the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia Pantheon Books 1985
- Lewin, Moshe The Soviet Century Verso 2016
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
- Kenez, Peter A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Turning more towards the culture of the Soviet Union during the early 30s, I take a look at the Cultural Revolution carried in the USSR from 1928-1931. It was a brief, but critical event that brought the most active and passionate in the Party into Stalin's camp. Which in turn gave him the foot soldiers necessary to bring the bureaucracy and intelligentsia into line.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s Oxford University Press 2000
- Lewin, Moshe Making the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia Pantheon Books 1985
- Lewin, Moshe The Soviet Century Verso 2016
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
- Kenez, Peter A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Taking a break from the thrilling world of statistics, today I zero in on the crown jewel of Soviet industrial expansion, the construction of the industrial city of Magnitogorsk. From an empty steppe there was built an entire city with the purpose of cranking out the steel and iron that would help fuel Soviet industry. It was no small task, and the eventual success of the project stands as a testament to the perseverance of the Soviet workers who made it happen.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kotkin, Stephen Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization University of California Press 1997
- Allen, Robert C. Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution Princeton University Press 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
If collectivization was the great failure of the 1st Five-Year-Plan, then rapid industrialization was its great success. But don't worry, there was still enough mayhem during those days to make the story of building factories an interesting one.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Allen, Robert C. Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution Princeton University Press 2003
- Lewin, Moshe Making the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia Pantheon Books 1985
- Lewin, Moshe The Soviet Century Verso 2016
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
- Kenez, Peter A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
To wrap up this look at collectivization in the USSR, I focus in on the famine years of 1932-33. Why it happened, how it affected people, how the state responded. Really kind of hard to describe the scale of it, although I give it a shot.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila Stalin's Peasants: Resistance & Survival in the Russian Village After Collectivization Oxford University Press 1994
- Viola, Lynne Peasant Rebels Under Stalin: Collectivization and the Culture of Peasant Resistance Oxford University Press 1996
- Lewin, Moshe Making the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia Pantheon Books 1985
- Lewin, Moshe The Soviet Century Verso 2016
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
- Kenez, Peter A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The first year of collectivization was a wild time, even before the massive famine of 1932-33. The world of the peasantry was turned upside down, and modes of life that had predominated for generations were changed forever. And a bunch of people got deported and a band of Communist faithful showed up to lend a hand.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila Stalin's Peasants: Resistance & Survival in the Russian Village After Collectivization Oxford University Press 1994
- Lewin, Moshe Making the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia Pantheon Books 1985
- Viola, Lynne The Best Sons of the Fatherland: Workers in the Vanguard of Soviet Collectivization Oxford University Press 1987
- Kenez, Peter A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The massive swing towards collectivized agriculture during the 1930s was one of the Soviet Union's most defining moments. Where the state had been previously weak in the countryside, the movement of the peasants onto the collective farms (the kolkhoz) changed that for the rest of the USSR's history. It also created dislocations and conflicts that will be at the heart of the next few weeks' worth of episodes.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Allen, Robert C. Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution Princeton University Press 2003
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila Stalin's Peasants: Resistance & Survival in the Russian Village After Collectivization Oxford University Press 1994
- Lewin, Moshe Making the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia Pantheon Books 1985
- Lewin, Moshe The Soviet Century Verso 2016
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia Volume III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
- Kenez, Peter A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The commencement of the 1st Five Year Plan in the USSR signaled quite a break from state policy as it was in the 20s. And by that, I mean kicking the NEP to the curb. This shift caused no small debate within the Soviet hierarchy, and Stalin would use the divisions as a wedge against his enemies.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Allen, Robert C. Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution Princeton University Press 2003
- Cohen, Stephen F. Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution: A Political Biography, 1888-1938 Oxford University Press 1980
- Lewin, Moshe Making the Soviet System: Essays in the Social History of Interwar Russia Pantheon Books 1985
- Lewin, Moshe The Soviet Century Verso 2016
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
New miniseries! Today I begin covering the First Five Year Plan, the mother of all five year plans. You might have heard about them in places other than the USSR, you might even have one of your own. But there isn't anything like this one. I break down why the Plan was so central to Soviet history, as well as take time to introduce the supporting players on Stalin's team that were integral to actually executing the plan.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fitzpatrick, Shelia On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics Princeton University Press 2015
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
- Montefiore, Simon Sebag Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar Vintage Books 2005
- Allen, Robert C. Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution Princeton University Press 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today's episode is a double-conclusion as both the Long March and this miniseries come to a close. The northern course of the March was more notable for adverse climates and geography, which was probably worse than what the Nationalists could throw at them.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Short, Philip Mao, A Life Henry Holdt and Company LLC 1999
- Wilson, Dick The Long March 1935: The Epic of Chinese Communism's Survival The Viking Press 1971
- Chung-gi, Kwei The Kuomintang-Communist Struggle in China 1922-1949 Martinus Nihoff 1970
- Yang, Benjamin From Revolution to Politics: Chinese Communists on the Long March Routledge 2021
- Po-cheng, Liu Recalling the Long March Foreign Language Press Peking 1978
- Salisbury, Harrison E. The Long March: The Untold Story Macmillan 1985
- Lai, Benjamin The Long March 1934-35: The Rise of Mao and the Beginning of Modern China Osprey 2019
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
By autumn 1934 it was clear that the Communists could not stay in southeast China. The solution was to step out for a walk, a long one.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Short, Philip Mao, A Life Henry Holdt and Company LLC 1999
- Wilson, Dick The Long March 1935: The Epic of Chinese Communism's Survival The Viking Press 1971
- Chung-gi, Kwei The Kuomintang-Communist Struggle in China 1922-1949 Martinus Nihoff 1970
- Yang, Benjamin From Revolution to Politics: Chinese Communists on the Long March Routledge 2021
- Po-cheng, Liu Recalling the Long March Foreign Language Press Peking 1978
- Salisbury, Harrison E. The Long March: The Untold Story Macmillan 1985
- Lai, Benjamin The Long March 1934-35: The Rise of Mao and the Beginning of Modern China Osprey 2019
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Switching gears in China, today I switch to covering Mao and the CPC's misadventures in southern China. The stretch of time between the end of the 20s and the start of the Long March were filled with false starts and missed opportunities as competing interests among the Communists squandered the victories over Chiang Kai-shek's encirclement campaigns.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Short, Philip Mao, A Life Henry Holdt and Company LLC 1999
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Wilson, Dick The Long March 1935: The Epic of Chinese Communism's Survival The Viking Press 1971
- Chung-gi, Kwei The Kuomintang-Communist Struggle in China 1922-1949 Martinus Nihoff 1970
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
OK, so there's a lot more to this episode than the Xi'an Incident, but it's the most dramatic. Other than that, we've got secret societies, half-baked ideologies, and the false impression that things could get better in KMT China.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- Wakeman Jr, Frederick Spymaster: Dai Li and the Chinese Secret Service University of California Press 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With the Japanese outright occupying Chinese territory, Chiang Kai-shek had to move fast. A war was guaranteed, but preparations still needed to be made and domestic enemies still needed to be taken care of.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- Van de Ven, Hans J. War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003
- Qidong, Zheng A Brief History of Inflation in China Paths International Ltd 2013
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today the focus shifts back to the misadventures of Chiang Kai-shek and the Nanjing government. The Central Plains War had been won, and it looked for the briefest of moments that things were going to be fine for them. Then the new campaigns against the Communists fell into disarray, and in September 1931 the Japanese invaded Manchuria. For Chiang, there would be no breaks. Ever.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- Van de Ven, Hans J. War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
A fun and not very well-known little border war was the Sino-Soviet conflict of 1929. Basically the Soviets controlled the railways of northern Manchuria, and the Chinese wanted them out. Simple idea, difficult to execute in practice, and the way it was handled opened the door for the Red Army to humiliate the warlord forces of Manchuria. Which would in turn get other parties thinking about how easy it would be to go on an adventure of their own in the region.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Walker, Michael M. The 1929 Sino-Soviet War: The War Nobody Knew University Press of Kansas 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
We get the real-deal history underway with some very familiar material: a warlord showdown. Except this would be bigger than ever, and would decide if Chiang Kai-shek's centralizing policies even had a prayer.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- Van de Ven, Hans J. War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Last season I left off my China coverage with the successful conclusion of the Northern Expedition. But just because that long campaign was successful didn't mean that Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT had everything go their way. To kick off this new mini-series I'll be spending some time re-introducing some older friends, as well as newer groups and factions that were going to play a larger role in the years to come.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- Van de Ven, Hans J. War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
When events in China cooled off, the ones back in Japan heated up. With the exit of Japan from the League of Nations in 1933, the unilateralist approach was chosen to secure the empire. But even then, there was disagreement on approach that would create conflict on the home islands that were only starting to get resolved by the time formal war with China broke out in 1937.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Young, Louise Japan's Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism University of California Press 1998
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we wrap up our close-in look at the puppet state of Manchukuo and cover what drove the state and kept it a function part of the Japanese Empire. The short answer is money, but there were also fitful attempts at building an identity mixed in there too. Not terribly successful ones, but enough that there was a veneer of legitimacy covering up the abject servitude.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Young, Louise Japan's Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism University of California Press 1998
- Jowett, Philip S. Rays of the Rising Sun: Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45 Helion & Company Limited 2004
- Duara, Prasenjit Sovereignty and Authenticity: Manchukup and the East Asian Modern Rowan & Littlefield Publishers, Inc 2003
- Matsusaka, Yoshihisa Tak The Making of Japanese Manchuria, 1904-32 Harvard University Asia Center 2001
- Mitter, Rana The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance, and Collaboration in Modern China University of California Press 2000
- Paine, S.C.M. The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War Cambridge University Press 2017
- Paine, S.C.M. The Wars for Asia, 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Turns out that when you build an artificial state via conquest and exploitation that it doesn't lend itself to stability. The establishment of Manchukuo in early 1932 didn't clear out the hundreds of thousands of unemployed soldiers, partisans, and bandits roaming the countryside. It would take years of campaigning to instill even a sense of control, and the Chinese collaborators would at best make for unreliable allies. And to top it all off, officers in the Kwantung Army decided that more expansion would lead to stability.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Young, Louise Japan's Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism University of California Press 1998
- Jowett, Philip S. Rays of the Rising Sun: Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45 Helion & Company Limited 2004
- Duara, Prasenjit Sovereignty and Authenticity: Manchukup and the East Asian Modern Rowan & Littlefield Publishers, Inc 2003
- Matsusaka, Yoshihisa Tak The Making of Japanese Manchuria, 1904-32 Harvard University Asia Center 2001
- Mitter, Rana The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance, and Collaboration in Modern China University of California Press 2000
- Paine, S.C.M. The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War Cambridge University Press 2017
- Paine, S.C.M. The Wars for Asia, 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
While the Kwantung Army ran roughshod over Manchuria in defiance of all orders coming out of Tokyo, events back in the Home Islands didn't remain static. The crisis caused a nationalistic frenzy among leaders, in the media, and in public opinion. A surge of domestic terrorism in the spring of 1932 would fatally undermine elected government, as Hirohito and his advisors turned towards hand-picked leaders they believed could navigate Japan through the crisis they were in.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Young, Louise Japan's Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism University of California Press 1998
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The first big aggression of the chaotic 30s proved not to come from Europe, but East Asia. And the Japanese invasion of Manchuria wasn't even a deliberate act of state policy, but the consequence of renegade Japanese officers taking matters into their own hands. But once events got underway, the government in Tokyo proved incapable of stopping the expansion of conflict on the Asian mainland.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Young, Louise Japan's Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism University of California Press 1998
- Jowett, Philip S. Rays of the Rising Sun: Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45 Helion & Company Limited 2004
- Duara, Prasenjit Sovereignty and Authenticity: Manchukup and the East Asian Modern Rowan & Littlefield Publishers, Inc 2003
- Matsusaka, Yoshihisa Tak The Making of Japanese Manchuria, 1904-32 Harvard University Asia Center 2001
- Mitter, Rana The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance, and Collaboration in Modern China University of California Press 2000
- Paine, S.C.M. The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War Cambridge University Press 2017
- Paine, S.C.M. The Wars for Asia, 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today marks the start of our second miniseries covering the Japanese Empire! That nation had spent the 20s grappling with an underperforming economy, a more active democracy, and how to ensure national security on its own terms. Turns out, none of those issues had been properly addressed, and the Great Depression would form a sad denouement to all the work done during the prior decade.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Power had been won, but for Adolf Hitler, that wasn't enough. War was the goal of the new regime, and it needed the people firmly behind it. Where Imperial Germany failed, the Nazis would succeed. German society would be configured so that it would support the regime even after all hope of victory was lost. That's the topic of today's episode, how the people were bound to the new state.
- Evans, Richard The Third Reich in Power Penguin Books 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Gellately, Robert Hitler's True Believers: How Ordinary People Became Nazis Oxford University Press 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With internal opposition crushed, there remained just one problem for Hitler's new regime. The SA had been the vanguard of the Nazis, and had fought the National Socialist fight on the streets for years. But their independence, and the vocal threats of revolution coming from SA Chief of Staff Ernst Rohm, practically demanded a response. The enemies of the Brownshirts closed in through the first half of 1934, culminating in an internal purge that would only further cement Hitler's control of the nation.
- Evans, Richard The Third Reich in Power Penguin Books 2005
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Gellately, Robert Hitler's True Believers: How Ordinary People Became Nazis Oxford University Press 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week is a break from the main narrative, and I head back to the 20s to cover the development of the SA, as well as touch on the origins of their off-shoots and eventual rivals, the SS. The relationship between Hitler and the Brownshirts would be fraught from almost the get-go, and ironically it would be the their mutual success in the removal of all other threats to the Nazi Party that would open the SA to be purged themselves.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Siemens, Daniel Stormtroopers: A New History of Hitler's Brownshirts Yale University Press 2017
- Hohne, Heinz The Order of the Death's Head: The Story of Hitler's SS Penguin Books 1969
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Hitler coming to power in Germany was bad enough, but a marked turn in the nation's trajectory came after the Reichstag fire. That incident, so random but also so impactful that it would spawn theories that it was a false flag by the Nazis, was the moment where the seizure of power went into overdrive. Nothing would ever be the same after it.
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: HubrisW.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Hett, Benjamin Carter The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic St. Martin's Press 2018
- Barth, Rudiger and Hauke Friederichs The Last Winter of the Weimar Republic Pegasus Books 2021
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
After years of scheming, Schleicher had gained the Chancellorship, but it turned out that his government was DOA. All his enemies came together against him, paving the way for Hitler to gain the power he had been demanding for years.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: HubrisW.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Hett, Benjamin Carter The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic St. Martin's Press 2018
- Barth, Rudiger and Hauke Friederichs The Last Winter of the Weimar Republic Pegasus Books 2021
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The conspiracies and backstabbing roll on in the back half of 1932, and patience started wearing thin. Nobody in the establishment could force a settlement, and Hitler refused to cut a deal. But despite dissent in the NSDAP, Hitler stood firm in his demand for a government on his terms.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Hett, Benjamin Carter The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic St. Martin's Press 2018
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With the economy destroyed and the specter of privation and revolution haunting Germany, Hitler's political star was ascendant. Despite not being able to clench a majority of votes or convince (or want) anyone else to work with the Nazis, Hitler was an inescapable part of the nation's politics. Which meant that the conservative establishment bent on dissolving the country's democracy would be forced little by little to work with the manic upstart.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Hett, Benjamin Carter The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic St. Martin's Press 2018
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The aftershocks of the September 1930 election were felt immediately in Germany, and the Reichstag was left paralyzed. It was left to Chancellor Bruning to govern by decree, and in the depths of the Great Depression, that meant taking unprecedented steps to combat the crisis. The efforts wouldn't matter though, as Hitler was right there to exploit the continued economic collapse to bring himself ever-closer to power.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Hett, Benjamin Carter The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic St. Martin's Press 2018
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
As the Depression got going in Germany, the Nazis were a fringe party with barely any national representation. Long story short, they weren't expected to be big players in Chancellor Bruning's constitutional crisis. But for years the Nazis had been carefully laying the groundwork for bigger ambitions, and after a few couple hiccups, were ready to make it big in the September 1930 elections.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Range, Peter Ross The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power Little, Brown and Company 2020
- Hett, Benjamin Carter The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic St. Martin's Press 2018
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Weimar Republic was not a state built to last, and the Depression was a deathblow to it. Not only was the suffering bad enough, but conservative politicians saw it as their window to do away with democracy entirely. This would lead to outcomes they failed to predict, and within just a few years Germany would be unrecognizable compared to what it was before the start of the crisis. Took me a while to get to this point, but the rise of the Nazis begins here.
The mini-tour of Central Europe ends this week, and I take a look at Czechoslovakia and Poland. Nations that shared no small number of problems, and each in their own way failed to address them. For Czechoslovakia it was being unable to get their German minority to stop making eyes across the border, and for Poland it was being unable to stabilize their government enough to even begin making accommodations with their own ethnic minorities.
Romania was a nation better situated than most by 1929. It hadn't suffered from devastating civil conflict, there had been no political collapse, and its frontiers were reflective of the dreams of every nationalist. And of course, there's a significant "but" to that statement. Corruption was rife, the people didn't really benefit much from the swank new borders, and a local brand of fascism was on the rise.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Nagy-Talavera, Nicholas M The Green Shirts and the Others: A History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania Histria Books 2021
- Hitchins, Keith A Concise History of Romania Cambridge University Press 2014
- Glenny, Misha The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers 1804-1999 Penguin Books Ltd 1999
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The rise of fascism in Hungary proceeded in fits and starts during the 30s, primarily due to there not being a formidable Left in the country's politics to rage against. But the Depression hit the country severely enough that the establishment was badly discredited, and the men who had crushed the Left in 1919 and the early 20s were still around to sink their hooks into the state. On top of that, a new generation of fascists arose to push the nation into ever more extreme directions.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Nagy-Talavera, Nicholas M The Green Shirts and the Others: A History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania Histria Books 2021
- Hoensch, Jorg A History of Modern Hungary 1867-1994 Longman Group Ltd 1996
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Because of Austria's central position in Europe and close ties to Germany, its importance was all out of proportion to its size. Which is why the rise of fascism during the Depression is so important to the course of later events. The country found itself between proponents of pan-Germanism and those who favored an independent course, both of which had their own authoritarian visions. And each camp invited foreign influence into the country.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Emondson, C. Earl The Heimwehr and Austrian Politics, 1918-1936 The University of Georgia Press 1978
- Beller, Steven A Concise History of Austria Cambridge University Press 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The damage caused by the Great Depression was not confined to the big economies of the world, and today I'll take a look at the instability and civil conflict that resulted from it in a trio of Central European nations. That's right, it's back to the future battlegrounds of Europe and the smaller states caught between the giants.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Lampe, John Yugoslavia as History: Twice There was a Country Cambridge University Press 2000
- Glenny, Misha The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers 1804-1999 Penguin Books Ltd 1999
- Beaton, Roderick Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation University of Chicago Press 2019
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The quest for absolute power in Italy was always one on Mussolini's mind, but the Depression forced the Fascists into overdrive. With the economy falling apart, the state swooped in to both clumsily rescue the situation, as well as expanding its hold over the economy. And the crisis in general started opening up very big possibilities for expansion that had otherwise been denied in the 20s.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
- Schmitz, David F. The United States and Fascist Italy, 1922-1940 The University of North Carolina Press 1988
- Migone, Gian Giacomo The United States and Fascist Italy: The Rise of American Finance in Europe Cambridge University Press 1980
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
For France, the Great Depression came late, but also refused to go away. On account of being one of the few winners of the Gold Standard, France's economy was booming so much by 1929 that it took until 1932 for the downturn to take effect. But when it did, it proved intractable, critically undermining the legitimacy of the shaky Third Republic.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
- Weber, Eugene The Hollow Years: France in the 1930s WW Norton & Company Inc 1994
- Jackson, Julian France: The Dark Years 1940-1944 Oxford University Press 2001
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we begin our Depression European tour and take a look at the UK. That nation had already been suffering a prolonged recession through most of the 20s, so the Great Depression only added to the nation's woes. While the politics of the nation wouldn't go haywire like they would elsewhere, it did doom the Labour-Liberal coalition that held power in late 1929, and created the conditions for a decade of Conservative dominance.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
- Floud, Roderick and Paul Johnson The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Britain Volume II: Economic Maturity 1860-1939 Cambridge University Press 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The year 1932 was a special low point of the Great Depression in the US not just because of the material devastation for people, but also because how little was done to address the crisis. The Hoover administration revealed how incapable the traditional Conservative orthodoxy was at repairing the nation, and the year became a grim waiting game for FDR and the resurgent Democrats to takeover.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Age of Roosevelt: The Crisis of the Old Order 1919-1933 First Mariner Books 2003
- Whyte, Kenneth Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times Vintage Books 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
At first it looked like the Great Depression would be just another run of the mill recession. But the bubble that was the US economy popped right at the same time much of Europe was entering a general fiscal crisis, which in turn undermined the Gold Standard system most nations were a part of. The imbalances created by the Gold Standard proved unsustainable, and its collapse led to a free for all as every nation had its own answer to the crisis.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Clavin, Patricia The Great Depression in Europe, 1929-1939St. Martin's Press 2000
- Hall, Thomas E. and J. David Ferguson The Great Depression: An International Disaster of Perverse Economic PoliciesUniversity of Michigan Press 1998
- Rothermund, Dietmar The Global Impact of the Great Depression 1929-1939 Routledge 1996
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Moser, John E. The Global Great Depression and the Coming of World War II Routledge 2016
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Season 2 kicks off here with an introduction to the early days of the Great Depression! Fun! Nothing did more to undermine to world order fitfully constructed during the 1920s like this mother of all economic disasters. And what really made this crisis of Capital so severe was the financial sector's implosion in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929. Suddenly, the very thing that underpinned the entire system stopped working.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Galbraith, James K. The Great Crash 1929Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 2009
- Hall, Thomas E. and J. David Ferguson The Great Depression: An International Disaster of Perverse Economic PoliciesUniversity of Michigan Press 1998
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States Volume III: The Twentieth CenturyCambridge University Press 2000
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
It's the end of Season 1 and I take stock of what's been covered up to this point, big trends, takeaways, that sort of thing. See you in three months!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Please see the previous 121 episodes.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today the United States miniseries goes out with the bang of the 1929 stock market crash. It was a confluence of bad decisions, inaction, greed, and terrible timing all coming together to create the great economic crisis of our times.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Galbraith, James K. The Great Crash 1929Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 2009
- Hall, Thomas E. and J. David Ferguson The Great Depression: An International Disaster of Perverse Economic PoliciesUniversity of Michigan Press 1998
- Miller, Nathan New World Coming: The 1920s and the Making of Modern America Da Capo Press 2003
- Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States Volume III: The Twentieth CenturyCambridge University Press 2000
- Whyte, Kenneth Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times Vintage Books 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The 1920s became a legendary time in America as the consumer economy took center stage, and a dizzying array of goods heralded a new era in how people lived their lives. What was less legendary about the era was the dependence of consumers on credit, and the short-sightedness of the country's elites.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Miller, Nathan New World Coming: The 1920s and the Making of Modern America Da Capo Press 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M The Age of Roosevelt: The Crisis of the Old Order 1919-1933First Mariner Books 1957
- Kyvig, David E Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940Ivan R. Dee 2002
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States Volume III: The Twentieth CenturyCambridge University Press 2000
- Shlaes, Amity Coolidge Harper Collins 2013
- Whyte, Kenneth Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times Vintage Books 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Despite winning WWI and showing off its power to the rest of the world, the United States limped into 1920. Exhausted by a year of violence at home, a crippling recession, and runaway inflation, voter turned to the Republicans. And Republicans turned to a man that would symbolize the modest aspirations of the age, Warren G. Harding. Despite not lasting long, he'd set the tone for the rest of the decade.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Miller, Nathan New World Coming: The 1920s and the Making of Modern America Da Capo Press 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M The Age of Roosevelt: The Crisis of the Old Order 1919-1933 First Mariner Books 1957
- Kyvig, David E Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940Ivan R. Dee 2002
- Engerman, Stanley L. and Robert E. Gallman The Cambridge Economic History of the United States Volume III: The Twentieth CenturyCambridge University Press 2000
- Iriye, Akira The Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations Volume III: The Globalizing of America, 1913-1945 Cambridge University Press 1993
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The immediate aftermath of WWI would unleash one of the most harrowing years in America's history. The economic recession that immediately followed the end of the war helped spark violence and persecutions that rocked the country into 1920.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
By 1914 the United States was rich and confident, but also wise enough to stay out of WWI. The problem is though fights of that size have a tendency to drag nations into them, and America found itself involved after numerous German missteps. It would be a new situation for the country, as President Wilson assumed effective political leadership of the Entente, setting a vision for the post-war that his new allies had not expected.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
It's overview time once again and today I introduce the United States. It's main contribution to the failures of peace in the interwar period stem from its refusal to get entangled in European affairs. Which was a reluctance that had to do with internal conditions within the nation, and will be the focus of the first part of this series.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The horrors of modern war shocked sensibilities enough that by the 1920s there were active efforts to outlaw war entirely. The idea's proponents would face obstacles from disinterested governments and even conflicts among each other. But by decade's end the world had come together in agreement with their principals.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hathaway, Oona A. and Scott J. Shapiro The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World Simon and Schuster 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
In contrast to the Genoa Conference failing because it tried to do too much, the Locarno Treaties had much more success due to keeping its ambitions manageable. And those ambitions were to guarantee peace in Western Europe, as opposed to the world. Still, diplomacy being what it was in the 20s, there was still plenty keeping the Great Powers from achieving something that could last.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jacobson, Jon Locarno Diplomacy: Germany and the West, 1925-1929 Princeton University Press 1972
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Bringing the focus back to European affairs, there was a lot of unfinished business left after the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. And that business seemed intractable, leading the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George to call a new conference to solve all the continent's woes. Its failure would signal the end of overblown meetings on the Paris model, as well as set the stage for the Ruhr crisis of the mid-20s.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fink, Carole The Genoa Conference: European Diplomacy, 1921-1922Syracuse University Press 1993
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
A big point of contention during the 1920s was disarmament. The world public didn't want a repeat of WWI, and maintaining huge militaries was seen as a wasteful expense in times of economic crisis. And for once, the Great Powers of the world did something about it, meeting in Washington, DC to hash out an agreement to scale back navy sizes.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we start covering the broader international initiatives that attempted to consolidate the Versailles system after WWI. The one that carried the most promise in the imagination of the world's public, if not the world's leaders, was the League of Nations. A precursor to the United Nations, it would try what had never been done before: Create an independent international body that would mediate the disputes of its members and de-escalate conflicts before a war could break out.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Henig, Ruth The Peace That Never Was: A History of the League of Nations Haus Publishing Ltd, 2019
- Becker, Pete and Natasha Wheatly Remaking Central Europe: The League of Nations and the Former Habsburg Lands Oxford University Press 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today is our conclusion to this season's miniseries on the Soviet Union. The final years of the 20s saw the USSR slip into paranoia over fears of foreign invasion and subversion at home. It would be the perfect conditions for Stalin to move against his enemies in the Communist leadership, which is to say everyone that didn't swear blind loyalty to him.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics Princeton University Press 2015
- Rayfield, Donald Stalin and His Hangmen: The Tyrant and Those Who Killed For Him Random House 2004
- Cohen, Steven Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution: A Political Biography, 1888-1938 Oxford University Press 1980
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
We've finally reached the last episodes of the Soviet Union during the 1920s. It was a decade of possibility, but the rise of Stalin to undisputed power meant the era wouldn't last forever. His consolidation of power was a years-long process, and would play out over countless congresses and backroom maneuverings.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928Penguin Books 2015
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila On Stalin’s Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics Princeton University Press 2015
- Rayfield, Donald Stalin and His Hangment: The Tyrant and Those Who Killed for Him Random House 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The years leading up to WWI were tough on Stalin, whatever luck he or the Bolsheviks had before and during the 1905 Revolution had run out. He personally was mostly stuck in exile, managing to escape every so often, but all too quickly caught and returned. The Tsarist regime though was chronically self-defeating, and the Revolution that would be his salvation was not long in coming.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Montefiore, Simon Sebag Young Stalin Vintage Books 2007
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Party business got serious after the 1905 Revolution, as the regime struck back against its enemies and the Socialists turned to every source of support they could. Stalin possessed organizational skills and a lack of scruples, so he began a hybrid life of politics and crime that got him noticed by both Lenin and the authorities.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Montefiore, Simon Sebag Young Stalin Vintage Books 2007
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Having been kicked out of the seminary, young Stalin embarked on the life of a professional revolutionary in earnest. Agitation, a refusal to play nice with older party leaders, and mysterious oil refinery explosions all became his calling cards.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Montefiore, Simon Sebag Young Stalin Vintage Books 2007
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The biography episodes return as today I cover the early life of Joseph Stalin. Born into a conquest of the Russian Empire, young Stalin was not the most likely candidate to become a world leader. But the crucible of living under the Tsarist boot and his own violent homelife shaped him into the revolutionary that he would become.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Montefiore, Simon Sebag Young Stalin Vintage Books 2007
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we turn back to the adventures of the Soviet Union's secret police in 1920s. They'd spend most of the decade picking off White exiles and trying to build spy networks abroad. But as the decade starting winding down, they increasingly fell under the influence of Stalin, who preferred looking inward for his enemies.
While the Soviet Union struggled internally, it did not neglect trying to continue the Revolution abroad. Attempting to rally the troops, the idea of a workers International was rebooted as the Comintern. It would be the home away from home for many Communists and during the first decade of its existence push numerous uprisings aimed at toppling Capitalism. Not with a lot of success, but their efforts kept the champions of Capital awake at night all the same.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hallas, Duncan The Comintern: A History of the Third International Haymarket Books 2008
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Peacetime in the Soviet Union created an opportunity for social experimentation. The old order was gone, the Communist Party wasn't yet the juggernaut of state power it would become, and change seemed to be the order of the day.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The first peacetime order of business in the new USSR was to re-build the economy. And to do that, they had to liberalize and turn towards a kind of state capitalism that was dubbed the New Economic Policy, the NEP. It wasn't perfect, and the new imbalances it created started conflicts in the Communist Party.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
One-hundred episodes! And to celebrate, here is a completely normal weekly episode. The Soviet Union wasn't built in a day, in fact it took five years for the Bolshevik leaders to finally hammer out the details as to the new nation. And that only happened after Lenin and Joseph Stalin clashed over the question of state power, a clash that was only settled by Lenin's declining health.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The consequences of winning the Civil War at any cost came back to haunt the Bolsheviks, as it turned out the "any cost" meant millions of people starving to death in a gigantic famine. Agriculture was in ruins throughout Russia, and only the intervention of an unlikely ally prevented the problem from being worse.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Just because the Civil War was over didn't the misery ended. With the Whites gone, all the non-Bolsheviks who had been tolerating Lenin's government and its excesses decided it was time to turn against it. Revolt and revolution spread across the country yet again, threatening to end the Communist regime right after all its military victories.
Just as the Russian Civil War appeared to be winding down, a reborn Poland decided to make a play for some open land and invaded Soviet Russia. While the ensuing war would be an opportunity for the Bolsheviks to march on Europe, getting past the Poles proved easier said than done.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Just as the Russian Civil War appeared to be winding down, a reborn Poland decided to make a play for some open land and invaded Soviet Russia. While the ensuing war would be an opportunity for the Bolsheviks to march on Europe, getting past the Poles proved easier said than done.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
During the Civil War, threats to the Revolution weren't just coming from the battlefield. The Bolsheviks very quickly realized that internal enemies in areas they controlled were a danger, and built-up their version of the secret police, the Cheka, to counter those enemies. They got out of hand.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was the Soviet Union. But the pressures of war convinced the Bolsheviks to step up their centralizing efforts, laying the groundwork for the Communist state that everyone would come to know and love.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week we turn away from the battlefield and more towards what life was like on the ground in Bolshevik Russia. Long story short, the war wasn't an easy one on the civilian side either. This week in particular I touch on the precariousness of the food supply, and the collapse of urban life.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The final White offensives kicked off as Denikin made his play on Moscow in summer 1919. While we all know the attacks wouldn't succeed, they came close enough to panic the Bolshevik leadership and stretch the Red Army to its limit.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The first attempt to bring the Bolsheviks down once and for all didn't go very well. Striking beyond its capabilities, Admiral Kolchak's White armies stalled out on the Volga. One determined Red Army counteroffensive later, and they were in a full retreat. The Siberian Whites, the biggest group of that faction and the one most supported by the Entente, fell apart like a... well, a house of cards.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The opening moves of the 1919 campaigns saw action all across Russia once again, but this year opened with the White faction in a far stronger position. With bases all around Russia secured, they began positioning for attacks to bring down the Bolsheviks once and for all.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I wrap up coverage of the Russian Civil War in 1918. Mostly I'll be talking about the total mess that was Siberia, but the mess that was Central Asia gets some attention too.
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This is kind of a grab-bag episode, as I cover the Red counter-offensive against the Komuch government, the Entente landings in northern Russia, and all sorts of events in the south.
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Still mostly making things up as they went along, the Bolsheviks worked to sort themselves out in order to confront the rising military threats against them. For most of the first half of 1918 it was slow going, but under Trotsky's leadership the Red Army started to take shape.
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Russian Civil War kicked off with a freezing micro-army trudging through southern Russia, but in only half a year growing dissatisfaction with the Bolsheviks would cause it to spread across the country.
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The last major political obstacle to the Bolsheviks was the Constituent Assembly, which as it turned out was more of a minor bump. A much bigger obstacle was the German army, and how to satisfactorily end a fight that had long since been lost.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we take a break from the center and look at what was going on in the borderlands of Russia in 1917. The chaos of that empire's fall created new opportunities for autonomy for the peoples living away from the heartlands. Plus, the displaced officers of the army began to link up in Russia's south with the intent of challenging the Bolsheviks.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Do I even need to introduce this one? The Bolsheviks overcame all the odds against them, and did the dang the thing.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
- Mawdsley, Evan The Russian Civil War Pegasus Books LLC 2007
- Suny, Ronald Grigor The Cambridge History of Russia, Vol III: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The last days of the Provisional Government ticked by amidst plotting and feuding that would do its memory no favors. It also didn't do it any favors in the moment either, as the chaos swung vital public support towards the Bolsheviks. As October dawned, everything started coming together for the big revolution they had been dreaming of.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
- Smele, Jonathon D, The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company Ltd 2016
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Losing one major war was survivable for Imperial Russia, but damage done by WWI both militarily and socially proved too much. The Tsar would fall in 1917, but he clung to power long enough that the damage he had caused Russia would be too great for its succeeding government to deal with.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The dam starts to break for Imperial Russia as it embarked on a terribly ill-advised war on the extreme edge of its empire. Long story short, it didn't go well and all the pressures that had been building for decades broke out in a frenzy of protest and violence.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Last week I covered some of the major fixtures of the old Russia, and this week I go over their counterparts in the Russia to come. Many were not destined to last much longer than the autocracy itself, but all would have some influence on the revolutions that would lead to the USSR's formation.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
A memorable revolution needs a cartoonishly unsympathetic adversary, and the Communists had that in the autocracy that ruled Russia up to 1917. Today I cover some of the big institutions and figures whose mismanagement made Russia such fertile ground for revolution and the establishment of a new kind of state.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Fresh new miniseries this week as I get started on unpacking the Soviet Union's early years. But as you're probably familiar with by now, a topic that big deserves some setup, and today I begin a way-too-fast overview of the conditions in the Russian Empire leading up to the early 1900s. In short, the place was a mess and it turns out that an out-of-touch autocracy wasn't the best institution to fix it.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001
- Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998
- Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017
- Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we wrap up this season's coverage on China with the early life of its eventual leader, Mao Zedong. His early years were dominated by intellectualism, but for the longest time he cast about for the proper cause to believe in. It was only after witnessing the escalating disasters that befell the nation that he came to accept Marxism, but once done he became its committed champion.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Short, Philip Mao, A Life Henry Holdt and Company LLC 1999
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
It's the return of biography episodes today and first on deck is Sun Yat-sen's unlikely successor, Chiang Kai-shek. I say unlikely because for most of his early life Chiang was a fairly anonymous foot-soldier for a failing political movement. It was only after Sun enjoyed some lucky breaks that Chiang was eventually handed the responsibility of shaping what would become the most powerful army in China. And having that army made up for a lot of Chiang's deficiencies as a leader.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Going back to the KMT this week, the party and NRA found themselves somewhat at a loss on how to move forward without Chiang Kai-shek. Militarily they were holding it together, but politically were splintering again. With Wang Jingwei not providing the leadership needed, it was eventually decided for Chiang to return to command. More powerful than ever, Chiang took charge of the Nationalists to conclude the Northern Expedition once and for all.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- SCM Paine The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The CPC found itself hunted and on the run after the whole "getting purged" thing went down with the KMT. Survival was the order of the day, and only in limited instances were the Communists able to even make their presence felt. And even in their reduced state there were still inter-party squabbles. But the trials they endured would eventually pay off as the KMT's nemesis refused to give up their revolutionary dreams.
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Short, Philip Mao, A Life Henry Holdt and Company LLC 1999
- Wilson, Dick The Long March 1935 The Viking Press 1971
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The war for China took a turn when Chiang Kai-shek and the Right KMT executed a massive backstab on the Communists and their Left KMT allies. In doing so, Chiang unknowingly established an intractable rivalry that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- SCM Paine The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2012
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The decisive campaign of China's warlord era begins as Chang Kai-shek tightens his grip on the Kuomintang and finally kicks off the Northern Expedition. Despite KMT power and influence in the south having been growing for over two years previously, the feuding warlords didn't have an answer and got routed in the first phase. The only thing that slowed the advance of the KMT was its internal divisions that would come to a head after the first round of dizzying victories.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011
- SCM Paine The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Kuomintang was going from strength to strength by the mid-20s, but in early 1925 faced a test of an unfamiliar sort when its founder, Sun Yat-sen, passed away. It would be up to his lieutenants to carry on the Nationalist cause without him. Alongside their Communist allies, the next generation of KMT leaders made their final preparations for the great Northern Expedition.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
- Waldron, Arthur From War to Nationalism: China's Turning Point, 1924-25 Cambridge University Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we finally leave the warlords of the north behind and turn back to China's southern provinces, where Sun Yat-sen and his Kuomintang were still struggling to establish a stable base. Those efforts would be saved by the intervention of an outside party: the Soviet Union. Their aid though came at the price of allying with the tiny Communist Party of China. The partnership would change the KMT in ways Sun hadn't foreseen, but would also lift the Party out of the morass of frustrations it had been subjected to for the past decade.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
- Waldron, Arthur From War to Nationalism: China's Turning Point, 1924-25 Cambridge University Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Second Zhili-Fengtian War ended in dramatic fashion. But once again, nobody left on the board was in a good enough position to claim control of China. Instead, the warlord period entered its most factionalized phase, with four major players vying for dominance in the north.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Pye, Lucian W. Warlord Politics Praeger Publishers 1971
- Chan, Anthony B. Arming the Chinese: The Western Armaments Trade in Warlord China, 1920-1928 UBC Press 2010
- Waldron, Arthur From War to Nationalism: China's Turning Point, 1924-25 Cambridge University Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week I cover the arms trade fueling the civil wars in China, and the warlords' own efforts at building native arms industries. Then for the second half, I kick off the Second Zhili-Fengtian War, as the region north of Beijing once again became a battleground.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
- Pye, Lucian W. Warlord Politics Praeger Publishers 1971
- Chan, Anthony B. Arming the Chinese: The Western Armaments Trade in Warlord China, 1920-1928 UBC Press 2010
- Waldron, Arthur From War to Nationalism: China's Turning Point, 1924-25 Cambridge University Press 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The wars between the Cliques kick off as the Anhui and Zhili factions go head-to-head. While their battle would be a short one, the results brought the nation no closer to peace, and only set the stage for the next round of fighting. Also, Sun Yat-sen keeps doing his thing in the country's south.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
- Pye, Lucian W. Warlord Politics Praeger Publishers 1971
- Chan, Anthony B. Arming the Chinese: The Western Armaments Trade in Warlord China, 1920-1928 UBC Press 2010
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today I take a partial step back from high politics in China. Dissatisfaction had been building over the Chinese government's failure revise the exploitive relationship the country suffered from with the great powers of the world. And it didn't help that both Yuan and Duan had been actively courting foreign support either. On May 4th 1919, the tension broke and people took to the streets, at first mostly students, and then most everybody else in the major cities. In addition to covering this protest, I take a step back and cover the development of Chinese thinking and education that led to this point. While the protests would be relatively short-lived, they represented a break where political and social revolution became far more attractive in China.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
- Pye, Lucian W. Warlord Politics Praeger Publishers 1971
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week I give an overview of the emerging networks of Warlords that would come to dominate China. Yuan Shikai might have died, but China's troubles were far, far from over. His most powerful subordinate, Duan Qirui, attempted to fill the void left by his old master, but he didn't command the same level of prestige and fear that Yuan did at his height. Other factions began to emerge and Duan's own authoritarian tendencies led to the Warlords scrambling to make alliances for the civil wars to come.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
- Pye, Lucian W. Warlord Politics Praeger Publishers 1971
- Chan, Anthony B. Arming the Chinese: The Western Armaments Trade in Warlord China, 1920-1928 UBC Press 2010
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Fresh off his victory over Sun and the KMT, Yuan fell into the old strongman trap of overreaching while his regime hadn't yet found its footing. That, coupled with his regime being undermined from abroad eventually led him to make a really bad call that totally blew up in his face.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
China's decay by the end of 1911 reaches a point of no return and a revolution sweeps the country. The old Qing Empire ends in ignominious fashion as its hand-picked commander decides to parley with the revolution instead. The Qing went away, but the question of what came after would take over 35 years to be answered.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today is the start of a new miniseries where I finally get to cover China. This is going to be a fun one because the history of China during this time period is one that gets left out of the vast majority of popular histories. The reason is because it's a hectic mess, which is good because hectic messes are one of the reasons I do this show. This week though we just get the table set, with the fall of the Qing Empire, and China's entry into an extended period of misery.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fairbank, John K & Kwang-Ching Liu The Cambridge History of China, Volume 11: Late Ch'ing, 1800-1911, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1980
- Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975
- Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Editions Gallimard 1967
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week we wrap up Japan in the 1920s. While the nation didn't finish the decade gripped by the militarism that would drag the nation into its later disasters, warning signs were already there. The country's ruling class became fearful of the changing times, a shift reflected in the change of monarch as Hirohito takes the throne, and Japan once again had an active emperor.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Returning back to normal episodes on Japan, the country enjoys its most democratic period of the years I'll be covering. Too bad for them, it's also the same time that the economy craters and one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history strikes.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
After almost a year of back and forth, Japan and the Entente launched their biggest intervention into Civil War-era Russia, the Siberian Expedition. The years-long effort was marred by muddled objectives and a hostile populace, and its long-term impact was mostly confirming the Soviet Union as an enemy and undermining the people's faith in Japan's institutions.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Morley, James William The Japanese Thrust Into Siberia, 1918 Columbia University Press, 1954
- Dunscombm, Paul E Japan's Siberian Intervention 1918-1922 Lexington Books, 2011
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Support for an intervention into Siberia begins to build momentum as apprehensions over the new Bolshevik government in Russia grow. But it's the appearance of tens of thousands of armed Czechs in the region that really knocks down any barriers to sending an armed force in.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Morley, James William The Japanese Thrust Into Siberia, 1918 Columbia University Press, 1954
- Dunscombm, Paul E Japan's Siberian Intervention 1918-1922 Lexington Books, 2011
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week begins a 3-part miniseries within a miniseries covering in detail Japan's involvement in the Siberian Expedition, a haphazard military intervention into Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. But it's the twists and turns of actually getting the venture off the ground that are the most insightful bits of history, as the conflicts and cross-purposes of the Japanese elites were on full display on the long road leading north.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Morley, James William The Japanese Thrust Into Siberia, 1918 Columbia University Press, 1954
- Dunscombm, Paul E Japan's Siberian Intervention 1918-1922 Lexington Books, 2011
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
What went up eventually came down, and the wartime boom for Japan's economy ended not long after the hostilities. Japan entered the 20s far more uncertain than it had been just a generation ago, as the world was fast changing. The people in both the cities and countryside demanded more rights and material benefits, and the elites were slow to oblige them. This set the stage for the Taisho era to be remembered as a vibrant time, but also one that those with power would want to get away from.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Meiji era is concluded this week, and the transition to the Emperor Taisho ushers in a new period of experimentation in Japanese life. Taisho himself was incapacitated with medical ailments for most of his reign, and the throne did not present the solid center it had under Meiji. In addition, the genro which had formed the core of Japan's leadership began aging out, and Ito's constitution turned out not to be foolproof at resisting demands for representative government. The nation now had to reckon with its own modernization and the unsustainability of the old status quo.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Jansen, Marius B The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 5: The Nineteenth Century Cambridge University Press 1989
- Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Years before they swept over East Asia in the 30s and 40s, the Japanese... well they swept over East Asia before then too. Seeing overseas possessions as the next logical step towards making their own nation secure, Japan started going to war with the neighbors. Fortune smiled on them in these years and they humbled empires far larger than they.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Jansen, Marius B The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 5: The Nineteenth Century Cambridge University Press 1989
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
- Paine, SCM The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War Cambridge University Press 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Having successfully resisted becoming colonized by the Europeans, Japan was now free to makes its own destiny and pursue new ambitions. But before that nation could look abroad, it first had a couple of "to-dos" on the domestic front. The first was straightforward, make a modern economy. The other was to reform the government and create a constitution. This was a little trickier, and the end result was going evolve in unforeseen ways that would play out over decades.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Jansen, Marius B The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 5: The Nineteenth Century Cambridge University Press 1989
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
After a long break from focusing on one particular nation, today starts the introduction to Japan! They're a special case in history, as they're the only nation outside of Europe to dodge being colonized and become a Great Power in their own right (and even then the other Powers were reluctant to acknowledge that special status). Which for our purposes on this show meant that East Asia was one of the primary hotspots in the world that contributed to global instability. Which was mostly Japan's doing as they pursued an empire of their own. But it was kind of a close-run thing as Japan was actually almost colonized before any of that could happen, and only escaped that fate via social upheaval and the overturning of a centuries-old political system.
Bibliography for this episode:
- McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002
- Jansen, Marius B The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 5: The Nineteenth Century Cambridge University Press 1989
- Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we wrap up introducing the colonial empires of France and the UK with the most restive of their conquests, the Middle East. In the wreckage of the Ottoman Empire, the two nations would lay the groundwork for the region's future instability and long years of military occupations for themselves. All the greatest hits are here, with Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq all being affected by the European presence. Plus the UK's further misadventures in Persia! Which wasn't a colony, but the British usually acted like it.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Fromkin, David A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East Holt Paperback 1989
- Pedersen, Susan The Guardians: The League of Nations and the Crisis of Empire Oxford University Press 2018
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
We've come to the penultimate episode on our tour of the big world empires, and this week we're covering the sprawling French presence in the western half of the African continent. The experience for the colonized was mixed to say the least, but for France the region was a source of vital raw materials and manpower. That last bit, the manpower, was critical to France's status as a competitive power as African troops were expected to play a big part in France's military. Added to that, the African colonies would be areas of concern for both sides in the darkest days of the war, so we're going to be coming back here more than a few times over the course of this show.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986
- Conklin, Alice L et al France and Its Empire Since 1870 Oxford University Press 2011
- Conklin, Alice L A Mission to Civilize: The Republican Idea of Empire in France & West Africa 1895-1930 Stanford University Press 1997
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The British might have had the biggest and most influential of the colonial empires, but they were far from alone. Today we take a look at the Netherland's massive Dutch East Indies colony and France's big holding in East Asia, Indochina. Both were resource-rich areas that made fine possessions for their colonial masters. For the people actually living there though, the change to European rule wasn't nearly so positive and by the end of the 20s nationalist resistance to the foreigners would be developing to undermine them. Which turned out to be important as Japan regarded both places as key parts of their eventual Asian conquests.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Vickers, Adrian A History of Modern Indonesia Cambridge University Press 2013
- Brocheux, Pierre and Daniel Hemery Indochina: An Ambiguous Colonization 1858-1954 University of California Press 2009
- Tarling, Nicholas The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volume 2: The 19th and 20th Centuries Cambridge University Press 1992
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The sun might not have set on the British Empire, but it is on my coverage of it. This week is a sweeping overview of the remaining big pieces of the empire, and their importance to the UK and how they affected the metropole. And also I zero in on Egypt for a bit, because they put up a spirited effort to not be a part of the empire, while the Brits were very insistent on being involved in that country's affairs.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999
- Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986
- Darwin, John The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World System 1830-1970 Cambridge University Press 2009
With the campaigns for Indian independence in the post-WWI years a bust, India settles into an uneasy kind of calm. The British might not have been able to properly grasp it, but lines had been crossed and the Indian people had placed themselves on a trajectory towards autonomy and separation. This was reflected not just in the political relationship with the UK, but the economic one as well. And despite the failures of the first half of the decade, by the second half of the 20s, a new generation of leaders was emerging to press for another confrontation with the colonial government.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983
- Brown, Judith Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy Oxford University Press 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Imperial overreach happens to everybody eventually, and the British rule in India during and after WWI became oppressive enough that their subjects began agitating for radical changes in their relationship. The independence movement there began in earnest in the post-war years, and yes this is where Ghandi enters the picture. The British don't take it very well and double-down on the very oppression that got them into their predicament in the first place.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983
- Brown, Judith Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy Oxford University Press 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The British Empire as we knew it wouldn't have been possible without its cornerstone, India. Turns out adding an entire subcontinent's worth of human and material wealth can turn a relatively small island nation into a global power. In both world wars India proved to be critical to Britain's success, and that importance weighed heavily on the minds of the Britons who ruled there. For the next few weeks we'll be looking at the colonial state, the British Raj, and how the most vital imperial asset began going its own way.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983
- Brown, Judith Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy Oxford University Press 1994
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I've stressed in past episodes the importance of France and the United Kingdom in putting together a peaceful world order in the 1920s. That preeminence was a result of both countries acquiring gigantic empires reaching into every part of the globe, and today we're going to start covering those empires and how they played into the decisions of their rulers. In this episode we're covering the British Dominions, the most un-colonial parts of Britain's empire. They were already starting to go their own way, but were still considered essential components. This'll be more an overview today, as I won't be getting too in depth for such a large group, but this'll give you a good intro to where each of the emerging nations stand in relation to their mother country and what their own priorities were.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999
- Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986
- Darwin, John The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World System 1830-1970 Cambridge University Press 2009
- Bothwell, Robert The Penguin History of Canada Penguin Books Ltd 2006
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
We conclude our little tour of central Europe with Greece. Like their neighbors, they struggled over territorial claims and reconciling their adopted monarchy. But their greater ambitions only lead them into one disaster after another, and reduced their regional ambitions into that of another grasping state in south-central Europe, dependent on the fragile peace to keep outside aggressors at bay.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Beaton, Roderick Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation University of Chicago Press 2019
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Glenny, Misha The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers 1804-1999 Penguin Books Ltd 1999
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
In the big histories of the 30s and 40s, Bulgaria doesn't get mentioned a whole lot. And the reason for that is because they were effectively kneecapped by their neighbors! The Balkans in the early 1900s was a scramble for land, and despite trying their hardest, the Bulgarians were the odd man out. Once an assertive country, they would wallow in the throes of internal chaos. And like Hungary, they would be left waiting for the new order of the 20s to be undone.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Glenny, Misha The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers 1804-1999 Penguin Books Ltd 1999
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Say what you will about all the dysfunction across Europe in the 1920s, at least all the nations I've been covering have survived after some... uh, adjustments. Yugoslavia though? Not so much. Yugoslavia's story in this episode might be the most familiar, simply because the same issues of sectarianism sprung up again within living memory. And now you'll get some context for that as today I'll be covering the beginnings of those conflicts and the troubled birth of the country in general.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Lampe, John Yugoslavia as History: Twice There was a Country Cambridge University Press 2000
- Glenny, Misha The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers 1804-1999 Penguin Books Ltd 1999
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
On the continued Central European overview I stop in on Romania and Albania! Romania is a fun one because unlike a lot of other countries, they managed to get pretty much everything they ever wanted out of the aftermath of WWI. It shouldn't come as a surprise though that this came at the cost of antagonizing several neighbors, which included the Soviet Union. Albania on the other hand was so wracked by division that it barely played any role in the events of the day, and I focus on how it became an Italian outpost in the region.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Hitchins, Keith A Concise History of Romania Cambridge University Press 2014
- Glenny, Misha The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers 1804-1999 Penguin Books Ltd 1999
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
It's a double feature today as I cover the former imperial partners Austria and Hungary. Their mutual defeat in the Great War ruined both and left them at the tender mercies of both their former subjects and enemies. After initial bursts of social upheaval that so characterized the early 20s in Europe, the pair would settle politically into right-wing dominance, making them future playthings of the larger Fascistic powers later on.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Gerwarth, Robert The Vanquished: Why the First World War Failed to End Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2016
- Hoensch, Jorg A History of Modern Hungary 1867-1994 Longman Group Ltd 1996
- Bischof, Gunter, et al From Empire to Republic: Post-World War I Austria University of New Orleans Press 2010
Out of all the unlucky nations I cover on this podcast, probably none had it quite like Poland. After over a century of non-existence, the interwar era saw the Polish nation birth itself back into being. Born in conflict, this version of Poland would never quite find its footing, whilst being wedged between two large nations who would love to partition the country yet again. But as I'll cover, much of their misfortune was self-inflicted, and the young state would tragically do itself few favors.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Gerwarth, Robert The Vanquished: Why the First World War Failed to End Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2016
- Davies, Norman God's Playground: A History of Poland, Volume II Columbia University Press 2005
- Kochanski, Halik The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War Penguin Books Ltd 2012
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Overviews ahoy! Today we start a miniseries doing quick coverage of notable events in the long string of European nations that found themselves stuck between the two future Axis powers and the Soviet Union. This area would eventually become the killing fields of Europe, and knowledge of local histories is important to understand how each place fit into the bigger picture. Today I'll be focusing on a broad group of nations, Finland, the Baltic States, and Czechoslovakia, and how they struggled into existence during the 20s.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998
- Gerwarth, Robert The Vanquished: Why the First World War Failed to End Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2016
- Jones, Nigel The Birth of the Nazis Constable & Robinson Ltd 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The last episode on Nazis for a while! Fresh out of prison, Hitler has to reckon with a changed Germany in the back half of the 20s. After recovering from a cataclysmic economic collapse, nobody seemed receptive to a political message predicated on violence and social upheaval. This should be the time that the Nazi party disbands and Hitler fades back into obscurity, but he and his gang were a stubborn lot and stuck it out long enough to exploit the next disaster.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
I would say it's funny that such a half-baked coup actually went ahead, except we all know how this ends up. This should have been the end for Hitler, yet the failings of Weimar meant that he'd eventually get his (much more important) second act.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With his own micro-party on hand, Hitler became able to devote his time to his true calling: making a nuisance of himself. And it worked too, as his public persona brought him an expanded group of underlings and the interest of larger figures in the ultra-right scene of Munich.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The end of WWI left Hitler an aimless soldier without a cause to fight for, but his ability to work a crowd began to emerge while investigating micro-political parties as part of an army assignment. Before long he had gotten himself signed up for a little group that would eventually be called the Nazis, and he got to work building a life for himself in politics.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The misadventures of young Hitler continue in the big city of Vienna. And by misadventures I mean he lands in a homeless shelter once the money he got from his family ran out. But it won't be the end of him, and he'll eventually eke out an impoverished life first in Vienna, and then later Munich, before finding a greater purpose to his life in being a soldier during WWI.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
It's finally time I covered the early days of Hitler and the Nazi party. I'm actually kind of proud that in a podcast about the context for how WWII happened that I haven't had to focus on them for thirty episodes. But it's finally time to introduce the bad guys, and just what they were doing in their more modest days, before they made their successful bid to control Germany. These next two episodes will focus on Adolf Hitler's early life and the remainder of the series will cover him as leader of the Nazi Party in the 20s. They're both modest stories, and in a sane world would not be worth telling. But we all know how it all turned out, so here are the early years.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998
- Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The years of 1924-29 represented a kind of golden age for Weimar Germany, and as a consequence not as much happened compared to the five years previous, so I'm compressing it into a single episode. But as relatively nice as those years were, they were also deceptive. All the problems of the past had only been papered over, not solved. Material conditions improved enough to encourage people not to try and overturn the republic, but fell short of making them identify with it. So when the next big crisis came around, Germany would be just as divided and vulnerable as ever.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Germany's slide into chaos continues this week as all those ultra-right types festering in Bavaria decide the moment had come to overthrow the government. For those on the up and up with early Nazi history, this should be familiar to you as the Beer Hall Putsch. But there's also some light at the end of the tunnel as everyone realizes the crisis could not continue, and with the help of a few leadership changes in Europe there appeared hope of a long-term settlement. Bonus, I do a little recap of these very, very tumultuous five years for Germany and what they would mean for the nation in the future.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Just as Germany got its internal problems papered over (momentarily), a really big international one popped up. Going all-in on a world war and losing left Germany with a gargantuan reparations bill that they were unable to pay. Both because they didn't have the money, and just as importantly, because the Germans deluded themselves into thinking they shouldn't have to pay it. Cue a French military incursion into the single most important economic zone in the country, a resulting economic crisis, and a legendary bout of hyper-inflation.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
In the aftermath of the Kapp Putsch, things finally quieted down for Weimar Germany. The Freikorps started to be wound down and the Left found itself in a period of transition, so the time of revolution and counter-revolution faded into the background for a time. But with this new state constantly being at odds with itself, the problems never really went away, they just stayed in that background. And just as things got quiet, the Entente started making noises that would spark a fresh round of national crisis.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
- Jones, Nigel The Birth of the Nazis Constable & Robinson Ltd 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With the 1918-19 Revolution crushed, the victorious Ebert government probably thought it had some space to start picking up the pieces. Well, think again, because the Freikorps were actively hostile to the new government that they saw as little different than the revolutionaries. Almost from the moment the first dust settled, those groups started plotting against the new state.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
- Jones, Nigel The Birth of the Nazis Constable & Robinson Ltd 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Bavaria is a region of Germany that had always kept some distance from the larger nation, and maintained its own identity (and at the time even their own monarch) within the Empire. This independent streak continued into the German Revolution of 1918-19 as events there happened concurrently but separately with what was happening nationally, with the region almost breaking away.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
- Jones, Nigel The Birth of the Nazis Constable & Robinson Ltd 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With revolution gripping Germany, the nation's establishment turned desperate. They unleashed the Freikorps, paramilitary units composed of angry and embittered veterans returning home, all across Germany. What resulted was a nightmare of retribution as the soldiers not only fought to prevent Socialism from taking root, but also took out their frustrations from losing WWI on their own people.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
- Jones, Nigel The Birth of the Nazis Constable & Robinson Ltd 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With World War One lost, the edifice of Imperial Germany falls apart. But as one door closes, another is opened, and a free for all begins to decide on what a post-Kaiser Germany will look like. The workers and soldiers of the nation take to the streets while the old establishment scrambles to keep as much of their power as they possibly can.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017
- Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy Princeton University Press 2007
- Jones, Nigel The Birth of the Nazis Constable & Robinson Ltd 2004
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Oh boy, it's the Germans. You've either been waiting for or dreading this one. The instability of 20s Germany was critical in making sure a lasting, peaceful equilibrium could not be established in Europe. And that instability was caused by the disintegration of Imperial Germany under the stress of WWI. Turns out staking your legitimacy on militarism only works if you win every time, and to start things off, Germany lost big.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003
- Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987
- Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week is the wrap-up on the UK during the 1920s, and all the labor tensions that have plagued the nation up to this point bubble over into a general strike. Workers all over the country walk out and for a brief window Britain is shutdown in a final attempt to rectify working conditions. Plus there's the general wrap-up on the decade up to the Great Depression, and a look at how Britain used its time of predominance post-WWI.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Returning to the domestic UK, the political character of the nation at the end of 1923 continued to evolve beyond the simple conservative/liberal split of yesteryear. It was time for the Labour party to finally move out of opposition and into a leadership role. And like so many things from these years, it didn't go well. This episode has everything. Politics! Economics! That's everything.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Not content with its gains in the Middle East, Britain also wanted to secure its influence in Turkey after WWI. With their Greek allies taking the lead in occupying Turkish lands and Britain itself securing its influence over vital waterways, it initially looked as though things would go their way. But a mixture of imperial rivalry and Greece's lack of resources meant the whole thing was destined to blow up in everybody's faces.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With the Irish War for Independence escalating into a problem that could no longer be played down by the UK, the violence started to get out of control. But so soon after WWI the British were not inclined to commit to a full occupation of the island, and would start looking for an exit from one of their oldest imperial possessions.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hopkinson, Michael The Irish War of Independence Gill & Macmillan, 2014
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
If the post-wars years after WWI saw the British momentarily triumphant, they also found themselves having to address all the problems they had been putting off. Closest to home was Ireland. After having failed for years to make a satisfactory settlement on the self-governance of the island, Britain would be directly challenged by a rebellion, just at the time its focus was firmly turned elsewhere.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Hopkinson, Michael The Irish War of Independence Gill & Macmillan, 2014
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With the United Kingdom moving into the post-war years, the nation had to grapple with the changes wrought by WWI. Internationally the world looked very different, and Britain's attentions had to be split across the globe. It was internally though that presented the biggest challenges, as a nation that had previously been very big into small government found itself with a sprawling administration that many preferred to keep around. And lastly we'll touch on labor unrest that is going to be a defining characteristic of Britain in the 20s.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week we get started on the last of the big western Entente powers, the United Kingdom. Often overlooked against the wreckage of the big battles of WWI, the war years transformed British life all out of recognition. What was once a very laissez faire country found itself centralized to an unfathomable degree, and it would be in an environment of political transition that the British would have to grapple with their new realities.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978
- Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972
- Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
With the invasion of the Ruhr backfiring on them, the French electorate swung to the left and put a new coalition in power. The wealthy elites of the country, ever sensitive to the specter of Socialism, did not take the change well. Just as the Ruhr crisis was being wound down, a financial one back at home was started.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Having won both war and peace, France then faced the challenge of actually enforcing that victory. Namely, they had to secure their finances and that meant turning the screws to the Germans and extracting every dime they could from them. Easier said than done, as the Germans were flat broke and France's erstwhile ally, the British, were half-hearted at best in helping get the money. The quest to secure financing would provide a demonstration to just how far France could go in exerting its new status as continental Europe's top power.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today we get introduced to France, the land of wine, cheese, and staggering loss. A lot of what happens in the decades we cover revolves around France and its ability, or inability, to control events happening in Europe. So to start off, this episode provides the context that France finds itself in during the interwar era. And also just what the cost of winning WWI actually entailed for the nation.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995
- Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987
- Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today is the last episode on Italy before the Great Depression and is also our first biography episode! Benito Mussolini is remembered mostly for his ineffectualness, and is often seen as the bumbling sidekick to the much more dangerous Adolf Hitler. And while that certainly isn't exactly wrong, it also focuses on those last years when everything got away from him. His early life, presented here, shows him to be a much more complex figure, both intellectual and savage. Starting from virtually nothing, this episode covers his journey from poverty to early 1919, when he formally launched his Fascist movement. It was in these years that the personality that would decide the fate of tens of millions took shape.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press, 2002
- Hibbert, Christopher Mussolini St Martin's Press, 2008
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Once the business of taking power in Italy was completed, the Fascists began to turn inward. Mussolini starts to distance himself from the old guard Fascists, the businessmen of the country successfully defend their economic privileges in exchange for their support, and even the Catholic Church comes around. Plus I cover a grab-bag of Italy's foreign adventures in this period.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995
- Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
After the March on Rome, Mussolini found himself in charge as Prime Minister, but the Fascists were still a minority party. But now that any viable opposition had demonstrated that they were unwilling to resist him in any meaningful way, he began the work of breaking apart Liberal Italy and bending the political system to his will.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Just when it looked like Fascism in Italy was going to be a non-starter, they decide to change the rules. Instead of being a strictly political party the Fascists begin to double-down on political violence and sign-on as muscle for business owners threatened by populist activity. With the official stance of the government being to wait the crisis out, Mussolini makes the most of his opportunity to destabilize democracy and march to power.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
The Socialists are riding a high, the Liberals are getting worried, and the Fascists are trying to find their niche in today's episode. Join me as I get into the strife within Italy after the unsatisfying conclusion to WWI. Long story short, the establishment didn't have the answers and it became a race to see which populist would win over the nation.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005
- Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995
- Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
On today's episode we'll be covering Italy's experience in WWI and the political aftermath of the war years. Italy's military history in the twentieth century gets treated as kind of a joke, but there were very real consequences to all the disasters, which helped set the stage for Fascism to take root. The experience also caused an upsurge in populist politics in general, something the Italian elites were not prepared for or capable of accommodating.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
On today's episode I get started on the miniseries covering Italy up to the Great Depression. The bulk of the first part of this show will be establishing context for each nation, and how they came to make the critical decisions that led to so much fighting later. There are a lot of reasons to cover why democracy in Italy failed and Fascism was able to take root here before anywhere else. Today I'll be providing a basic sketch of Italy, and where so many seeds of later misfortune were planted.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
This week's episode is a little change of pace from the last two, as before I get going into the histories of individual countries, I need to provide an intro into Fascism. This political ideology is absolutely vital to the period, and is a primary reason why the world turned to war and violence in the 1930s. Despite that importance though, Fascism remains a nebulous system of ideas, and its practitioners never bothered codifying a coherent platform. So now I get to spend an entire episode defining it for them.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today's episode is the second part to the Paris Peace Conference. In this part the terms of the peace deals are finalized, which alienate Entente allies like Italy and Japan, while infamously aggrieving the Germans to the point where they immediately begin dreaming of tearing this new status quo apart. The old order predating WWI is truly gone with this peace, and the new one will have a difficult birth as the victors test the old proverb of "better a bad peace than a good war."
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Today's episode will be the first part of two covering the Paris Peace Conference. Best known for producing the Treaty of Versailles, the Conference was actually responsible for a whole collection of treaties to bring peace to the world. Long story short, it didn't work and we'll be going over the difficulties suffered during the negotiations.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
Hello and welcome to Peace in Their Time! This is the introductory description to the introductory episode of the podcast. The episode will be laying out the mission statement for the show and a general description of what topics you can expect me to cover.
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com