History of the Second World War

We have talked quite a bit about Poland the last few episodes, time to check in on the Germans. Sources mentioned in the last few minutes of the episode: Unsigned Memorandum: https://archive.org/details/documentsongerma0007unse/page/200/mode/2up 170th Day of Trial of German Major War Criminals: http://nizkor.com/hweb/imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-18/tgmwc-18-170-03.shtml Colonel General Halder Notes: https://archive.org/details/documentsongerma0007unse/page/556/mode/2up?view=theater Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to the reality of Poland's position in 1939, there were no great options, and the actions of others would force them into an even worse position. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout the 1930s Poland would prepare for war. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 1, 1939 the German Wehrmacht would begin their invasion of Poland. But before we get there, we need to look at Interwar Poland. During this episode we will look at developments in Polish internal politics and foreign relations. Sources: - Case White: The Invasion of Poland 1939 by Rober Forczyk - Poland 1939: The Outbreak of World War II by Roger Moorhouse - Appeasement: Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie - The Origins of the Second World War: An International Perspective Edited by Frank McDonough - The Polish Campaign 1939 by Steven Zaloga and Victor Madej - The Foreign Policy of Jozef Pilsudski and Jozef Beck, 1926-1939: Misconceptions and Interpretations by Anna M. Cienciala - The French Government and the Danzig Crisis: The Italian Dimension by P.R. Stafford - Reflections from Rumania and Beyond: Marshal Smigly-Rydz in Exile by Stanley S. Seidner - Macht Arbeit Frei? Chapter: The War against Poland and the Beginning of German Economic Policy in the Occupied Territory by Witold Wojciech Medykowski - Poland Between the Wars, 1918-1939 Edited by Peter D. Stachura - Poland's Preparation for World War Two by Michael Alfred Peszke - The Rebirth and Progress of the Polish Military During the Interwar Years by Jacek Czarnecki - The Eastern Pact, 1933-1935: A Last Attempt at European Co-operation by Lisanne Radice (1977) - The Lights that Failed: European International History 1919-1933 by Zara Steiner - Agreement of Mutual Assistance between the United Kingdom and Poland, August 25, 1939. - Blitzkrieg Unleashed by Richard Hargreaves - The Great Powers and Poland: From Versailles to Yalta by Jan Karski - The History of the Panzerwaffe Volume 1: 1939-42 by Thomas Anderson - September Storm: The German Invasion of Poland by Gordon Rottman & Stephen Andrew - Britain and Poland, 1939-1943: The Betrayed Ally by Anita J. Prazmowska - March 1939: The British Guarantee to Poland - A Study in the Continuity of British Foreign Policy by Simon Newman (1976) - Poland 1939: The birth of Blitzkrieg by Steven J. Zaloga - The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer - Various Documents from the British Cabinet Papers, particularly CAB 55/19/15, CAB 65/1, CAB 65/3, and CAB 66/1 - Documents on German Foreign Policy 1918-1945 - Reflections from Rumania and Beyond: Marshal Smigly-Rydz in Exile by Stanley S. Seidner - The British War Blue Book: Documents Concerning German-Polish Relations and the Outbreak of Hostilities Between Great Britain and Germany on September 3, 1939 - The French Yellow Book: Diplomatic Documents (1938-1939) Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been 107 episodes, so for one episode I will take a step back and try and summarize some of the themes and events of all of the Interwar episodes before we jump into the fighting in Europe in September 1939. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 23rd an important step would be taken that would completely shift the balance of power in Europe: Germany and the Soviet Union had signed a nonaggression pact. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was always the option of getting the band back together, the three amigos joining forces once again to fighter Germany. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody was preparing for war in their own way Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the years before the war Italy would bring itself closer and closer into the German orbit, but then as the war began it would back away. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All around Europe smaller nations would be stuck in a rough spot. Also, at sea replenishment? Amphibious operations? Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August 1939, the Red Army would unleash an offensive that the Japanese did not expect, and would be incapable of defending against. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With both sides deciding to bring in more resources to defend their definition of the border, the Japanese decide to launch an attack in early July, 1939. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Matthew Powell joins the podcast to discuss tactical air power during the interwar years. Author of: The Development of British Tactical Air Power, 1940-1943: A History of Army Co-operation Command https://twitter.com/tac_air_power Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The summer of 1939, near the Mongolian village of Nomonhan, would see the largest clash between the Soviet Union and Japan of the interwar years, and it would have important ramifications for relations between the two nations as the world was rapidly descending into war. Sources: Anti-Russian and Anti-Soviet Subversion: The Caucasian-Japanese Nexus, 1904-1945 by Hiroaki Kuromiya and Georges Mamoulia Japanese Geopolitics and the Mongol Lands, 1915-1945 by Li Narangoa Khalkin-Gol: The Forgotten War by Amnon Sella The Lake Khasan Affair of 1938: Overview and Lessons by Alvin D. Coox (1973) Soviet-Japanese Confrontation in Outer Mongolia: The Battle of Nomonhan-Khalkin Gol by Larry W. Moses (1967 Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939 by Alvin D. Coox Nomonhan, 1939: The Red Army's Victory That Shaped World War II by Stuart D. Goldman Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During 1938 the border tensions between the Soviet Union and Japan would explode on the hill of Changkufeng near Lake Khasan. Sources: Anti-Russian and Anti-Soviet Subversion: The Caucasian-Japanese Nexus, 1904-1945 by Hiroaki Kuromiya and Georges Mamoulia Japanese Geopolitics and the Mongol Lands, 1915-1945 by Li Narangoa Khalkin-Gol: The Forgotten War by Amnon Sella The Lake Khasan Affair of 1938: Overview and Lessons by Alvin D. Coox (1973) Soviet-Japanese Confrontation in Outer Mongolia: The Battle of Nomonhan-Khalkin Gol by Larry W. Moses (1967 Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939 by Alvin D. Coox Nomonhan, 1939: The Red Army's Victory That Shaped World War II by Stuart D. Goldman Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As tensions in Europe continued to increase, Hungary would be provided with opportunities to settle its own scores. Remember, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/WW2HISTORY to take ownership over your health and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance! Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During this episode we dive into the story of one of the smaller players in European politics during the interwar years, Hungary. Be sure to check out World War II On Topic from the National World War II Museum: World War II On Topic | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans (nationalww2museum.org) Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author of The Next War in the Air Britains Fear of the Bomber 1908-1941 Also the author of an upcoming book _Home Fires Burning: Emotion, Spectacle, and Britain’s First War from the Air_ Find more of Dr. Holman's work at Airminded Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the 1930s the RAF would spend a lot of time and effort trying to make its dreams a reality. Remember, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/WW2HISTORY to take ownership over your health and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance! Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Italian and German air forces enter the war at very different points of their interwar evolution. One of was fading from power, the other was at its zenith. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out History Daily for your daily history podcast fix: History Daily - podfollow.com Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In which we look at the development of air power theory and capabilities in several nations that will be very important to the future course of events. Remember, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/WW2HISTORY to take ownership over your health and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance! Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A major topic of conversation during the interwar years was the ideas, power, and future of strategic bombing. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember to check out Private Internet Access at privateinternetaccess.com/HistorySWW Airpower was an important feature of the First World War, but after the conflict was over it entered into the great unknown - peace. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During 1939 British rearmament efforts would escalate rapidly, but was it going to be enough? Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The British Army would be in a very clear third position when it came to defense spending during the interwar years, but that did not mean that it did not have moments of innovation and thought leadership. Money would be a real problem though. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the last half of the 1930s the British needed to get serious about rearmament, but they had some problems to solve first. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Alan Allport has written the excellent Britain at Bay: The Epic Story of the Second World War, 1938-1941. He joined me to chat about various topics relating to interwar Britain, and of course Lord of the Rings (I really cannot resist, I am sorry). Find out more about Dr. Allport: Alan Allport, Professor (syr.edu) Check out Britain at Bay: Britain at Bay by Alan Allport: 9781101974698 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the Pacific ocean was on the other side of the world, far closer to home for the British was the Mediterranean, where there were also many problems. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The British Empire spanned the entire globe, which was great...except for the fact that it meant defending the entire globe. Sources: Air Power and Colonial Control: The Royal Air Force 1919-1939 by David E. Omissi Anglo-American Strategic Relations and the Far East 1933-1939: Imperial Crossroads by Greg Kennedy The History of Anglo-Japanese Relations, 1600-2000 Volume III: The Military Dimension Edited by Ian Gow and Yoichi Hirama with John Chapman 'A Fearful Concatenation of Circumstances': The Anglo-Soviet Rapprochement, 1934-6 by Michael Jabara Carley Brave New World: Imperial and Democratic Nation-building in Britain Between the Wars Edited By Laura Beers and Geraint Thomas Britain at Bay by Alan Allport The British Defence of Egypt 1935-1940: Conflict and Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean by Steven Morewood British Establishment Perspectives on France, 1936-1940 by Michael Dockrill The British General Election of 1935 by James C. Robertson Patterns of the Future? British Mediterranean Strategy and the Choice Between Alexandria and Syprus 1935-8 by Manolis Koumas 'Living the Blackshirt Life': Culture, Community and the British Union of Fascists, 1932-1940 by Michael A. Spurr Economics, Rearmament, and Foreign Policy: The United Kingdom before 1939 - A Preliminary Study by R.A.C. Parker Fascism, Communism, and the Foreign Office, 1937-1939 by Donald Lammers Fighting the People's War: The British Commonwealth Armies and the Second World War by Jonathan Fennell Forgotten Armies by Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper Franco-British Relations and the Question of Conscription in Britain, 1938-1939 by Daniel Hucker The Battle for Britain: Interservice Rivalry between the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy; 1909-40 by Anthony J. Cumming Malta and British Strategic Policy 1925-1943 by Douglas Austin Pacifism and Politics in Britain, 1931-1935 by Michael Pugh The Royal Air Force, Air Power and British Foreign Policy, 1932-37 by Malcolm Smith British Rearmament in the 1930s: A Chronology and Review by J.P.D. Dunbabin The Royal Air Force - Volume 2: An Encyclopedia of the Inter-War Years 1930-1939: v. 2 by Ian Philpott British Seapower and Procurement Between the Wars: A Reappraisal of Rearmament by G.A.H. Gordon The British Government and the South African Neutrality Crisis, 1938-39 by Andrew Stewart Strategy versus Finance in Twentieth-Century Great Britain by Paul M. Kennedy The British General Staff: Reform and Innovation, 1890-1939 Edited By David French and Brian Holden Reid Deterrence and the European Balance of Power: the Field Force and British Grand Strategy, 1934-1938 by B.J.C. McKercher The Tradition of Appeasement in British Foreign Policy 1865-1939 by Paul M. Kennedy British Rearmament 1936-39: Treasury, Trade Unions and Skilled Labour by R.A.C. Parker Winston Churchill's Parliamentary Commentary on British Foreign Policy, 1935-1938 by Richard Howard Powers British Rearmament and the 'Merchants of Death': The 1935-36 Royal Commission on the Manufacture of and Trade in Armaments by David G. Anderson Whitehall and the Control of Prices and Profits in a Major War, 1919-1939 by Neil Rollings Thinking the Unthinkable: British and American Naval Strategies for an Anglo-American War, 1918-1931 by Chistopher M. Bell Britain's War: into Battle, 1937-1941 by Daniel Todman British Armour Theory and the Rise of the Panzer Arm: Revising the Revisionists by Azar Gat Changing American Perceptions of the Royal Navy Since 1775 by John B. Hattendorf Military Innovation and Technological Determinism: British and US Ways of Carrier Warfare, 1919-1945 by Kendrick Kuo British Military Policy between the Two World Wars by Brian Bond Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the interwar period there were some areas in which British politics would change, but in many ways it would be more of the same. Sources: Air Power and Colonial Control: The Royal Air Force 1919-1939 by David E. Omissi Anglo-American Strategic Relations and the Far East 1933-1939: Imperial Crossroads by Greg Kennedy The History of Anglo-Japanese Relations, 1600-2000 Volume III: The Military Dimension Edited by Ian Gow and Yoichi Hirama with John Chapman 'A Fearful Concatenation of Circumstances': The Anglo-Soviet Rapprochement, 1934-6 by Michael Jabara Carley Brave New World: Imperial and Democratic Nation-building in Britain Between the Wars Edited By Laura Beers and Geraint Thomas Britain at Bay by Alan Allport The British Defence of Egypt 1935-1940: Conflict and Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean by Steven Morewood British Establishment Perspectives on France, 1936-1940 by Michael Dockrill The British General Election of 1935 by James C. Robertson Patterns of the Future? British Mediterranean Strategy and the Choice Between Alexandria and Syprus 1935-8 by Manolis Koumas 'Living the Blackshirt Life': Culture, Community and the British Union of Fascists, 1932-1940 by Michael A. Spurr Economics, Rearmament, and Foreign Policy: The United Kingdom before 1939 - A Preliminary Study by R.A.C. Parker Fascism, Communism, and the Foreign Office, 1937-1939 by Donald Lammers Fighting the People's War: The British Commonwealth Armies and the Second World War by Jonathan Fennell Forgotten Armies by Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper Franco-British Relations and the Question of Conscription in Britain, 1938-1939 by Daniel Hucker The Battle for Britain: Interservice Rivalry between the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy; 1909-40 by Anthony J. Cumming Malta and British Strategic Policy 1925-1943 by Douglas Austin Pacifism and Politics in Britain, 1931-1935 by Michael Pugh The Royal Air Force, Air Power and British Foreign Policy, 1932-37 by Malcolm Smith British Rearmament in the 1930s: A Chronology and Review by J.P.D. Dunbabin The Royal Air Force - Volume 2: An Encyclopedia of the Inter-War Years 1930-1939: v. 2 by Ian Philpott British Seapower and Procurement Between the Wars: A Reappraisal of Rearmament by G.A.H. Gordon The British Government and the South African Neutrality Crisis, 1938-39 by Andrew Stewart Strategy versus Finance in Twentieth-Century Great Britain by Paul M. Kennedy The British General Staff: Reform and Innovation, 1890-1939 Edited By David French and Brian Holden Reid Deterrence and the European Balance of Power: the Field Force and British Grand Strategy, 1934-1938 by B.J.C. McKercher The Tradition of Appeasement in British Foreign Policy 1865-1939 by Paul M. Kennedy British Rearmament 1936-39: Treasury, Trade Unions and Skilled Labour by R.A.C. Parker Winston Churchill's Parliamentary Commentary on British Foreign Policy, 1935-1938 by Richard Howard Powers British Rearmament and the 'Merchants of Death': The 1935-36 Royal Commission on the Manufacture of and Trade in Armaments by David G. Anderson Whitehall and the Control of Prices and Profits in a Major War, 1919-1939 by Neil Rollings Thinking the Unthinkable: British and American Naval Strategies for an Anglo-American War, 1918-1931 by Chistopher M. Bell Britain's War: into Battle, 1937-1941 by Daniel Todman British Armour Theory and the Rise of the Panzer Arm: Revising the Revisionists by Azar Gat Changing American Perceptions of the Royal Navy Since 1775 by John B. Hattendorf Military Innovation and Technological Determinism: British and US Ways of Carrier Warfare, 1919-1945 by Kendrick Kuo British Military Policy between the Two World Wars by Brian Bond Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PREORDER NOW: A CANLOAN Officer – a VMGCRA Reprint (PRE-ORDER) - The Vickers Machine Gun (vickersmg.blog) In this interview I was joined by Rich Fisher from the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association to talk about the Vickers, how the Association got started, and a new book that is available for pre-order today which is a reprint of a memoir of a CANLOAN officer, Lieutenant Rex Fendick. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During November 1938, a man would be murdered in Paris, and it would have drastic consequences for Jewish Germans. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The interwar period of military evolution was a complicated web of influences, decisions, and inferences. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were many different opinions about the best method of projecting air power, in this episode we touch on some of the choices that the Luftwaffe would make. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The two most well known German military leaders from the First World War would have two very different experiences in postwar Germany. But both who have interactions with one very particular person who would later be quite important. You can find Hindenburg, Ludendorff, and Hitler by Alex Clifford here. History's Most Podcast: History's Most (libsyn.com) Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the late 1930s the expansion of the Kriegsmarine would get serious. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because you know I'm all about them boats, about them boats, no aircraft. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last 18 months before the war Germany's desires far outstripped its available resources. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preparing for war is a delicate balance of short and long term preparations, but not everybody in Germany agreed about what those should be. Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1936 Germany began to seriously prepare for a future conflict, and almost immediately began to run into some economic problems. Sources: The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy by Adam Tooze War and Economy in the Third Reich by R.J. Overy The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament by Wilhelm Deist The Third Reich and Yugoslavia: An Economcy of Fear, 1933-1941 by Perica Hadzi-Jovancic Hitler A Biography Hitler's Eagles by Chris McNab Quest for Decisive Victory: From Stalemate to Blitzkrieg in Europe, 1899-1940 by Robert M. Citino The Blitzkrieg Myth by John Mosier The Path to Blitzkrieg: Doctrine and Training in the German Army, 1920-1939 by Robert M. Citino 1930s German Doctrine: A Manifestation of Operational Art by Tal Tovy The Blitzkrieg Myth: How Hitler and the Allies Misread the Strategic Realities of World War II by John Mosier The Origin of the Term "Blitzkrieg": Another View by William J. Fanning Jr. Storm of Steel: The Development of Armor Doctrine in Germany and the Soviet Unition 1919-1939 by Mary R. Habeck Hitler's Eagles by Chris McNab Military Innovation in the Interwar Period Edited By Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett Ship-of-the-Line or Atlantic Raider? Battleship Bismarck Between Design Limitations and Naval Strategy by Timothy P. Mulligan Strategy for Defeat the Luftwaffe 1933-1945 by Williamson Murray Battleship Bismarck: A Design and Operational History by William H. Garzke Jr., Robert O. Dulin Jr., and William Jurens Contact [email protected] to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Munich Agreement had been signed, the territory transfers had started, it was time for the whole area to calm down....right? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 30th, just before 2AM, the Munich Agreement was signed. Territory transfers were scheduled to begin less than 24 hours later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seemed clear that nobody wanted to force the government in Prague to accept the Godesberg Memorandum and its demands, and war loomed on the horizon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chamberlain would triumphantly arrive at Bad Godesberg with the agreements from Prague in hand, the Munich Crisis was now over....and then it absolutely was not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...because we were left alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the major events leading up to the Munich agreement was a series of two personal conversations between the British Prime Minister Nivelle Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler. The original idea for these conversations originated in London during conversations that would occur in late August Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the events of May and the phantom invasion and Czechoslovakian mobilization, the overall vibe in the area was tense. It also had a real effect on many governmental ministers all over Europe as for the first time in 20 years they had been pushed to what felt like the brink of a European wide war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May 1938 a rumor would begin circulating, based on intelligence gathered by Czechoslovak and British sources, that Germany was about to launch an invasion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 30, 1938 one of the more controversial events of the interwar period would occur. But first, some background. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices