History of the Second World War

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

We have talked about the Maginot Line and rearmament, now it is time to look at what the French army was planning to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If France wanted to compete militarily with the growing power of Germany, it was going to have to start a serious effort to rearm itself. Email: [email protected] Twitter: WorldWar2Pod Website: historyofthesecondworldwar.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Usually these interviews start with a topic and go from there, but in this case I was joined by Dr. Alexander Clarke for a wide ranging discussion on naval history. We talked about the Royal Navy, the perception of its preparations for war, the role that naval aviation played in naval planning during the interwar years, Dr. Clarke's upcoming book on British destroyers, and several other topics. You can find Dr. Clarke's upcoming book Tribals, Battles and Darings: The Genesis of the Modern Destroyer at:https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tribals-Battles-Darings/p/18442https://www.usni.org/press/books/tribals-battles-and-daringsYou can find far more Dr. Clarke over at:http://twitter.com/AC_NavalHistoryhttp://youtube.com/DrAlexanderClarke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last years before the war there were many different concerns in Paris, honestly too many to cover in one episode, but this episode discusses a few of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the wars were over, there were millions of veterans and each nation and each group of veterans found themselves in different positions. In this interview I was joined by Dr. Martin Crotty, Dr. Neil Diamant, and Dr. Mark Edele to discuss their book that looks at the experiences of veterans from many different nations after both World Wars. Check out The Politics of Veteran Benefits in the Twentieth Century here https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501751639/the-politics-of-veteran-benefits-in-the-twentieth-century/#bookTabs=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the victory of the Popular Front it was time to completely transform French society, to fix all of the problems they had identified in the previous years....right? RIGHT?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The events of February 6th 1934 would result in a new unity on the French Left, enter the Popular Front. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Release Note: I was unable to record this week, so pulling forward this interview that was going to release later this year. In this interview I was joined by Dr. Michael Hankins to discuss Fighter Pilot Nostalgia before, during and after the Second World War. The conversation ends up far past the Second World War, but I simply cannot resist a discussion of jet fighters. You can follow Dr. Hankins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HankinstienDr. Hankins' Website: http://mwhankins.com/index.htmlFlying Camelot: The F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501760655/flying-camelot/From Balloons to Drones: https://balloonstodrones.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Among the most important projects by France during the 1930s would be relations with other nations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After their victory during the First World War the French had some very real problems. Those problems and their possible solutions would shape French policy during the interwar years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the interwar period the French decided to take a bit of concrete and build some fortifications, 5 billion Francs later they had completed an impressive bit of construction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Follow Dr. Millington on Twitter: @DrCMillingtonA History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/history-of-fascism-in-france-9781350006539 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Anschluss occurred, there would be no fighting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During February 1938 relations between Austria and Germany begin to spiral out of control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On November 5th 1937 a meeting would take place where Hitler would outline the situation in Europe as he saw it, and why Germany would soon have to go to war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The concept of joining Austria and Germany was not a new idea though, and certainly not one that originated in Nazi Germany. It was instead something that was quite popular at various points in the past, and during this episode we will look at the roots of Pan-Germanism as a movement in the months and years immediately following the end of the First World War, and also why those Pan-Germanist dreams were not fulfilled after 1918. The movement would then have an interesting evolution as its strongest supporters in 1919 would be its strongest opponents in 1938, and shift that we will touch on both in this episode and in episode 58. Website: http://www.historyofthesecondworldwar.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/historyofhegreatwar Apple Podcast Subscription: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/history-of-the-world-wars/id6442476986?ls=1&at=1010l36mt&ct=01 Twitter: @WorldWar2Pod Facebook: historyofthesecondworldwar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we talk about what we will be talking about. Website: http://www.historyofthesecondworldwar.comPatreon: http://www.patreon.com/historyofhegreatwarApple Podcast Subscription: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/history-of-the-world-wars/id6442476986?ls=1&at=1010l36mt&ct=01Twitter: @WorldWar2PodFacebook: historyofthesecondworldwar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the fall of Nanking, there was still no end in sight for the fighting in China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Japanese Army took Nanking in December, what would follow was pain, death, and suffering. Jutland Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymr1u5hy1XQ&t=1s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Japanese landings from Hangzou Bay the Chinese positions in and around Shanghai become completely untenable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the fighting spilled outside the city with Japanese landings on the river, the fighting would continue for months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the Japanese invasion of northern China continued, further south the first major battle of the war was about to begin in the streets of Shanghai. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The establishment of the puppet state of Manchuria would not be the end of the adventures of the Japanese in China, and instead they would endeavor over the course of the next decade to extend their influence, and during that expansion they would eventually fall into a full scale war with China. This episode will first look at why the Japanese felt they had to constantly increase the territory under their control, before looking at the Marco Polo Bridge incident, which would ignite the Second Sino-Japanese War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices