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's 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 player 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

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