Peace In Their Time

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: 

1. Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Po...

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: 

1. Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Sp...

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: 

1. Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 W...

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: 

1. Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1...

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: 

1. Kamen, Henry Empire: How Spain Became a World Power 1492-1763 Perennial 2004
2. Elliott, J.H. Imperial Spain 1469-1716 Peng...

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...

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: 

1. Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999
2. Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986
3. Darwin, John The ...

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: 

1. Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999
2. Fromkin, David A Peace to End All Peace...

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: 

1. Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century...

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: 

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 w...

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: 

1. Philpott, I.M. The Royal Air Force 1930-1939 Pen & Sword Books Ltd 2008
2. Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of...

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: 

1. Gordon, David Weapons of the WWII Tommy Pictorial Histories Publishing Co. 2011
2. Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
3. Porter, David World War II Tanks: Western Allies 19...

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: 

1. Dannatt, Richard & Robert Lyman Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918-40 Osprey Publishing Ltd 2023
2. Fraser, David And We Shall Shock Them: The British Army in the Second World War Hodde...

I finally get to go over the notable ships of one of the big navies!

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Hobbs, David British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development, and Service Histories Seaforth Publishing 2013
2. Friedman, Norman The British Battleship 1906-1946 Seaforth Publishing 2015
3. Konstam, Angus British Aircraft Carriers 1939-45 Osprey Publishing 2010
4. Friedman, Norman British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After Seaforth Pub...

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: 

1. Field, Andrew Royal Navy Strategy in the Far East 1919-1939: Prepa...

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: 

1. Shay Jr, Robert Pa...

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: 

1. Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press...