Peace In Their Time

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: 

1. Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Hopkinson, Michael The Irish War of Independence Gill & Macmillan, 2014

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Hopkinson, Michael The Irish War of Independence Gill & Macmillan, 2014

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

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: 

1. Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]