Did build up to World War Two only begin in the 20th century, or was the century of violent imperial expansion before 1939 the ultimate cause of one of the deadliest conflicts marked in modern history? In this episode James is joined by historian and author Richard Overy to discuss his fresh perspective of World War Two. In his new book 'Blood and Ruins The Great Imperial War' - Richard argues that World War Two should be seen as the final point of nearly a century of imperial expansion across the globe. Together he and James discuss the lesser known imperialistic views of major players in the Second World War, the origins and consequences of imperialistic views, and why this new outlook is important in shaping our understanding of one of the deadliest conflicts in history.

For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare newsletter here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

To download, go to Android or Apple store.