The Second World War

Although the Second World War really begins with the invasion of Poland, Germany’s expansion began earlier with the annexation of Austria. This event, which Churchill described as “the rape of Austria,” was the first real glimpse of what Hitler intended for Eur

Between the First World War and the Second World War, there was another conflict that greatly impacted Europe. This was the Spanish Civil War. Although technically this was just a civil war between the Republicans and Nationalists, unofficially many of the nations that participated in the Second World War, were involved in the Spanish Civil War, at least unofficially. Hitler especially took advantage of this opportunity to perfect the strategies that he would use in the Second World War.

My recommendation for an audio book is Hell and Good Company: The Spanish Civil War and the World It Made by Richard Rhodes. From the Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, the remarkable story of the Spanish Civil War through the eyes of the reporters, writers, artists, doctors, and nurses who witnessed it. Get this audiobook for free with a free trial of Audible through this link

When it comes to history, context is everything. Thankfully, we are blessed with great historical resources, including the German background. In this episode, I talk to Travis Dow, the host of the History of Germany podcast (and many more). We discuss some of what was happening in Germany between the wars, including attitudes toward communism and Judaism (make sure to listen to his episode on antisemitism). I’m always amazed at how much knowledge Travis has over such a wide span of German history.

I would encourage you to check out Travis at his website and start listening to his podcast.

My recommendation for this episode is William Shirer’s Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the defi

It is difficult to understand the Second World War without some concept of the First World War. Many of the seeds of what happened in 1939-1945 were planted in 1914-1918. Even some of the battles were fought on the same land by the same countries led by leaders who were in both wars.

This episode provides a very broad outline of the major events of the First World War. For more details, my recommendation is Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August. You can get it as an audiobook and support this podcast at Audible.

Last time we looked at the countries that made up the Axis powers. This time we look at the Allies. The Allies are much more than just Britain, United States and the Soviet Union, even if they are considered “the Big Three.”

Understanding the position these countries were in at the start of the war prepares us for what comes next. These countries, many of which had almost nothing in common, were coming together to fight their common enemies.

I mention the China History podcast in this episode. You can find it here.

In this episode, we begin to set the stage by looking at the Axis powers. What was happening in German, Italy and Japan at the time and who were their leaders? You may be surprised by how much these nations had in common and yet were different. Did you know that these nations were not on the same side in the First World War? Did you know that other countries beyond these three were part of the Axis? Find out these things in more in this episode.

A recommend resource is Travis Dow’s History of Germany Podcast.

In this first episode, I share a little about myself and the direction of this podcast. In the episode, I mention the podcast by Ray Harris, Jr. You can find the History of WWII Podcast here. You should really check it out, it is quite good. However, I intend for my podcast to be somewhat different, reflecting my personality and interests.

I hope that you will journey with me as we look at the Second World War and all of the events surrounding it. You can find out more about me at my main website.