Peace In Their Time
A history podcast dedicated to examining the global history of the 1920s and 30s in order to explain the causes of World War II, both large and small. As you might imagine, there’s a lot of ground to cover just to contextualize how the conflict got so out of control. If you love historical deep-dives and play-by-plays of nations in way over their collective heads, this is the show for you. Best niche history podcast out there! PROTIP: If you’re a new listener and are hopelessly confused by me bouncing from topic to topic, the scope of this show has kinda gotten away from me over the years. I have included an index of miniseries in the description of Episode 1 to provide a guide for what I’ve covered so far.
Episodes
The Second-Sino Japanese War began with a bang around the picturesque riverbanks surrounding the old Marco Polo Bridge. While it was only a skirmish by itself, its aftermath saw a complete breakdown in relations between the two titans of East Asia and the start of an eight-year conflict that is going to be a huge thread in our continued narrative.
The war between China and Japan that raged from 1937 to 1945 was one of the great sagas of WWII. And it has been a while since I checked in on both nations, so today I set the stage for both countries before the real deal shooting started at the Marco Polo Bridge in July 1937.
I make a vague and rambling attempt here to explain the condition of the National Revolutionary Army of China by mid-1937. It's not a complete picture, but you'll get enough to appreciate exactly how the war played out.
All planes this episode as I close out my overview of the Japanese military with a look at the IJA's air arm.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Francillon, Rene J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War Putnam Aeronautical Books 1970
- Newdick, Thomas Japanese Aircraft of World War II 1937-1945 Amber Books Ltd 2017
- Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
Allowing myself but one katana joke, today I am covering the weapons of the Japanese military. Quality stuff here and there, but the most striking pieces were the ones where the Japanese had to compromise heavily on account of a lack of resources.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Ness, Leland Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945, Volume 2: Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground F...
Today I finally get to talk about the IJA, specifically its organization and doctrine. Turns out a conflict with China was a low priority and that came back to bite them!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Ness, Leland Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945, Volume 1: Tactical Organization of Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces Helion & Company 2014
- Peattie, Mark, Edward J. Drea, and Hanx v...
My deep-dive into the Imperial Japanese Navy concludes with the unexpected heart of the fleet, the carriers!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997
- Peattie, Mark R Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 Naval Institute Press 2013
- Stille, Mark E. ...
I'm a little under the weather, so all business today. I'm talking about the heavy cruisers, battleships, and submarines of the IJN.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997
- Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013
- Bishop,...
Today I get started talking about Japanese ship designs, specifically the Destroyers and Light Cruisers. Especially with the Destroyers, the smaller size of these vessels belied a powerful punch that the IJN hoped would prove decisive in the war to come.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 N...
Technically this is the start of the miniseries covering the first couple years of the Second Sino-Japanese War. But before I properly get going with that, I am going to cover the militaries of the war. And today I am starting with the Imperial Japanese Navy, the IJN. This formidable force wasn't built in a day, so I'm taking an episode to talk about its doctrine and the guiding principles it operated under going into WWII.
...
It took almost two years of judicial attacks and the confidence inspired by the 1936 electoral landslide for FDR to summon the gumption to go after the Supreme Court. Second term misfortune struck quickly though, and the battle left its mark on the president.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal&nb...
In 1935 the Roosevelt administration came up against the most effective opposition faced yet, which would setup a showdown between the United States' executive and judiciary. Today I introduce the US Supreme Court and the devastating day that set the stage for that confrontation.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle...
By 1935 the material conditions of the average America were still unacceptably low and millions had no hope of private employment. Help was on the way though, and FDR would spare no expense in making the new Works Progress Administration a success.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, Nick American Made, The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work Bantam Books 2008
- Kennedy, David M.&nbs...
The next round of advancing worker power during the New Deal saw organized labor's allies in Congress successfully secure their right to organize. And a massive split in the labor movement would set the stage for a quick to materialize test of those new rights.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Dray, Philip There is Power in Union: The Epic Story of Labor in America Anchor Books 2010
- Kennedy, David M. Free...
FDR didn't call it the cornerstone for nothing.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935: The Age of Roosevelt Volume II First Mariner Books 20...
Today is the start of the New Deal's second chapter, and I cover the lay of the land before getting in deep with some of the era's greatest reforms.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. ...
The saga finally concludes and the Second Spanish Republic is destroyed. Its demise started with an army coup and it ended with one too.
Bibliography for this episode:
- 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 Wa...
The fall of Catalonia wasn't much of a fight, and its loss set off a scramble to try and set the terms for the winding down of the war.
Bibliography for this episode:
- 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...
I'm entering the endgame of the SCW, and today I cover the last Republican offensive, the Battle of the Ebro. Fun bonus are the half-hearted machinations going on behind the scenes to try and negotiate a peace. If my voice sounds weird today I'm recovering from a pretty dire illness so hopefully it doesn't sound too terrible!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1...
I conclude my coverage on the violent quest for internal order in the two zones of Spain.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Preston, Paul Architects of Terror: Paranoia, Con...
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