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Peace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 106 - A Revolutionary CallingHaving been kicked out of the seminary, young Stalin embarked on the life of a professional revolutionary in earnest. Agitation, a refusal to play nice with older party leaders, and mysterious oil refinery explosions all became his calling cards.    Bibliography for this episode:    Montefiore, Simon Sebag Young Stalin Vintage Books 2007 Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com 2022-10-2328 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 105 - The Cobbler’s KidThe biography episodes return as today I cover the early life of Joseph Stalin. Born into a conquest of the Russian Empire, young Stalin was not the most likely candidate to become a world leader. But the crucible of living under the Tsarist boot and his own violent homelife shaped him into the revolutionary that he would become.    Bibliography for this episode:    Montefiore, Simon Sebag Young Stalin Vintage Books 2007 Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com 2022-10-1630 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 103 - From WithoutWhile the Soviet Union struggled internally, it did not neglect trying to continue the Revolution abroad. Attempting to rally the troops, the idea of a workers International was rebooted as the Comintern. It would be the home away from home for many Communists and during the first decade of its existence push numerous uprisings aimed at toppling Capitalism. Not with a lot of success, but their efforts kept the champions of Capital awake at night all the same.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hallas, Duncan The Comintern: A History of the Third International Hayma...2022-10-0335 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 102 - New LivesPeacetime in the Soviet Union created an opportunity for social experimentation. The old order was gone, the Communist Party wasn't yet the juggernaut of state power it would become, and change seemed to be the order of the day.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017 Kotk...2022-09-2626 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 101 - NEP LifeThe first peacetime order of business in the new USSR was to re-build the economy. And to do that, they had to liberalize and turn towards a kind of state capitalism that was dubbed the New Economic Policy, the NEP. It wasn't perfect, and the new imbalances it created started conflicts in the Communist Party.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in C...2022-09-1930 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 100 - The Union of Soviet Socialist RepublicsOne-hundred episodes! And to celebrate, here is a completely normal weekly episode. The Soviet Union wasn't built in a day, in fact it took five years for the Bolshevik leaders to finally hammer out the details as to the new nation. And that only happened after Lenin and Joseph Stalin clashed over the question of state power, a clash that was only settled by Lenin's declining health.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russi...2022-09-1128 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 99 - Odds and Ends and MiseriesThe consequences of winning the Civil War at any cost came back to haunt the Bolsheviks, as it turned out the "any cost" meant millions of people starving to death in a gigantic famine. Agriculture was in ruins throughout Russia, and only the intervention of an unlikely ally prevented the problem from being worse.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1...2022-09-0425 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 98 - Policy ChangeJust because the Civil War was over didn't the misery ended. With the Whites gone, all the non-Bolsheviks who had been tolerating Lenin's government and its excesses decided it was time to turn against it. Revolt and revolution spread across the country yet again, threatening to end the Communist regime right after all its military victories.    Just as the Russian Civil War appeared to be winding down, a reborn Poland decided to make a play for some open land and invaded Soviet Russia. While the ensuing war would be an opportunity for the Bolsheviks to ma...2022-08-2826 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 97 - Bolshevik TerminusJust as the Russian Civil War appeared to be winding down, a reborn Poland decided to make a play for some open land and invaded Soviet Russia. While the ensuing war would be an opportunity for the Bolsheviks to march on Europe, getting past the Poles proved easier said than done.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford Unive...2022-08-2135 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 96 - The TerrorDuring the Civil War, threats to the Revolution weren't just coming from the battlefield. The Bolsheviks very quickly realized that internal enemies in areas they controlled were a danger, and built-up their version of the secret police, the Cheka, to counter those enemies. They got out of hand.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick...2022-08-1429 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 95 - The New StateRome wasn't built in a day, and neither was the Soviet Union. But the pressures of war convinced the Bolsheviks to step up their centralizing efforts, laying the groundwork for the Communist state that everyone would come to know and love.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford Universi...2022-08-0727 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 94 - HangryThis week we turn away from the battlefield and more towards what life was like on the ground in Bolshevik Russia. Long story short, the war wasn't an easy one on the civilian side either. This week in particular I touch on the precariousness of the food supply, and the collapse of urban life.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1...2022-08-0225 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 93 - Fate of the RevolutionThe final White offensives kicked off as Denikin made his play on Moscow in summer 1919. While we all know the attacks wouldn't succeed, they came close enough to panic the Bolshevik leadership and stretch the Red Army to its limit.     Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press...2022-07-2530 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 92 - House of CardsThe first attempt to bring the Bolsheviks down once and for all didn't go very well. Striking beyond its capabilities, Admiral Kolchak's White armies stalled out on the Volga. One determined Red Army counteroffensive later, and they were in a full retreat. The Siberian Whites, the biggest group of that faction and the one most supported by the Entente, fell apart like a... well, a house of cards.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy...2022-07-1727 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 91 - The Gathering White StormThe opening moves of the 1919 campaigns saw action all across Russia once again, but this year opened with the White faction in a far stronger position. With bases all around Russia secured, they began positioning for attacks to bring down the Bolsheviks once and for all.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian R...2022-07-1025 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 90 - White SiberiaToday I wrap up coverage of the Russian Civil War in 1918. Mostly I'll be talking about the total mess that was Siberia, but the mess that was Central Asia gets some attention too.    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017 Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015 Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wa...2022-07-0426 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 89 - Red RiposteThis is kind of a grab-bag episode, as I cover the Red counter-offensive against the Komuch government, the Entente landings in northern Russia, and all sorts of events in the south.    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017 Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015 Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst...2022-06-2629 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 88 - Trotsky’s BabyStill mostly making things up as they went along, the Bolsheviks worked to sort themselves out in order to confront the rising military threats against them. For most of the first half of 1918 it was slow going, but under Trotsky's leadership the Red Army started to take shape.    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Pr...2022-06-1926 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 87 - The Ice OfficersThe Russian Civil War kicked off with a freezing micro-army trudging through southern Russia, but in only half a year growing dissatisfaction with the Bolsheviks would cause it to spread across the country.    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017 Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015 Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wa...2022-06-1227 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 86 - One Door Closes, Another OpensThe last major political obstacle to the Bolsheviks was the Constituent Assembly, which as it turned out was more of a minor bump. A much bigger obstacle was the German army, and how to satisfactorily end a fight that had long since been lost.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4...2022-06-0528 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 85 - The Periphery of a Fallen EmpireToday we take a break from the center and look at what was going on in the borderlands of Russia in 1917. The chaos of that empire's fall created new opportunities for autonomy for the peoples living away from the heartlands. Plus, the displaced officers of the army began to link up in Russia's south with the intent of challenging the Bolsheviks.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA ...2022-05-2926 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 84 - The RevolutionDo I even need to introduce this one? The Bolsheviks overcame all the odds against them, and did the dang the thing.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 Fitzpatrick, Sheila The Russian Revolution, 4th Edition Oxford University Press 2017 Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928 Penguin Books 2015 Smele, Jonathon D The Russian Civil Wars C. Hurst & Company...2022-05-2227 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 83 - Red OctoberThe last days of the Provisional Government ticked by amidst plotting and feuding that would do its memory no favors. It also didn't do it any favors in the moment either, as the chaos swung vital public support towards the Bolsheviks. As October dawned, everything started coming together for the big revolution they had been dreaming of.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution...2022-05-1527 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 82 - The Years of Revolution, Part IILosing one major war was survivable for Imperial Russia, but damage done by WWI both militarily and socially proved too much. The Tsar would fall in 1917, but he clung to power long enough that the damage he had caused Russia would be too great for its succeeding government to deal with.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford Unive...2022-05-0846 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 81 - The Years of Revolution, Part IThe dam starts to break for Imperial Russia as it embarked on a terribly ill-advised war on the extreme edge of its empire. Long story short, it didn't go well and all the pressures that had been building for decades broke out in a frenzy of protest and violence.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 F...2022-05-0136 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 80 - The Disloyal OppositionLast week I covered some of the major fixtures of the old Russia, and this week I go over their counterparts in the Russia to come. Many were not destined to last much longer than the autocracy itself, but all would have some influence on the revolutions that would lead to the USSR's formation.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1...2022-04-2432 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 79 - Autocracy on EdgeA memorable revolution needs a cartoonishly unsympathetic adversary, and the Communists had that in the autocracy that ruled Russia up to 1917. Today I cover some of the big institutions and figures whose mismanagement made Russia such fertile ground for revolution and the establishment of a new kind of state.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes, Orlando A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1917 Penguin Books 1998 Smith, SA Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis 1890-1928 Oxford University Press 2018 F...2022-04-1730 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 78 - The Eastern BearFresh new miniseries this week as I get started on unpacking the Soviet Union's early years. But as you're probably familiar with by now, a topic that big deserves some setup, and today I begin a way-too-fast overview of the conditions in the Russian Empire leading up to the early 1900s. In short, the place was a mess and it turns out that an out-of-touch autocracy wasn't the best institution to fix it.    Bibliography for this episode:    Hosking, Geoffrey Russia and the Russians: A History The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2001 Figes...2022-04-1030 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 77 - Theory Into PracticeToday we wrap up this season's coverage on China with the early life of its eventual leader, Mao Zedong. His early years were dominated by intellectualism, but for the longest time he cast about for the proper cause to believe in. It was only after witnessing the escalating disasters that befell the nation that he came to accept Marxism, but once done he became its committed champion.    Bibliography for this episode:    Short, Philip Mao, A Life Henry Holdt and Company LLC 1999 Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republi...2022-04-0328 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 76 - The GeneralissimoIt's the return of biography episodes today and first on deck is Sun Yat-sen's unlikely successor, Chiang Kai-shek. I say unlikely because for most of his early life Chiang was a fairly anonymous foot-soldier for a failing political movement. It was only after Sun enjoyed some lucky breaks that Chiang was eventually handed the responsibility of shaping what would become the most powerful army in China. And having that army made up for a lot of Chiang's deficiencies as a leader.    Bibliography for this episode:    Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the S...2022-03-2727 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 75 - The Northern ShowdownGoing back to the KMT this week, the party and NRA found themselves somewhat at a loss on how to move forward without Chiang Kai-shek. Militarily they were holding it together, but politically were splintering again. With Wang Jingwei not providing the leadership needed, it was eventually decided for Chiang to return to command. More powerful than ever, Chiang took charge of the Nationalists to conclude the Northern Expedition once and for all.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambri...2022-03-2029 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 74 - Red LowsThe CPC found itself hunted and on the run after the whole "getting purged" thing went down with the KMT. Survival was the order of the day, and only in limited instances were the Communists able to even make their presence felt. And even in their reduced state there were still inter-party squabbles. But the trials they endured would eventually pay off as the KMT's nemesis refused to give up their revolutionary dreams.    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The C...2022-03-1323 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 73 - A Revolution DashedThe war for China took a turn when Chiang Kai-shek and the Right KMT executed a massive backstab on the Communists and their Left KMT allies. In doing so, Chiang unknowingly established an intractable rivalry that would haunt him for the rest of his life.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975 Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle...2022-03-0627 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 72 - The Northern ExpeditionThe decisive campaign of China's warlord era begins as Chiang Kai-shek tightens his grip on the Kuomintang and finally kicks off the Northern Expedition. Despite KMT power and influence in the south having been growing for over two years previously, the feuding warlords didn't have an answer and got routed in the first phase. The only thing that slowed the advance of the KMT was its internal divisions that would come to a head after the first round of dizzying victories.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge Histo...2022-02-2728 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 71 - The Sun SetsThe Kuomintang was going from strength to strength by the mid-20s, but in early 1925 faced a test of an unfamiliar sort when its founder, Sun Yat-sen, passed away. It would be up to his lieutenants to carry on the Nationalist cause without him. Alongside their Communist allies, the next generation of KMT leaders made their final preparations for the great Northern Expedition.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republi...2022-02-2026 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 70 - Communist EntanglementsToday we finally leave the warlords of the north behind and turn back to China's southern provinces, where Sun Yat-sen and his Kuomintang were still struggling to establish a stable base. Those efforts would be saved by the intervention of an outside party: the Soviet Union. Their aid though came at the price of allying with the tiny Communist Party of China. The partnership would change the KMT in ways Sun hadn't foreseen, but would also lift the Party out of the morass of frustrations it had been subjected to for the past decade.   Bibliography f...2022-02-1328 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 69 - The Fall of the ZhiliThe Second Zhili-Fengtian War ended in dramatic fashion. But once again, nobody left on the board was in a good enough position to claim control of China. Instead, the warlord period entered its most factionalized phase, with four major players vying for dominance in the north.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975 Pye, Lucian W. Warlord Politics Praeger Publishers 1971 Chan, Anth...2022-02-0630 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 68 - The Lords of WarThis week I cover the arms trade fueling the civil wars in China, and the warlords' own efforts at building native arms industries. Then for the second half, I kick off the Second Zhili-Fengtian War, as the region north of Beijing once again became a battleground.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975 Bianco, Lucien Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 Edi...2022-01-3032 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 67 - King of the HillThe wars between the Cliques kick off as the Anhui and Zhili factions go head-to-head. While their battle would be a short one, the results brought the nation no closer to peace, and only set the stage for the next round of fighting. Also, Sun Yat-sen keeps doing his thing in the country's south.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975...2022-01-2326 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 66 - The May Fourth IncidentToday I take a partial step back from high politics in China. Dissatisfaction had been building over the Chinese government's failure revise the exploitive relationship the country suffered from with the great powers of the world. And it didn't help that both Yuan and Duan had been actively courting foreign support either. On May 4th 1919, the tension broke and people took to the streets, at first mostly students, and then most everybody else in the major cities. In addition to covering this protest, I take a step back and cover the development of Chinese thinking and education that led...2022-01-1626 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 65 - The CliquesThis week I give an overview of the emerging networks of Warlords that would come to dominate China. Yuan Shikai might have died, but China's troubles were far, far from over. His most powerful subordinate, Duan Qirui, attempted to fill the void left by his old master, but he didn't command the same level of prestige and fear that Yuan did at his height. Other factions began to emerge and Duan's own authoritarian tendencies led to the Warlords scrambling to make alliances for the civil wars to come.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fair...2022-01-0926 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 64 - The Hongxian EmperorFresh off his victory over Sun and the KMT, Yuan fell into the old strongman trap of overreaching while his regime hadn't yet found its footing. That, coupled with his regime being undermined from abroad eventually led him to make a really bad call that totally blew up in his face.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc 1975 Bianco, Lucien Origins o...2022-01-0225 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 63 - The Double Ten RevolutionChina's decay by the end of 1911 reaches a point of no return and a revolution sweeps the country. The old Qing Empire ends in ignominious fashion as its hand-picked commander decides to parley with the revolution instead. The Qing went away, but the question of what came after would take over 35 years to be answered.    Bibliography for this episode:    Fairbank, John K & Denis Twitchett The Cambridge History of China, Volume 12: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 1 Cambridge University Press 1983 Sheridan, James E. China in Disintegration: The Republican Era in Chinese History 1912-1949 Macmillian Publishing Co, In...2021-12-2725 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 62 - The Middle KingdomToday is the start of a new miniseries where I finally get to cover China. This is going to be a fun one because the history of China during this time period is one that gets left out of the vast majority of popular histories. The reason is because it's a hectic mess, which is good because hectic messes are one of the reasons I do this show. This week though we just get the table set, with the fall of the Qing Empire, and China's entry into an extended period of misery.    Bibliography for th...2021-12-1926 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 61 - Showa AscendancyThis week we wrap up Japan in the 1920s. While the nation didn't finish the decade gripped by the militarism that would drag the nation into its later disasters, warning signs were already there. The country's ruling class became fearful of the changing times, a shift reflected in the change of monarch as Hirohito takes the throne, and Japan once again had an active emperor.    Bibliography for this episode:    McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002 Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridg...2021-12-1229 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 60 - Taisho TwilightReturning back to normal episodes on Japan, the country enjoys its most democratic period of the years I'll be covering. Too bad for them, it's also the same time that the economy craters and one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history strikes.    Bibliography for this episode:    McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002 Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988 Mason, RHP & JG Caiger A History of Japan Tuttle Publishing 1997   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceint...2021-12-0527 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 59 - Siberia Needs an InterventionAfter almost a year of back and forth, Japan and the Entente launched their biggest intervention into Civil War-era Russia, the Siberian Expedition. The years-long effort was marred by muddled objectives and a hostile populace, and its long-term impact was mostly confirming the Soviet Union as an enemy and undermining the people's faith in Japan's institutions.    Bibliography for this episode:  Morley, James William The Japanese Thrust Into Siberia, 1918 Columbia University Press, 1954 Dunscombm, Paul E Japan's Siberian Intervention 1918-1922 Lexington Books, 2011 McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002 Duus, Peter The Cambri...2021-11-2837 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 58 - The Plot ThickensSupport for an intervention into Siberia begins to build momentum as apprehensions over the new Bolshevik government in Russia grow. But it's the appearance of tens of thousands of armed Czechs in the region that really knocks down any barriers to sending an armed force in.    Bibliography for this episode:  Morley, James William The Japanese Thrust Into Siberia, 1918 Columbia University Press, 1954 Dunscombm, Paul E Japan's Siberian Intervention 1918-1922 Lexington Books, 2011 McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002 Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University...2021-11-2126 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 57 - Siberian PoliticsThis week begins a 3-part miniseries within a miniseries covering in detail Japan's involvement in the Siberian Expedition, a haphazard military intervention into Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. But it's the twists and turns of actually getting the venture off the ground that are the most insightful bits of history, as the conflicts and cross-purposes of the Japanese elites were on full display on the long road leading north.     Bibliography for this episode:  Morley, James William The Japanese Thrust Into Siberia, 1918 Columbia University Press, 1954 Dunscombm, Paul E Japan's Siberian Intervention 1918-1922 Lexington Books...2021-11-1425 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 56 - Taisho DaysWhat went up eventually came down, and the wartime boom for Japan's economy ended not long after the hostilities. Japan entered the 20s far more uncertain than it had been just a generation ago, as the world was fast changing. The people in both the cities and countryside demanded more rights and material benefits, and the elites were slow to oblige them. This set the stage for the Taisho era to be remembered as a vibrant time, but also one that those with power would want to get away from.      Bibliography for this episode:  McClain, James L A...2021-11-0728 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 55 - The Changing of the GuardThe Meiji era is concluded this week, and the transition to the Emperor Taisho ushers in a new period of experimentation in Japanese life. Taisho himself was incapacitated with medical ailments for most of his reign, and the throne did not present the solid center it had under Meiji. In addition, the genro which had formed the core of Japan's leadership began aging out, and Ito's constitution turned out not to be foolproof at resisting demands for representative government. The nation now had to reckon with its own modernization and the unsustainability of the old status quo.   ...2021-10-3125 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 54 - The Rise of the EmpireYears before they swept over East Asia in the 30s and 40s, the Japanese... well they swept over East Asia before then too. Seeing overseas possessions as the next logical step towards making their own nation secure, Japan started going to war with the neighbors. Fortune smiled on them in these years and they humbled empires far larger than they.    Bibliography for this episode:  McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002 Jansen, Marius B The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 5: The Nineteenth Century Cambridge University Press 1989 Mason, RHP & JG Caiger ...2021-10-2427 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 53 - Neon Genesis ModernizationHaving successfully resisted becoming colonized by the Europeans, Japan was now free to makes its own destiny and pursue new ambitions. But before that nation could look abroad, it first had a couple of "to-dos" on the domestic front. The first was straightforward, make a modern economy. The other was to reform the government and create a constitution. This was a little trickier, and the end result was going evolve in unforeseen ways that would play out over decades.    Bibliography for this episode:  McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc...2021-10-1729 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 52 - The Rising SunAfter a long break from focusing on one particular nation, today starts the introduction to Japan! They're a special case in history, as they're the only nation outside of Europe to dodge being colonized and become a Great Power in their own right (and even then the other Powers were reluctant to acknowledge that special status). Which for our purposes on this show meant that East Asia was one of the primary hotspots in the world that contributed to global instability. Which was mostly Japan's doing as they pursued an empire of their own. But it was kind of...2021-10-1027 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 51 - Stop Me if You‘ve Heard This OneToday we wrap up introducing the colonial empires of France and the UK with the most restive of their conquests, the Middle East. In the wreckage of the Ottoman Empire, the two nations would lay the groundwork for the region's future instability and long years of military occupations for themselves. All the greatest hits are here, with Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq all being affected by the European presence. Plus the UK's further misadventures in Persia! Which wasn't a colony, but the British usually acted like it.    Bibliography for this episode:  Fromkin, David A Pe...2021-10-0334 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 50 - French AfricaWe've come to the penultimate episode on our tour of the big world empires, and this week we're covering the sprawling French presence in the western half of the African continent. The experience for the colonized was mixed to say the least, but for France the region was a source of vital raw materials and manpower. That last bit, the manpower, was critical to France's status as a competitive power as African troops were expected to play a big part in France's military. Added to that, the African colonies would be areas of concern for both sides in the...2021-09-2625 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 49 - The Other EmpiresThe British might have had the biggest and most influential of the colonial empires, but they were far from alone. Today we take a look at the Netherland's massive Dutch East Indies colony and France's big holding in East Asia, Indochina. Both were resource-rich areas that made fine possessions for their colonial masters. For the people actually living there though, the change to European rule wasn't nearly so positive and by the end of the 20s nationalist resistance to the foreigners would be developing to undermine them. Which turned out to be important as Japan regarded both places as...2021-09-1927 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 47 - A Parting of the WaysWith the campaigns for Indian independence in the post-WWI years a bust, India settles into an uneasy kind of calm. The British might not have been able to properly grasp it, but lines had been crossed and the Indian people had placed themselves on a trajectory towards autonomy and separation. This was reflected not just in the political relationship with the UK, but the economic one as well. And despite the failures of the first half of the decade, by the second half of the 20s, a new generation of leaders was emerging to press for another confrontation with...2021-09-0525 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 46 - SwarajImperial overreach happens to everybody eventually, and the British rule in India during and after WWI became oppressive enough that their subjects began agitating for radical changes in their relationship. The independence movement there began in earnest in the post-war years, and yes this is where Ghandi enters the picture. The British don't take it very well and double-down on the very oppression that got them into their predicament in the first place.   Bibliography for this episode:  Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983 Brown, Judith Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democ...2021-08-2925 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 45 - The RajThe British Empire as we knew it wouldn't have been possible without its cornerstone, India. Turns out adding an entire subcontinent's worth of human and material wealth can turn a relatively small island nation into a global power. In both world wars India proved to be critical to Britain's success, and that importance weighed heavily on the minds of the Britons who ruled there. For the next few weeks we'll be looking at the colonial state, the British Raj, and how the most vital imperial asset began going its own way.    Bibliography for this episode:  ...2021-08-2225 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 44 - The DominionsI've stressed in past episodes the importance of France and the United Kingdom in putting together a peaceful world order in the 1920s. That preeminence was a result of both countries acquiring gigantic empires reaching into every part of the globe, and today we're going to start covering those empires and how they played into the decisions of their rulers. In this episode we're covering the British Dominions, the most un-colonial parts of Britain's empire. They were already starting to go their own way, but were still considered essential components. This'll be more an overview today, as I won't...2021-08-1530 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 43 - Rocky HellasWe conclude our little tour of central Europe with Greece. Like their neighbors, they struggled over territorial claims and reconciling their adopted monarchy. But their greater ambitions only lead them into one disaster after another, and reduced their regional ambitions into that of another grasping state in south-central Europe, dependent on the fragile peace to keep outside aggressors at bay.     Bibliography for this episode:  Beaton, Roderick Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation University of Chicago Press 2019 Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II University of California Press 1998 Glenny, Misha T...2021-08-0839 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 42 - New Great BulgariaIn the big histories of the 30s and 40s, Bulgaria doesn't get mentioned a whole lot. And the reason for that is because they were effectively kneecapped by their neighbors! The Balkans in the early 1900s was a scramble for land, and despite trying their hardest, the Bulgarians were the odd man out. Once an assertive country, they would wallow in the throes of internal chaos. And like Hungary, they would be left waiting for the new order of the 20s to be undone.    Bibliography for this episode:  Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and...2021-08-0130 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 41 - Family FeudsSay what you will about all the dysfunction across Europe in the 1920s, at least all the nations I've been covering have survived after some... uh, adjustments. Yugoslavia though? Not so much. Yugoslavia's story in this episode might be the most familiar, simply because the same issues of sectarianism sprung up again within living memory. And now you'll get some context for that as today I'll be covering the beginnings of those conflicts and the troubled birth of the country in general.     Bibliography for this episode:  Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europ...2021-07-2542 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 40 - Into the Balkans We GoOn the continued Central European overview I stop in on Romania and Albania! Romania is a fun one because unlike a lot of other countries, they managed to get pretty much everything they ever wanted in the aftermath of WWI. It shouldn't come as a surprise though that this came at the cost of antagonizing several neighbors, which included the Soviet Union. Albania on the other hand was so wracked by division that it barely played any role in the events of the day, and I focus on how it became an Italian outpost in the region.   ...2021-07-1827 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 38 - Polish RebootOut of all the unlucky nations I cover on this podcast, probably none had it quite like Poland. After over a century of non-existence, the interwar era saw the Polish nation birth itself back into being. Born in conflict, this version of Poland would never quite find its footing, whilst being wedged between two large nations who would love to partition the country yet again. But as I'll cover, much of their misfortune was self-inflicted, and the young state would tragically do itself few favors.    Bibliography for this episode:  Berend, Ivan Decades of Crisis: Cent...2021-07-0427 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 37 - The Other GuysOverviews ahoy! Today we start a miniseries doing quick coverage of notable events in the long string of European nations that found themselves stuck between the two future Axis powers and the Soviet Union. This area would eventually become the killing fields of Europe, and knowledge of local histories is important to understand how each place fit into the bigger picture. Today I'll be focusing on a broad group of nations, Finland, the Baltic States, and Czechoslovakia, and how they struggled into existence during the 20s.    Bibliography for this episode:  Berend, Ivan Decades of Cris...2021-06-2731 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 36 - The Wilderness YearsThe last episode on Nazis for a while! Fresh out of prison, Hitler has to reckon with a changed Germany in the back half of the 20s. After recovering from a cataclysmic economic collapse, nobody seemed receptive to a political message predicated on violence and social upheaval. This should be the time that the Nazi party disbands and Hitler fades back into obscurity, but he and his gang were a stubborn lot and stuck it out long enough to exploit the next disaster.    Bibliography for this episode:  Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norto...2021-06-2027 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 35 - The Beer Hall PutschI would say it's funny that such a half-baked coup actually went ahead, except we all know how this ends up. This should have been the end for Hitler, yet the failings of Weimar meant that he'd eventually get his (much more important) second act.  Bibliography for this episode:  Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998 Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com 2021-06-1325 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 34 - Anything for AttentionWith his own micro-party on hand, Hitler became able to devote his time to his true calling: making a nuisance of himself. And it worked too, as his public persona brought him an expanded group of underlings and the interest of larger figures in the ultra-right scene of Munich.    Bibliography for this episode:  Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998 Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com 2021-06-0625 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 33 - Crashing the PartyThe end of WWI left Hitler an aimless soldier without a cause to fight for, but his ability to work a crowd began to emerge while investigating micro-political parties as part of an army assignment. Before long he had gotten himself signed up for a little group that would eventually be called the Nazis, and he got to work building a life for himself in politics.    Bibliography for this episode:  Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998 Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976   Questions? Comments? Email me at pe...2021-05-3028 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 32 - Hitler, The Poorly Documented YearsThe misadventures of young Hitler continue in the big city of Vienna. And by misadventures I mean he lands in a homeless shelter once the money he got from his family ran out. But it won't be the end of him, and he'll eventually eke out an impoverished life first in Vienna, and then later Munich, before finding a greater purpose to his life in being a soldier during WWI.   Bibliography for this episode:  Kershaw, Ian Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 1998 Toland, John Adolf Hitler, Volume 1 Doubleday & Company Inc 1976   Quest...2021-05-2325 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 31 - Literally HitlerIt's finally time I covered the early days of Hitler and the Nazi party. I'm actually kind of proud that in a podcast about the context for how WWII happened that I haven't had to focus on them for thirty episodes. But it's finally time to introduce the bad guys, and just what they were doing in their more modest days, before they made their successful bid to control Germany. These next two episodes will focus on Adolf Hitler's early life and the remainder of the series will cover him as leader of the Nazi Party in the 20s...2021-05-1626 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 30 - The MirageThe years of 1924-29 represented a kind of golden age for Weimar Germany, and as a consequence not as much happened compared to the five years previous, so I'm compressing it into a single episode. But as relatively nice as those years were, they were also deceptive. All the problems of the past had only been papered over, not solved. Material conditions improved enough to encourage people not to try and overturn the republic, but fell short of making them identify with it. So when the next big crisis came around, Germany would be just as divided and vulnerable...2021-05-0932 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 29 - The Ruhr Crisis - Part IIGermany's slide into chaos continues this week as all those ultra-right types festering in Bavaria decide the moment had come to overthrow the government. For those on the up and up with early Nazi history, this should be familiar to you as the Beer Hall Putsch. But there's also some light at the end of the tunnel as everyone realizes the crisis could not continue, and with the help of a few leadership changes in Europe there appeared hope of a long-term settlement. Bonus, I do a little recap of these very, very tumultuous five years for Germany and...2021-05-0226 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 28 - The Ruhr Crisis - Part IJust as Germany got its internal problems papered over (momentarily), a really big international one popped up. Going all-in on a world war and losing left Germany with a gargantuan reparations bill that they were unable to pay. Both because they didn't have the money, and just as importantly, because the Germans deluded themselves into thinking they shouldn't have to pay it. Cue a French military incursion into the single most important economic zone in the country, a resulting economic crisis, and a legendary bout of hyper-inflation.    Bibliography for this episode:  Evans, Richard The Comi...2021-04-2528 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 27 - Sorting Out the MessIn the aftermath of the Kapp Putsch, things finally quieted down for Weimar Germany. The Freikorps started to be wound down and the Left found itself in a period of transition, so the time of revolution and counter-revolution faded into the background for a time. But with this new state constantly being at odds with itself, the problems never really went away, they just stayed in that background. And just as things got quiet, the Entente started making noises that would spark a fresh round of national crisis.    Bibliography for this episode:  Evans, Richard The...2021-04-1827 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 26 - Putting a Kapp on ItWith the 1918-19 Revolution crushed, the victorious Ebert government probably thought it had some space to start picking up the pieces. Well, think again, because the Freikorps were actively hostile to the new government that they saw as little different than the revolutionaries. Almost from the moment the first dust settled, those groups started plotting against the new state.    Bibliography for this episode:  Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003 Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987 Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017 Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: P...2021-04-1125 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 25 - Counter-Revolution in LederhosenBavaria is a region of Germany that had always kept some distance from the larger nation, and maintained its own identity (and at the time even their own monarch) within the Empire. This independent streak continued into the German Revolution of 1918-19 as events there happened concurrently but separately with what was happening nationally, with the region almost breaking away.    Bibliography for this episode:  Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003 Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987 Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017 Weitz, Eric Weimar Ger...2021-04-0426 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 24 - The March of the FreikorpsWith revolution gripping Germany, the nation's establishment turned desperate. They unleashed the Freikorps, paramilitary units composed of angry and embittered veterans returning home, all across Germany. What resulted was a nightmare of retribution as the soldiers not only fought to prevent Socialism from taking root, but also took out their frustrations from losing WWI on their own people.    Bibliography for this episode:  Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003 Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987 Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 2017 Weitz, Eric Weimar Germany: Promise an...2021-03-2827 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 23 - AbdicationWith 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:  Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003 Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main, 1987 Harman, Chris The Lost Revolution, Germany 1918 to 1923 Haymarket Books 201...2021-03-2125 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 22 - A History of ViolenceOh 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:  Evans, Richard The Coming of the Third Reich Penguin Books, 2003 Peukert, Detlev The Weimar Republic Suhrkamp Verlag am Main...2021-03-1425 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 21 - The Great StrikeThis 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:  Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978 Moway...2021-03-0723 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 20 - Old LabourReturning 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:  Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978 Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972 Hattersley, Roy Borrowed Time Little, Brown, 2007   2021-02-2824 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 19 - Ticked TurksNot 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:  Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978 Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Me...2021-02-2124 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 18 - The Ireland Interlude, Part IIWith 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:  Hopkinson, Michael The Irish War of Independence Gill & Macmillan, 2014 Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978 Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the Wars Methuen & Co, 1972 Hattersley...2021-02-1426 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 17 - The Ireland Interlude, Part IIf 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:  Hopkinson, Michael The Irish War of Independence Gill & Macmillan, 2014 Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978 Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the War...2021-02-0728 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 16 - A Jittery StartWith 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:  Taylor, AJP...2021-01-3126 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 15 - Rule BritanniaThis 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:  Taylor, AJP The Oxford History of England, Vol 15 Oxford University Press, 1978 Moway, Charles Loch Britain Between the...2021-01-2423 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 14 - Capital in RevoltWith 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:  Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995 Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987 Fortescue, William The Third Republic in France 1870-1940 Routledge, 2007   Question...2021-01-1727 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 13 - Payback, PleaseHaving won both war and peace, France then faced the challenge of actually enforcing that victory. Namely, they had to secure their finances and that meant turning the screws to the Germans and extracting every dime they could from them. Easier said than done, as the Germans were flat broke and France's erstwhile ally, the British, were half-hearted at best in helping get the money. The quest to secure financing would provide a demonstration to just how far France could go in exerting its new status as continental Europe's top power.    Bibliography for this episode:  ...2021-01-1024 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 12 - En FrancaisToday we get introduced to France, the land of wine, cheese, and staggering loss. A lot of what happens in the decades we cover revolves around France and its ability, or inability, to control events happening in Europe. So to start off, this episode provides the context that France finds itself in during the interwar era. And also just what the cost of winning WWI actually entailed for the nation.    Bibliography for this episode:  Adamthwaite, Anthony Grandeur and Misery: France 1914-1940 Arnold, 1995 Wright, Gordon France in Modern Times, 4th Ed WW Norton Company, Inc, 1987 Forte...2021-01-0324 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 11 - The Ballad of Bad BennyToday is the last episode on Italy before the Great Depression and is also our first biography episode! Benito Mussolini is remembered mostly for his ineffectualness, and is often seen as the bumbling sidekick to the much more dangerous Adolf Hitler. And while that certainly isn't exactly wrong, it also focuses on those last years when everything got away from him. His early life, presented here, shows him to be a much more complex figure, both intellectual and savage. Starting from virtually nothing, this episode covers his journey from poverty to early 1919, when he formally launched his Fascist movement...2020-12-2731 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 10 - Fascist ItalyOnce the business of taking power in Italy was completed, the Fascists began to turn inward. Mussolini starts to distance himself from the old guard Fascists, the businessmen of the country successfully defend their economic privileges in exchange for their support, and even the Catholic Church comes around. Plus I cover a grab-bag of Italy's foreign adventures in this period.    Bibliography for this episode:  Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005 Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995 Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995 Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007  ...2020-12-2035 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 9 - Hitting the Big TimeAfter the March on Rome, Mussolini found himself in charge as Prime Minister, but the Fascists were still a minority party. But now that any viable opposition had demonstrated that they were unwilling to resist him in any meaningful way, he began the work of breaking apart Liberal Italy and bending the political system to his will.    Bibliography for this episode:  Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005 Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995 Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com 2020-12-1331 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 8 - Towards RomeJust when it looked like Fascism in Italy was going to be a non-starter, they decide to change the rules. Instead of being a strictly political party the Fascists begin to double-down on political violence and sign-on as muscle for business owners threatened by populist activity. With the official stance of the government being to wait the crisis out, Mussolini makes the most of his opportunity to destabilize democracy and march to power.    Bibliography for this episode:  Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005 Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995 Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945...2020-12-0627 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 7 - Losing the PeaceThe Socialists are riding a high, the Liberals are getting worried, and the Fascists are trying to find their niche in today's episode. Join me as I get into the strife within Italy after the unsatisfying conclusion to WWI. Long story short, the establishment didn't have the answers and it became a race to see which populist would win over the nation.    Bibliography for this episode:  Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group, 2005 Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press, 1995 Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press, 1995   Questions? Comments? Email me at peac...2020-11-2932 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 6 - Buyer's RemorseOn today's episode we'll be covering Italy's experience in WWI and the political aftermath of the war years. Italy's military history in the twentieth century gets treated as kind of a joke, but there were very real consequences to all the disasters, which helped set the stage for Fascism to take root. The experience also caused an upsurge in populist politics in general, something the Italian elites were not prepared for or capable of accommodating.    Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com 2020-11-2225 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 5 - Italian BeefOn today's episode I get started on the miniseries covering Italy up to the Great Depression. The bulk of the first part of this show will be establishing context for each nation, and how they came to make the critical decisions that led to so much fighting later. There are a lot of reasons to cover why democracy in Italy failed and Fascism was able to take root here before anywhere else. Today I'll be providing a basic sketch of Italy, and where so many seeds of later misfortune were planted.    Questions? Comments? Email me at...2020-11-1524 minPeace In Their TimePeace In Their TimeEpisode 4 - Oh God, It's FascismThis week's episode is a little change of pace from the last two, as before I get going into the histories of individual countries, I need to provide an intro into Fascism. This political ideology is absolutely vital to the period, and is a primary reason why the world turned to war and violence in the 1930s. Despite that importance though, Fascism remains a nebulous system of ideas, and its practitioners never bothered codifying a coherent platform. So now I get to spend an entire episode defining it for them.  Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.c...2020-11-0830 min