Peace In Their Time

No story of the militarization of German society would be complete without talking about the SS. Possibly the most iconic image of Nazi Germany, aside from images of its victims, was the ominous, black-clad figure. This first installment will introduce the group, its general composition, as well as some of its high-level developments to start off this miniseries within a miniseries.    Bibliograph...

The lengths that I covered last week that the Nazis went to in order to keep the people happy were not done for the love of leisure. The demands of the Third Reich and its rearmament drive were all-consuming and behind the facade of a happy, prosperous Germany was a reality of unrelenting labor.    Bibliography for this episode:  Kershaw, Ian Popular Opinion & Political Dissent in the Third Re...

The aggression and militarization of society in Nazi Germany may have been most openly expressed in its rearmament and bellicose foreign policy, but a critical element too was in how that state engaged with its own people. Getting everyone onboard with a general war was no small task for a state in its infancy, and this week I start taking a look at how Nazism engaged with people on the street.   ...

It seemed that after the re-occupation of the Rhineland that Hitler had gotten the measure of the UK and France, and that what had seemed impossible previously was now quite the opposite. To that end, he was finally able to achieve one of the biggest goals of both the Nazis and German nationalists in general: the unification of Austria to Germany.    Bibliography for this episode:  Tooze, Adam Wag...

The name of the game for 1930s Germany was escalation. Not just in armaments, but in diplomatic moves as well. From small moves to prevent coalitions forming against them, to major plays to bring down the Versailles order, the Nazis only grew bolder as they began to realize the West lacked the wherewithal to stop them.    Bibliography for this episode:  Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making...

We all know the Germans annexed Austria in 1938, but the story of how they tried to overthrow their southern neighbor in 1934 doesn't get as much attention. Today I'll be covering the politics and instability that created a window of opportunity, or perhaps more the scant impression of one, to be exploited by the Nazis.   Bibliography for this episode:  Emondson, C. Earl The Heimwehr and Austrian...

Military conquest was always an ambition of Hitler and the Nazis, a central thesis of theirs was that war was necessary to strengthen their nation. But while the military was built-up almost from scratch, victories were sought on the diplomatic front. Which is the new facet of German aggression being moved onto. Today specifically be about the Geneva Disarmament Conference, the colossal waste of t...

For the 200th episode I'm taking a dive into the minutia of the German Army's arsenal. Ironically, some of the most famous German weapons were only introduced in the later half of the war, when they were losing ground left and right. The years of their build-up and conquest were marked by much more modest pieces of equipment that nevertheless had their qualities.

Was the German Army of WWII the unstoppable demon army of military myth? Or were they the luckiest flock of goose-steppers ever to visit Paris? Turns out they were simply a professional force that brought just enough new ideas to the table that they made everybody else look bad there for a while. Today I break down the broad strokes of German doctrine and organization for its army, everybody's fav...

I know that half the military history internet is devoted to the technical specs of the German military in WWII, but for completions sake I'm going to be adding to that pile. Today I cover the organization, doctrine, and models of weapon used by the two supporting branches of the German military.    Bibliography for this episode:  Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press...

In the second half of this installment, I wrap up the woes the Wehrmacht faced by the end of the 30s, problems that would never be fully resolved. Also covered is the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair, two unrelated scandals that nevertheless Hitler used as cover to solidify control of the army.    Bibliography for this episode:  Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy ...

I've been slacking a lot on the release schedule, so enjoy a second episode for this week. Today I'm still talking about rearmament, but this time it's just the planning on the military side. Turns out expanding your army to support thirty times more troops, all the while building a world-class air force from scratch, and half-heartedly constructing a navy in a little over half a decade creates so...

The reality of Nazi Germany's bid to conquer Europe and dominate the world was that it simply lacked the economic capacity to actually do those things. That didn't stop Hitler from trying though, and he pushed the economy to the breaking point getting as many weapons and the biggest army he could.    Bibliography for this episode:  Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the N...

A sudden transformation of the economy needed collaborators to be carried out in such a short time frame as the Nazis were demanding. And it also demanded a closer relationship between the state and capital, leading to an unholy alliance that brought out the worst in both the German business class and the upper echelons of the Nazi government.    Bibliography for this episode:  Tooze, Adam Wages o...

One of the most striking accomplishments of the Nazi state during the 1930s was the speed with which it built an army capable of conquering Europe. It wasn't a perfect army mind you, but it was capable all the same. And given that it was built up from the weak interwar army in just six years, well something unusual was afoot in Germany. And that something was a startling overhaul of the economy to...

I bring my coverage of the Italo-Ethiopian war to a close today with a two-topic episode. First I cover events and changes in Italy brought on by the war, and then I give a general overview of the brutal regime and resulting insurgency in Ethiopia.    Bibliography for this episode:  Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003 Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia...

One immediate effect of the Italians invading Ethiopia was that it kicked the international crisis that had formed beforehand into overdrive. Most governments might have preferred to keep to a light touch response, but public outcry was such that governments had to either respond or face actual consequences. But despite public pressure and the downfall of some politicians, help was badly lacking f...

Today I conclude the events of the initial Italian invasion of Ethiopia. It's an anti-climatic affair, with the collapse of the main Ethiopian armies the big challenge facing the invaders were the distances and geography involved. Still, there were numerous half-hearted gestures that delayed the Italians establishing their rule for many months after proper hostilities had concluded, and which set...

Today I cover the big battles of the war, and sad to say, they do not go Ethiopia's way at all. Despite promising tactical successes in the first few months of the conflict, the weight of Italian firepower finally overwhelmed the defenders on all fronts.    Bibliography for this episode:  Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003 Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Et...

Today I finally begin covering the actual Italian invasion of Ethiopia, which will take three installments. The first few months of the invasion were marked by a slow Italian advance, Ethiopia getting its army together, and the invaders quickly turning to chemical weapons.    Bibliography for this episode:  Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003 Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The In...

This week I cover the other two branches of the Italian military, the navy and air force. Like the army, the get bad reputations. Also like the army, there are reasons for this, which I get into during the episode.    Bibliography for this episode:  Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007 Bagnasco, Erminio and Mark Grossman Regia Marina: Italian Battleships of World...

It's finally time to take a hard look at the fighting forces of one of the major players in our story. And since this is a new kind of episode for me, I'm happy that I'm taking the baby step of talking about one of the smaller examples. Italy gets maligned a lot during this period, and there are good reasons for this, but today I not only want to cover how its army worked, but also where these def...

I'm trying something new today, and this episode isn't intended to advance the narrative at all, but it is intended to give a crash-course on military organization and important kinds of equipment. It's not intended for everyone, as some of you already know everything that I cover, and many of you who do not are not going to be interested in the material. And that's OK! I just wanted to throw this...

The Ethiopian Crisis kicked off over a border incident in the village of Walwal in October-December 1934, and then proceeded to slow-burn develop until the Italian invasion actually came in October 1935. It was a period of diplomatic maneuverings, and served to deliver a fatal blow to the system of collective security that had been so painfully built up during the 1920s.    Bibliography for this e...

Ethiopia was not Mussolini's preferred target in the early 1930s. His expansionist ambitions gravitated more towards the Balkans, and Yugoslavia in particular. But diplomatic and military realities, the pressure of an emerging fascist rival, and Italy's own weakness forced his attention towards East Africa as an alternative.    Bibliography for this episode:    Gooch, John Mussolini and His Genera...