This podcast is the first of several that explore the inner workings of the Soviet State and the Communist Party under Stalin after 1928. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After fifteen years of 'struggle' Hitler brought to orderly German Government the politics of the demagogue and the populist, and retreated from the bureaucratic business of government. His actions were typical of his outlook and of fascist and Nazi ideology. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While revolution and civil war tore the former Russian Empire apart, the British, French and American leaders at the Paris Peace Conference were unsure as to how to deal with Russia and what part it might play in the shaping of a post war world order. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1911 Italy launched an opportunist war against the Ottoman Empire for control of Libya. Despite the huge costs and the unexpected guerrilla war that Italian troops found themselves fighting against Arab and Ottoman forces, Italy gained control of the Ottoman provinces. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poorly equipped and with virtually no training, the American and British volunteers in the International Brigades, along with French, German, Belgian, Polish and other groups of anti fascists sustained huge casualties keeping the road to Madrid open. The battle of Jarama involved immense sacrifice but once again kept Spain's fascist generals out of the capital Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The wartime Manhattan project resulted in unforseen diplomatic tensions between the three powers and gave America unprecedented power which President Truman was reluctant to use and uncertain how to wield. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The insertion of a highly personalised dictatorship into Germany's previously highly functional bureaucratic state and the gradual erosion of barriers between Fuhrer, state and party led to the growth of institutional chaos in a regime that projected in image of order. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A temporary lull in imperial tensions, arms races and the threat of a major European war was illusory in the last years before the First World War. This podcast explores the nature of this 'Indian summer' and the causes of renewed tensions from 1911 onwards. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nazi Germany was more than simply a personal dictatorship and the manner in which the chaotic and restless Nazi movement captured and infiltrated all areas of the German state dictated the pace of events and change from 1933 onwards. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As fascist armies raced across Spain to seize the capital they committed horrific war crimes against Spanish workers and peasants. Madrid braced itself for the onslaught, but managed to deny Franco and the generals a breakthrough victory Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The development of the CIA by 1949 into a well funded unaccountable agency with the scope for paramilitary operations against the USSR, meant that poorly conceived and ultimately doomed missions against the Soviet Bloc proliferated using anti communist emigres. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peacemakers at the Paris Peace Conference attempted to build new nation states out of the chaos of four collapsed empires. However, events on the ground in Eastern Europe overtook the pace at which decisions in Paris could be made. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi everyone, I'm inviting all listeners to join with me to debate about online hate speech which is creeping into the various Explaining History platforms. Have a listen and give me your views @https://www.facebook.com/Explaininghistory/ Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hitler's capture of Germany's Government saw the introduction of Nazi ideas that sought to abolish the normal functioning of constitutional systems of governance. The concept of the Fuhrer swept away legalism and instead drew legitimacy from the notion of Hitler's relationship with 'the people'. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Sven Beckert's book Empire of Cotton, he discusses the development of modern capitalism's first industry (and empire), that of global cotton. The complex interplay of states, capitalists, waged workers, peasants and slaves created the foundation of the world economy we now inhabit. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, racism and discrimination existed in different forms in both northern and southern states, with a Federal Government often reluctant to intervene or actively complicit. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the delegates of the Paris Peace Conference met in 1919 a council of ten from the five dominant victorious powers formed into the Supreme Council, but the workings of the group were highly contested and problematic. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British mandate in Palestine and Jewish mass immigration placed immense economic pressure on the indigenous Arab peoples. Land ownership became a flashpoint for violent unrest and by 1936 the Arabs rose in revolt against the British. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The outbreak of hostilities in Europe had global consequences and Japan, allied to Britain saw its chance to expand its power in China at the expense of both China and European imperialists in Asia. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite a devastating attack on the USA at Pearl Harbour, Japan paid little attention to the safety of its merchant shipping and faced economic devastation as a result. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By 1939, Britain was poorly prepared for the onslaught of the blitz, with weal central administration and most responsibility for air raid protection placed on families and individuals Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The desert war, a battle that Hitler did not want and Mussolini did, became an opportunity for Churchill to show that the fight was being taken to the enemy, even though it had a questionable impact on Britain's fortunes at war. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The experience of managing information in the First World War shaped how Britain and Germany would control propaganda in the next conflict. Both sought to influence their own populations and also third parties such as the USA. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Luftwaffe's operations in Britain switched from RAF airfields to towns and cities, the first target was East London's docks. In this podcast we hear eye witness testimony from the first day of the blitz Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A devastating air campaign against Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq saw the Arab forces that faced Israel destroyed and the balance of power in the Middle East changed forever. The success of the Israeli attack also sent shock waves through the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern Europe. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the aftermath of the First World War, France and Germany sought ways to cooperate throughout the 1920s in order to provide economic stability and security for both countries. This resulted in the foundations for the European Union, but a second world war would derail the project for a generation. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The months that followed the fall of France were crucial in determining the future outcome of the war. Hitler's decision making became more impulsive and his goals for the invasion of the USSR more urgent as the possibility of a US entry into the war loomed large in his thoughts. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rising star of the Zionist movement by the end of the Second World War, Ben Gurion was a mercurial figure with complex and often antagonistic relationships with Chaim Weizmann and Menachem Begin. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During and immediately after the First World War, a range of plans were devised to distribute and manage German and Ottoman colonies and the process became led by American priorities and values. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite Herman Goering's estimates that the RAF would be defeated in under a month, a long battle of attrition raged throughout August and September 1940, resulting in unsustainable losses for the Luftwaffe. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some fresh perspectives on Stalin's labour camps, revising Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archepelago Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the space of a year the Ottoman Empire was convulsed by two revolutions and a violent civil war between secular modernisers and Islamic traditionalists. The struggle resulted in the overthrow of the political schemer Abdul Hamid II Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Second World War had a dramatic impact on the civil rights struggle, but as a new era in the battle for equality and justice for Black Americans dawned, deep prejudices and entrenched inequality existed. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the devastating defeat of France, Hitler turned his eyes to Britain, the last obstacle in his conquest of the west. Poor planning and a failure to understand Britain's strengths contributed to a wildly unrealistic approach to defeating and occupying the island nation. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany attempted to suppress the memory of the Holocaust in the new republic. His political opponent, Kurt Schumacher of the SPD was determined to bring the crimes of the Nazis in to the open, but there was little popular appetite for such honesty. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second part of the discussion on Sacco and Vanzetti, based on Eric Foner's 1977 essay 'The Men and the Symbols' Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After decades of decline and gradual European encroachment into the Ottoman Empire, disaffected and angry army officers staged a revolt in 1908, forcing the Sultan Abdulhamid II to accept the reinstatement of a reformist constitution. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British Prime Minister David Lloyd George led the British delegation and also those of the British empire dominions who had fought in the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference. The shrewd political operator and outsider was determined to enhance the power of the British Empire. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the military disaster of the fall of France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France, Churchill waited for Hitler's next move and hoped for assistance from the USA Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The politically motivated trial of Italian anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti is examined in depth here, courtesy of Eric Foner's 1977 essay The Men and the Symbols. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of the Second World War an American survey of Jewish survivors in Europe recommended mass Jewish immigration into Palestine. President Harry Truman embraced the study partly out of idealism, but also with his own calculating political considerations, knowing the existing levels of anti Semitism in America. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A series of disastrous miscalculations led the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force to fall into the German Army's trap in 1940. The fall of France was Hitler's greatest military triumph but was in large part the result of allied mistakes. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The conflict in Spain attracted writers and correspondents from around the world and excited passions among their readers in Europe and America. Many were openly partisan in favour of the republic and saw Spain as the world's last chance to stop fascism Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By the end of the First World War, French Prime Minister Clemenceau knew that France's security relied on maintaining an Anglo American alliance with France to keep the war ravaged country safe from Germany. However, the chances of achieving this dwindled week by week. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The election of a left wing Popular Front government in Spain triggered a coup by rebel generals against the Second Spanish Republic. Hitler and Mussolini's intervention in the guise of a massive airlift across the Straits of Gibraltar saved Franco's coup and doomed the republic. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the disaster of the Great Leap Forward and during Mao's attempts at reclaiming his power, a vast new initiative to defend western China was launched. The Third Front proved to be the most costly misallocation of public resources in 20th Century history. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chaos, incompetence and poor intelligence by the British and French handed Hitler an easy victory in Norway, seizing a vital source of raw materials. The loss of Norway showed Britain had a long learning curve ahead. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Initially, all sides in the First World War were wary and suspicious of journalists, fearing they would give away vital intelligence or impede the progress of the war. Later, as the conflict dragged on, politicians in Britain, but not British generals, began to see the propaganda value of journalism. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.