
A history podcast dedicated to examining the global history of the 1920s and 30s in order to explain the causes of World War II, both large and small. As you might imagine, there’s a lot of ground to cover just to contextualize how the conflict got so out of control. If you love historical deep-dives and play-by-plays of nations in way over their collective heads, this is the show for you. Best niche history podcast out there! PROTIP: If you’re a new listener and are hopelessly confused by me bouncing from topic to topic, the scope of this show has kinda gotten away from me over the years. I have included an index of miniseries in the description of Episode 1 to provide a guide for what I’ve covered so far.
A history podcast dedicated to examining the global history of the 1920s and 30s in order to explain the causes of World War II, both large and small. As you might imagine, there’s a lot of ground to cover just to contextualize how the conflict got so out of control. If you love historical deep-dives and play-by-plays of nations in way over their collective heads, this is the show for you. Best niche history podcast out there! PROTIP: If you’re a new listener and are hopelessly confused by me bouncing from topic to topic, the scope of this show has kinda gotten away from me over the years. I have included an index of miniseries in the description of Episode 1 to provide a guide for what I’ve covered so far.
Episodes

7 days ago
7 days ago
It took almost two years of judicial attacks and the confidence inspired by the 1936 electoral landslide for FDR to summon the gumption to go after the Supreme Court. Second term misfortune struck quickly though, and the battle left its mark on the president.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal Simon and Schuster 2012
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Wednesday Jun 17, 2026
Episode 266 - Activist Judges
Wednesday Jun 17, 2026
Wednesday Jun 17, 2026
In 1935 the Roosevelt administration came up against the most effective opposition faced yet, which would setup a showdown between the United States' executive and judiciary. Today I introduce the US Supreme Court and the devastating day that set the stage for that confrontation.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Simon, James F. FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal Simon and Schuster 2012
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Wednesday Jun 10, 2026
Episode 265 - Employing for the Long Haul
Wednesday Jun 10, 2026
Wednesday Jun 10, 2026
By 1935 the material conditions of the average America were still unacceptably low and millions had no hope of private employment. Help was on the way though, and FDR would spare no expense in making the new Works Progress Administration a success.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Taylor, Nick American Made, The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work Bantam Books 2008
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Tuesday Jun 02, 2026
Episode 264 - Labor Ascendant
Tuesday Jun 02, 2026
Tuesday Jun 02, 2026
The next round of advancing worker power during the New Deal saw organized labor's allies in Congress successfully secure their right to organize. And a massive split in the labor movement would set the stage for a quick to materialize test of those new rights.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Dray, Philip There is Power in Union: The Epic Story of Labor in America Anchor Books 2010
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935: The Age of Roosevelt Volume II First Mariner Books 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
- Leuchtenburg, William E. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal 1932-1940 Harper-Perennial 1963
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Monday May 25, 2026
Episode 263 - Social Security
Monday May 25, 2026
Monday May 25, 2026
FDR didn't call it the cornerstone for nothing.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935: The Age of Roosevelt Volume II First Mariner Books 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Monday May 18, 2026
Episode 262 - New Deal 2 - Electric Boogaloo
Monday May 18, 2026
Monday May 18, 2026
Today is the start of the New Deal's second chapter, and I cover the lay of the land before getting in deep with some of the era's greatest reforms.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 Oxford University Press 1999
- Hiltzik, Michael The New Deal: A Modern History Simon and Schuster 2011
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Coming of the New Deal 1933-1935: The Age of Roosevelt Volume II First Mariner Books 2003
- Schlesinger Jr, Arthur M. The Politics of Upheaval 1935-1936: The Age of Roosevelt Volume III First Mariner Books 2003
- Katznelson, Ira Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time W.W. Norton and Company, Inc 2013
- Smith, Jason Scott A Concise History of the New Deal Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Sunday May 10, 2026
Episode 261 - Fall of the Republic
Sunday May 10, 2026
Sunday May 10, 2026
The saga finally concludes and the Second Spanish Republic is destroyed. Its demise started with an army coup and it ended with one too.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Monday May 04, 2026
Episode 260 - Catalan Goodbye
Monday May 04, 2026
Monday May 04, 2026
The fall of Catalonia wasn't much of a fight, and its loss set off a scramble to try and set the terms for the winding down of the war.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Tuesday Apr 28, 2026
Episode 259 - Showdown on the Ebro
Tuesday Apr 28, 2026
Tuesday Apr 28, 2026
I'm entering the endgame of the SCW, and today I cover the last Republican offensive, the Battle of the Ebro. Fun bonus are the half-hearted machinations going on behind the scenes to try and negotiate a peace. If my voice sounds weird today I'm recovering from a pretty dire illness so hopefully it doesn't sound too terrible!
Bibliography for this episode:
- Jackson, Gabriel The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-39 Princeton University Press 1965
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Modern Library 2001
- Beevor, Antony The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Penguin Books 2006
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
Episode 258 - Land of Inquisition, Part III
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
I conclude my coverage on the violent quest for internal order in the two zones of Spain.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
- Preston, Paul The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge Harper Perennial 2006
- Preston, Paul Architects of Terror: Paranoia, Conspiracy, and Anti-Semitism in Franco's Spain Harper Collins 2023
- Ruiz, Julius The "Red Terror" and the Spanish Civil War: Revolutionary Violence in Madrid Cambridge University Press 2014
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
