Peace In Their Time

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 favorite WWII topic since 1945. 

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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: 

1. Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986
2. Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998
3. Donald, David Warplanes of the Luftwaffe Aerospace Publishing Ltd 1994
4. Williamson, Gordon Hitler's Navy: The Kriegsmarine in World War II Osprey Publishing Ltd 2022
5. Williamson, Gordon German Light Cruisers 1939-45 Osprey Publishing Ltd 2003

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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: 

1. Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
2. Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
3. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
4. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
5. Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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 some problems. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
2. Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
3. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
4. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
5. Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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: 

1. Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
2. Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
3. Jeffreys, Diarmuid Hell's Cartel: IG Farben and the Making of Hitler's War Machine Metropolitan Books 2008
4. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
5. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000
6. Deist, Wilhelm The Wehrmacht and German Rearmament MacMillan Press Ltd 1986

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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: 

1. Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
2. Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
3. Jeffreys, Diarmuid Hell's Cartel: IG Farben and the Making of Hitler's War Machine Metropolitan Books 2008
4. Manchester, William The Arms of Krupp 1587-1968 Little, Brown, and Company 1968
5. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
6. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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 towards war production, to an extent unheard of in peacetime. The first stage of this masked war economy is where I'll be starting on this new miniseries covering the rise of the Nazi war machine. 

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: 

1. Tooze, Adam Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy Penguin Books 2006
2. Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power Penguin Press 2005
3. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris W.W. Norton and Company 1998
4. Kershaw, Ian Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis W.W. Norton and Company 2000

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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: 

1. Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
2. Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
3. Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
4. Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
5. Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
6. Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
7. Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
8. Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
9. Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
10. Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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 for the Ethiopians. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
2. Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
3. Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
4. Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

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 the stage for a long period of unrest that the occupiers were never able to control.

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003
2. Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014
3. Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013
4. Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007
5. Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015
6. Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000
7. Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005
8. Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002
9. Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995
10. Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995

Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com