
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

Mar 16, 2026
Mar 16, 2026
32 min
The Republican zone behind the frontlines of the civil war was a hot mess, and nowhere was it hotter or messier than Catalonia. As it turns out the Leftist joke "Anarchists and Communists can be friends until the Revolution" isn't actually a joke.
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

Mar 9, 2026
Mar 9, 2026
33 min
Starting a long break from the battlefield, today I am covering political jockeying and the social/economic conditions faced in the zone of Spain controlled by the Nationalists.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Seidman, Michael The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War University of Wisconsin Press 2011
- Payne, Stanley G. Fascism in Spain 1923-1977 University of Wisconsin Press 1999
- 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
- 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

Mar 2, 2026
Mar 2, 2026
31 min
Busy episode today as in the first part I cover the blizzard battle of Teruel, in the second the lopsided Aragon Offensive, with updates at sea and in the air in between.
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

Feb 23, 2026
Feb 23, 2026
29 min
With Bilbao fallen and the Basques effectively knocked out of the war, the Republic was desperate to stall the final collapse of their enclave on the northern coast of Spain. Two large offensives were launched with the intent of drawing Franco's attentions south, but their failures only minimally delayed the final result for their isolated comrades.
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

Feb 14, 2026
Feb 14, 2026
28 min
Madrid may have been a bust, but Franco still had the initiative. Looking around on where to strike next, he settled on the Republican-held coastal strip along the northern coast. While this was indeed where the anti-Fascist forces were weakest, the combination of terrain and determined fighters would turn the campaign into a months-long affair taking up the bulk of 1937.
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

Feb 7, 2026
Feb 7, 2026
28 min
Picking back up with the course of the fighting, the Italians enter the fray in force in both the south and north of Spain. Franco also tries again to make a play on Madrid, to about the same results as before.
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

Feb 2, 2026
Feb 2, 2026
32 min
The aftermath of the Battle of Madrid left both sides of the war realizing that the conflict was going to be a long and grinding one, and so each began scrambling to consolidate their positions and expand their armies.
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

Jan 26, 2026
Jan 26, 2026
28 min
The big showdown in the Spanish capital got underway in early November 1936 and lasted until just after the new year. While the Nationalists would hurl their forces in the fray time and time again, the resolution of the defenders in forcing them back would shock the world. And maybe even themselves a little bit.
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

Jan 19, 2026
Jan 19, 2026
27 min
The Nationalist assault Madrid begins.
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

Jan 12, 2026
Jan 12, 2026
36 min
The SCW was from word go an international affair, although the help rendered was not even on the two sides. Today I take a look at how material aid for both factions materialized.
Bibliography for this episode:
- Preston, Paul A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence, and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874-2018 William Collins 2020
- 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
Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
