Peace In Their Time

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.

Play

Open in

24 episodes
weekly
Avg 31 min
English

Episodes 24

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

#281
September 27 · 26 min
Episode 279 - The Battle of Shanghai, Part II
The struggle for Shanghai only expanded in late August as the Japanese landed regular army divisions to attack the city from the north. Desperate fighting for both sides ensued as the surrounding villages and countryside became hotly contested pieces of real estate. All the while the scale of the battle would only seem to expand from there. Bibliography for this episode: Mitter, Rana Forgotten Ally: China's World War II 1937-1945 Mariner Books 2013 van de Ven, Hans China At War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China Profile Books Ltd 2017 van de Ven, Hans War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003 van de Ven, Hans, Mark Peattie, and Edward J. Drea The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 Stanford University Press 2011 Frank, Richard B Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942 Pacific War History Inc 2020 Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011 Paine, S.C.M The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2014 Bix, Herbert P. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan Perennial 2001 Harmsen, Peter Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze Casemate 2013 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#280
September 20 · 27 min
Episode 278 - The Battle of Shanghai, Part I
It did not take long at all for the hostilities in northern China to spread to other parts of the country, mostly because that was Chiang Kai-shek's whole strategy. And while Japanese planners weren't too keen on fighting in and around Shanghai, they weren't about to lose face by shrinking from a direct challenge. The result was a multi-month battle that left both sides bloodied, exhausted, and grimly resigned to the war being a long one. Also, I updated the bibliographies for the past few episodes! Been a crazy few weeks, finally summoned the wherewithal to get it together. Bibliography for this episode: Mitter, Rana Forgotten Ally: China's World War II 1937-1945 Mariner Books 2013 van de Ven, Hans China At War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China Profile Books Ltd 2017 van de Ven, Hans War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003 van de Ven, Hans, Mark Peattie, and Edward J. Drea The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 Stanford University Press 2011 Frank, Richard B Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942 Pacific War History Inc 2020 Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011 Paine, S.C.M The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2014 Bix, Herbert P. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan Perennial 2001 Harmsen, Peter Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze Casemate 2013 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#279
September 9 · 27 min
Episode 277 - Marco Polo Bridge
The Second-Sino Japanese War began with a bang around the picturesque riverbanks surrounding the old Marco Polo Bridge. While it was only a skirmish by itself, its aftermath saw a complete breakdown in relations between the two titans of East Asia and the start of an eight-year conflict that is going to be a huge thread in our continued narrative. Bibliography for this episode: Mitter, Rana Forgotten Ally: China's World War II 1937-1945 Mariner Books 2013 van de Ven, Hans China At War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China Profile Books Ltd 2017 van de Ven, Hans War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003 van de Ven, Hans, Mark Peattie, and Edward J. Drea The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 Stanford University Press 2011 Frank, Richard B Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942 Pacific War History Inc 2020 Whitehurst, G. William The China Incident: Igniting the Second Sino-Japanese War McFarland & Company Inc 2021 Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011 Paine, S.C.M The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2014 Paine, S.C.M The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War Cambridge University Press 2017 Bix, Herbert P. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan Perennial 2001 McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002 Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988 Harmsen, Peter Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze Casemate 2013 Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#278
September 4 · 30 min
Episode 276 - The Gathering Storm
The war between China and Japan that raged from 1937 to 1945 was one of the great sagas of WWII. And it has been a while since I checked in on both nations, so today I set the stage for both countries before the real deal shooting started at the Marco Polo Bridge in July 1937. Bibliography for this episode: Mitter, Rana Forgotten Ally: China's World War II 1937-1945 Mariner Books 2013 van de Ven, Hans China At War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China Profile Books Ltd 2017 van de Ven, Hans War and Nationalism in China, 1925-1945 Routledge 2003 van de Ven, Hans, Mark Peattie, and Edward J. Drea The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 Stanford University Press 2011 Frank, Richard B Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942 Pacific War History Inc 2020 Whitehurst, G. William The China Incident: Igniting the Second Sino-Japanese War McFarland & Company Inc 2021 Taylor, Jay The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China Harvard University Press 2011 Paine, S.C.M The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 Cambridge University Press 2014 Paine, S.C.M The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War Cambridge University Press 2017 Bix, Herbert P. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan Perennial 2001 McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002 Duus, Peter The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century Cambridge University Press 1988 Harmsen, Peter Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze Casemate 2013 Fairbannk, John K & Albert Feuerwerker The Cambridge History of China, Volume 13: Republican China 1912-1949, Part 2 Cambridge University Press 1983 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#277
August 26 · 34 min
Episode 275 - United Front, Disunited Equipment Tables
I make a vague and rambling attempt here to explain the condition of the National Revolutionary Army of China by mid-1937. It's not a complete picture, but you'll get enough to appreciate exactly how the war played out. Bibliography for this episode: Ness, Leland and Bin Shih Kangzhan: Guide to Chinese Ground Forces 1937-1945 Helion and Company 2016 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#276
August 19 · 26 min
Episode 274 - Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
All planes this episode as I close out my overview of the Japanese military with a look at the IJA's air arm. Bibliography for this episode: Francillon, Rene J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War Putnam Aeronautical Books 1970 Newdick, Thomas Japanese Aircraft of World War II 1937-1945 Amber Books Ltd 2017 Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#275
August 11 · 29 min
Episode 273 - There's a Dragon on the Rifle
Allowing myself but one katana joke, today I am covering the weapons of the Japanese military. Quality stuff here and there, but the most striking pieces were the ones where the Japanese had to compromise heavily on account of a lack of resources. Bibliography for this episode: Ness, Leland Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945, Volume 2: Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces Helion & Company 2014 Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#274
August 4 · 29 min
Episode 272 - The Imperial Japanese Army
Today I finally get to talk about the IJA, specifically its organization and doctrine. Turns out a conflict with China was a low priority and that came back to bite them! Bibliography for this episode: Ness, Leland Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945, Volume 1: Tactical Organization of Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces Helion & Company 2014 Peattie, Mark, Edward J. Drea, and Hanx van de Ven The Battle for China, Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 Stanford University Press 2011 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#273
July 30 · 38 min
Episode 271 - Flattop Menagerie
My deep-dive into the Imperial Japanese Navy concludes with the unexpected heart of the fleet, the carriers! Bibliography for this episode: Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997 Peattie, Mark R Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 Naval Institute Press 2013 Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013 Newdick, Thomas Japanese Aircraft of World War II 1937-1945 Amber Books Ltd 2017 Francillon, Rene J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War Putnam Aeronautical Books 1970 Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#272
July 23 · 36 min
Episode 270 - Ocean Kaiju
I'm a little under the weather, so all business today. I'm talking about the heavy cruisers, battleships, and submarines of the IJN. Bibliography for this episode: Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997 Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013 Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#271
July 16 · 29 min
Episode 269 - Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee
Today I get started talking about Japanese ship designs, specifically the Destroyers and Light Cruisers. Especially with the Destroyers, the smaller size of these vessels belied a powerful punch that the IJN hoped would prove decisive in the war to come. Bibliography for this episode: Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997 Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013 Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes & Noble Inc 1998 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#270
July 7 · 36 min
Episode 268 - Sailing out from the Rising Sun
Technically this is the start of the miniseries covering the first couple years of the Second Sino-Japanese War. But before I properly get going with that, I am going to cover the militaries of the war. And today I am starting with the Imperial Japanese Navy, the IJN. This formidable force wasn't built in a day, so I'm taking an episode to talk about its doctrine and the guiding principles it operated under going into WWII. Bibliography for this episode: Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 Naval Institute Press 1997 Stille, Mark E. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Osprey Publishing 2013 Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com
#269
June 25 · 36 min
Episode 267 - Approaching the Bench with a Gun
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
#268
June 18 · 29 min
Episode 266 - Activist Judges
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
#267
June 10 · 32 min
Episode 265 - Employing for the Long Haul
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
#266
June 2 · 34 min
Episode 264 - Labor Ascendant
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
#265
May 25 · 37 min
Episode 263 - Social Security
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
#264
May 19 · 31 min
Episode 262 - New Deal 2 - Electric Boogaloo
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
#263
May 10 · 31 min
Episode 261 - Fall of the Republic
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
#262
May 5 · 28 min
Episode 260 - Catalan Goodbye
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

Showing 1–20 of 24 episodes