The Spectre of War
International Communism and the Origins of World War II
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The Spectre of War
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Narrated by:
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Chris MacDonnell
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By:
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Jonathan Haslam
About this listen
The Spectre of War looks at a subject we thought we knew - the roots of the Second World War - and upends our assumptions with a masterful new interpretation. Looking beyond traditional explanations based on diplomatic failures or military might, Jonathan Haslam explores the neglected thread connecting them all: the fear of Communism prevalent across continents during the interwar period. Marshalling an array of archival sources, including records from the Communist International, Haslam transforms our understanding of the deep-seated origins of World War II, its conflicts, and its legacy.
Haslam offers a panoramic view of Europe and northeast Asia during the 1920s and 1930s, connecting fascism's emergence with the impact of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. World War I had economically destabilized many nations, and the threat of Communist revolt loomed large in the ensuing social unrest. As Moscow supported Communist efforts in France, Spain, China, and beyond, opponents such as the British feared for the stability of their global empire, and viewed fascism as the only force standing between them and the Communist overthrow of the existing order. The appeasement and political misreading of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy that followed held back the spectre of rebellion - only to usher in the later advent of war.
©2021 Princeton University Press (P)2021 TantorWhat listeners say about The Spectre of War
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel
- 06-02-2025
A Unique Analysis
The second great war is so often portrayed as the simple conflict of good verses evil, a cartoonish perception of the sadistic German soldier getting his arse kicked by Captain America is unfortunately far too common.
Too few bother to consider the political atmosphere in which National Socialism emerged, and grew to dominate Western Europe.
This book might begin to give the reader a deeper understanding of the often overlooked situation in which Germans found themselves after the great war. Previously unconsidered questions like; What threat did international communism pose to Germany and Western Europe at that time? Who was funding and facilitating social unrest and street violence by communists and anarchists at that time? And... What did that look like, and how did it affect ordinary working class Germans?
The answers to these questions might surprise you. You may even find yourself questioning the increasingly doubtful narrative you've been hearing your entire life!
Just don't get too carried away and throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Though you may have not yet learned the truth, I can assure you this... You never truly will.
Do not despair though. For in having discovered that you actually do not know, you have actually, finally, begun to really learn.
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