Road to WW2: 1931 – 34

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In the aftermath of World War One, the global order is once again in a state of flux.

Young nations like Italy and Japan are searching for prestige through foreign conquests. Germany, which has been hit hardest by the Great Depression and the World War One peace treaty, now looks to Adolf Hitler to rebuild the nation.

World War One’s victors are dealing with their own political and economic crises, and have no appetite for further conflict. But as they fail to stem the tide of nationalism, militarism and foreign aggression across the globe, war is beginning to feel inevitable.

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Thank you to our series historical consultant, Professor Richard Overy of the University of Exeter. Find out more about his research and publications here: https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/1234-richard-overy/about

You can find some of Richard Overy’s work in our online bookshop, as well as more great titles on World War Two and other Epic History topics:
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📚 Recommended reading:
‘The Inter-War Crisis’ by Richard Overy – US: https://bookshop.org/a/99532/9781138963252 / UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12275/9781138963252
‘Why The Allies Won’ by Richard Overy – US: https://bookshop.org/a/99532/9780393316193 / UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12275/9781845950651
‘Blood And Ruins’ by Richard Overy – US: https://bookshop.org/a/99532/9780143132936 / UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12275/9780241300930
‘World War II: The Definitive Visual History’ by Richard Overy – US: https://bookshop.org/a/99532/9780233006215 / UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12275/9780233006208
‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor – US: https://bookshop.org/a/99532/9780316023757 / UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12275/9781780225647
‘Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945’ by Max Hastings – US: https://bookshop.org/a/99532/9780307475534 / UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12275/9780007450725
‘The Storm of War’ by Andrew Roberts – US: https://bookshop.org/a/99532/9780061228605 / UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12275/9780141029283

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Date: November 14, 2025

48 thoughts on “Road to WW2: 1931 – 34

  1. Correctio
    Although the Nazis claimed they were Anti-Capitalists, the opposite was true

    the Nazis increased deregulation and privatization of Germany
    There was rampant business collaboration (Including Ford, IBM, General Motors, IT&T, Eastman Kodak, Standard Oil, Singer, International Harvester, Gillette, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Westinghouse, and United Fruit) throughout the Nazi era including the holocaust.
    Hitler opposed Leftism due to its opposition to private property and market competition, support of class warfare and abolitionism-

    The only political party to opposed the 1933 Enabling Act was the Social Democratic Party (SPD); the Communists would have opposed it but were arrested or in hiding after being falsely accused of starting the Reichstag Fire
    There are debates about the Reichstag fire whether Van der Lubbe acted alone or was used as a pawn or scapegoat in a Nazi conspiracy
    Franz von Papen and Alfred Hugenberg, along with several other industrialists and businessmen, to write a letter to Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor
    The Nazis, persecuted Leftists (communists, trade unionists, social democrats, socialists, anarchists, Spanish Republicans, and other dissidents)
    Otto Strasser- an Early Nazi accused Hitler of betraying the Socialist roots of the Nazis

    Fascists generally allowed Private enterprise would control production (Laissez-faire, Free market, neoliberal), but the state would supervise and intervene (Corporate Welfare, Dirigisme, State monopoly capitalism, state capitalism) in the economy when private enterprise failed.

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