Talbot C. Imlay
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199261222
- eISBN:
- 9780191717550
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199261222.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Military History, British and Irish Modern History
Covering the period from the late 1930s up to the spring of 1940, this book offers the first systematic comparison of how two countries, Britain and France, responded to the possibility and then ...
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Covering the period from the late 1930s up to the spring of 1940, this book offers the first systematic comparison of how two countries, Britain and France, responded to the possibility and then reality of total war by examining developments in three dimensions: strategic, domestic political, and political economic. To date, studies of French and British policies during this period have focused almost exclusively on diplomatic and military events. Yet because 20th-century war demanded a massive effort on the part of nations and societies, its study requires a broader approach, one that encompasses the political, social, and economic dimensions as well as the links between them. Using a wide array of archival and secondary sources, including the records of government departments, trade unions, business groups, and political parties, this book demonstrates that the British were more successful in managing the strains of modern industrial war than the French. Whereas in France political, economic, and military developments combined to produce a multi-faceted crisis by early 1940, imperilling the war effort against Germany, developments in Britain followed a different course that laid the political and economic foundations for a long war. The book addresses such current historical debates as the nature of the political Right and Left in Europe during the 1930s, the extent of rearmament and economic mobilization, and the causes of France's defeat in 1940. As an extended comparison of how two liberal democracies met the challenge of war, it also addresses debates concerning the relationship between democratic regimes and capabilities for war, the influence of domestic versus systemic factors on national policies, and the nature and relative performance of different types of political economic regimes.Less
Covering the period from the late 1930s up to the spring of 1940, this book offers the first systematic comparison of how two countries, Britain and France, responded to the possibility and then reality of total war by examining developments in three dimensions: strategic, domestic political, and political economic. To date, studies of French and British policies during this period have focused almost exclusively on diplomatic and military events. Yet because 20th-century war demanded a massive effort on the part of nations and societies, its study requires a broader approach, one that encompasses the political, social, and economic dimensions as well as the links between them. Using a wide array of archival and secondary sources, including the records of government departments, trade unions, business groups, and political parties, this book demonstrates that the British were more successful in managing the strains of modern industrial war than the French. Whereas in France political, economic, and military developments combined to produce a multi-faceted crisis by early 1940, imperilling the war effort against Germany, developments in Britain followed a different course that laid the political and economic foundations for a long war. The book addresses such current historical debates as the nature of the political Right and Left in Europe during the 1930s, the extent of rearmament and economic mobilization, and the causes of France's defeat in 1940. As an extended comparison of how two liberal democracies met the challenge of war, it also addresses debates concerning the relationship between democratic regimes and capabilities for war, the influence of domestic versus systemic factors on national policies, and the nature and relative performance of different types of political economic regimes.
Patrick Major
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198206934
- eISBN:
- 9780191677397
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198206934.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, Political History
Why was the West German Communist Party banned in 1956, only 11 years after it had emerged from Nazi persecution? Although politically weak, the post-war party was in ...
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Why was the West German Communist Party banned in 1956, only 11 years after it had emerged from Nazi persecution? Although politically weak, the post-war party was in fact larger than its Weimar predecessor and initially dominated works councils at the Ruhr pits and Hamburg docks, as well as the steel giant, Krupp. Under the control of East Berlin, however, the KPD was sent off on a series of overambitious and flawed campaigns to promote national unification and prevent West German rearmament. At the same time, the party was steadily criminalized by the Anglo-American occupiers, and ostracized by a heavily anti-communist society. The author has used material available only since the end of the Cold War, from both Communist archives in the former GDR as well as western intelligence, to trace the final decline and fall of the once-powerful KPD.Less
Why was the West German Communist Party banned in 1956, only 11 years after it had emerged from Nazi persecution? Although politically weak, the post-war party was in fact larger than its Weimar predecessor and initially dominated works councils at the Ruhr pits and Hamburg docks, as well as the steel giant, Krupp. Under the control of East Berlin, however, the KPD was sent off on a series of overambitious and flawed campaigns to promote national unification and prevent West German rearmament. At the same time, the party was steadily criminalized by the Anglo-American occupiers, and ostracized by a heavily anti-communist society. The author has used material available only since the end of the Cold War, from both Communist archives in the former GDR as well as western intelligence, to trace the final decline and fall of the once-powerful KPD.
Azar Gat
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198207153
- eISBN:
- 9780191677519
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207153.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, Military History, History of Ideas
German fascism is inevitably marked by Nazism which had created a great impact across the modern German, Western, and the world history. However the Nationalist Socialist party and its leader, Adolf ...
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German fascism is inevitably marked by Nazism which had created a great impact across the modern German, Western, and the world history. However the Nationalist Socialist party and its leader, Adolf Hitler only became significant political forces in the beginning of the 1930s. Their emergence to power only came about when a complex circumstance catapulted them into power hence paving an excuse where they can exhibit their gruesomeness in a grand scale manner. This chapter discusses the emergence of German right-wing radicalism which took shape in the late nineteenth century in the wake of Germany's industrialization. This chapter focuses on Adolf Hitler's regime and its attitude towards modernist fascism. Of all fascist movements, Hitler's regime was the least modern. Hitler suppressed the most radical and avant-garde elements of his movements after assuming power. On the other hand, Hitler and his regime exalted the most spectacular and dynamic products of technology. They associated themselves with and made extensive use of aircraft and fast car. Nazism and the orientation of the right-wing radicals within the armed forces redirected German rearmament towards modern means of war, revolutionary doctrines, and radical operational schemes.Less
German fascism is inevitably marked by Nazism which had created a great impact across the modern German, Western, and the world history. However the Nationalist Socialist party and its leader, Adolf Hitler only became significant political forces in the beginning of the 1930s. Their emergence to power only came about when a complex circumstance catapulted them into power hence paving an excuse where they can exhibit their gruesomeness in a grand scale manner. This chapter discusses the emergence of German right-wing radicalism which took shape in the late nineteenth century in the wake of Germany's industrialization. This chapter focuses on Adolf Hitler's regime and its attitude towards modernist fascism. Of all fascist movements, Hitler's regime was the least modern. Hitler suppressed the most radical and avant-garde elements of his movements after assuming power. On the other hand, Hitler and his regime exalted the most spectacular and dynamic products of technology. They associated themselves with and made extensive use of aircraft and fast car. Nazism and the orientation of the right-wing radicals within the armed forces redirected German rearmament towards modern means of war, revolutionary doctrines, and radical operational schemes.
Alan F. Wilt
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208716
- eISBN:
- 9780191717024
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208716.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
Food for War is a ground-breaking study of Britain's food and agricultural preparations in the 1930s as the nation once again made ready for war. Historians writing about 1930s Britain ...
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Food for War is a ground-breaking study of Britain's food and agricultural preparations in the 1930s as the nation once again made ready for war. Historians writing about 1930s Britain have usually focused on the Depression, appeasement, or political, military, and industrial concerns. None have dealt adequately with another significant topic, food and agriculture, as the nation moved, albeit reluctantly, from peace to war. In this new account Alan F. Wilt makes right this omission by examining in depth the relationship between food, agriculture, and the nation's preparations for war. He reveals how food and agriculture became closely linked to rearmament as early as 1936; that the government's preparations in this sector, as contrasted with other areas of the economy, were relatively well-developed when war broke out in 1936; and that rural and farm interests well understood the effect that war would have on their way of life. He argues that food and agriculture need to be integrated into the more general historical discourse, for what happened in Britain in the 1930s not only set the stage for World War II, but also contributed to a more robust agriculture in the decades that followed.Less
Food for War is a ground-breaking study of Britain's food and agricultural preparations in the 1930s as the nation once again made ready for war. Historians writing about 1930s Britain have usually focused on the Depression, appeasement, or political, military, and industrial concerns. None have dealt adequately with another significant topic, food and agriculture, as the nation moved, albeit reluctantly, from peace to war. In this new account Alan F. Wilt makes right this omission by examining in depth the relationship between food, agriculture, and the nation's preparations for war. He reveals how food and agriculture became closely linked to rearmament as early as 1936; that the government's preparations in this sector, as contrasted with other areas of the economy, were relatively well-developed when war broke out in 1936; and that rural and farm interests well understood the effect that war would have on their way of life. He argues that food and agriculture need to be integrated into the more general historical discourse, for what happened in Britain in the 1930s not only set the stage for World War II, but also contributed to a more robust agriculture in the decades that followed.
Alan F. Wilt
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208716
- eISBN:
- 9780191717024
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208716.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This introductory chapter describes the book's aim to attempt to recognize food and agriculture as significant factors in Britain during the 1930s, not as elements standing apart from identified ...
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This introductory chapter describes the book's aim to attempt to recognize food and agriculture as significant factors in Britain during the 1930s, not as elements standing apart from identified major issues. They also deserve to be part of the historical discourse. The relationship between food, agriculture and rearmament should be analysed as important in its own right because it provides additional insights into the decade. The end goal is to add to the understanding of the relationship between food production, processing, distribution, and consumption on the one hand, and rearmament as broadly conceived on the other. Knowing how the government planned to handle food and agriculture if war should break out as well as the extent to which the public was informed about these plans, should broaden the appreciation of many issues Britain faced in the 1930s.Less
This introductory chapter describes the book's aim to attempt to recognize food and agriculture as significant factors in Britain during the 1930s, not as elements standing apart from identified major issues. They also deserve to be part of the historical discourse. The relationship between food, agriculture and rearmament should be analysed as important in its own right because it provides additional insights into the decade. The end goal is to add to the understanding of the relationship between food production, processing, distribution, and consumption on the one hand, and rearmament as broadly conceived on the other. Knowing how the government planned to handle food and agriculture if war should break out as well as the extent to which the public was informed about these plans, should broaden the appreciation of many issues Britain faced in the 1930s.
Alan F. Wilt
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208716
- eISBN:
- 9780191717024
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208716.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter provides a background on the coming together of food and agriculture with rearmament during the last half of the 1930s. What happened in food and agriculture during the First World War, ...
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This chapter provides a background on the coming together of food and agriculture with rearmament during the last half of the 1930s. What happened in food and agriculture during the First World War, the 1920s, and the first half of the 1930s had bearing on what happened later. Food-related concerns, like every facet of British life between World War I and the mid-1930s, went through a series of ups and downs with painful adjustments, or failures to adjust, to a succession of new, seemingly unprecedented situations. The chapter details significant events and solutions during the mentioned timeframe. The establishment of procedures and the setting up of an apparatus for dealing with food and agriculture in case war should break out was about to begin.Less
This chapter provides a background on the coming together of food and agriculture with rearmament during the last half of the 1930s. What happened in food and agriculture during the First World War, the 1920s, and the first half of the 1930s had bearing on what happened later. Food-related concerns, like every facet of British life between World War I and the mid-1930s, went through a series of ups and downs with painful adjustments, or failures to adjust, to a succession of new, seemingly unprecedented situations. The chapter details significant events and solutions during the mentioned timeframe. The establishment of procedures and the setting up of an apparatus for dealing with food and agriculture in case war should break out was about to begin.
Alan F. Wilt
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208716
- eISBN:
- 9780191717024
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208716.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter describes the events in Britain's food sector between mid-1936 and late 1938. In this period, changes in the food sector and its relation to rearmament is best described as meaningful ...
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This chapter describes the events in Britain's food sector between mid-1936 and late 1938. In this period, changes in the food sector and its relation to rearmament is best described as meaningful and methodical, but not undertaken at a frantic pace. Even after the Czech crisis, which sent shock waves throughout the country, government officials did not panic but continued to build on the procedures they had worked out during the previous years. The prevalent problems at that time, the Depression and international tensions, are discussed briefly before the food sector during the period is examined. While the Depression and its effects lingered, the worst was over. Regarding the international troubles, the government saw it within the framework of three separate yet interdependent strands: finance, foreign policy, and defence. The Czech crisis made clear that the time to prepare might well be short, and so speed was of utmost importance.Less
This chapter describes the events in Britain's food sector between mid-1936 and late 1938. In this period, changes in the food sector and its relation to rearmament is best described as meaningful and methodical, but not undertaken at a frantic pace. Even after the Czech crisis, which sent shock waves throughout the country, government officials did not panic but continued to build on the procedures they had worked out during the previous years. The prevalent problems at that time, the Depression and international tensions, are discussed briefly before the food sector during the period is examined. While the Depression and its effects lingered, the worst was over. Regarding the international troubles, the government saw it within the framework of three separate yet interdependent strands: finance, foreign policy, and defence. The Czech crisis made clear that the time to prepare might well be short, and so speed was of utmost importance.
Alan F. Wilt
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208716
- eISBN:
- 9780191717024
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208716.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter discusses how the measures put in place early on worked out during the rest of the conflict and continued afterward. Food and agriculture became closely linked to rearmament in 1936, and ...
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This chapter discusses how the measures put in place early on worked out during the rest of the conflict and continued afterward. Food and agriculture became closely linked to rearmament in 1936, and this linkage dominated the relationship during the rest of the pre-war years. The government's preparations in food and agriculture were relatively well advanced when the war broke out. Rural and farm interests well understood what war would mean to them and their way of life. It is shown that instead of concentrating almost solely on foreign, military, industrial, and political concerns when one examines 1930s Britain, the role of food and agriculture also needs to be appreciated and taken into account. During wartime, food and other necessities should always be a fundamental concern. The government, with public backing, undertook measures during the 1930s to prepare the nation for the reality of war in food and agriculture.Less
This chapter discusses how the measures put in place early on worked out during the rest of the conflict and continued afterward. Food and agriculture became closely linked to rearmament in 1936, and this linkage dominated the relationship during the rest of the pre-war years. The government's preparations in food and agriculture were relatively well advanced when the war broke out. Rural and farm interests well understood what war would mean to them and their way of life. It is shown that instead of concentrating almost solely on foreign, military, industrial, and political concerns when one examines 1930s Britain, the role of food and agriculture also needs to be appreciated and taken into account. During wartime, food and other necessities should always be a fundamental concern. The government, with public backing, undertook measures during the 1930s to prepare the nation for the reality of war in food and agriculture.
Marc Trachtenberg
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691152028
- eISBN:
- 9781400842490
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691152028.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This chapter analyzes events in 1950 when U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson announced at the New York Conference that the U.S. government was willing to send “substantial forces” to Europe. The ...
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This chapter analyzes events in 1950 when U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson announced at the New York Conference that the U.S. government was willing to send “substantial forces” to Europe. The American combat force would be part of a collective force with a unified command structure, a force that would ultimately be capable of defending Western Europe on the ground. But the Americans were willing to take that step only if the European allies, for their part, were prepared to do what was necessary to “make this defense of Europe a success.” The U.S. government, he said, had come to the conclusion that the whole effort could not succeed without a German military contribution. So if the NATO allies wanted the American troops, they would have to accept the idea of German rearmament.Less
This chapter analyzes events in 1950 when U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson announced at the New York Conference that the U.S. government was willing to send “substantial forces” to Europe. The American combat force would be part of a collective force with a unified command structure, a force that would ultimately be capable of defending Western Europe on the ground. But the Americans were willing to take that step only if the European allies, for their part, were prepared to do what was necessary to “make this defense of Europe a success.” The U.S. government, he said, had come to the conclusion that the whole effort could not succeed without a German military contribution. So if the NATO allies wanted the American troops, they would have to accept the idea of German rearmament.
Herbert Marcuse
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691134130
- eISBN:
- 9781400846467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691134130.003.0029
- Subject:
- History, Military History
This chapter discusses Nazi Germany's comprehensive plan for aggression, conquest, and domination in Europe and beyond. It first explains the role of the National Socialist German Workers' Party ...
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This chapter discusses Nazi Germany's comprehensive plan for aggression, conquest, and domination in Europe and beyond. It first explains the role of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), or Nazi Party, in the Nazi plan for domination before analyzing the stages in which the plan would be executed: to overthrow the Weimar Republic, which was founded on parliamentary democracy, and to fight for the establishment of a Nazi dictatorship led by Adolf Hitler; to eliminate all opposition and establish totalitarian control over Germany; rearmament and preparation for the war of aggression. The chapter also considers the concepts of Lebensraum and Grossraumordnung on which the Nazi occupation policy was based and concludes with an assessment of the unlawful elements of the policy.Less
This chapter discusses Nazi Germany's comprehensive plan for aggression, conquest, and domination in Europe and beyond. It first explains the role of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), or Nazi Party, in the Nazi plan for domination before analyzing the stages in which the plan would be executed: to overthrow the Weimar Republic, which was founded on parliamentary democracy, and to fight for the establishment of a Nazi dictatorship led by Adolf Hitler; to eliminate all opposition and establish totalitarian control over Germany; rearmament and preparation for the war of aggression. The chapter also considers the concepts of Lebensraum and Grossraumordnung on which the Nazi occupation policy was based and concludes with an assessment of the unlawful elements of the policy.
Harold James
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153407
- eISBN:
- 9781400841868
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153407.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses the next era in the Krupp corporate history, detailing the company's various innovations and setbacks during this period, as well as the Krupp family's latest ...
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This chapter discusses the next era in the Krupp corporate history, detailing the company's various innovations and setbacks during this period, as well as the Krupp family's latest representative—Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach. It first details the contentions over the next heir to the Krupp business, a question finally resolved when heiress Bertha Krupp married the diplomat Gustav von Bohlen und Halbach. Gustav was initially treated with some reserve by the directors of the company, and was moreover increasingly at odds with the nationalist management of the company. Complicating matters further was the outbreak of the First World War.Less
This chapter discusses the next era in the Krupp corporate history, detailing the company's various innovations and setbacks during this period, as well as the Krupp family's latest representative—Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach. It first details the contentions over the next heir to the Krupp business, a question finally resolved when heiress Bertha Krupp married the diplomat Gustav von Bohlen und Halbach. Gustav was initially treated with some reserve by the directors of the company, and was moreover increasingly at odds with the nationalist management of the company. Complicating matters further was the outbreak of the First World War.
Harold James
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153407
- eISBN:
- 9781400841868
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153407.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter details the Krupps' struggles during the aftermath of the war, as the company struggled to find a new role in a state that was reinventing itself dramatically. It describes workplace ...
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This chapter details the Krupps' struggles during the aftermath of the war, as the company struggled to find a new role in a state that was reinventing itself dramatically. It describes workplace struggles, the postwar demilitarization efforts, Krupp's attempts at hidden rearmament, financial troubles, and other difficulties buffeting the company in the aftermath of World War I. The chapter also depicts a period of stabilization and recovery for the company, though the reprieve would be short-lived, as economic depression would strike Germany sometime during the 1920s. In addition, this period heralded the arrival of a new patriarch, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach II.Less
This chapter details the Krupps' struggles during the aftermath of the war, as the company struggled to find a new role in a state that was reinventing itself dramatically. It describes workplace struggles, the postwar demilitarization efforts, Krupp's attempts at hidden rearmament, financial troubles, and other difficulties buffeting the company in the aftermath of World War I. The chapter also depicts a period of stabilization and recovery for the company, though the reprieve would be short-lived, as economic depression would strike Germany sometime during the 1920s. In addition, this period heralded the arrival of a new patriarch, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach II.
Harold James
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153407
- eISBN:
- 9781400841868
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153407.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter debunks the myth that Krupp had been a driving force behind the high-level making of Nazi policy, rather than a participant in a massive web of ideologically driven immorality. It ...
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This chapter debunks the myth that Krupp had been a driving force behind the high-level making of Nazi policy, rather than a participant in a massive web of ideologically driven immorality. It examines the Nuremberg trial of the Krupp directors, considering the issue of the extent to which businessmen had choices or a freedom to maneuver in the Nazi era. Furthermore, though the prospect of rearmament was an issue within the company, the chapter argues that the rise and fall of profitability did not correspond directly to the political stance of the company, its owners, and its management. Financial incentives alone did not determine the political orientation of the Krupp business, particularly as the company soon found itself embroiled in the Nazis' politics and the Second World War loomed over the horizon.Less
This chapter debunks the myth that Krupp had been a driving force behind the high-level making of Nazi policy, rather than a participant in a massive web of ideologically driven immorality. It examines the Nuremberg trial of the Krupp directors, considering the issue of the extent to which businessmen had choices or a freedom to maneuver in the Nazi era. Furthermore, though the prospect of rearmament was an issue within the company, the chapter argues that the rise and fall of profitability did not correspond directly to the political stance of the company, its owners, and its management. Financial incentives alone did not determine the political orientation of the Krupp business, particularly as the company soon found itself embroiled in the Nazis' politics and the Second World War loomed over the horizon.
David French
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199548231
- eISBN:
- 9780191739224
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548231.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Military History
By 1949 the wartime army had been demobilised and War Office planners were creating the foundations of what Montgomery called the ‘New Model Army’. It had began to come into existence in 1947, with ...
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By 1949 the wartime army had been demobilised and War Office planners were creating the foundations of what Montgomery called the ‘New Model Army’. It had began to come into existence in 1947, with the passage of the National Service Act. It was not an all‐purpose army. Apart from making minimal allowances for colonial garrisons, it was configured with one major mission in mind, to deter or fight a hot war in Europe or the Middle East beginning no earlier than about 1957. But, by 1948‐49 the geopolitical situation that had given birth to it had begun to change in ways that undercut some of the fundamental assumptions upon which it had been constructed. The Cold War had begun, and after Montgomery left the War Office in November 1948, his successor as CIGS, Sir William Slim, had to spend the next three years reconfiguring his predecessor's creation to meet the new strategic circumstances that confronted Britain.Less
By 1949 the wartime army had been demobilised and War Office planners were creating the foundations of what Montgomery called the ‘New Model Army’. It had began to come into existence in 1947, with the passage of the National Service Act. It was not an all‐purpose army. Apart from making minimal allowances for colonial garrisons, it was configured with one major mission in mind, to deter or fight a hot war in Europe or the Middle East beginning no earlier than about 1957. But, by 1948‐49 the geopolitical situation that had given birth to it had begun to change in ways that undercut some of the fundamental assumptions upon which it had been constructed. The Cold War had begun, and after Montgomery left the War Office in November 1948, his successor as CIGS, Sir William Slim, had to spend the next three years reconfiguring his predecessor's creation to meet the new strategic circumstances that confronted Britain.
R. J. Overy
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198202905
- eISBN:
- 9780191675584
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198202905.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, Economic History
Economist Paul Einzig wrote, ‘It is an exaggeration to attribute the trade revival in Germany exclusively to rearmament. War is not the ultimate weapon in the struggle against the depression’. This ...
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Economist Paul Einzig wrote, ‘It is an exaggeration to attribute the trade revival in Germany exclusively to rearmament. War is not the ultimate weapon in the struggle against the depression’. This was written in 1934. Since then the remarkable scope and strength of the revival in Germany has, despite Einzig, been uncritically attributed to the effects of rearmament at the expense of any real debate on the nature of the recovery. However, there were a great many other factors at work in the early 1930s which help to explain the character of the revival, not least the accelerated ‘motorisation’ of Germany after several decades of comparatively slow growth. This chapter examines the economic effects of motorisation in order to demonstrate that the motor-road and the motor vehicle played a significant part alongside rearmament in initiating and sustaining the upswing between 1932 and 1938.Less
Economist Paul Einzig wrote, ‘It is an exaggeration to attribute the trade revival in Germany exclusively to rearmament. War is not the ultimate weapon in the struggle against the depression’. This was written in 1934. Since then the remarkable scope and strength of the revival in Germany has, despite Einzig, been uncritically attributed to the effects of rearmament at the expense of any real debate on the nature of the recovery. However, there were a great many other factors at work in the early 1930s which help to explain the character of the revival, not least the accelerated ‘motorisation’ of Germany after several decades of comparatively slow growth. This chapter examines the economic effects of motorisation in order to demonstrate that the motor-road and the motor vehicle played a significant part alongside rearmament in initiating and sustaining the upswing between 1932 and 1938.
R. J. Overy
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198202905
- eISBN:
- 9780191675584
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198202905.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, Economic History
Tim Mason has argued that there is a half-way house, that Adolf Hitler's declared intentions and their flawed realisation are evidence of a dialectical relationship between actors and historical ...
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Tim Mason has argued that there is a half-way house, that Adolf Hitler's declared intentions and their flawed realisation are evidence of a dialectical relationship between actors and historical context which gives primacy to neither. There is a widely held explanation for the origins of World War II, and indeed this has been so since these ideas were first formulated some twenty years ago. In the complex politics of the Third Reich two key elements have been observed: first, the effort to push through a programme of rearmament in a short period of time to satisfy the demands of the military elites, the party hawks, secondly, the desire that rearmament should not be compromised by provoking the masses into political opposition by reducing living standards and courting economic crisis.Less
Tim Mason has argued that there is a half-way house, that Adolf Hitler's declared intentions and their flawed realisation are evidence of a dialectical relationship between actors and historical context which gives primacy to neither. There is a widely held explanation for the origins of World War II, and indeed this has been so since these ideas were first formulated some twenty years ago. In the complex politics of the Third Reich two key elements have been observed: first, the effort to push through a programme of rearmament in a short period of time to satisfy the demands of the military elites, the party hawks, secondly, the desire that rearmament should not be compromised by provoking the masses into political opposition by reducing living standards and courting economic crisis.
Geoffrey Tweedale
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198288664
- eISBN:
- 9780191684623
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198288664.003.0085
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Business History
Since the world steel industry depended greatly on the capital goods sector, it was significantly affected by the great depression. Since Sheffield firms were some of the most prominent in the ...
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Since the world steel industry depended greatly on the capital goods sector, it was significantly affected by the great depression. Since Sheffield firms were some of the most prominent in the industry, the fall in production shook the firms greatly. The tariff of 1932 and the establishment of the British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF) in 1934 furthered the recovery of the industry which was experienced in 1933. After the mid-1930s, the recovery shows how the rearmament programme brought about important impacts on the industry. The renewed orders for rearmament furthered the status of old arms firms such as Hadfields and the English Steel Corporation (ESC). This chapter explores the advantages and disadvantages of staying with armaments and how the steel industry adopted to peacetime.Less
Since the world steel industry depended greatly on the capital goods sector, it was significantly affected by the great depression. Since Sheffield firms were some of the most prominent in the industry, the fall in production shook the firms greatly. The tariff of 1932 and the establishment of the British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF) in 1934 furthered the recovery of the industry which was experienced in 1933. After the mid-1930s, the recovery shows how the rearmament programme brought about important impacts on the industry. The renewed orders for rearmament furthered the status of old arms firms such as Hadfields and the English Steel Corporation (ESC). This chapter explores the advantages and disadvantages of staying with armaments and how the steel industry adopted to peacetime.
PETER JACKSON
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198208341
- eISBN:
- 9780191677984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208341.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses the tension between French intelligence and the Nazi Machtergreifung. Intelligence observers predicted that the new regime was made in order to come up with a policy of massive ...
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This chapter discusses the tension between French intelligence and the Nazi Machtergreifung. Intelligence observers predicted that the new regime was made in order to come up with a policy of massive rearmament and territorial expansion. Meanwhile, Military attaché General Renondeau in Berlin said that the evolution of a Hitlerian dictatorship would have a big effect on the political fabric of Germany, on Franco-German relations and on international politics. He added that if Hitler becomes Chancellor, Germany will become one big military barracks. These warnings were repeated and intensified after the Machtergreifung.Less
This chapter discusses the tension between French intelligence and the Nazi Machtergreifung. Intelligence observers predicted that the new regime was made in order to come up with a policy of massive rearmament and territorial expansion. Meanwhile, Military attaché General Renondeau in Berlin said that the evolution of a Hitlerian dictatorship would have a big effect on the political fabric of Germany, on Franco-German relations and on international politics. He added that if Hitler becomes Chancellor, Germany will become one big military barracks. These warnings were repeated and intensified after the Machtergreifung.
PETER JACKSON
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198208341
- eISBN:
- 9780191677984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208341.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses the responses of intelligence to Nazi rearmament. An increasing shortage of information on armaments and aircraft production forced intelligence officials to provide estimates ...
More
This chapter discusses the responses of intelligence to Nazi rearmament. An increasing shortage of information on armaments and aircraft production forced intelligence officials to provide estimates of the pace of rearmament in the Reich. As a result, stereotypes about the character of Germans continued to play a main role in the intelligence process.Less
This chapter discusses the responses of intelligence to Nazi rearmament. An increasing shortage of information on armaments and aircraft production forced intelligence officials to provide estimates of the pace of rearmament in the Reich. As a result, stereotypes about the character of Germans continued to play a main role in the intelligence process.
PETER JACKSON
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198208341
- eISBN:
- 9780191677984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208341.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses how intelligence was central to the formulation of the land and air rearmament programmes adopted by the Popular Front government in the late 1936. This decision was triggered ...
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This chapter discusses how intelligence was central to the formulation of the land and air rearmament programmes adopted by the Popular Front government in the late 1936. This decision was triggered by the support generated by the anti-Fascism in order to come up with a defence expenditure from the traditionally pacifist left.Less
This chapter discusses how intelligence was central to the formulation of the land and air rearmament programmes adopted by the Popular Front government in the late 1936. This decision was triggered by the support generated by the anti-Fascism in order to come up with a defence expenditure from the traditionally pacifist left.
