Overview

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.

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9798200157846

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Reviews

A terrific and exciting book. Jonathan Haslam does a magnificent job...His mastery of sources from the archives of all of the relevant actors Britain, the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and many others is truly impressive. He brings the historic findings to life. -- A. James McAdams, author of Vanguard of the Revolution Haslam's sweeping reexamination of the international politics of the 1920s and 1930s shows...[that] period looks different when it is seen, as it needs to be, in terms of the particularities generated by its historical context. -- Robert Jervis, author of How Statesmen Think

Author Information

Jonathan Haslam is George F. Kennan Professor in the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and Professor of the History of International Relations at the University of Cambridge with a special interest in the former Soviet Union. He has written many books about Soviet foreign policy and ideology. Chris MacDonnell is an Earphones Award-winning narrator and a classically trained actor and voice artist whose theater credits include London's West End and the Royal National Theatre, British TV shows, BBC Radio drama, commercials, and films. He is also a published poet and has written comedy and drama for television shows.

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