History Reconsidered

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman begin a new series about presidents in war time starting with the man first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen: George Washington. Maitra and Stepman explain how Washington's role as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army became a model for the eventual office of the presidency. They explain how Washington crafted a brilliant strategy to ultimately defeat the British Empire, secure independence for a fledgling nation, and bestow the blessings of liberty to the new nation and its posterity. Finally, they talk about the tricky international situation during Washington's time as president and his farewell address, which became a model of American foreign policy realism.

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the history of NATO and the sources of Russian aggression both historically and today. They cover Maitra's new book called, fittingly enough, "The Sources of Russian Aggression: Is Russia a Realist Power?" You can pick up the book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Sources-Russian-Aggression-Russia-Realist/dp/1666935840/ Maitra explains what the original purpose of NATO was and how it has evolved since the end of the Cold War. What began as a 12-member alliance to contain the Soviet Union has grown to a 32-member coalition with more abstract goals like democracy promotion and human rights. Is the expanded NATO really stronger? Also, Maitra and Stepman explore how much the friction between the United States and the "West" more broadly is the result of temporary differences in interest or a deeper conflict of visions. Are good relations with Russia possible in the near future?

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of World War II. Were the bombings necessary or could the war with Japan have been resolved in a better way? Maitra and Stepman talk about the realities of an invasion of the Japanese homeland and what the would have meant for both the Allies and the Japanese people. They also talk about the differences between how World War II ended compared to many modern wars. The episode ends with a brief exploration of the question: "Who really won World War II?"

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the U.S. entry into World War II after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. With the U.S. entry into the war, the conflict became global. The Allies would have significant manpower and materiel advantages that could not be matched by the Axis. Yet, wars are not won by materiel alone. Maitra and Stepman talk about the challenges that the Allies faced, especially in coordinating strategic objectives. They also talk about how the Axis entirely failed to coordinate through the war and why that doomed their chances of winning.

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the middle stages of World War II when the Axis powers were ascendent and victory for Great Britain seemed bleak. They discuss whether Germany's cross channel invasion of the British Isles could have succeeded. Maitra and Stepman talk about the sinking of the Bismark, one of the largest and greatest battleships ever built. It was ultimately stopped not by another powerful man-of-war, but by the torpedo dropped by an airplane. It was a sign that the age of the battleship was over and the age of the aircraft carrier and air power had come. Are we seeing a similar change in warfare today where the aircraft carrier has become merely an impressive, but fragile waste of resources?

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the initial stages of World War II, including the fall of Poland, Finland and France. They explain the hopeless position Poland was put in and the reasons for France's quick disintegration. Maitra and Stepman also talk about how Germany's quick victories over Poland, the low countries, and France and the Soviet Union's difficulties in Finland led to Hitler's decision to launch Operation Barbarossa.

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the United States and Great Britain on the eve of World War II. Stepman and Maitra explain the "America First" movement in the United States and why most Americans were adamantly opposed to war. Many Americans believed that involvement in the conflict would change the country forever, and it did. Maitra makes a spirited defense of Neville Chamberlain, explaining that while the British statesman got some things wrong, he was not the "wimp" caricature that he's often been portrayed as. Stepman and Sumatra talk about why the British Empire had reason to be cautious about engaging in another great conflict with Germany and why the United States was the U.K.'s only hope of victory once the war began and France had been defeated.

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazi Germany. Was Weimar doomed from the beginning? Maitra and Stepman explain how and why Weimar disintegrated. They also talk about why Germany took a totalitarian turn between the first and second world war and why they ended up so much stronger than the victors of the Great War by 1939.

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about Fascist Italy between the wars. Stepman and Maitra explain what "fascism" really was and how it relates to socialism and other ideologies. They talk about Italy's attitude at the end of World War I and how Italian dictator Benito Mussolini gave the Italian people the notion of a return to Roman imperial greatness. But was Italy really a "great power" in the lead up to World War II? Italy's economy would suggest that it was not. Yet, it's conquest of Ethiopia made a mockery of the League of Nations and shattered the illusory notion of collective security, driving the European continent to war.

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the rise of Imperial Japan before World War II. They explain how an isolated, highly traditional Asian society rapidly modernized in the 19th century and rivaled the great powers of the West. Maitra and Stepman explain Japan's larger strategy and how--despite efforts to Westernize--the nation eventually fell back into a military controlled form of government. Was the confrontation between Japan and the United States in the Pacific War inevitable or was there another, better path Japan could have taken?

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the aftermath of World War I and its connection to World War II. They talk about the view from Europe, a continent devastated by war, yet still powerful and the center of global affairs. The war had not only destroyed the lives of millions, it killed off several once-powerful empires too. In Russia, a revolution took place that would threaten civilization in the decades to come. Perhaps more importantly, the United States found itself in a unique and new position. The country had long been one of the world's great powers, in many ways the greatest power, but had not involved itself so deeply in global affairs as it did in the Great War. What was the right path forward? How could the U.S. keep to its cherished ideals but ensure that another great war wouldn't take place? Wilson believed he had the answer. Maitra and Stepman talk about the legacy of World War I, the worldview of Woodrow Wilson, and much more.

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman talk about the conduct and strategy of the Civil War, for both the Union and the Confederacy. They then talk about the effects of the Civil War, the casualties and the psychological impact on the nation. Most estimates put the death total at 620,000, but some more recent analyses put the number much higher. It was the deadliest conflict in American history, with death totals nearly surpassing all other U.S. wars combined. Maitra and Stepman also get into the international environment and how Northern and Southern leaders dealt with European powers as their armies clashed in the field. Finally, they get into the long term impact of the Civil War on the generations that followed.