Defending Britain, Defending the Empire
Published: February 24, 2026
Duration: 29:02
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the agonizing political and strategic choices faced by Great Britain in the 1930s.
Why did the British government delay rearmament for so long? Drawing on Daniel Todman's Britain's War: Into Battle, we examine how the shadow of the First World War and the Great Depression shaped the policy of appeasement. Nick argues that the "caution" of the Baldwin and Chamberlain governments wasn't just cowardice; it was a desperate attempt to avoid the "total war" that would require the complete subordination of freedom and prosperity to...