Second World War

Peter Monteach comments on German historian Christian Gerlach's study of Adolf Hitler's announcement of his "decision in principle" to murder all of Europe's Jews on Dec 12, 1941.

Controversy has raged about Hitler's military and economic preparations for war. Did he intend a world war or a series of short conflicts? Richard Overy argues that Hitler drew the lesson from 1914-18 not that a major war should be avoided but that Germany should prepare more systematically so that, this time, she would win.

The short-lived settlement was signed on September 30th, 1938.

Milton Goldin explores Himmler’s ambitions to establish the SS as a ‘state within a state’, and highlights schemes the Nazis devised to finance the organisation through industrial enterprise and plundered Jewish assets.

A profile of the issues raised by A level questions on this history topic.

Richard Wilkinson challenges the consensus of contempt for the Nazis' leading diplomat.

Max Beloff reviews a fresh account of de Gaulle and the Free French movement.

Despite Britain’s commitment to appeasement, the 1939 Agreement of Mutual Assistance with Poland led London into the Second World War. What changed?

Ian Locke investigates an intriguing and little-known attempt to commandeer Third Reich assets as reparations - and its mixed results.

Paul Preston amplifies recent claims that Franco offered safe havens to fugitive Nazis