Cry havoc
Subtitle: how the arms race drove the world to war, 1931-1941
By: Joseph Maiolo.
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 473
ISBN-13: 9780465011148
Subjects: World War, 1939-1945 -- Causes; Arms race -- History -- 20th century
Description: Did the arms race of the 1930s cause the Second World War? In Cry Havoc, historian Joseph Maiolo shows, in rich detail, how the deadly game of the arms race was played out in the decade prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. In this exhaustively researched account, he explores how nations reacted to the moves of their rivals, revealing the thinking of those making the key decisions--Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain, Stalin, Roosevelt--and the dilemmas of democratic leaders who seemed to be faced with a choice between defending their nations and preserving their democratic way of life. This unparalleled account of an era of extreme political tension shows how the interwar arms race shaped the outcome of World War II before the shooting even began.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: "Red militarism"; title: Colonel Ishiwara goes to Manchuria; title: "Rearm and get ready"; title: "We are moving among giants"; title: "Should we accept the rearmament of Germany?"; title: The military-industrial complex; title: The naval arms races begin; title: "We have reached a plateau"; title: Guns and butter; title: "Next time we'll urge on the other side"; title: "They are serious, the Englishmen"; title: "...a different kind of nation"; title: The great acceleration, 1938-9; title: "The acid test...is whether anyone is ready to disarm"; title: "Miracles cannot happen"; title: Wars of rapid decision?; title: "Is total war, then, the path to freedom?"; title: Conclusion.