A bold new history showing that the fear of Communism was a major factor in the outbreak of World War II
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.
