1938: Rising Tensions

Well, rising tensions are an understatement. Herr Hitler is clearly serious in his stated ambitions for the German people. It begins with the Anschluß of Austria in March 1938:

1937: Getting Ready for War

Whilst events in the Iberian Peninsular grind towards their inevitable conclusion, tensions across the rest of Europe continue to rise. To that end, we must prepare! Although the Treasury, since the end of the Great War, has managed military spending on the basis of having 10 years reasonable notice before a major conflict… we clearly don’t. Although the idea of another war with Germany does not come as a surprise, the pace at which Herr Hitler is driving us to it certainly does. So, no time to waste. 1937 is all about product, production and more production.

The Spanish Civil War

The other big event of 1936-39 is the Spanish Civil War, of course. Although it is surely destined to go down as a footnote to the history of the great war to come, it is nevertheless a bloody, brutal and destructive affair. It is unlikely that the winner (if there can be such a thing as a “winner” in a conflict such as this) will be taking part in European affairs for the foreseeable future.

1936: Politics and Current Affairs

So, 1936 passes pretty quietly all round (unless you happen to be Spanish; we’ll cover that separately). There are a few things to note though.

Early Days

So, our little piece of history begins in 1936. There’s a lot to do in the quiet years before the war, in terms of building up our our infrastructure, economy and military, but first, here’s our green and pleasant land: