Austria-Hungary sends an ultimatum to Serbia. The European powers respond. I also take a closer look at Russia's culpability for war. Citations and Links - Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914 (New York: HarperCollins, 2012) Sean McMeekin, July 1914: Countdown to War (New York: Basic Books, 2013) Samuel R. Williamson,…

Following the Franz Ferdinand assassination, Austria-Hungary would have some decisions to make regarding Serbia. Would they respond with diplomacy? Or a call to arms? I also take a closer look at Austria-Hungary's responsibility in the outbreak of the First World War. Citations and Links - Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War…

Franz Ferdinand’s assassination is a well-known event. Not as well-known is the context in which the assassination took place. Tension was building in Serbia and the Balkans long before Gavrilo Princip fired his gun. This was an act that sparked the July Crisis of 1914. Citations and Links - Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to W…

New series on the buildup to World War I launching soon! Please enjoy this teaser.By Dave Noell

Next month, this podcast will explore the buildup to World War I. In this episode, we look at the connections between the wars to show how Points of No Return is moving forward.By Dave Noell

A reviewer on iTunes recently asked if the series featured on this podcast are connected. Today, I try to answer this question and cast a vision for the show moving forward. Contact the show - Twitter: @dnoell Email: dvdnoell@gmail.com Music - Artist: Cody Martin Song: Sir Francis DrakeBy Dave Noell

By December of 1941, a Japanese attack could come at any moment. Would America notice the warning signs and be prepared? Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Pacific Theater of World War Two had begun. This is the final narrative episode of the series. Citations - Thurston Clarke, Pearl Harbor Ghosts: The Legacy of December 7, 1941 …

Negotiations between Japan and America fall apart by the end of November, 1941. Their differences were too great, and mistranslations and miscommunication didn't help. A Japanese attack was looming. Citations - Richard B. Frank, Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War, July 1937 - May 1942 (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2020) Eri H…

Japan and America continue to negotiate (or, at least, make an attempt to do this) in the late summer and fall of 1941. By November, a serious chance of war was looming. Citations - Eri Hotta, Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013) John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 (New Yo…

In this new series we will explore the buildup to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor (and the small things that led to it). On today's episode, we set the stage for the negotiations between America and Japan. The Japanese were building an empire in East Asia. This made the United States concerned. Citations - Irvine H. Anderson, Jr. “The 1941 De Facto …

In the 1920s, radio emerged as a new and extremely popular form of mass communication. Soon, all kinds of content - much of it uncouth - began filling the American airwaves. This included programming from quack doctors. The Federal Radio Commission shut these doctors down. However, they fled to Mexico, where the American government could not reach …

In this new series we will explore the buildup to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The small things that led to this - miscommunication and mistranslation, for example - have often been overlooked. First episode available Wednesday, November 18 Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithda…

Today's interview officially wraps up the series on Hitler's rise to the chancellorship. Dr. Randall Bytwerk is Professor Emeritus of Communication at Calvin University. He specializes in Nazi propaganda. We talk about the Nazi political campaigns of 1932 and what he thinks of my premise that the Nazi movement was closer to falling apart than most …

At the end of 1932, the Nazi movement was falling apart. How would they turn things around? This is the final episode of the series. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell) Citations: Thomas Childers, The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany (New York: Simon and Schuster Paperb…

Hitler and the Nazis hit a high point in the summer of 1932. The coming months, however, would bring trouble. Would the Nazi movement fall apart? Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell) Citations: Thomas Childers, The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany (New York: Simon and Sc…

Revolutionary America produced the First Amendment. It also, however, included something we hear less about – printers under attack for the things they published. Citations - Willard Grosvenor Bleyer, Main Currents in the History of American Journalism (Cambridge, MA: The Riverside Press, 1927) Stephen Botein, “‘Meer Mechanics’ and an Open Press: T…

1932 would be an important year for the Nazis. To start the year, Hitler ran for president against the incumbent (and the favorite to win), Paul von Hindenburg. While Hitler would not win, this was just the beginning of the story. By August, the Nazis would be at the doorstep of power.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoellCi…

Welcome to the first series Hitler Becomes Chancellor (and How it Almost Didn't Happen). There was a moment when Hitler and the Nazi movement were at risk of completely falling apart. One closed-door meeting changed all of this. This four-episode series will explain how it happened.In this episode, host Dave Noell introduces the series and takes li…

The first episode of the Points of No Return in History will be available soon.*Music Credit - Artist: Cody MartinSong: Sir Francis DrakeBy Dave Noell