Cry havoc : The arms race and second the world to war, 1931-1941 / Joe Maiolo.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 405-458) and index.

Red militarism -- Colonel Ishiwara goes to Manchuria -- "Rearm and get ready" -- "We are moving among giants" -- "Should we accept the rearmament of Germany?" -- The military-industrial complex -- The naval arms races begin -- "We have reached a plateau" -- Guns and butter -- "Next time we'll urge on the other side" -- "They are serious, the Englishmen" -- "--A different kind of nation"? -- The great acceleration, 1938-39 -- "The acid test-- is whether anyone is ready to disarm" -- "Miracles cannot happen" -- Wars of rapid decision? -- "Is total war, then, the path to freedom?" -- Conclusion: The race goes on.

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.