I studied the first half of the 20th century extensively as a boy - I loved all the war and machinery of war. Now I find I’m as much or more interested in the interregnum, the thirties. How Hitler happened. Thank God for Mr. Trump, being SUCH A FINE SOUL because we would probably have voted for a Hitler by this point to get out from under the thumb of the globopoliss.
I feel I should study more about how Germany and Italy came into being... was never taught much of anything about that. History went from the end of the US Civil war to the start of the First world war without much in between, the way I was taught.
I found a very old book that explains the events leading up to the war of 1870 and up to WW1. Great book!
Also, the history of the Holy Roman Empire is pretty awesome.
-SB