Between 2 Wars
A historical journey from 1919 to 1939 through years of dawn, light, and dusk back into the darkness of war.
Episodes
War, poverty, and disease continue to pummel the world in the wake of the Great War. But still, humanity carries on, not only surviving but creating a host of futuristic opportunities in the arts, the economy, and....cheese.
There is revolution and fear of revolution throughout the world in the winter of 1919. But cultural and technological revolutions are also bringing hope to many. A new age of Jazz and Cinema is about to reach America and Europe.
It is a springtime of revolution throughout the world in 1919 and not just the political kind. Era-defining advances in science and technology and iconic cinematography are made this season.
Technology promises a better and more connected world in the summer of 1919. But battles still rage everywhere over who will inherit it.
The First World War has been over for a year, and the modern era plows ahead. But so does fear and paranoia. In America, the Red Scare goes into overdrive.
Science and technology is marching on as the world enters the 1920's. But Americans have more to reckon with than just a new decade: every state in the country has gone "dry".
Racist conspiracies are on the rise in America. But other hysterias are also lessening. Will there be a return to normalcy?
Louis Armstrong will be one of the greats of the American Century. But before that, others have to blaze a trail for him. No mean feat in a land of racial tension.
There is a surprising connection between sci-fi films and the technological policies of Soviet Russia. Watch to find out...
Modern technology promises a lot, but it can also bring unprecedented horror. This season, the people of Czechoslovakia get to see that for themselves.
Albert Einstein may be renowned for his work in the field of science, but this season he is fundraising for a new Jewish university. Charity isn't the only activity on the cards in the United States this season however, much more tragic events are also afoot...
This season there is a major breakthrough in combatting one of humanities' oldest diseases, but a deadly famine will also strike Soviet Russia. Will the international community come to the fledgling state's aid?
This season not only marks the birth of the American Welfare State, but it will also see women make major gains in political influence.
The interwar era has seen an explosion of art movements all vying to offer the most revolutionary response to modern society. The competition is intense and, as we shall see, often spills over into open conflict.
Vladimir Lenin founded the Bolshevik Party, orchestrated the October Revolution, and led the world's first communist state to victory in the Russian Civil War. He is now gravely ill and close to death, but he still has one more enemy he wants to crush.
The Prohibition era is still just getting started, but criminal enterprises have already sprung up everywhere to supply thirsty Americans with their drink. In the "summer of sin" of 1922, one man in particular is making waves in the Chicago underworld.
The modern age is an age of modern things. But it is also an age when people yearn for times past. One of the main men to weaponize this yearning is Benito Mussolini.
In the winter of 1923, a controversial activist takes a Catholic doctor to trial for libel. The proceedings capture a much bigger moment in the history of the interwar period: the controversial - but inherent - link between birth control and eugenics.
Being the creator of the legendary Sherlock Holmes has made Arthur Conan Doyle famous for his scientific rationality. But Doyle also has a deeply held belief in the existence of the spirit universe. In a world still reeling from the shock of the Great War, he is not alone.
On their search for the origins of humanity, the expedition led by Roy Chapman Andrews makes some amazing discoveries in the Gobi Desert, including the uncovering of dinosaur eggs and velociraptors. Who knew paleontology could be so cool?
Wilson won the Nobel Peace Prize for crafting the League of Nations at Versailles, but even he couldn't bring America into it. This season, a new dance craze takes hold as America continues to look inward.
Vladimir Lenin's long battle with illness finally comes to an end this season. But amid mourning in the Soviet Union, the rest of the world continues to embrace the sounds of a new age.
There's no business like show business and in the spring of 1924, you can see why. Buster Keaton and Hollywood as a whole are producing some iconic films, the British Empire is putting on a massive exhibition, and there is even talk of a death ray.
The League of Nations is just one manifestation of a broader ideal in the interwar years. Within a palace in the heart of the British Empire, a new conference is underway. It is attended by everyone from H.G. Wells to the Prince of Wales.
The Surrealist Movement is born this season with unsurprising eccentric drama. Salvador Dali will one day be a part of it, but for now he is still in art school and has actually only just come out of prison. Also this season, a crime which sees police chasing America's first ever "Public Enemy No. 1".
It is a season of gun battles and assassinations. Al Capone is fighting both the Chicago underworld and the law, while in Germany, Nazi fanatics continue their campaign of political violence.
