Democracy in Peril: England Between the Wars (Best of OLLI)

We hear much talk these days about the reemerging threat of fascism across the globe. Many pundits are convinced that the menace is very real, while others feel “it can’t happen again"--at least not in liberal democracies. But the history of Great Britain during the 1930s shows us that fascism can indeed make dangerous inroads, even in a free society. Many members of the British upper classes openly admired the Nazi regime, and wanted to install some version of it in England. These pro-German aristocrats felt that Hitler was preferable to chaos or Bolshevism. In this six-week course we will examine just how close Britain came to having a swastika sewn onto the Union Jack.

Faculty Bio

Mick Chantler has taught many popular history courses for OLLI @Berkeley since 2011. His main academic interests include early America, the Civil War era, the Cold War, and the history of baseball. 

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Member Praise for Mick Chantler

Great presentation and discussion, chock full of interesting facts and observations. The pace was perfect. 

I used to shy away from courses about areas of US history that I'd studied in college but eventually realized that no matter how much I might know about something, Mick sees it in a new a clearer light and his brilliance really makes any subject worthwhile. 

Well paced, always engaging lectures.

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Mick Chantler from our archive.