Podcast Summary: Churchill’s The Second World War, Part Twelve

Podcast: Hillsdale College Podcast Network Superfeed
Episode: Churchill’s The Second World War, Part Twelve
Date: November 24, 2025
Host: Hugh Hewitt
Guest: Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College

Episode Overview

This episode, the twelfth in Hugh Hewitt and Dr. Larry Arnn’s deep dive into Winston Churchill’s The Second World War, focuses on the prelude to World War II, especially Hitler’s annexation of Austria (the Anschluss) in 1938. Their discussion intricately connects Churchill’s family history, the geopolitical significance of Austria, and the qualities of leadership and character exemplified and opposed by Churchill. They reflect on how Churchill’s memoir is an effort not only to recount but to warn, challenge, and correct the historical record surrounding the causes of the Second World War.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Churchill’s Ancestry and the Legacy of Coalition Warfare

• The show begins with a recounting of John Churchill, the First Duke of Marlborough’s alliance with Austrian commander Eugene of Savoy at the Battle of Blenheim (1704), linking Churchill’s ancestor to a tradition of Anglo-Austrian cooperation:
  • Dr. Arnn: “Marlborough, won every battle he ever fought... the Dutch and the English especially. But then the Austrians and Eugene in particular joined and they had a grand coalition.” [01:54]
• Hugh and Dr. Arnn stress that European history is defined by the constant jockeying for power among tightly packed states:
  • Hugh Hewitt: “Europe is a... pretty small place with a lot of history. And in the middle of that history... John Churchill... becomes the duke of Marlborough when he is gifted an estate at Blenheim as a result of this battle.” [08:54]
• Vienna’s strategic relevance is underscored by its long role as capital of the Habsburg (Holy Roman) Empire and its allure for conquerors like Suleiman the Magnificent and Hitler:
  • Dr. Arnn: “Vienna... the touch point between Northern Europe, France, Germany, and ultimately England... and it had run an empire. It was often a troubled empire. It was a weakening empire by the 19th century.” [03:21]

2. The Anschluss in Historical Context

• The Anschluss (March 12, 1938) is depicted as the beginning of Hitler openly dismantling European order. The significance of Austria as a gateway to Eastern Europe and the Balkans is repeatedly highlighted:
  • Hugh Hewitt: “Austria... which occurs on March 12th, 13th, 1938, and the invasion of Poland... September 1, 1939... Things move very quick is what I'm pointing out, Dr. Arndt. It’s as though the world is holding its breath and it can’t stop.” [16:54]
• The interwar settlement (Treaty of Versailles) intentionally fractured German-speaking populations and created tensions Hitler would exploit:
  • Dr. Arnn: “There’s Germans all over the place and there’s Slavs all over the place and they’re intermingled a lot. We have seen... all the troubles when... Yugoslavia broke up...” [15:37]
• Italy’s shifting alliances (with Britain in WWI, then Germany in WWII) and Mussolini's betrayal during the Anschluss are underlined as pivotal moments:
  • Dr. Arnn: “Italy might take a hostile view to German intrusion into Austria, and Mussolini did not... Italy is a solid and longstanding ally of Great Britain.” [18:11]
  • Hugh Hewitt: “Italy goes to the other side of the division of Europe. They were with the Allies in World War I. They were with Hitler... in World War II.” [20:14]

3. The Character and Judgement of Churchill

• The conversation consistently challenges the idea that Churchill was a warmonger, emphasizing his repeated efforts to avoid conflict:
  • Dr. Arnn: “There’s just a million proofs that the charge that Churchill was a warmonger is wrong... all Volume one is all about his efforts to prevent the war again.” [13:02]
• Churchill’s foresight and frustration with appeasement are discussed, referencing how earlier action in 1935 (Rhineland) could have thwarted Hitler:
  • “1935 was an obvious time when Hitler wasn’t strong enough to do something, he did, 38 is also like that... The general said... we got no way where we could oppose the French if they invaded us when we invade Czechoslovakia.” [20:54]
• Churchill’s literary style is praised for conveying urgency, making readers almost feel the breathlessness of the era.

4. The Military Reality: From Austria to Mechanized War

• The pair draw a vivid parallel between the German army’s stumbling annexation of Austria and modern Russian missteps in Ukraine:
  • Hugh Hewitt: “Remember when Putin invaded Ukraine the second time and he had that long line of tanks that stalled out... It strikes me like that—they really didn’t know what they were doing.” [21:57]
  • Dr. Arnn: “The German army got better pretty quick after this... But... the German army... was a horse drawn army. And one of the ways we simply overwhelmed them... was trucks. We just produced an incredible amount of trucks.” [23:24]
• They reflect on how quickly the German military improved after Austria, but initial missteps foreshadowed vulnerabilities.

5. Leadership, Genius, and Character (Churchill vs. Hitler)

• Discussing Churchill’s assessment of Hitler as a "genius" in his memoir, they note:
  • “His genius taught him that victory would not be achieved by the processes of certainty. Risks had to be run, the leap had to be made. He was flushed with his success...” [Quote from Churchill read at 28:27]
• Dr. Arnn clarifies that ‘genius’ does not mean goodness; it refers to a potent, focused will, for good or evil:
  • Dr. Arnn: “Genius just means of a special kind, right? Hitler was a genius. He was a special, certain kind of guy. And that doesn't mean a good guy necessarily... If it means an evil guy, it means a really evil guy.” [29:48]
• Drawing from Aristotle, Dr. Arnn explains character formation as “etching” through repetitive choices—whether for good or ill:
  • “You get your character through making choices. And if you make them consistently and relentlessly, well, you will get a very good character. And if you make them consistently evil or wickedly, you'll get a really strong bad one... you’re etching or engraving into your soul by the choices that you make...” [32:58]
• They close on the importance of intentional learning and self-improvement, citing examples from history and personal experience at Hillsdale.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dr. Larry Arnn [03:21]:
  “Vienna is the touch point between Northern Europe, France, Germany, and ultimately England... it had run an empire. It was often a troubled empire... a weakening empire by the 19th century.”
• Hugh Hewitt [08:54]:
  “Europe is a... pretty small place with a lot of history. And in the middle of that history... John Churchill... becomes the duke of Marlborough... a battle where the English fought with the Austrians.”
• Dr. Larry Arnn [13:02]:
  “There’s just a million proofs that the charge that Churchill was a warmonger is wrong... all Volume one is all about his efforts to prevent the war again.”
• Dr. Larry Arnn [15:37]:
  “There's Germans all over the place and there's Slavs all over the place and they're intermingled a lot... Hitler is exploiting them.”
• Hugh Hewitt [16:54]:
  “Things move very quick is what I'm pointing out, Dr. Arndt. It’s as though the world is holding its breath and it can’t stop.”
• Dr. Larry Arnn [20:54]:
  “...the Germans rolling into Austria uncontested on their way to Vienna, that the trip didn't go very well. The tanks broke down and big traffic jams. They had to put them on railway cars to get them there...”
• Hugh Hewitt [21:57]:
  “Most boomers will have become acquainted with Austria and the Anschluss... via the movie the Sound of Music... The Nazis don’t come off very well, because of course they shouldn’t.”
• Dr. Larry Arnn [23:24]:
  “The German army... was a horse drawn army. And one of the ways we simply overwhelmed them... was trucks. We just produced an incredible amount of trucks.”
• Churchill, quoted by Hewitt [28:27]:
  “His genius taught him that victory would not be achieved by the processes of certainty. Risks had to be run, the leap had to be made... flushed with his success... Hitler was resolved to hurry and to have the war while he was in his prime.”
• Dr. Larry Arnn [29:48]:
  “Hitler was a genius. He was a special, certain kind of guy. And that doesn't mean a good guy necessarily... If it means an evil guy, it means a really evil guy.”
• Dr. Larry Arnn [32:58]:
  “You get your character through making choices... you're etching or engraving into your soul by the choices that you make.”

Timeline of Key Segments

• [00:31–05:23] | Marlborough & Blenheim: Churchill's legacy and coalition-building
• [08:54–10:34] | Vienna as Europe's crossroads; Austria’s historical significance
• [12:37–16:54] | Context for the Anschluss; Treaty of Versailles and German minorities
• [18:11–20:54] | British and Italian diplomacy, the failure of deterrence, missed opportunities
• [20:54–24:26] | The botched German occupation of Austria and the logistical realities of war
• [28:11–32:58] | Churchill analyzes Hitler’s "genius” and leadership
• [32:58–37:22] | Formation of character, historical reflection, and learning from the past

Tone and Style

The tone is conversational, occasionally wry, and steeped in both scholarly knowledge and relatable anecdotes. Dr. Arnn and Hugh Hewitt blend literary appreciation, classical philosophy, historical narrative, and personal reflection.

For Further Listening

• This is part of an extended series—find all previous episodes at hughforhillsdale.com or Podcast Hillsdale.
• Additional readings referenced: Churchill’s Marlborough: His Life and Times, Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, Aristotle’s ethical works, and Martin Gilbert’s Churchill biography.

Summary compiled for listeners seeking insight, historical depth, and a taste of the dialogue’s intellectual camaraderie.