So the episode on dreadnoughts that I started writing last week turned into a two-parter, because it turns out I have a lot to say about naval arms races. Who could have guessed?

But I’m fleshing out these two episodes by talking about other aspects of diplomacy among the Great Powers during this time, 1904-07, during and immediately after the Russo-Japanese War. There was a lot going on. France was angling to take over Morocco, Italy was eyeing Libya, the British were trying to smooth over relations with France, Russia, and Germany, as well as keep up with the German naval buildup.

This Sunday’s episode, The Spectre Haunting Europe is almost ready. The weather forecast for where I live is for a heavy snowstorm Friday night through midday Sunday. It’s possible I may lose electricity or Internet service during this time, so I’m going to try to pre-post Sunday’s episode before the storm gets here, just in case. But if next Sunday’s episode is late, the storm will be the reason.