Interconnecting Empires: Towards a Global Radio History of the Axis Powers (1930–1939)

This article builds on the growing body of transnational studies of fascist imperialism and explores their value for media historical research. To establish a global radio history of the Axis powers, we argue that it is productive to examine the crucial role of radio in interactions between Germany, Italy and Japan during the period prior to World War II (1939–1945). Focusing on the 1930s, we first establish the concurrent and intertwined processes underpinning the imperialistic expansion of German, Italian and Japanese radio. We then point to the geopolitics of relay infrastructure, with an attention to programme exchanges and joint broadcasts, and their visible traces in radio archives. Finally, we identify several examples of how radio infrastructures served as powerful spaces for imagining global conquest and world domination. We conclude by critically evaluating this proposed research agenda and its potential to more fully integrate transimperial perspectives within radio history.