World War II

4 credits · Undergraduate

The Second World War was destructive on a scale all its own: it was the first ideological war, not simply about territory, but about conflicting ideas on how governments should organize lives of their citizens. This lecture course invites students to think through this War in three stages, considering first its causes, then the course of conflict in all its theaters, and finally its consequences. The approach involves political, cultural and military history, and readings include major works of historical synthesis along with selected documents, literary treatments, oral histories, and films.