This course aims to put context and nuance into the traditional American views of the Second World War. Although keeping the American experience at the center, it will always view that experience through a global lens. We will challenge some of the myths and half-truths that Hollywood has bequeathed to Americans about the war, while introducing students to some arguments that have emerged from the latest scholarship on themes like the home front, the actual fighting of the war, and the processes of peacemaking. This is not the course to learn more about George Patton and his tanks; it is intended to be a serious, scholarly, and objective analysis of the interplay between American, world, and military history during the most destructive war ever.

COURSE CONTENT

• Twelve seminar sessions led by Professor Michael Neiberg, which can be watched at your convenience

• Primary source readings that supplement Professor Neiberg's seminars

• A certificate of completion for 15 hours of professional development credit

Readings: The optional readings are listed in the “Resources” tab on the course page. Please note that you are not required to read or purchase any print materials. Quizzes are based on the content of the seminar recordings rather than the readings.

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LEAD SCHOLAR
Michael Neiberg
Michael Neiberg is Professor of History in the Department of National Security Studies at the US Army War College in Carlisle, PA. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a founding member of the Société Internationale d’Étude de la Grande Guerre, and a trustee of the Society for Military History. He is the author of The Blood of Free Men (Basic Books, 2012), a history of the liberation of Paris in 1944, and Potsdam: The End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe (Basic Books, 2015).