Herald of a New World Order
Part I: European Theater
Hybrid – 3:10 pm – 4:50 pm
March 13, 20, 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1
With 2025 being the 80th anniversary of the final year of man’s greatest industrialized war, it is necessary to review why this conflict was waged and its impacts on our tumultuous world. Overall, it amounted to the collapse of European global dominance, and the rise of a new balance of power—that of the United States and the Soviet Union. Most of us lived in the post-1945 era, known as the Cold War.
But the war did not start in 1939, rather in 1914. The Great War had two chapters: 1914-1922 and 1931-1945. The complexities and sophistication of modern societies and the evolving nature of capitalism are two of the major causes of the rise of modern class structures. Those replaced the ancient monarchical regimes that had outlived their usefulness. This course focuses on the European Theater and lays the groundwork for the upcoming fall session, Part II: The Pacific Theater.
- Week 1: Background to man’s greatest industrialized war, 1914-1922; 1931-1945
- Week 2: Fascism: Focus will be on this draconian version of capitalism
- Week 3: The Factory Floor: Explanation of corporate war from the factory floor
- Week 4: Levee en Masse: The origins and history of conscription of entire populations and economies
- Week 5: 1939-1942: Overview of the first half of the conflict
- Week 6: 1943: Allies take control of conflict. Battle focus: Kursk
- Week 7: 1944: Allies dominate the conflict. Battle focus: Operation Bagration
- Week 8: 1945: United States and Soviet Union win the conflict: Battle focus: Berlin
Mark Albertson is the historical research editor at Army Aviation magazine. He has authored books, written articles in magazines and newspapers and presents courses and talks on a wide variety of topics, including history, current events and politics.