History and Economics   

Russia has thrust itself into the international limelight by its war against Ukraine. Russian motives for this war and much of the predictable future arose in Russia's past. Vladimir Putin in many ways is a traditional Russian leader although his political environment is different from the Tsars and the Soviets. But his management and government style have roots in the past. This course seeks to look in a very brief manner at the roots of the forces that drive Russian international policy. In addition, it will seek to clarify both Russian mythology about the past as well as to clarify Putin's effort to reestablish the empire. The class will undertake an eight-week survey of the general outlines of Russian history that have led us to the current situation and try to look forward to future Russian behavior.

There are some books we often have heard cited and may have quoted ourselves, but in reality, we’ve never read. One book that could fit this description for you is Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. In this course, we will have the opportunity to read and talk about parts of this classic work.

In the 1830s, de Tocqueville came to the United States from France to study prison reform. He used his time for a much broader investigation into American society, culture, and politics. The result was Democracy in America. The book is partly an entertaining literary travelogue that captures many aspects of life in 1830s America. But mostly it’s an examination of how democracy shaped American culture, institutions, and character. De Tocqueville analyzes themes relevant to today, such as equality, individualism, civil society, religion, and the dangers of majority tyranny. He contrasts American democracy with European aristocracy, urging Europeans to become more democratic, but he also warns his audience of potential democratic excesses.

Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy in America, Volume 1, 1835. Book is in public domain

By watching lectures by archaeologists, reviewing handouts, and engaging in class discussions, we will explore several intriguing questions about ancient cities. For example:

• When did humans switch from the nomadic lifestyle of hunting & gathering to settled lives in cities they built?
• Why did they make such a dramatic change?
• Where were the first cities built and occupied?
• What did those early cities look like?
• How did early city dwellers live and what social, economic, political and religious arrangements formed their cultures?

The cities we will examine date to the neolithic age through the bronze and iron ages, up to classical Greece and imperial Rome in the old world; in North America, our sites date from the Woodland period and Pueblo II-to-III. Our chosen cities are primarily in the Mediterranean; we also will skip over to Mesopotamia, the Indus River, and sites in present day Louisiana and Colorado.

(cities/sites listed on syllabus)

The United States has held 60 presidential elections. A few of these contests proved to be extremely controversial. This course will examine eight such elections, concluding with the 2024 election.

Each week, we’ll scrutinize one election. We’ll first look at the 1800 election where it took 36 votes in the House to declare Jefferson the winner. We’ll then review the 1824 election where Andrew Jackson received 15 more electoral votes and a third more popular votes than John Quincy Adams, but Adams became president. Then, in turn, we’ll examine the 1860 election of Lincoln; the 1876 selection of Rutherford Hayes that ended Reconstruction; the 1912 contest where Wilson defeated both an incumbent and an ex-president; the “hanging chads” election of 2000; and the 2020 election where, for the first time, the losing candidate refused to concede defeat.

The course will not use a text. Before each class, the facilitator will distribute a short reading describing the election and why it resulted in such controversy.

This course will cover six key economic issues: the recent slowdown of US economic growth, economic inequality, the US’s mounting national debt, the US’s inefficient health care system, the US’s soaring prescription drug prices, and immigration.

Here are some of the questions that will be addressed:

• What caused the recent slowdown in the nation’s growth?
• Is faster growth a good thing?
• What is driving the US’s widening income inequality?
• Is the “American Dream” now just a pipedream for all but the richest Americans?
• How critical is it for America’s national deficit to be reduced?
• Why does the US spend so much more on health care than other high-income countries, and is it getting its money’s worth?
• Why are pharmaceutical drug prices so high in the US?
• Can drug price inflation in the US be tamed?
• What are the benefits and costs of immigration to US citizens, and does one exceed the other?

Members will get a complete overview of the background of the Civil War Amendments, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and how they changed America forever. These Amendments are crucial to modern America and the foundation of nearly every fight in the so-called “culture wars.”

Fixing The Framers' Failure: The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and America's New Birth of Freedom

• Session 1: America and Herself – War Adrift on a Sea of Misery.
• Session 2: The 13th Amendment: Bringing Forth a New Nation
• Session 3 and Session 4: The 14th Amendment: Defining A New Nation
• Session 5: The 15th Amendment: Dropping the Musket to Reach the Ballot and America Becoming Herself

Recommended: Robert J. McWhirter, Fixing the Framers Failure: The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and America’s New Birth of Freedom (Twelve Tables Press, 2022)

When the US Constitution was ratified in 1788, there were serious questions, both in the US and abroad, whether this new form of government could be effective and long lasting. As a result the US was shown little respect on the world stage.

By the end of the War of 1812, 27 years later, perceptions had shifted. Foreign countries were viewing the U.S. as more of a lasting presence. Americans were experiencing a surge of patriotism and growing optimism for the future of the government.

This class will look at how the U.S. Constitution came about and examine the struggles faced by the first 4 US Presidents as they worked to build a nation. The War of 1812 will be studied to see how a war with mixed results came to be viewed as a national victory.

There have been all kinds of leaders in our world. Some led their sports teams to world championships. Others built great corporations and dominated markets. Still others built large armies and attacked their neighbors, accumulating power along the way. These leaders tended to gain a lot of notoriety and large fortunes.

But still others like Gandhi, King, and Mandela chose to lead their oppressed peoples against seemingly invincible power in search of justice and freedom. Rather than earning great wealth, they were imprisoned and in two cases assassinated. Why did they do that?

This course will explore several important questions. What was in their makeups and in their backgrounds that led them to lead their oppressed peoples in a fight for justice and freedom? What “magic” did they have that led them to harness the support of their peoples? What unique strategies did they use to win against superior power?

And finally what have been the long-term outcomes of their heroic efforts? What can we learn about leadership from these men?

The eight weeks of classes will consist of some lecture, some videos, and lots of discussion.

This class will explore the post WWII or Cold War development of nuclear weapons and manned delivery systems and their cultural influence. We will examine the doctrine of strategic use of nuclear weapons and the various international incidents that heightened the threat of atomic weapon use.

How did the US respond to this growing, ever-present threat? We will reveal the political and military infighting in the late '40s that resulted in the creation of the USAF and the Strategic Air Command (SAC). We will study the effectiveness of civil defense measures instituted in the 1950s and explain the significant nuclear accidents during this time frame.

After exploring these topics, we will grapple with the cultural influence of the USA’s political and military responses to nuclear weapons. The class will watch the Cold War thriller, “Fail Safe” and the satirical black comedy, “Dr. Strangelove.” After viewing each film, we will discuss the background and stories of each and analyze their societal impact.

We will examine – through video, readings, and discussion – those in German society who stood against Hitler and the Nazi party. These groups acted and spoke out to free Germany from oppression despite threats of incarceration or death. Germans from religious groups, journalism, the arts, universities, youth groups, and populations of occupied countries all took part in this dangerous, but necessary, resistance. We will also review the successes of these various resisting groups.

Far from being the quiet participants in the Nazi terror, entire sections of German society rose up against the Hitler government. Resistance also bloomed in occupied countries, including France, Poland, Norway and Czechoslovakia.

Join Greg in exploring the history of resistance in this significant era.

RECOMMENDED: RESISTANCE, DIETRICH BONHOEFFER,  VALKYRIE, THEY FOUGHT BACK, MAQUIS

Are you curious about how the financial markets work, and how investment advisors make their decisions? This six-week course will provide interactive discussions and structured lessons offering a broad overview of investment options and strategies tailored for retirement. We’ll discuss risk and volatility, portfolio diversification, and economic trends, with a focus on understanding how registered investment advisors (RIA) operate. Participants will learn how to use investment analysis tools and techniques for managing risk and volatility; by the end of the course, you will have a deeper understanding of financial investment strategies and be equipped to collaborate with financial planners and advisors confidently.

Retirement brings opportunities and challenges in investing, from managing upcoming changes from the SEC, utilizing required minimum distributions (RMDs), generating recurring income, to minimizing volatility, risk and taxes. Whether you want to optimize your retirement accounts or simply grasp the principles behind investment decisions, this course is for you.

Required: How NOT to Invest by Barry Ritholtz (eBook will be provided for each student after the first class).  Must be proficient with using a computer and basic software applications.

Most of us have not studied the Constitution in detail since high school, but now with almost daily references to the document, we should see it in a new light. This course will examine previous constitutions, from the colonial period to 1787, to see how and why the U.S. Constitution came about and how it has been able to provide the law of the land ever since. Through background-building and lively discussions, class members will come to better understand the origins of the U.S. Constitution and how it has been adapted to accommodate changing times.

Recommended: Copy of the US Constitution

What drove some of the world’s most famous explorers? How were they able to persevere? What resources did they use? How did they survive in desolate, unforgiving circumstances? When teammates died, how did the others react? And of course, what routes did they take? What did they discover?

This five-week course will take a deep dive – in some cases literally – into ten historic voyages of discovery and survival. The last, featuring Peter Van Arsdale’s own journey, explores the heartland of New Guinea and the remote tribe his team discovered. In each case, first-hand narratives – as well as numerous photographs and maps – will be included: Cabeza de Vaca (1527-1536, North America); DeSoto (1539-1543, North America); Coronado (1540-1542, North America); Cook (1776-1780, Pacific Ocean); Bligh (1789, Pacific Ocean); Lewis and Clark (1803-1806, North America); Franklin (1845-1846, Arctic); Scott (1910-1913, Antarctic); Shackleton (1914-1916, Antarctic); Van Arsdale (1974, New Guinea).

History is filled with unbelievable stories that will astonish and make you shake your head in wonder and lead you to unexpected discoveries. This class is based on a series of books written by Rick Beyer in conjunction with the History Channel, as well as other carefully researched sources.

Each week will focus on stories from a different genre: music, sports, war, presidents, animals, science and miscellaneous.

You will hear about:

• Animal residents of the White House, from rats to alligators to hyenas and snakes.
• The “Candy Bomber” who, during the Cold War Berlin Airlift, dropped candy for the children trapped in Berlin.
• Two of Shakespeare’s friends who spent 7 years, after his death, to finally get his works published in the First Folio.
• Willy the Whale in London’s River Thames and sharks in the Hudson in NYC.
• How beer and a board game called Senet helped build the Egyptian pyramids.

Come hear these and other stories that seldom make the history books or the nightly news!

This course will focus on the Scopes Trial, allowing us to consider how the U.S. developed a strain of anti-intellectualism, dating back to the 18th century: Is this a conflict of reason vs. religion; Democracy vs. Authoritarianism? Do the old religious tropes of "heat and light" and "head and heart" apply today?

Brenda Wineapple, Keeping the Faith (2024)

This class seeks to answer the question of role reversal:

In the Old Europe, Mesopotamia, and Canaan areas during Neolithic (10,000 - 3500 BCE) times, women were of greater value and respected as creators of life. The people’s worship reflected this with the Goddess who was creator of all life and the cosmos. By 1000 BCE the tables had turned, and men were of greater value. The male God became creator of all life and the cosmos.

We will explore both worlds to discover how and why this reversal of roles happened. We will look at how women became subordinate as the new God became fixed and more powerful and how this continued through the centuries and what it meant to a woman’s conscious development as a person.

 

War is often a turning point in history, but it does not stand alone in reordering a culture. This course explores other circumstances that altered our history. For example, after the Corps of Discovery, Lewis and Clark estimated that 200 years would be needed to settle the Louisiana Purchase territory; but the rapid growth in population and the railroads changed everything, including the timeline.

How does history happen? Is it inevitable or full of surprises? Does history progress by gradual evolution, or can a single person or event change its direction almost instantly? With Great Courses lectures, we take a dynamic journey of U.S. history to explore these questions. Please join me on this memorable excursion.

The divergent directions that U.S. history takes will expand your awareness and significance of known and unknown events. Instructional methods will include presentation, discussion, Great Courses and YouTube videos.

France during World War II almost defies understanding. The German Blitzkrieg overwhelmed France in 1940, after which an infamous Armistice Agreement left southeastern France “independent” of Germany under new government based in the resort town of Vichy. Meanwhile, a few dissenting French military officers escaped to London or French North Africa. Among them was an upstart French General named Charles de Gaulle, who presumptuously assumed leadership of an unofficial French government-in-exile based in London. As the war progressed, the Vichy-based government progressively Nazified while a growing resistance movement increasingly conducted espionage and guerrilla warfare inside France. The Allied invasion of French North Africa in late 1942 complicated matters, prompting Germany to immediately occupy the rest of France. Allied liberation in 1944 induced near-anarchy in France until after V-E Day a year later. Wartime stories of heroism and tragedy abound. Mini biographies of such notable characters as Marshal Philippe Petain, Pierre Laval, and de Gaulle will provide sympathetic understanding countered by some harsh assessments of their arrogance and judgment errors.

“The War to End All Wars” promised the world leaders. What really happened? How could an assassination in a third world country propel all the world powers into a global conflict? How did imperial leadership give rise to the escalation? The war brought the end to four great royal houses and the rise of communism and fascism that led to another world war in just 20 years. Join us as we look at what was supposed to be a small punitive action that went wrong. What part did mutual support agreements play into conflict getting out of control? In this course we will cover the first three years of the war. We have great battles that have faded into the past such as Gallipoli, Verdun, the Somme, and others. We will end the class with the little discussed Mutiny in the French Army. Part 2 follows in the Winter Quarter.

“The War to End All Wars” promised the world leaders. What really happened? How could an assassination in a third world country propel all the world powers into a global conflict? How did imperial leadership give rise to the escalation? The war brought the end to four great royal houses and the rise of communism and fascism that led to another world war in just 20 years. Join us as we look at what was supposed to be a small punitive action that went wrong. What part did mutual support agreements play into conflict getting out of control? In this course we will cover the first three years of the war. We have great battles that have faded into the past such as Gallipoli, Verdun, the Somme, and others. We will end the class with the little discussed Mutiny in the French Army. Part 2 follows in the Winter Quarter.

This class examines the pivotal year of 1945 in global history as a new world emerged from the ruins of World War II. One world had ended, and a new, uncertain one began. Regime changes occurred on a global scale. Asia and continental Europe experienced dramatic disruptions. Out of the often vicious power struggles that ensued, the modern world as we know it emerged. Devastated cities were transformed; the liberated celebrated; scores were settled; people starved; justice was and was not meted out; soldiers and refugees returned home; suffering ended, or continued, or began anew. In human terms, the scale of transformation is almost impossible to imagine.

Discussion topics include:

• --The nation-state and the rule of law
• --Similarities and differences in the events of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia
• --Ethnicity and tribalism
• --Ethnic-cleansing
• --Treatment of refugees, of immigrants, of emigrants
• --The allies and the Holocaust
• --Civil society and the rogue nation state
• --Revenge, retribution, nationalism

Recommended:  Year Zero, A History of 1945 by Ian Buruma