World War II: The European Theater

Explore the strategic decisions that shaped WWII’s European conflict through 24 in-depth lectures analyzing key battles and turning points.

Course Overview (No. 8762)

This 24-lecture series examines WWII’s European Theater through the lens of military strategy, covering pivotal campaigns from Moscow to D-Day and the political decisions that determined the war’s outcome.

Video Lectures

1. The Battle of Moscow, December 1941 (30 min)
   How the Soviet counteroffensive marked the war’s turning point.
2. Anti-Semitism and the Nazis (30 min)
   The evolution from religious to racial anti-Semitism enabling the Holocaust.
3. Tearing Up the Treaty of Versailles (28 min)
   Hitler’s systematic dismantling of post-WWI restrictions.
4. The War Begins, 1939 (29 min)
   Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and blitzkrieg invasion of Poland.
5. The Nazi Rise to Power, 1922-1933 (29 min)
   Historical context for Hitler’s ascent in interwar Germany.
6. The Fall of France, Spring 1940 (28 min)
   Germany’s rapid conquest and Vichy regime establishment.
7. The Battle of Britain—and the Blitz (28 min)
   Air campaign that delivered Hitler’s first major defeat.
8. Britain and Germany’s Standoff at Sea (28 min)
   Naval strategies including U-boats and the Taranto attack.
9. Hitler, Stalin, and Operation Barbarossa (29 min)
   Flawed planning behind Germany’s invasion of Russia.
10. Roosevelt, Isolationism, and Lend-Lease (29 min)
    America’s shift from neutrality to supporting Allies.
11. North Africa and the Battle of el-Alamein (29 min)
    Montgomery’s victory over Rommel’s Afrika Korps.
12. The Battle of Stalingrad, 1942-1943 (28 min)
    Epic siege that broke Germany’s eastern campaign.
13. Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Europe (28 min)
    Underground movements from Norway to Yugoslavia.
14. The Holocaust (29 min)
    Systematic genocide and missed Allied intervention opportunities.
15. U-Boats and the Battle of the Atlantic (29 min)
    Wolf pack tactics versus Allied convoy protection.
16. The Allies Invade Italy: Sicily to Anzio (30 min)
    Costly campaign’s strategic value debated.
17. Strategic Bombing over Germany (29 min)
    Moral and military calculus of aerial bombardment.
18. Allied Industry, Spying, and Wonder Weapons (26 min)
    Intelligence operations and Germany’s desperate V-2 program.
19. Soviets, Germans, and the Eastern Front (27 min)
    Operation Citadel and the colossal Belorussian offensive.
20. D-Day, June 1944 (28 min)
    Normandy invasion planning and Slapton Sands tragedy.
21. Hitler Runs Out of Options, Fall 1944 (27 min)
    Ardennes offensive becomes the Battle of the Bulge.
22. Soviet Push to Berlin and Yalta Power Play (29 min)
    Final eastern campaigns and postwar planning.
23. Eisenhower’s Endgame in Europe (24 min)
    Germany’s final collapse and surrender terms.
24. War’s End: Picking Up the Pieces (30 min)
    Immediate aftermath and Cold War foundations.