Taught by Harvard historian Charles S. Maier, this course–entitled World War and Society in the 20th Century: World War II–offers “a thematic exploration of the war and its time through feature films, primary sources, and scholarly interpretations.” The course description continues:
It seeks to provide a means for analyzing and evaluating what one reads or sees about World War II in terms of historical accuracy and for gaining a broader understanding of different perspectives. Themes include the impact of war on soldiers and civilians, on the home front, women in war, the Japanese and German viewpoints, and postwar issues. Films include Mrs. Miniver, The Pianist, The Winter War, So Proudly We Hail, Taking Sides, The Hiding Place, and The Cranes Are Flying.
The 24 lectures are all available on this page. World War and Society in the 20th Century: World War II will be added to our collection of Free Online History courses, a subset of our collection, 1,700 Free Online Courses from Top Universities.
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