HIS 343 - The Second World War, 3 credit hours

Prerequisite(s): One 100 or 200-level history course.
The Second World War was the largest and most destructive war in history. This course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the causes, development, and consequences of the war as a global conflict. Concerning the background of the war, there will be an analysis of the principal economic, political, diplomatic, and ideological developments after World War I that undermined global stability and gave rise to the Axis powers (Japan, Italy, and Germany). While exploring a variety of individual perspectives on the Second World War, the course will cover all the major ground, naval, and air campaigns, and analyze how the Allies were able to defeat the Axis powers. Special focus will be on war mobilization, grand strategy, pivotal military engagements, experiences of common soldiers, economic productivity, technology and weaponry, espionage, the Holocaust and other war crimes, conditions on the home fronts, roles of women and minorities in the conflict, and the emergence of nuclear warfare. The course will conclude by analyzing the great effects of the conflict on the post war world, especially the long-term ramifications of the Cold War, technological changes, and global decolonization.