On November 11th, 1918 at 11:00 am, the War to End All Wars came to a close. The treaty that followed, which was intended to create a lasting peace, instead produced a plethora of conditions that would lead to conflicts large and small, culminating in an even more catastrophic second World War.

We will examine through lecture, discussion, slides and videos how the deliberations at the Palace of Versailles in France would create political and physical boundaries that would exacerbate rather than soothe century-old disputes. The actions of the victors and the defeated will be examined. From the frozen north of Russia where a U.S.-led invasion force fought the Reds and the Russian winter, to the incredible saga of the Czech Foreign Legion trying to return to its new homeland, and to the battleships of the British Navy covering the Allied Occupation of Constantinople, we will look at the stories that shaped the Interwar period of the 1920s and 30s.

While Hitler’s rise to power will not be a major focus of this course, the swirling currents of European politics, nationalities, and conditions that would lead to yet another world war and would contribute to the alienation of the East and West in the second half of the 20th Century will be examined.