WWII: Reflections & LessonsRuss Leng, Political Science Professor,
Middlebury College and at Academy of Lifetime Learning Cape Cod Community College
Three Classes
10:30 – 12:00
Tuesday, November 2, 9, 16
Zoom only
11/2: Rise of Fascism in the 1920s & 30s: Could it Happen Here?
We’ll trace how Mussolini and Hitler rose to power between the world wars, and then consider how a modern nation may permit a dictator to assume control, even in a democracy like the US.
11/9: To Bomb or Not to Bomb: Fateful Choices in WWII.
We’ll examine the official explanations for the allied powers’ 1945 decisions to bomb the cities of Dresden and Tokyo, the use of atomic bombs against Japan, and the decision not to bomb Auschwitz or railroads leading to it. We’ll discuss the strategic and moral issues that these decisions raise.
11/16: Roosevelt, Churchill, & Stalin: Do Personal Relationships Matter in Foreign Affairs?
We’ll examine the Big Three alliance during World War II. How important are personal relationships when matters of national security are at stake?