Books, videos, and music - all free from your public library!

TELEVISION

War in the Modern World - Season 1

Series: War in the Modern World

4.5

(15)

Episodes

Rating

TVPG

Year

2022

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

Guided by expert David R. Stone, of the US Naval War College, War in the Modern World explores the political realities, people, groups, technology, weapons, and strategies that have shaped conflicts since World War II. Analyze the causes and effects of history-defining conflicts, and emerge a sharper and more informed student of history and contemporary affairs overall.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. Afghanistan and the Nature of Modern War

31m

After the Second World War, the nature of war-not only where, but how it is fought-changed dramatically. In this inaugural episode, begin to explore the transformation of violent conflicts between major world powers by delving into a particularly recent example: America's 20-year war in Afghanistan.

2. Nightmare Scenarios of Modern War

25m

From the "McDonald's theory"-referring to when a country can economically support a network of McDonald's restaurants-to a state's nuclear capabilities, evaluate the factors that explain why wars between great powers look different nowadays, and explore what future conflicts could look like between the United States and two of its major adversaries.

3. The Tools of Modern Warfare

24m

New weapons are constantly being introduced in war. Discover how five contemporary technologies-the Kalashnikov assault rifle, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), guided missiles, drones, and cyber warfare-redefined the rules of battle in the modern era and leveled the playing field between world powers and insurgent groups.

4. From World War to Cold War

28m

Travel back in time to examine the series of events that followed World War II from the allied occupation of Germany to the Greek Civil War. See how the Soviet Union contended with insurgencies in the Baltic region and explore the beginnings of a new kind of global conflict between the United States and the USSR.

5. Europe's Exit from Colonial Asia

30m

The future of Asia, occupied by various powers in the early 20th century, became murky after 1945. One thing was clear though: Few people wanted to see colonial occupiers reassert influence there. Here, zero in on conflicts in Indonesia, the Philippines, and India to see how geopolitics in the region transformed after the war.

6. China's Civil War

26m

As war raged on across the globe, China had to contend with a civil war between Mao Zedong's Communists and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Party. Explore the war from its colonial roots to the establishment of the People's Republic of China and discover how the USSR and the United States became involved in the bloody conflict.

7. The Unfinished Korean War

26m

Why did America fight a war in Korea? How did the USSR engage with the conflict? Could the United States wage a "limited" war on the peninsula like it had intended? And what are we to make of a war that ended not in peace, but in an armistice? Get to the bottom of these questions and more.

8. Britain's Exit from Palestine, Malaya, and Kenya

28m

In the decades that followed World War II, a flurry of well-organized rebellions exploded within the British Empire. Investigate the gruesome conflicts that shook postwar Palestine, Kenya, and Malaya. Determine the efficacy of British counterinsurgency tactics and discover what these confrontations reveal about war and colonialism in the postwar era.

9. France's Vietnam War

28m

Like the UK, France struggled to hold on to its overseas territories. Explore the fight waged by Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh to establish a communist government in his country. Learn about the complicated, bloody history of Algerian independence, and see how each of these wars highlighted the costs of both colonialism and protracted involvement in local conflicts.

10. Insurgency and Counterinsurgency

28m

Waged by groups within a particular country, an insurgency can be defined as rebellion from below. But how does each side-the haves and have-nots-approach the fight? Examine the characteristics of insurgent and counterinsurgent warfare by looking at their application in real conflicts, as well as the strategies that guide them.

Extended Details

SeriesWar in the Modern World

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great CoursesDirector

The Great CoursesProducer

David R. StoneActor