The Decisive Battles of World History

Scope

Naturally, the lectures provide clear and vivid accounts of the campaigns and

battles themselves, but they also offer in-depth descriptions of the cultural

aspects of warfare, including the nature of the societies involved. We’ll come

to understand, for example, how the code of samurai behavior shaped the

outcome of the Battle of Sekigahara or how the attitudes of the Crusaders

contributed to their defeat at the Battle of Hattin.

Similarly, most lectures feature an examination of the often colorful

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politicians, soldiers, or inventors. We will witness, on the one hand, how

the impetuosity of young Ramesses II brought him victory, while for the

Prussian von Moltke, it was his coldly calculating mind that led to success.

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and interesting trivia. Thus, we’ll see how Horatio Nelson’s brilliant naval

career nearly came to a premature end in the jaws of a polar bear and how

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been completely different if, in his youth, Admiral Yamamoto had lost three

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This course reveals the secrets behind of some of the most famous armies of

all time, such as those of Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, explaining

the tactics and technologies that allowed them to triumph over their foes. It

also traces the effects of changing technologies over time and shows how an

edge in technology frequently resulted in military success, from the hoplite

style of warfare of the ancient Greeks, to the innovative turtle ships of the

Korean Admiral Yi, to the steel swords and primitive muskets of the Spanish

conquistadors. Although perhaps unfortunate, it is nevertheless true that

warfare typically sparks technological creativity and invention—consider the

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of technology often are found in the military. In examining the great battles

of human history, we will also trace the overall history of technological

innovation, from the Stone Age to the dawn of the Space Age.

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course, but it will also be of great interest to anyone with a basic desire to

understand why history turned out as it did and how we got to where we