Utopia And Terror In The 20th Century – The Great Courses

From the trenches of World War I to Nazi Germany to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, the 20th century was a time of unprecedented violence. According to best estimates, in that 100-year span more than 200 million people were killed in world wars, government-sponsored persecutions, and genocides.

Such monumental violence seems senseless. But it is not inexplicable. And if we can understand its origins, we may prevent even greater horrors in the century to come.

This is the premise of Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century. Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius traces the violent history of that era, beginning with its early roots in the American and, especially, the French revolutions. With each passing lecture, you will see how the 20th century’s violence was the result of specific historical developments that eventually combined, with explosive results.

Course Guidebook and  4 DVDs