All upcoming World History programs

Described by Cicero more than 2,000 years ago as a promiscuous, husband-murdering harlot, Clodia of Rome led a powerful, complex life. Classicist Douglas Boin argues that Cicero lied about her to protect his own property and interests. Drawing on neglected sources and his study of Roman lives, Boin recounts events from Clodia’s privileged childhood and describes how she engaged in her family’s tradition of egalitarian activism.

The great organ in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is as magnificent as it is historically significant. Though preserved from the flames and water during the fire that engulfed the cathedral's roof in 2019, the instrument was taken apart, then carefully reconstructed and tuned. Olivier Latry, titular organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Bach expert Thierry van Bastelaer discuss the history of the organ, the factors that make it unique, and the impact of the cathedral’s restoration on its sounds.

Few national cinemas offer as compelling a mirror to social transformation as Italy’s. In the decades following World War II, Italian filmmakers shaped a legacy of innovation, reflection, and artistry that still resonates on the global stage. In a four-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh explores pivotal moments in Italian cinema­, from the birth of Neorealism to the bold experimentation of contemporary filmmakers, and how they captured—and questioned—their time. This session focuses on 1970s and 1980s filmmaking and the legacy of Fascism.

In 1734, the Duke of Parma (and soon-to-be King of Naples) had most of the extensive art collection established by his family moved from Parma to Naples. Filippo Borbone, who became Duke of Parma in 1748, was determined to hold on to what works were left. The collection eventually would become the National Gallery of Parma. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero delves into the museum’s artworks, including important pieces by Correggio as well as La Scapigliata by da Vinci. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

As the Mexican Revolution drew to a close in 1920, Mexico’s new democratic government commissioned public murals depicting what the nation could look like. They were painted by many artists, most notably José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Soon works by the three artists and others influenced by them appeared outside Mexico, too. Using the imagery and influences of works painted by Orozco, Siqueiros, and Rivera in the U.S., Walters Art Museum curator Ellen Hoobler explores how the ancient Americas and modern politics intertwined in 1930s and ‘40s public murals in the United States. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

In 1887, a cache of nearly 400 clay tablets inscribed in cuneiform was found in the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten’s ancient capital. Now known as the Amarna Letters, this correspondence between Egypt’s pharaohs and the great powers of the day offers a glimpse into a vibrant international arena. Author and professor Eric Cline explores the complex web of alliances and rivalries that defined the Late Bronze Age and the ambitions, anxieties, and diplomatic theater of the ancient world.

The adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the start of the French Revolution—events that occurred in remarkable chronological parallel—were for much of the last two centuries seen as contrasting, but equally indisputable, pillars of modernity. Historian David Andress examines their shared, complex interaction with the continued growth of the British Empire and how far the political turning-points of this moment also hinged on shifts in technology, trade, and exploitation that had a global reach.

Over the course of history, volcanoes have influenced culture, art, agriculture, scientific innovation, and even media. Was the French Revolution sparked by volcanic activity? Did a volcanic eruption influence Edvard Munch’s The Scream? Could volcanic mining be a solution to electrification for the future? Volcanologist Samuel Mitchell explores the ways in which volcanoes have shaped our world, drawing on examples from the beginning of our planet through this year.

Viktor Frankl (1905–1997) was a philosopher, practicing therapist, and author of 39 books, including A Psychologist’s Experiences in the Concentration Camp, chronicling his imprisonment during World War II. He created the theory and exercise of logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that described a search for life’s meaning and purpose as a central human dynamic. Historian and author Dennis B. Klein reviews Frankl’s work, exploring how meaning-making can respond to what he called “inner emptiness.”

Millions of American GIs served in the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War, fighting their way through Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands before pushing into Germany itself. Most were not professional soldiers, but ordinary young men drafted and sent overseas to confront one of the most formidable armies in history. Historian Christopher Hamner explores the experience of these ground troops—nicknamed “dogfaces”—from their stateside training and transatlantic journey to the brutal and bewildering realities of combat on the European continent.