The Second World War: From Global Conquest to a New World Order

Join us for a new 4-part series with Professor Stephen Berk, following his February series on World War I, as we delve into the transformative impact of World War II. This conflict not only accelerated the changes sparked by the Great War but also reshaped the global order, marking the end of imperialism, the rise of two superpowers, and the dawn of the nuclear age. Each session will focus on a critical phase of the war: on March 2, Hitler Conquers Europe: Only England Fights and Stalin Watches; on March 9, Barbarossa: The Rising Sun Makes Its Move; on March 16, Stalingrad, Overlord, and the Tide Turns in the Pacific; and on March 23, On to Berlin: Iwo, Okinawa, and a Mushroom Cloud. A distinguished historian and CSP’s 10th Annual Scholar in Residence, Professor Berk brings his expertise to this in-depth exploration of the war that redefined the 20th century. Presented by the Orange County Community Scholar’s Program and sponsored by TBS Adult Learning.
Register: t-b-s.me/secondworldwar
Stephen M. Berk, who served as CSP’s 10th Annual One Month Scholar in Residence in February 2011, is Professor of History at Union College in Schenectady, New York, former Chair of the Department of History, Director of the Program in Russian and Eastern European Studies and Faculty Advisor to the Jewish Student Organization. He is the author of Year of Crisis, Year of Hope: Russian Jewry and the Pogroms of 1881-1882 (Greenwood Press, 1985). He is currently writing a book titled: Our People Are Your People: American Jewry and the Struggle for Civil Rights 1954-1965. The book provides an interesting discussion of an extremely important chapter in the history of the civil rights movement and attempts to dispel the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the Black-Jewish relationship. A recipient of the Citizens Laureate Award of the University of Albany Foundation, Professor Berk has been a consultant to the Wiesenthal Holocaust Center in Los Angeles, has written articles on Russian and Jewish history, anti-Semitism, and the Middle East and has lectured on throughout the United States and Canada including such distinguished colleges and universities as Princeton, Vanderbilt, The University of Texas at Austin and Williams College.