Great Course on the Progression of Western Europe

What made the experience of listening to Foundations of Western Civilization II: A History of the Modern Western World the most enjoyable?

Great overall course that provides an enthralling historical narrative covering European history from aprx. 1500-2000 focusing on how countries that have contributed the most to the political system and ideals of the U.S. (Great Britain, France, Germany, etc.) transformed themselves from feudal agrarian serfdom states to modern industrious societies with democracy, capitalism, free education, free press, and civil rights and liberties as their foundations.

Topics discussed included:
o Renaissance Humanism
o 16th century voyages and colonialism (Africa, Asia, the Americas)
o The Protestant Reformation
o Wars of Religion (including the Thirty Years War)
o Rational & Scientific Revolutions
o How France became an Absolute Monarchy and English became a Constitutional Monarchy and the wars between the two in the 17th and 18th century
o The Enlightenment
o The American Revolution
o The French Revolution
o The rise and fall of the Napoleonic Empire
o The Industrial Revolution
o Nationalism leading to the unification of Italy and Germany
o European powers and United States seeking new empires overseas (Africa, Asia, Australia)
o World War I
o The Russian Revolution of 1917
o Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany
o The holocaust
o World War II
o The Cold War
o The fall of Communism


Professor Bucholz is an excellent teacher. I fell in love with his teaching style when I took "A History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts" and was so happy to see he would be teaching this course. I had a hard time getting into the "Foundations of Western Civilization" course but was ecstatic when I saw Professor Bucholz would be teaching this one. He is a very clear speaker and easy to understand. He does not rush his sentences nor dwells on his points. He explains the basics very well (does not assume prior knowledge) but provides profound insights as well. For example after multiple lectures on the Renaissance and Humanism in "Foundations of Western Civilization" I still was left without a general sense of what the Renaissance truly was or what it encapsulated. In just a few sentences from Professor Bucholz I was able to grasp what the Renaissance was all about in an instant "got it" moment. Would love more course offerings from him.

Another thing he does well is paint the picture of a specific scene (such as life in a factory at the onset of the industrial revolution or the trenches of World War I), really placing yourself there which only increases your understanding and perspective.

He did a good job of defining and bringing together the actual foundations of western civilization in the last lecture. Until then I was wondering why the course wasn't named "History of Western Europe 1500-2000"? i.e. where was the conversation on the "foundations" of western civilization? What were these "foundations"? But boy did it all come together in the last lecture. Democracy, civil rights, a free and open society, free press, liberalism, capitalism. All of these topics were discussed in previous lectures but it hadn't sunk in to me that collectively they represent the Foundations of Western Civilization. Sometimes you can live right in the middle of something and not be able to define it or see its distinguishing characteristics. Professor Bulcholz pulled it all together.

Very minor minuses to the course:
- Would’ve liked a little more time spent on both the battles and treaties of some of the wars such as the Thirty Year’s War, the Crimean War, the Russo-Turkish, and the various colonial wars in Africa (such as the Boer War) and Asia (such as the uprising in India in 1857): How were they won and what did they settle?

- While of course most of the course focused on Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia (and deservedly so) and the professor warned in lecture 2 the course would focus on these countries, it would’ve been nice to have some additional insight into the progression of some of the other countries such as Spain, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, etc.

I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in history, western Europe, or the story of the progression and transformation of these countries into modern civilizations and the political and economic foundations that define "western civilization".

23 people found this helpful

An Excellent Overview

Any additional comments?

I am a community college history professor. I normally teach US History survey courses but I recently found myself tapped to teach Western Civilization Since 1660. My specialty is military history, so I am good with European History from Napoleon to World War Two, but a little rusty on things that happened prior to that. I haven't had a Western Civ class since 1997, so I knew I needed to brush up. I started listening to this course with the intention of only listening to the first third of it, but I found that I liked the professor's style and the next thing I knew, I had listened to all of it! He gives you the big picture, but he also works in funny anecdotes and stories from everyday people. In other words, exactly what good professors do. His delivery style is good and I found it both entertaining and informative. He is funny too! He has some great one liners that you really have to pay attention to catch. Overall, I certainly recommend this. Yes, he may be a little biased towards England, but all historians have their biases. At least he admits his. I would definitely listen to another of his courses, even if it was a subject that did not really interest me that much, simply because I like his style.

38 people found this helpful

An Unexpected Reaction

When I bought this course, I looked forward to rediscovering and enhancing any knowledge i already had of Western Civilization. From the excellent reviews, I was also aware that other listeners had really appreciated Professor Bucholz' series of lectures. So I dug in with gusto.

I expected to learn a lot, and I did. Prof. Bucholz is excellent - in knowledge, in organization, and in delivery. What seemed like a big commitment - 48 lectures! - turned out to be a real pleasure. I recommend this experience heartily!

What I did not so much expect was to spend sleepless nights with alarm bells going off in my head. Like most people, I often forget that the patterns of history aren't just about the past - they repeat themselves over and over again and say much about what is still deep in human nature. Historians and other wise people say something like: "Woe to those who forget their history - they are doomed to repeat it!"

We are stupid indeed to think that our own actions in the present can't abruptly alter and send the civilization we have achieved rocking on its heels. I wish that every person who feels that his/her vote doesn't matter, or who considers casting that precious vote in sheer anger - or, worse, as a joke - would listen to this course and appreciate just how delicate and vulnerable our "civilization" really is!

36 people found this helpful

Excellent Audiobook

I loved this audiobook all throughout, the professor is an excellent performer and the lectures were really easy to follow through. I am no expert in history, some will argue about the content but for me it was an excellent way to start digging on international history for the first time. I recommend this book a lot.

8 people found this helpful

Great

What about Professor Robert Bucholz’s performance did you like?

He spoke clearly.

Any additional comments?

I wish it were slightly less war-focused. He covered other areas of society besides war, but I wish the balance would have included more art, music, architecture, and writing.

10 people found this helpful

Wow. I have learned so much.

If I had had a history teacher like this in high school or college I might not be having to learn all this in my seventies. But better late than never. I had come to most of the same conclusions about the meaning and purpose of civilization but never had historical knowledge to confirm those ideas.
I inspired to learn more and apply it to my life.

3 people found this helpful

good intro

Quite a good intro. Heavy on some topics, rather light on others, but overall very enjoyable. Except for the last chapter, where all the philosophizing on the meaning of civilization left me cold.
Other than that, and up to that point, it does the job very well.

10 people found this helpful

The Best

Superbly presented, inspiring, and content rich course. It doesn't get any better than this. Professor Bucholz's humility and knowledge shine through.

2 people found this helpful

Disappointed

Way too liberal. I expected better of Great Courses. This interpretation of history where socialism it praised and endorsed is what is wrong with our current decaying culture.

1 person found this helpful

Amazing and thorough.

This course is perfect for beginning your journey of understanding the vast history of the west. Professor Bucholz is knowledgeable and captivating, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, where I learned more about the individual lives of people than I had ever when taking this course in college. I would recommend this course to anyone looking to get started learning history.

1 person found this helpful