2005 World War II Lecture Series - The War That Changed America
The Impact of World War II - the watershed event of the 20th century — reached far beyond the battlefield. It affected everything from science, women, racism, the Pacific Northwest, war veterans, to diplomacy and President Harry Truman, changing life as we knew it. Seven distinguished history professors will talk about the impact of the last world war – and how it irrevocably changed the fabric of our life.
May 10:
"Harry Truman: One of the Many Changed by the War"
Richard Kirkendall, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Washington
When the war began in 1939, Harry Truman was first-term senator facing the likelihood of defeat in the 1940 election. By war’s end, he had become president of the United States. His view about how the world worked led him to his biggest priority – working to prevent World War III.
 Part One (52 minutes)Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Part Two (52 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
May 17:
"The Physicists' Post-War: Military Research and the New World"
Bruce W. Hevly, Associate Professor of History, University of Washington
The consequences of the war were far-reaching -- not just for physics but for American science and for the American universities housing research efforts newly important to the national defense. This new federally funded research program transformed academia – including the University of Washington.
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Part One (51 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Part Two (53 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
May 24:
"World War II and New Horizons for American Women"
Elizabeth Escobedo, '04, Assistant Professor of History, UT San Antonio
For many American women, the war years represented a general breakdown of social boundaries and patriarchal relationships. The new social environment would lay the foundation for the social activism of the 1960s, with the daughters of World War II’s “Rosie the Riveters” leading the way.
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Part One (46 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Part Two (45 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
June 14:
"The War and Race: A Changed America?"
Quintard Taylor, Scott and Dorothy Bullitt Professor of American History, University of Washington
The impact of the war on Japanese Americans as a consequence of internment obviously challenges the idea of racial progress in this region as well as the nation. Yet 30,000 African Americans who arrived in the region in unprecedented numbers also saw their lives changed in unanticipated ways.
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Part One (60 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Part Two (68 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
June 28:
"War and the Transformation of the Pacific Northwest"
John Findlay, Professor and Chair, History Department, University of Washington
World War II transformed the Pacific Northwest’s economy and population, so that the region’s inhabitants became much more diverse and Northwest industries became less dependent upon extraction of natural resources. The presence of military bases and defense contractors integrated the Northwest into the American mainstream during wartime.
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Part One (54 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Part Two (55 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
July 12:
"The Meaning of WWII for the Americans Who Fought in It"
Otis Pease, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Washington
The men and women who fought in World War II faced a new world when they returned to life after the war. Many became college students and a whole society of opportunity opened up for the people called “The Greatest Generation.”
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Part One (51 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Part Two (53 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
July 26:
"The War as a Diplomatic Revolution for the United States"
Wilton Fowler, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Washington
World War II forced the United States to emerge from its past as an isolationist power with no alliances. The U.S. joined the United Nations and began a new path as a world leader working with other nations.
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Part One (51 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Part Two (50 minutes) Play: RealPlayer | Windows Media |
Visit the World War II Lecture Series pages for more details about the series.
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