Spring 2026 OLLI Digital Catalog

TWENTIETH-CENTURY EUROPE PART II (G533)

G – History

This class concludes Twentieth Century Europe Part I, exploring the aftermath of World War II when the continent split into two ideologically hostile armed camps, and the presence of nuclear weapons made the 40-year Cold War a time of constant tension. The fall of the Berlin Wall and end of Communism seemed to finally guarantee peace in Europe for the first time ever. However, the closing decade proved otherwise as events again put the name Sarajevo in the news and gave us the term “ethnic cleansing.”

This offering meets for a total of 11 session(s).

INSTRUCTOR: James Patterson

PATTERSON, JAMES — B.A., history, SUNY Oswego; M.A., history, CW Post; Ph.D., history, Fordham University. Fulbright scholar to Ireland; author of In the Wake of the Great Rebellion. Research fellowship: Moore Institute, University of Galway, Ireland. Professor emeritus of history. Enjoys reading, writing, walking, and time with family and friends. (G533)

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