Two relatively new members of the Institute for Retired Professionals at The New School in New York
City have embarked on an ambitious venture: to design a study group better to understand three great if controversial leaders of the 20th Century. What formed Churchill, Hitler and Stalin? What social, economic and historical forces influenced them and led to the War? And how did their psrticular experience affect their decision-making in World War II in Europe and No. Africa?
Vincent Fuccillo and Winthrop D. Thies are the two adventurers, and they heartily call for the assistance and ideas of all interested in this topic. So--post your comments. Originally it was thought that in a 13-week semester we could study the lives of the three leaders. And then in a second semester study the lead up to WW II and the War in some detail.
But it quickly became apparent that the mass of vital material on just Churchill alone merited a full semester. Hitler and Stalin could be covered in a second. And those wishing to dig further could cover the War in a third semester. Indeed, members could elect any of the three segments they wished.
The proposed text for Churchill will be Roy Jenkins' splendid 912-page "Churchill", available in paper from Amazon. Hitler will be covered in the first part of William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". This is free on the internet through the U. of Michigan site or easily available elsewhere. Stalin will be Robert Conquest's 327-pg "Stalin: Breaker of Nations", also easily available.
What do you think of this study group proposal? Would you be interested in joining in this intellectual adventure? There is a lot of reading to cover. And it should ideally be supplemented by additional articles on the internet and by several fine documentaries available from Netflix. Info on all of this will be supplied.
Meanwhile, there are several essays on Churchill and WW II already written that we'll shortly post here.
Join us on this voyage of discovery. --Vincent Fuccillo and Winthrop Drake Thies
