Nathan Wood
University of Kansas
Professor Wood (Ph.D. Indiana University, 2004 and associate professor at the University of Kansas) teaches about World War I and World War II with a focus on the Eastern Front; his research focus is in 19th and 20th century Eastern Europe, particularly the ways that East Central Europeans have grappled with the challenges and opportunities stemming from industrialization and urbanization, especially during the overlapping periods commonly known as “The Age of Great Cities” (c. 1840–1939) and “The Age of Speed” (c. 1885–1939). In 2010, Professor Wood was honored with a W.T. Kemper Award for Excellence in Teaching. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in modern European and eastern European history and frequently serves on the executive committee of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) at KU.
Undergraduate Syllabus
World War I
created with Jennifer Weber
World War I is one of the most important events in human history. It destroyed four empires, introduced industrial warfare, and caused enormous instability, suffering, and loss for millions of people. Many of the horrors that we associate with the Second World War, including genocide, ethnic cleansing, and targeting of civilians already occurred in the First World War. It directly precipitated the Bolshevik Revolution, gave unprecedented power to the principle of national self-determination, and set off the end of the colonial system across the globe. In short, the First World War ushered in the modern geopolitical order.
How did people experience this conflict? In this course, using primarily a cultural and social history approach, we will examine the military, social, and political causes of the war; the fighting on the Western, Eastern, and Southern fronts; life on the battle lines and on the home front; poetry, art, and propaganda; and the technological developments that helped shape the war. We will also consider the war’s legacy.