Join a Live, History-Making Chat with Professor Vejas Liulevicius

Whether you are a serious historian, just interested in how the world as we know it came to be, or something in between, don’t miss this live chat with Professor Vejas G. Liulevicius on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, 7-8pm ET. Professor Liulevicius’ expertise spans across topics including diplomacy and war, terrorism, World War I, and even espionage.

3rd & 7 37yd

Good evening and thank you all for joining us tonight as we discuss history with our esteemed guest, Professor Vejas G. Liulevicius. At this time, our chat is now open and you may begin sending your questions to Professor Liulevicius by clicking on the Submit a Question button.

by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:00:08 PM

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Hello! It is a great pleasure to have this chance to chat with you. I look forward to hearing your questions about history, and its many fascinating complexities. Thanks to the Great Courses for this opportunity!

by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius 10/1/2015 11:00:36 PM

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Do you consider the last 70 years of relatively low conflict in Europe (i.e. no major armed conflicts) as a fairy tale? What in your assessment would trigger the calamity in as it did towards two great World Wars?

by Mehboob Hamza edited by TheGreatCourses 10/1/2015 11:01:30 PM

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Do you believe that WW1 fundamentally changed they ways humanity deals with itself?

by Mike Niebauer 10/1/2015 11:03:41 PM

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James Lehr

ok, here's a good question and i'm basing it on the courses that i think this professor put out. i'm trying to recall. Here goes: do you think Russian President Putin wants to set up SOVIET .... REUNION, i guess that's a good way of putting it. This idea comes up where Pres. Putin wants to go back to the good old days and he'll probably want to take everything back. i find this highly unfeasible, but you never know, Iowa might want to secede from the Union and go to the other side.

1 October 2015
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I'm Jewish and my family lived under German occupation in Poland in World War I. I remember my great aunt telling me that this was the safest period of her life prior to coming to America, which is ironic considering what happened a couple of decades later. Can you discuss the German treatment of Jews in their occupied territory during the First World War?

by Ken Strumpf 10/1/2015 11:07:55 PM

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Learn more about the "Christmas Truce" and the rest of WWI in "World War I: The Great War"
Fictional espionage written by a real intelligence agent! Learn more with Professor Liulevicius in "Espionage and Covert Operations: A Global History"
Learn more with Professor Liulevicius in "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration"

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by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:07:58 PM

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When--and why--did you decide to become a historian?

by pam 10/1/2015 11:11:58 PM

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by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:13:24 PM

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Should the Espionage Act be discarded because it is biased political repression not a real threat to National Security?

by james edited by TheGreatCourses 10/1/2015 11:13:31 PM

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What made you decide against a chronological flow in your World War I course?

by ProfessorTom 10/1/2015 11:16:48 PM

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Turning Points in Modern History: Cold War | The Great Courses
by TheGreatCourses via YouTube

by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:18:15 PM

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In your course on exploration, you mentioned that Thomas Jefferson had asked Congress to keep Jefferson's pet project of the Lewis & Clark expedition a secret. This was prior to the Louisiana Purchase. It is difficult to imagine Congress keeping a secret very long. Could you elaborate on how long the project was kept under wraps in the House and Senate, prior to the Louisiana Purchase. Did Jefferson genuinely believe that the Reps and Senators could keep a secret?

by James Norwood 10/1/2015 11:19:14 PM

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We’ve received a number of great submissions. Thanks for your patience as Professor Liulevicius answers your questions as quickly as possible.

by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:20:00 PM

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What is your favorite one-volume work on World War I ???

by Ted Kijeski 10/1/2015 11:21:59 PM

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Professor Liulevicius in a cafe in Budapest, Hungary
The Liulevicius family at the Castle of the
Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Trakai, Lithuania
Professor Liulevicius and his wife in Venice

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by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:24:20 PM

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What do you think about Ed Snowden's choices?

by bernice 10/1/2015 11:24:29 PM

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What sort of relationship exists between archaeologists and historians? Do you consider yourselves mutually supportive, competitive, whatever?

by Alan 10/1/2015 11:26:09 PM

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World War I could just as easily have ended with a quick victory of one of the sides. Or it could have never happened. European hegemony and a world order much different from what we know would have ensued. Don't you think that the importance of WWI is constantly underestimated?

by Guillermo Garcia 10/1/2015 11:28:11 PM

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Do you have any favorite writers of US/Soviet or Cold War-evoking spy fiction?

by Kevin Manzel 10/1/2015 11:30:13 PM

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Learn more with Professor Liulevicius in "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration"
The revolutions of the late 1700's shook the western world. Learn more with Professor Liulevicius in "Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century"
Colloquialisms can be a reflection the times they're created. WWI brought us some common phrases, originally used in trench warfare. Learn more with Professor Liulevicius in "World War I: The Great War"

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by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:30:16 PM

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How does history influence Putin’s strategy in geopolitics or at least his regional strategy?How does history influence Putin’s strategy in geopolitics or at least his regional strategy?

by Patsy Stone 10/1/2015 11:32:28 PM

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by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:35:24 PM

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Hello Professor,

I've often wondered how it came to be that Hitler, with his concoction of ideas of Aryan supremacy and racial purity, etc., rather than being just another "crank" giving stump speeches on a local corner or a minor political figure never to be heard from again, was somehow motivated to play out his internal drama first, in Germany, and then on the "world stage." What is your "take" on this extraordinary phenomenon?

by Richard Heath 10/1/2015 11:35:30 PM

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My grandfather (Polish; not Jewish) participated in both world wars. He was also in Auschwitz. How much, knowing about one's family history, affects one's beliefs and attitudes abut history in general?

by terris 10/1/2015 11:38:41 PM

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Behind the scenes in The Great Courses studio
Professor Liulevicius on the set of "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration"
Professor Liulevicius lecturing about history

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by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:42:42 PM

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I have always been impressed by one trait of Otto von Bismarck that seemed to differentiate him from leaders like Alexander the Great, Napoleon and Hitler. He knew when to stop conquering, and did not fall victim to megalomania Do you agree, and do you consider him unusual from that standpoint?

by Jack H 10/1/2015 11:43:02 PM

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If you had been in charge after WW I, what would you have done differently regarding the treatment of Germany? Could the difficult economic times of the 1920 and 1930s been alleviated and WW II potentially averted?

by Kay 10/1/2015 11:46:32 PM

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History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration: Lewis and Clark | The Great Courses
by TheGreatCourses via YouTube

by The Great Courses 10/1/2015 11:48:56 PM

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What about chance? We as human beings are unable to escape from the vagaries of luck. The right man at the right time. Etc. What is your perception of the role of chance in the creation of history?

by Guillermo Garcia 10/1/2015 11:51:24 PM

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What does it take to become an expert in a history topic. I'm looking for more than just "a lot of hard work" here. For instance, if one wanted to be an expert in World War I or II, they can't possibly know everything that transpired during the war. So what differentiates the expert from the knowledgeable amateur?

by ProfessorTom 10/1/2015 11:53:48 PM

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Do you set aside every day a certain amount of time to research and write?

by Rick Moyer 10/1/2015 11:57:54 PM

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Due to the volume of questions for Professor Liulevicius, we will be extending the chat for another 30 minutes.

by The Great Courses 10/2/2015 12:01:07 AM

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In your research for the new course, did you find that some of the differences that have been creating tensions between some of the groups in Eastern Europe are starting to dissipate?

by Tom B 10/2/2015 12:01:16 AM

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I just saw a report of yet more genetic testing to "determine the fate" of Tsar Nicholas's family? Does Russia itself have the same obsession or is this a Western phenomenon?

by Kevin Manzel 10/2/2015 12:07:23 AM

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Professor Liulevicius at the statue of Emperor Franz Josef of the House of Habsburg in Vienna, Austria
Professor Liulevicius by the Reichstag building, Berlin, Germany
Prof. Liulevicius at the chapel of the Naval College, Greenwich, UK, at the memorial to the doomed 1845 Sir John Franklin Arctic Expedition

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by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/2/2015 12:07:55 AM

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This is a great way to keep learning

by YvonneSenior 10/2/2015 12:08:49 AM

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Just a quick comment - we are enjoying your WW1 series, and look forward to your Espionage and Spies - our OSS friend Elizabeth McIntosh, author of "Sisterhood of Spies - Women of the OSS" died at age 100 last June 8.

by sallyandmilt 10/2/2015 12:09:41 AM

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My question about the american civil war seems to have got lost. That war produced tremendous losses because of technology. Were there no voices that pointed out this example in the allied or central powers the pointed out the potential slaughter in a world wide war.

by roy hallliday 10/2/2015 12:13:36 AM

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by The Great Courses 10/2/2015 12:15:23 AM

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Many thanks to the Great Courses for this presentation and to Professor Liulevicius for and interesting and informative evening.

by Robert Ridder 10/2/2015 12:18:00 AM

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To what degree do you see contemporary political trends in this country as being simply the latest reflection of common historical processes, and/or to what extent, if any, do you see today's activities as being a unique new synthesis?

by jlewis 10/2/2015 12:18:45 AM

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I'm a University of Tennessee grad and wondered of all the universities in the world you could teach at why you chose UT? (Not that it's a bad thing! :))

by vols96 10/2/2015 12:20:39 AM

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Turning Points in Modern History: Table Top War Games | The Great Courses
by TheGreatCourses via YouTube

by The Great Courses 10/2/2015 12:21:50 AM

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Professor Liulevicius's courses are on sale now. Visit his Professor Page to learn more.

by TheGreatCourses edited by The Great Courses 10/2/2015 12:24:11 AM

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