World history/WHME103/Announcements4

Dear Student,

Welcome to Session 4 of World History: World War II to the Present. You can access all course materials for this micro-course on the website at anytime: http://course.oeru.org/whme103/

In this session we examine the reconstruction of Europe and Asia after the war. After World War I, Europe struggled to recover economically, and this contributed to creating conditions conducive to World War II. By contrast, the Marshall Plan helped create dramatically different conditions in the aftermath of World War II, building a solid foundation for a peaceful and prosperous Europe. In this session we also examine the Allied occupation of Japan, and the origins of the Cold War. You can begin Session 4 here.

After World War II, Japan's pacifist constitution banned the waging of war as a means to settle international disputes. In September 2016, however, the Japanese parliament passed controversial legislation allowing Japanese troops to fight overseas, despite massive protests. Do you agree with this change? Post your thoughts on our OERu course forum on this topic: Japan and Pacifism.

Enjoy your learning,

Deborah

Course developer