3888CE Russian Military History
Instructor: Garry Tenney
Wednesdays, January 11, 18, 25, Feb. 1, 8 and 15
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

160 million people died in wars during the 20th Century and millions more have died in the 21st Century. Russia has been one of the major players with millions of military and civilian losses. For example, Stalin's purges in 1936-1937 resulted in an estimated 13 million lives lost. The Russian-Chechnya Civil War 1991-2009 resulted in 200,000 lives lost. Was it worth it?

Throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries, Russia has always been one of the world's most powerful nations. Russia and the United States have come close to open military confrontation on several occasions, but more frequently wars between the two were by proxy or propaganda.

This class will consist of six two-hour sessions. We will start with the Boxer Rebellions in 1900-1901; continue our study with World War I, the Soviet Revolution, War with the Ukraine in 1932-33, Stalin's purges, World War II, the Cold War versus the United States, Russia-Afghanistan, and the Russian-Chechnya Civil War. We also will discuss the proxy and propaganda wars involving Russia and the USA.

Russia, like the United States, has been at war for much of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Part of our last class will be used to discuss the potential for future wars Russia could be involved in during the 21st Century. The Russians still have a mighty military force that includes an estimated 5000 nuclear war heads with delivery means from land, air and sea.

The discussion and analysis will be led by COL(R) Garry R. Tenney, a retired Military Intelligence Officer, War College Graduate and former Brigade Commander. COL.Tenney has commanded intelligence units involving North Korea and the Middle East. He has been involved in extensive study and research about the Cold War and the
history of Western European countries. COL.Tenney has made visits to about 30 countries. He is an ROTC graduate from West Virginia University.

Location: Continuing Education Center
Member: $39; Non-member: $69

3892PH The Florida First Lady Who Was No Lady
Instructor: Jerry Blizin
Tuesday, January 17
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Her name was Peggy and she arrived in Tallahassee in 1834 when it was a backwoods village where whiskey sold for 35 cents a gallon. Peggy and her husband, Territorial Governor John Eaton, soon proved themselves devotees of the local beverage. How did the Eatons get there? They were literally exiled from Washington D.C. by President Andrew Jackson. Even Monica Lewinsky never generated the kind of official outrage that Peggy Eaton inspired, but the two women nevertheless occupy unique places in White House history.

This was a political era much like our own, with savage utterances and behavior. It demonstrates that since 1776 American politics has been a rough and tumble game with the fate of the nation frequently hanging in the balance, often depending on issues unrelated to governance.

Come and learn about one of the fascinating political history stories of yesteryear, the kind you don't usually read about in conventional history books, but still a significant part of the Age of Jackson.

Location: Palm Harbor
Member: $10; Non-member: $15

Teddy Roosevelt and the Bully Pulpit
Instructor: Rick Kistner
Download handout PDF

3884PM Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church
Thursday, January 26
10:00 a.m. - Noon        

3885FP First Presbyterian Church
Tuesday, February 7
1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Most Americans know him today chiefly as one of the four faces immortalized on Mount Rushmore. But to social reformers of the early Twentieth Century, Theodore Roosevelt was much, much more. He became the youngest President in U.S. history after rising to the office after the assasination of William McKinley, his predecessor in the oval office. He then quickly began to leave his indelible mark on this country. Teddy Roosevelt consciously painted an image of himself that at times was quite distinct from reality. After the centennial of his Presidency, scholars began to take
a much deeper look at Roosevelt the man and discovered elements of his life and Presidency that were quite different from popular recollections. Our lecture will focus on his early life, his legend as an outdoorsman, the White House years and his attempt to become the first president to serve a third term in the White House.

Member: Free; Non-member: $15

3883PH The Viking Odyssey
Instructor: Joe Menasce
Wednesdays, February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and March 7
10:00 a.m. - Noon

Starting in about 800 AD and for about 300 years the Vikings, also called the Norsemen, left their Scandinavian homeland to seek fortune elsewhere by raiding the coasts of the British Isles before starting an amazing exploration of vast expanses of the world.

Does the stereotype of the Vikings as barbaric raiders, murderers and plunderers apply to them or were these warriors explorers, colonizers, superb shipbuilders, and extraordinary seafarers who eventually settled in many parts of Western and Eastern Europe and North America, leaving cultural marks behind them? In the end rather than destroy Western civilization, many historians actually believe that they enriched it!

This class will examine and debate the many complex facets of these extraordinary people including their society, culture, women, gods and goddesses, sagas, shipbuilding, settlements and, of course, legacy.

Oral presentations and videos will be used to enhance the value of this class and thus enrich our knowledge and understanding of this 300 year period called the Viking Age.

Location: Palm Harbor
Member: $39; Non-member: $69

3896CE Unknown Men of the American Revolution
Instructor: Ian Ohara

We know much about Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin however, have you heard of Elbridge Gerry Dr. Benjamin Rush, William Ellery, Stephen Hopkins, Benjamin Harrison, or Frederick Frelinghuysen? These men were just as important as the fore-mentioned, and their personalities and policies affected America's future just as strongly as the widely known figures.

Location: Continuing Education Center
Member: $59; Non-member: $79

Prohibition: A Story of American Hypocrisy
Instructor: Rick Kistner

3894PH Palm Harbor
Mondays, February 20, 27 and March 5
2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

3895CE Continuing Education Center
Thursdays, February 2, 9 and 16
10:00 a.m. - Noon

On December 23, 1873, Eliza Jane Thompson led a march of 75 women through the streets of Hillsboro, Ohio, to the doors of a local saloon. Once there, they fell to their knees and prayed for the salvation of the tavern owner. Thus was born the Women's Christian Temperance Movement, a political force that agitated for the abolition of intoxicating spirits in the United States. Eventually joined by other organizations such as the powerful Anti-Saloon League, they declared success upon the passage of the Volstead Act in 1919. But  the cure was worse than the disease, giving rise to political and personal hypocrisy, and transforming the face of America. The Noble Experiment as it was called, lasted only a short time before the nation did an about face. The story of prohibition is not just about alcohol, it is a fascinating illustration of how Democratic government can be manipulated. This lecture will focus on the social conditions giving rise to prohibition, the unintended consequences of the movement's success and the aftermath which echoes down through the decades to the 21st Century.

Member: $29; Non-member: $59

3893PH Three Women Who Defied Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon
Instructor: Jerry Blizin 
Tuesday, February 21
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Klaus Barbie headed the Gestapo in Lyon, France during World War II where he earned the reputation of being one of the most brutal Nazi officers in occupied France. A small man who looked like a schoolmaster, he was nonetheless a barbaric torturer and relentless pursuer of Jews and members of the French Resistance. Yet three women, unknown to one other, were able to defy Barbie's authority - each in a different but equally ourageous way.

These are the stories of Beate Klarsfeld, Lucie Aubrac, and Sabine Zlatin, one a German-born woman, one a French native, and one a Polish refugee living in France. Each of them stood up to Barbie as proof of the continuity of humanity despite the brutality of the regime they faced. The atrocities for which Barbie was responsible
are among the worst ever inflicted on France.

Location: Palm Harbor
Member: $10; Non-member: $15

The Prince of Humbug: The Life and Times of P.T. Barnum
Instructor: Rick Kistner

3889PM Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church
Thursday, March 8
10:00 a.m. - Noon

3890FP First Presbyterian Church
Tuesday, March 27
1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

As much as anyone, Phineas Taylor Barnum was one of that rare breed of individuals referred to as an "American Original." Born in 1810, he was by turns a scammer, con artist, merchant, politician, circus owner, and above all else, by common acknowledgement, the greatest showman who ever lived. In fact, he was widely acknowledged as the first show business millionaire. Over the course of his career he perpetrated some of the biggest frauds and hoaxes in American history, yet always with a wink in his eye that somehow left people laughing at his audacity. Incorrectly saddled with the quote "there's a sucker born every minute," he was in fact a true humanist who preached temperance and equal treatment of all races long before it became popular to do so. This lecture will trace the path of Barnum's life and career which spanned the 19th Century and made his name one of the most famous in America.

Member: Free; Non-member: $15

3891CE The Shroud of Turin
Presenter: Wayne Phillips
Thursday, March 29
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

The Shroud of Turin is one of the most studied artifacts in human history and one of the most controversial. A history of its travels alone is interesting but the timeline of scientific studies on the relic, including ongoing investigations, fascinates.

Our speaker, Dr. Wayne Phillips, a local allergist, draws on his own professional training in pollen and allergies to provide insight on the barrage of tests the Shroud of Turin has undergone over the centuries. Despite all the scientists' great efforts, you're bound to leave the talk with many questions.

Location: Continuing Education Center
Member: $10; Non-member: $15

America's Wondrous Waterway
Instructor: Captain Rick Rhode

3886PH Palm Harbor
Wednesdays, April 11, 18 and 25
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

3887CE Continuing Education Center
Thursdays, April 12, 19 and 26
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

America's great waterways are beautifully woven into the history and development of our nation and this class is just the ticket you need to help you explore America's historic water system. The series of three classes will be accompanied by dozens of beautiful images.

Session One:
The Ohio River and American History
Captain Rick will address the Allegheny, Monongahela, Kanawha, and Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. We will be boating down 1,000 miles of the Ohio River plus hundreds of miles of some of its major tributaries. This six-state region's 300 years of American History includes the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, expansion into
the Northwest Territories, Lewis and Clark's explorations, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, the Steamboat Era, and the evolution of the current lock and dam system. We will discuss the rise and decline of  river industries as well as today's commercial and present-day boating concerns.

Session Two:
Exploring Florida's Big Bend Gulf Coast Florida's Suwannee and Apalachicola Rivers and Georgia's Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers will be the focus of this session. We will travel along 300 miles of Florida's Gulf Coast, plus 500 miles up some local inland rivers. The region is the second oldest part of Florida inhabited by the settlers from the New World. Prior Native American cultures, the Spanish, French and later American influences will be addressed.

Session Three:
Discovering the Tidal Potomac We'll take a 100-mile boat trip up the tidal Potomac River. Early attempts made by the British  and early colonial leaders helped contribute to the birth of our new nation. The conflict between America's first Catholic Colony, Maryland, and its rival Protestant settlements across the river in Virginia will be addressed. Traveling up the Potomac, we will reach our nation's capital, and
discuss some of the older nearby areas, such as Alexandria, Virginia and Georgetown - now part of the greater Washington, DC area.

Captain Rick Rhodes is well traveled in the Americas. By the time he was 22, he had already hiked the Appalachian Trail, and then toured all 48 contiguous states by motorcycle. He has lived much of his life aboard boats and twice sailed his 33-foot boat round-trip to Central America. He served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in South America and taught engineering for the US Army. He has enjoyed teaching sailing and immerses himself in local history wherever he goes.

Join us for what promises to be an unforgettable and informative trip on America's waterways.

Member: $29; Non-member: $59

3881CE The Cold War 1956: Eisenhower and the Anglo-French Deception Operation
Instructor: Frank M. Tims
Wednesday, April l1
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

In 1956, American forces were put on war alert as two of America's closest NATO allies engaged in a most inconvenient secret operation - the invasion of Suez. The operation was inconvenient for a number of reasons. Eisenhower faced major health crises and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles was actively trying to settle the Suez issue by diplomacy. This was taking a toll on Dulles who was soon to be diagnosed with the cancer that would end his life.  On a parallel track, crises in Eastern Europe were unfolding in the wake of Khrushchev's "Secret Speech," which had been leaked by the CIA. As the Soviets were trying to preserve the Warsaw Pact, and about to engage in brutal repression in Hungary, Eisenhower was running for re-election as President and trying to decide whether Soviet moves in the Middle East might launch World War III. This two hour presentation, with discussion, will focus on 1956, and the US handling of the Egyptian request for aid in building the Aswan High Dam, the subsequent nationalization of the Suez Canal, and the British-French-Israeli operation that resulted in closure of the Suez Canal and fuel shortages in Europe.

The presentation will be led by Frank Tims, who presented the course "The Cold War: Part I - 1939-56" in last winter's OLLI catalog. He received his PH.D. from American University, Washington DC, and was stationed with the US Army Europe during the Suez crisis.

Location: Continuing Education Center
Member: $15; Non-member: $25

3882CE The Cold War in Popular Culture: The Cambridge Spy Ring and An Englishman Abroad
Instructor: Frank M. Tims
Wednesday, April l8
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

The "fifth man" of the ring was never identified.  Perhaps the most famous of the four others was Kim Philby of MI-6, who betrayed a good many secret operations and agents to the USSR, and thus has a great deal of blood on his hands.  He defected to the Soviet Union in 1958, when he learned he was about to be arrested.  Sir Anthony Blunt was exposed as a member of the ring in 1979, and was stripped of his knighthood by Queen Elizabeth and died six years later.  Two others, perhaps less effectual were Donald McLean and Guy Burgess, who defected in 1951.  Their escape to the "workers paradise" made them celebrities in Moscow for a time, but such fame wears thin.  With the death of Stalin in 1953, the east-west confrontation became more a matter of Kremlin politics and cultural exchanges.  In 1958, Coral Browne, an Australian actress, is sent to Moscow for a production of Hamlet, where she is accosted in her dressing room by none other than Guy Burgess, who invites her to lunch and has a most unusual request.

In this presentation, we will have a brief discussion of the Cambridge Spy Ring and its place in the Cold War, followed by a viewing of the BBC production, "An Englishman Abroad."  Popcorn optional.

An informal discussion of the film and other Cold War productions will follow.  

Location: Continuing Education Center
Member: $15; Non-member: $25