France's planned invasion of Mexico provides the backdrop for the writing of the Mexican national anthem. "Luis se enlista en el ej?ercito para defender a M?exico del ataque de los franceses, paralelamente se enamora de una chica que es sobrina del embajador de Francia. Cuando el ej?ercito mexicano se ve mermado en fuerzas Luis los alienta tocando con su corneta el Himno Nacional de M?exico haciendo que los soldados se recuperen y venzan a los franceses,...

The sheer number of casualties in the Holocaust defies the imagination. In this lecture, Professor Liulevicius guides you through this troubling history. You'll learn about German goals and actions, Nazi collaborators who helped produce the Holocaust, and resistance from within the Jewish community and in the world at large.

Learn the singular and colorful history of Avignon, home to the papacy in the 14th century, whose legacy is the city's magnificent Palais des Papes, now the site of one of France's most revered theater festivals. See how the rich Rhone valley's produce is embodied in the region's celebrated ratatouille and the Cotes du Rhone wines, and climb the legendary Mont Ventoux, Provence's tallest peak.

Examine the social, intellectual, and political background of the French Revolution of 1789. Visit key locations in Paris where the events unfolded, from a legendary coffee house to the site of the Bastille prison and the Place de la Concorde. Then map the turbulent epoch of Napoleon, and witness the lasting impact of his rule on both the look of Paris and the features of French society.

Conclude your survey of British architecture with an overview of the 20th century - a period when, according to Professor Allitt, some of the nation's worst buildings were constructed. The early part of the century saw striking achievements, such as Arts and Crafts style country houses, but the post-World War II era was an age of Brutalist concrete, from which we are only just escaping today.

Continue your literary journey through Britain. From the great Scottish writers Walter Scott and Robert Burns to Wordsworth's evocative descriptions of the Lake District, the Romantic writers of the 18th and 19th centuries created an enduring mood and style that still resonate today. Also tour the quiet villages where Jane Austen worked and the Jurassic coast at Lyme Regis.

From the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485 to the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, Britain experienced severe political upheavals. Among other events, Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church to found the Church of England. Witness how the era's architecture - including Hampton Court Palace, Hardwick Hall, and Sulgrave Manor - reflected the political turmoil.

After the Romans left Britain, a number of Germanic tribes stepped in to fill the power vacuum. With the help of the Venerable Bede and other contemporary sources, explore the Anglo-Saxon conquests. Then turn to the Viking attacks in the Middle Ages. Be sure to add Offa's Dyke and the monastery of Lindisfarne to your travel itinerary.

In this thrilling travelogue, you’ll discover the 35,000-year-old cave paintings of Chauvet, the medieval castles of the Cathars, the palace of Versailles, and the sites where the French Revolution unfolded. You’ll also explore romantic Paris; the Loire Valley châteaux; and France’s food, wine, sublime art and architecture, and so much more.