The War in the Skies: Europe 1939-1945

Regular and lottery registration open on January 8, 2026.
Dates: February 17 - March 10, 2026
Meets: Tu from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
 Location: Online
Cost:  $50.00

There are still openings remaining at this time.

Date Day Time
02/17/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM
02/24/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM
03/03/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM
03/10/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM

OR

Please note: This course program requires membership in a 2025-2026 OLLI at MSU Membership

Description

The arrival of airplanes on the battlefield changed the very nature of warfare. With specific focus on the Luftwaffe, the RAF and the USAAF during WWII, we explore the development of aviation and air power and the most significant clash of machines in the history of armed combat. We discuss how each air force enjoyed its own "finest hour" and how American industrial might brought victory, but only after an enormous cost in men and machines.

Course Takeaways

Class participants will:

  • Differentiate between the political decision to wage war and the professional task of fighting it.
  • Learn how the arrival of aircraft made the battlefield three-dimensional.
  • Apply these insights to the evolution of the war in Europe.
  • Understand the role of air power in the Allied victory.

Scholarship

Apply for a needs-based scholarship to take this offering.

Fee:  $50.00

Online

This is a real-time (live) online class that meets at the specified day(s)/time(s) listed.

We will send you a reminder email with login instructions one business day before the program start date. If there are additional sessions, we will send reminders the morning of those sessions.

Buck Beasom

Buck Beasom worked in the private sector for 40 years in accounting, finance, systems design, applications development and database administration. The last three decades of that career included over 20 years of teaching business and economics courses to conventional and adult college students, as well as a five-year stint teaching history in public schools. He teaches courses for OLLI chapters nationwide.
Date Day Time Location
02/17/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM Online
02/24/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM Online
03/03/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM Online
03/10/2026Tuesday9 AM to 11 AM Online