World History   

Breaking Enigma and WWII in Europe

One of the major secrets of World War II, revealed only decades later, was that the Allies had broken German codes.  It is estimated that this shortened the war by two to three years.  This course presents the history of the machine, its use by the Germans, its breaking by the Allies, the distribution of the resulting intelligence, and the use and impact of this intelligence in various theaters of the war.  Descriptions of the people involved (such as Alan Turing, Dilly Knox, and Gordon Welchman) will also be given.

Class I: This first class starts with a description of the Enigma, why it was adopted, how it was used, and why the Germans were so confident in its use. The class continues with the critical successes of the Poles when they broke the Enigma in 1932 (!) and passed ther knowledge to the British at the start of the war 1939. 

Class II: The British were quite successful throughout the War in breaking Enigma, and they had a large enterprise devoted to the effort at Beltchley Park, which is in the countryside north of London.  The first part of this class is devoted to describing Belchley Park, the working conditions, the people who worked there (including some who became well-known after the war) and the special contributions of Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman.  The second part of the class will describe the different kinds of work that was done there including a nontechnical discussion of some of the techniques used to break messages.

Class III: ULTRA was the name for intelligence that was derived from Enigma messages.  This class is concerned with how ULTRA was distributed and used throughout the war.  Examples where it played a major role, such as the preparation for D-Day and the Battle of the Atlantic, will be given.  An attempt will be made to evaluate the importance of ULTRA and its total effect on the courses of the war.

Join Professor Didier and learn about three thousand years of Egyptian history in 90 minutes including pharaohs, pyramids, mummies, and more. Learn ancient Egyptian beauty secrets and why it was not always good to be the king of Egypt.

Discover the history, legends and cultures of the Emerald Isle from when the first settlers rowed their tiny, skin boats across wild seas from England. Centuries of Druid, Celt, and Viking settlements have left Ireland with a rich and permanent collection of myths and legends. Learn the true stories behind the legends of leprechauns, fairies, changelings, pookas, banshees, and the Blarney Stone.

Welcome to the Renaissance- 200 years that gave the world man's most glorious artistic achievements. Instead of the beauty, this program reveals the people, power, plots and the murders that fueled the dark side of the magnificent Renaissance.

The Japanese fleet attacked the US base Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Shortly thereafter the Japanese Navy began construction of a new vessel with extremely long range that carried an enhanced weapon designed to destroy the Panama Canal locks and dam system. Captain Puckett will explain that sophisticated vessel and its weapons. 

Exotic intriguing productive and organized, Japan is a country that has been consider to be too far and expensive.

However for those that have the opportunity to visit, it has been an easy to maneuver and enlightening experience.

In this lecture  we will explore highlights of its history and culture  and cover some of its most common and important travel destinations.

Who were geisha, samurai, ninja, and shogun? The history of Japan explains their social/cultural importance, educational requirements, and their traditional duties.

The Panama Canal was completed in 1914 and opened for ships of the world to pass through the Panama Canal. It was not be until 1920 that the Panama Canal was fully operational. Captain Puckett will explain the modernization and defense of the Canal Zone infrastructure for Americans living in the American Canal Zone. 

During his military career Captain Puckett served aboard vessels the US Navy and US Army.  He held the position Ship Captain and Maritime Ship Pilot in four major ports of the world and on the Panama Canal. In this lecture he will outline the history of the "Army Navy", it's operations, responsibilities and his career in the Army's Navy at home and abroad.  He will share many photographs very seldom seen. 

Captain Puckett will introduce the engineers that actually built the Panama Canal, the design and location of a lake lock canal, construction of a mammoth set of concrete locks, manufacturer of the floating steel gates and the special electric locomotive that controlled the ships as they pass through the canal. 

On December 31, 1999 the United States relinquished complete control of the Panama Canal to the Republic of Panama.  Captain Puckett will outline the history of the United State Relationship with the Republic of Panama Relating to the Panama Canal Zone.  He will also review the Republic of Panama's construction of a Mega Second Canal Lock System.  

This PowerPoint program details the very beginning of Gold on the planet to the variety of techniques used to mine it around the world. The earliest Gold rushes in America; to the manners used to collect it; how some people found it and then lost it; what the major commercial uses are; how it is extravagantly displayed; colors, karats and chemistry and history and trickery in currency transactions. This colorful program tells it all!

Malta, island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea. A strategically important group of islands. The archipelago has through its long and turbulent history played a vital role in the struggles of a succession of powers. Learn about this jewel from a Maltese citizen who will go into the history, culture, travel opportunities and many other facets of the island.

In the future, wars will not just be fought by soldiers, ships and planes. They will also be fought with the click of a mouse a half a world away that unleashes carefully weaponized computer programs that disrupt or destroy critical industries like utilities, transportation, communications, and energy. Such attacks could also disable military networks that control the movement of troops, the path of fighter planes, and the command and control of warships. Our entire way of life, from communication to commerce to conflict, fundamentally depends on the internet, and the resultant cybersecurity issues affect everyone. There is perhaps no issue so important as cybersecurity that is so poorly understood. This presentation will help you better understand the issue.

This PowerPoint program traces the evolution of encryption by the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, British and Scotch royalty; unique use by Native Americans; Revolutionary and Civil War Leaders and Spies; how it brought America into WWI; the role it played prior to and during WWII; Navajo Code Talking, and including today's encipherment techniques used by the CIA and other Foreign Intelligence Services and their spies worldwide.