The Global History of Non-Violent Resistance

CrashCourse

This installment of Crash Course World History reframes the narrative of the 20th century, moving beyond the traditional focus on World Wars and genocide to explore the parallel rise of global non-violent resistance movements. John Green argues that while the century was undeniably violent, it also birthed a sophisticated, interconnected web of peace movements that spanned continents. The video traces the intellectual lineage of non-violence, connecting Leo Tolstoy's Christian anarchism to Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha, and demonstrating how these ideas flowed back to the West to influence the American Civil Rights Movement and anti-war activists. The video provides a comparative historical analysis of various non-violent struggles, including the Indian independence movement, anti-colonial efforts in Vietnam and Egypt, the Rosenstrasse protest in Nazi Germany, and the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia. It highlights key concepts like 'ahimsa' (non-injury) and 'satyagraha' (truth-force) and examines the strategic logic behind civil disobedience. Significant attention is given to the cross-pollination of ideas, showing how activists like Bayard Rustin and Martin Luther King Jr. adapted Gandhian tactics for the American context. For educators, this resource serves as an excellent tool for teaching the global interconnectedness of historical events and political philosophies. It challenges students to analyze the efficacy of non-violence as a political tool against varying degrees of oppression. The video is particularly useful for units on the 20th century, human rights, decolonization, and civics, offering concrete case studies that allow for rich comparative analysis and discussion about the nature of power and resistance.