The 20th-21st Century: Critical Analysis of the Modern Era
Grades 11-12 | College Prep
Course Introduction
This advanced course examines the 20th and 21st centuries with the analytical depth expected in college-level study. The modern era has witnessed unprecedented technological change, devastating wars, the rise and fall of ideologies, and the emergence of global institutions. Yet much of what we're taught about this period serves particular interests. This course will equip you to analyze primary sources, compare competing narratives, and discern truth from propaganda.
Learning Objectives
Analyze the structural causes of 20th-century conflicts beyond surface-level explanations
Evaluate the role of banking, media, and intelligence in shaping historical events
Examine declassified documents and whistleblower testimony as historical sources
Understand the development of global governance institutions
Apply biblical discernment to modern historical narratives
Recognize patterns of crisis manipulation and power consolidation
Note: This course includes substantial writing assignments. Maintain a separate notebook for essays and research notes. Your progress is automatically saved.
1
The Architecture of the 20th Century: 1913 and Its Significance
Hosea 4:6 - "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee..."
To understand the 20th century, we must examine the institutional changes that occurred at its beginning - particularly in the pivotal year of 1913, which established structures that would shape the century to come.
The Transformative Year: 1913
February 3: 16th Amendment ratified (federal income tax)
April 8: 17th Amendment ratified (direct election of senators)
December 23: Federal Reserve Act signed into law
Also in 1913: Rockefeller Foundation chartered; Anti-Defamation League founded
Standard Historical Interpretation
Mainstream historians present these reforms as progressive achievements: the income tax created fair taxation, direct election of senators increased democracy, and the Federal Reserve stabilized the banking system. These are typically presented as separate reforms driven by popular demand.
The Hidden Story: Jekyll Island and Central Banking
In November 1910, a secret meeting occurred at Jekyll Island, Georgia. Participants included:
Senator Nelson Aldrich (father-in-law of John D. Rockefeller Jr.)
Henry Davison (J.P. Morgan partner)
Charles Norton (First National Bank of New York)
Benjamin Strong (Bankers Trust, later first Fed chairman)
Frank Vanderlip (National City Bank)
Paul Warburg (Kuhn, Loeb & Co.)
These men represented approximately 1/4 of the world's wealth. They drafted what became the Federal Reserve Act - a private central bank given power over the nation's money supply.
Primary Source: Frank Vanderlip's Confession
"There was an occasion, near the close of 1910, when I was as secretive - indeed, as furtive - as any conspirator... I do not feel it is any exaggeration to speak of our secret expedition to Jekyll Island as the occasion of the actual conception of what eventually became the Federal Reserve System."
- Frank A. Vanderlip, "From Farm Boy to Financier" (1935)
Critical Analysis Questions
Why was the Federal Reserve named to sound governmental when it is privately owned?
Who profits when the government borrows money at interest rather than creating it debt-free?
Why did the income tax and Federal Reserve both pass in the same year?
Why was the 17th Amendment important for passing such legislation? (State legislatures had previously been more resistant to federal power)
Comprehension Questions
1. What three major institutional changes occurred in 1913?
2. Where did the secret meeting to plan the Federal Reserve take place?
3. According to Vanderlip's confession, how did participants behave during this meeting?
Research Assignment
Research and write a 500-word analysis on one of the following:
The structure of the Federal Reserve: How is it governed? Who profits from its operations?
Congressman Charles Lindbergh Sr.'s opposition to the Federal Reserve Act
Compare the Federal Reserve to the national banking systems it replaced
Discussion Questions
Why might controlling a nation's money supply be more important than controlling its government?
What does Proverbs 22:7 ("the borrower is servant to the lender") suggest about national debt?
2
World War I: The War That Made the Modern World
Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Standard Narrative
WWI resulted from nationalism, militarism, imperialism, and entangling alliances (M.A.I.N.). The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered a chain reaction of alliance obligations. After years of stalemate, American entry in 1917 tipped the balance. The Treaty of Versailles ended the war but imposed harsh terms on Germany that contributed to WWII.
Hidden History: Banking Interests and War
The financial dimension of WWI is rarely examined:
J.P. Morgan & Co.: Exclusive purchasing agent for Britain and France in America; had loaned over $500 million to the Allies by 1917
British Starvation: Germany's effective submarine campaign threatened British defeat and Allied loan defaults
The Lusitania: The ship was carrying 4.2 million rounds of ammunition - a legitimate military target that was marketed as a passenger vessel
The Balfour Declaration (1917): Britain promised Palestine to the Zionists; some historians connect this to American entry
Primary Source: Benjamin Freedman Speech
"The Zionists in London had sent cables to the United States, to Justice Brandeis, saying 'Go to work on President Wilson. We're getting from England what we want. Now you go to work on President Wilson and get the U.S. into the war.'"
- Benjamin Freedman, 1961 Speech at the Willard Hotel (Freedman was a Jewish businessman who later became critical of Zionism)
Unanswered Questions
Why did Winston Churchill order the Lusitania's escort ship to abandon it before entering submarine waters?
If the war was about democracy, why did the US ally with Tsarist Russia (until 1917)?
Who benefited from the destruction of four empires (German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian)?
Why did the League of Nations require a mandate system that gave control of Middle Eastern territories to Britain and France?
Biblical Perspective
WWI shattered the optimistic belief in human progress and perfectibility. Over 17 million died in senseless slaughter. The war confirmed biblical truths about human nature:
The heart is "deceitful above all things" (Jeremiah 17:9)
Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18)
Those who trust in man are cursed (Jeremiah 17:5)
The war also set in motion events with prophetic significance: the Balfour Declaration began the process leading to Israel's establishment.
Critical Analysis
1. What was J.P. Morgan & Co.'s financial interest in Allied victory?
2. What was the Balfour Declaration and what did it promise?
3. What was the Lusitania secretly carrying that made it a legitimate military target?
Essay Assignment (600-800 words)
Analyze the financial and political interests that may have influenced American entry into WWI. Consider: Who had financial stakes in Allied victory? What were the consequences of the war for global power structures? Use primary sources where possible.
3
The Interwar Period: Depression, Dictators, and Deliberate Design?
Ecclesiastes 5:8 - "If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they."
Standard Narrative
The 1920s saw prosperity, then the 1929 crash led to global depression. Economic desperation allowed dictators (Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin) to rise. The Great Depression resulted from stock speculation, banking failures, and misguided monetary policy. Recovery came through government intervention (New Deal) and eventually WWII mobilization.
Hidden History: The Fed and the Depression
The Federal Reserve's role in creating and prolonging the Depression:
1920s Expansion: The Fed expanded credit, fueling the stock bubble
1929 Contraction: The Fed suddenly tightened credit, helping trigger the crash
1930-33 Contraction: The Fed contracted the money supply by approximately 1/3, turning a recession into a depression
Milton Friedman: Nobel laureate economist who called the Fed's actions "the Great Contraction"
Primary Source: Ben Bernanke's Admission
"Regarding the Great Depression, you're right, we did it. We're very sorry. But thanks to you, we won't do it again."
- Ben Bernanke (Federal Reserve Chairman), Speech at Milton Friedman's 90th Birthday, November 2002
Hidden History: Who Funded the Dictators?
Surprising connections between Western finance and totalitarian regimes:
Soviet Union: Wall Street financing documented in Antony Sutton's "Wall Street and the Bolshevik Revolution"
Nazi Germany: American corporations (Ford, GM, Standard Oil, IBM) had major investments in Nazi Germany
I.G. Farben: German chemical giant with Standard Oil connections; operated Auschwitz slave labor
Prescott Bush: Grandfather of President George W. Bush; director of Union Banking Corporation, seized under Trading with the Enemy Act (1942)
Event/Policy
Mainstream Explanation
Alternative Perspective
1929 Crash
Speculation, over-leveraging
Deliberate credit contraction by Fed
Hitler's Rise
Charismatic demagogue exploiting crisis
Received significant Western financing
New Deal
Government rescued capitalism
Expanded federal power; some programs modeled on Mussolini's Italy
Document Analysis
1. According to Ben Bernanke, who was responsible for the Great Depression?
2. Name two American corporations with documented connections to Nazi Germany:
3. What happened to Union Banking Corporation in 1942?
Research Assignment
Using Antony Sutton's research or other documented sources, investigate the connections between Western banking/corporations and one of the following:
The Bolshevik Revolution and early Soviet Union
Nazi Germany's industrial capacity
I.G. Farben and American chemical companies
Discussion Questions
Why would capitalists fund communism? What larger game might be at play?
What does Ecclesiastes 5:8 suggest about layers of power "higher than the highest"?
4
World War II: The Good War Reconsidered
Psalm 146:3 - "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help."
Standard Narrative
WWII was "The Good War" - a righteous struggle against fascist aggression. Pearl Harbor's "day of infamy" awakened America's sleeping giant. Allied victory liberated Europe and ended the Holocaust. The war established American global leadership and created the United Nations to prevent future conflicts.
Hidden History: Pearl Harbor Foreknowledge
Evidence that Pearl Harbor was not a surprise:
McCollum Memo (October 1940): Lt. Commander Arthur McCollum's memo outlined "8 action items" to provoke Japan into attacking
Broken Codes: American codebreakers had cracked Japanese diplomatic (PURPLE) and naval codes before December 1941
Carrier Absence: All three aircraft carriers were absent from Pearl Harbor during the attack
Australian Warning: Australian intelligence warned of the attack; message apparently not passed to Pearl Harbor commanders
Winds Code: "Winds" execute message intercepted on December 4, 1941
Primary Source: The McCollum Memo (1940)
"If by these means Japan could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better."
- Lt. Commander Arthur McCollum, October 7, 1940
Questions About WWII
Why were Pearl Harbor commanders Kimmel and Short scapegoated when they had not been given intelligence available in Washington?
Why did the US fire-bomb Japanese cities (killing hundreds of thousands of civilians) before using atomic bombs?
Why did the Allies return liberated Eastern Europe to Soviet domination at Yalta?
Why was Operation Paperclip (bringing Nazi scientists to America) classified for decades?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
German pastor and theologian who opposed Nazism and participated in the conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. Executed at Flossenbürg concentration camp, April 9, 1945. His example shows that faithful believers can resist evil even when their own nation has embraced it.
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil... Not to act is to act."
Biblical Perspective
The Holocaust was a profound evil - the murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others. As believers, we must:
Acknowledge the reality and horror of the Holocaust
Recognize that Israel's existence has prophetic significance
Also ask hard questions about the broader war narrative
Question whether the "good war" narrative serves to justify all American wars since
Critical Analysis
1. What did the McCollum Memo propose regarding Japan?
2. Why is it significant that all aircraft carriers were absent from Pearl Harbor?
3. What was Operation Paperclip?
Essay Assignment (700-1000 words)
Analyze the evidence for and against Pearl Harbor foreknowledge. Consider: What did American intelligence know? Why might leaders want an attack to happen? What are the implications for how we evaluate other "surprise" events? Maintain intellectual honesty while examining difficult questions.
5
The Cold War: Controlled Opposition?
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 - "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness..."
Standard Narrative
The Cold War (1947-1991) was an ideological struggle between American capitalism/democracy and Soviet communism. The US pursued "containment" to prevent communist expansion. The arms race created nuclear deterrence. Reagan's military buildup bankrupted the Soviet system, leading to its collapse in 1991.
Hidden History: Building the Enemy
Documented Western support for Soviet development:
Lend-Lease (1941-45): Massive military and industrial aid to USSR - $11 billion ($180 billion today)
Technology Transfer: Soviet industrialization relied heavily on Western technology and expertise
Sutton Research: Professor Antony Sutton documented that almost all Soviet military technology came from the West
Grain Sales: US grain sales kept the Soviet system alive during food crises
Chase Manhattan: David Rockefeller opened Chase bank in Moscow (1973)
Key Question: If the goal was defeating communism, why did the West repeatedly save and strengthen it?
Primary Source: Antony Sutton's Conclusion
"In a few words: there is no such thing as Soviet technology. Almost all — perhaps 90-95 percent — came directly or indirectly from the United States and its allies."
- Antony C. Sutton, "The Best Enemy Money Can Buy" (1986)
The National Security State
National Security Act (1947): Created CIA, NSC, and permanent security apparatus
Operation Mockingbird: CIA infiltration of American media (revealed 1975)
MK-Ultra: Mind control experiments on unwitting Americans (revealed 1975)
COINTELPRO: FBI infiltration and disruption of domestic groups (revealed 1971)
Operation Gladio: NATO "stay-behind" armies that conducted false-flag terrorism in Europe
The Hegelian Dialectic
Some analysts see the Cold War as an example of the Hegelian dialectic:
Thesis: Capitalism (controlled by Western elites)
Antithesis: Communism (also funded by Western elites)
Synthesis: Global governance (combining elements of both)
Both systems served to centralize power. Both required surveillance states. The "synthesis" emerging today combines corporate control with government mandates.
Critical Analysis
1. According to Antony Sutton, what percentage of Soviet technology came from the West?
2. What did the National Security Act of 1947 create?
3. Explain the Hegelian dialectic and how it might apply to the Cold War:
Research Assignment
Research one of the following documented Cold War-era programs:
Operation Mockingbird (CIA media control)
MK-Ultra (mind control experiments)
COINTELPRO (FBI domestic operations)
Operation Gladio (NATO terrorism)
Use Church Committee reports or other declassified sources. What do these programs reveal about the gap between official narrative and reality?
6
The Assassination Era: JFK and the Deep State
Ephesians 6:12 - "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world..."
The 1960s assassinations of JFK, RFK, MLK, and Malcolm X marked a turning point in American history. The official narratives have been questioned by researchers, congressional investigations, and even some within government.
Official Warren Commission Narrative
Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, assassinated President Kennedy from the Texas School Book Depository with three shots. There was no conspiracy. Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby before he could stand trial. Case closed.
The House Select Committee on Assassinations (1979)
The HSCA concluded - based on acoustic evidence - that Kennedy "was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy." This finding contradicted the Warren Commission.
Acoustic Evidence: Four shots fired, not three
Grassy Knoll: At least one shot from the front (knoll area)
Conspiracy Finding: Multiple shooters means conspiracy by definition
Suppressed Records: Many JFK files remain classified to this day
What JFK Was Doing Before His Death
Executive Order 11110: Authorized Treasury to issue silver certificates, potentially bypassing Federal Reserve
CIA Opposition: Wanted to "splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces" after Bay of Pigs
Vietnam: NSAM 263 ordered beginning of troop withdrawal; reversed after his death
Secret Societies Speech: April 1961 speech warning about "secret societies" and covert operations
"The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings... For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence..."
Analysis Questions
1. What did the House Select Committee on Assassinations conclude about JFK's death?
2. What was Executive Order 11110 about?
3. What did JFK warn about in his "Secret Societies" speech?
Discussion Questions
Why might powerful interests want to remove a President who challenged the CIA and Federal Reserve?
What does Ephesians 6:12 suggest about unseen power structures?
Why are assassination records still being kept secret after 60 years?
7
September 11, 2001: Questions Remain
1 John 4:1 - "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of Elohim: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
The attacks of September 11, 2001, changed America and the world. They justified wars, surveillance expansion, and new government powers. The official investigation has been questioned by engineers, scientists, and even some 9/11 Commission members.
Official 9/11 Commission Narrative
19 hijackers, directed by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, hijacked four planes. Two hit the World Trade Center towers, one hit the Pentagon, and one crashed in Pennsylvania. The towers collapsed due to fire and structural damage. The attacks were a surprise, resulting from intelligence failures.
Questions Raised by Researchers
Building 7: A 47-story building that collapsed at 5:20 PM without being hit by a plane; fell at free-fall speed into its own footprint
Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth: Over 3,500 professionals question the official story
9/11 Commission Problems: Commissioners themselves called it "set up to fail"; important testimony excluded
Put Options: Unusual stock trades betting against United and American Airlines before the attacks
War Games: Military exercises simulating hijacked planes on 9/11 itself
Department of Homeland Security: Massive new bureaucracy
Iraq War: Based on false claims about WMDs and Saddam-9/11 connections
Afghanistan War: 20 years, trillions of dollars
Permanent War: "War on Terror" with no defined end
Biblical Discernment
Scripture calls us to "test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). This means:
Not accepting official narratives uncritically
Not accepting alternative theories uncritically either
Following evidence and asking questions
Understanding that powerful people do conspire (Psalm 2:1-2)
Recognizing that Yahuah is sovereign over all human schemes
Critical Analysis
1. What happened to Building 7 and why is it significant?
2. What did 9/11 Commission Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton say about the commission?
3. List three major policy changes that followed 9/11:
Research Assignment
Research Building 7's collapse using Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth resources or the University of Alaska Fairbanks study. What did the researchers conclude? How does this compare to the official NIST report?
8
The 21st Century: Toward Global Governance
Revelation 13:16-17 - "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark..."
Recent History
2008: Global financial crisis; bank bailouts; calls for "global financial architecture"
2020: COVID-19 pandemic; global lockdowns; "Great Reset" announced
2021: Vaccine mandates and digital health passes
2022-present: Central Bank Digital Currencies in development worldwide
Official Narrative
Global challenges (pandemics, climate change, financial crises) require global solutions. International cooperation through institutions like the UN, WHO, and WEF is necessary for human survival. Digital currencies and ID systems will provide efficiency and security.
The Great Reset and Fourth Industrial Revolution
Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum have openly described their vision:
"You will own nothing and be happy": Rental/subscription economy replaces ownership
Digital ID: Global digital identification systems
CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency): Programmable money that can be controlled, expired, or restricted
Social Credit: Behavior-based access to services (Chinese model expanding)
Transhumanism: Merging humans with technology; "Internet of Bodies"
Primary Source: Klaus Schwab
"The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world."
- Klaus Schwab, World Economic Forum, 2020
Prophetic Perspective
Many believers see current developments as preparation for the system described in Revelation 13:
Economic Control: Technology now exists to prevent buying/selling for non-compliant individuals
Digital Mark: CBDCs + biometric ID could function as a "mark" controlling commerce
Global System: International coordination for tracking and control
Worship Component: Revelation ties the mark to worship of the beast system
We don't claim to know exact timing or forms, but the infrastructure is being built before our eyes.
Critical Analysis
1. What is the "Great Reset" according to the World Economic Forum?
2. What is a CBDC and how is it different from current digital payments?
3. How might digital ID + CBDC enable the control system described in Revelation 13?
Discussion Questions
How should believers prepare for increasing control systems?
What is the difference between being informed and being fearful?
How do we maintain hope while being realistic about the times?
9
Course Review: Patterns and Principles
Ecclesiastes 1:9 - "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
Recurring Patterns in Modern History
Create/Allow Crisis → Demand Solution → Gain Power
Examples: Federal Reserve (1913), Pearl Harbor → WWII powers, 9/11 → Patriot Act, COVID → mandates
Controlled Opposition
Funding both sides of conflicts; thesis-antithesis-synthesis
Consolidation of Power
Each crisis results in more centralized control, never less
Media Narrative Control
From Operation Mockingbird to modern "fact-checking"
Gradual Normalization
"Boiling frog" - changes too slow to provoke resistance
Biblical Framework for Understanding History
Yahuah is Sovereign: Human schemes cannot thwart His purposes (Psalm 2)
Satan is the god of this world: But his time is limited (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:12)
Deception Increases: As end times approach (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11)
Truth Remains: Though suppressed, truth cannot be destroyed forever
Yahusha Wins: The end of the story is already written (Revelation 19-22)
Final Review Questions
1. Explain the pattern: Crisis → Solution → Power. Give two historical examples.
2. What is the significance of 1913 for understanding the 20th century?
3. How does the Hegelian dialectic apply to understanding Cold War dynamics?
Final Essay (1000-1500 words)
Drawing on the entire course, write an essay addressing:
What are the most significant patterns you've observed in 20th-21st century history?
How does understanding "hidden history" change your view of current events?
How should believers in Yahusha respond to the times we live in?
What does Scripture teach about navigating a world of deception while maintaining hope?
Final Discussion
How do we stay informed without becoming consumed by fear or despair?
What is our responsibility to share truth with others?
How do we prepare practically and spiritually for uncertain times?
Where does our ultimate hope lie?
Answer Key
For instructor use - essay answers will vary
Lesson 1
16th Amendment (income tax), 17th Amendment (direct election of senators), Federal Reserve Act
Jekyll Island, Georgia
"As secretive - indeed, as furtive - as any conspirator"
Lesson 2
They had loaned over $500 million to Britain and France; Allied defeat would mean loan defaults
British declaration promising support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine
4.2 million rounds of ammunition (or simply "ammunition")
Lesson 3
The Federal Reserve
Any two: Ford, GM, Standard Oil, IBM, I.G. Farben connections
Seized under Trading with the Enemy Act for Nazi connections
Lesson 4
Outlined 8 actions to provoke Japan into attacking the US
Carriers were the most valuable ships; their absence suggests foreknowledge of the attack
Program to bring Nazi scientists to America after WWII
Lesson 5
90-95%
CIA, National Security Council, permanent security apparatus
Thesis (capitalism) + Antithesis (communism) → Synthesis (global governance); both sides funded by same interests
Lesson 6
JFK was "probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy"
Authorized Treasury to issue silver certificates, bypassing Federal Reserve
A "monolithic and ruthless conspiracy" using "covert means"
Lesson 7
47-story building collapsed without being hit by a plane; fell at free-fall speed; questions official narrative
"We were set up to fail"
Any three: PATRIOT Act, Dept of Homeland Security, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, expanded surveillance
Lesson 8
Using COVID as opportunity to "reset" global economy; shifting to digital control systems
Central Bank Digital Currency - unlike current digital payments, it's programmable and can be controlled/restricted by central authority
Could track all transactions; could be programmed to expire or be restricted; combined with digital ID could deny commerce to non-compliant individuals
Course Completion
You have completed the Advanced Modern World History course. You are now equipped to analyze historical narratives critically, recognize patterns of power and manipulation, and apply biblical discernment to understanding our times.
"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." - Luke 12:32