In which John Green teaches you about what westerners call the middle ages and the lives of the aristocracy...in Japan. The Heian period in Japan lasted from 794CE to 1185CE, and it was an interesting time in Japan. Rather than being known for a thriving economy, or particularly interesting politics, the most important things to come out of the Heian period were largely cultural. There was a flourishing of art and literature in the period, and a lot of that culture was created by women. The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu was the classic piece of literature of the day, and it gave a detailed look into the way the Aristocrats of the Heian period lived. While this doesn't give a lot of insight into the lives of daily people, it can be very valuable, and the idea of approaching history from a cultural perspective is a refreshing change from the usual military or political history that survives from so many eras.

Citation 1: Morris, Ivan, The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan. Vintage Books. 2013. p. 5
Citation 2: Morris, p. 14
Citation 3: Morris, p. 67
Citation 4: Morris, p. 114
Citation 5: Morris, p. 147
Citation 6: Quoted in Morris, p. 112
Citation 7: Morris, p. 198

1. The Agricultural Revolution
2. Indus Valley Civilization
3. Mesopotamia
4. Ancient Egypt
5. The Persians & Greeks
6. Buddha and Ashoka
7. ‎2,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius
8. Alexander the Great and the Situation... the Great?
9. The Silk Road and Ancient Trad
10. The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or...Which Was It?
11. Christianity from Judaism to Constantine
12. Fall of The Roman Empire...in the 15th Century
13. Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar
14. The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really?
15. The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?
16. Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa
17. Wait For It...The Mongols!
18. Int'l Commerce, Snorkeling Camels, and The Indian Ocean Trade
19. Venice and the Ottoman Empire
20. Russia, the Kievan Rus, and the Mongols
21. Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners.
22. The Renaissance: Was it a Thing?
23. The Columbian Exchange
24. The Atlantic Slave Trade
25. The Spanish Empire, Silver, & Runaway Inflation
26. The Seven Years War
27. The Amazing Life and Strange Death of Captain Cook
28. Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution
29. The French Revolution
30. Haitian Revolutions
31. Latin American Revolutions
32. Coal, Steam, and The Industrial Revolution
33. Capitalism and Socialism
34. Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism
35. Imperialism
36. Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I
37. Communists, Nationalists, and China's Revolutions
38. World War II
39. USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War
40. Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant
41. Globalization I - The Upside
42. Globalization II - Good or Bad?
43. Rethinking Civilization
44. Money & Debt
45. Disease
46. War & Human Nature
47. War and Civilization
48. Climate Change, Chaos, and The Little Ice Age
49. Humans and Energy
50. Drought and Famine
51. HOW World War I Started
52. Who Started World War I
53. The End of Civilization (In the Bronze Age)
54. The Rise of the West and Historical Methodology
55. Asian Responses to Imperialism
56. The Railroad Journey and the Industrial Revolution
57. Population, Sustainability, and Malthus
58. Islam and Politics
59. The Mughal Empire and Historical Reputation
60. Luther and the Protestant Reformation
61. Charles V and the Holy Roman Empire
62. World War II, A War for Resources
63. Congo and Africa's World War
64. Water and Classical Civilizations
65. Conflict in Israel and Palestine
66. The Vikings!
67. War and Nation Building in Latin America
68. Iran's Revolutions
69. Japan in the Heian Period and Cultural History
70. Nonviolence and Peace Movements
71. Capitalism and the Dutch East India Company
72. Democracy, Authoritarian Capitalism, and China

In this Crash Course series, John Green returns to teaching World History in his own quirky way from beginning to end. This crash course should cover most topics from an AP World History class or similar.