[2025] 200+ Free Courses to Learn About History

Have you ever watched a historical documentary and wished it had been… longer? That you could have spent tens of hours learning about the topic instead of one? If so, a history course might be for you! Or if your time is limited, we also have some bite-sized videos on various topics.

You may think that there is nothing new to be said about some subjects, such as the Renaissance or WWI. But there are reasons why many subjects are worth revisiting:

New documentary sources and evidence are continually turning up
Our understanding of human behavior (via psychology, sociology, economics, etc.) is advancing, allowing better insights
Each new contemporary context causes us to see different things in historical events and draw different lessons.

Thus, studying history is ever new. As important as computer science, finance, and big data are, history will never go out of style (we hope). Take a look through this list and get your history on!

Subjects

For your convenience, we’ve broken down the list into different subjects. Click on a subject to jump to the corresponding section:

More Courses

If you don’t find what you need in the course list below, browse Class Central’s catalog of 250K courses or the history subject, or visit our thematic collections:

You can find all the Class Central free certificate articles here.

General History

WW1 Heroism: Through Art and Film from University of Leeds ★★★★★(62)
A Scuola con Raffaello from University of Urbino ★★★★★(38)
Arab-Islamic History: From Tribes to Empires from Tel Aviv University ★★★★★(24)
La costruzione dell’Italia from University of Naples Federico II ★★★★★(17)
The Spain of Don Quixote from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid ★★★★☆(11)
American Capitalism: A History from Cornell University ★★★★★(5)
Quantum Computing from Extra Credits ★★★★☆(4)
Smithsonian’s Objects That Define America from Smithsonian Institution ★★★★★(2)
The Tudors from University of Roehampton ★★★★☆(2)
The Scottish Highland Clans: Origins, Decline and Transformation from University of Glasgow ★★★★★(2)
Women Making History: Ten Objects, Many Stories from Harvard University ★★★★★(1)
Seeking Women’s Rights: Colonial Period to the Civil War from Columbia University ★★★★★(1)
Wage Work for Women Citizens: 1870-1920 from Columbia University ★★★★★(1)
PredictionX: Lost Without Longitude from Harvard University ★★★★★(1)
Visualizing Imperialism & the Philippines, 1898-1913 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(1)
History of reading: An introduction to reading in the past from The Open University ★★★★★(1)
Great South Land: Introducing Australian History from University of Newcastle ★★★★☆(1)
History of Roman Law from University of Naples Federico II ★★☆☆☆(1)
What do historians do? ★★★★☆(1)
The Christian Roman Empire – Constantine’s Conversion and Religious Conflicts from Yale University ★★★★★(1)

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Modern History

The History of the Book in the Early Modern Period: 1450 to 1800 from Trinity College Dublin ★★★★★(2)
Ukraine History from Simple History ★★★★☆(1)
The World History of Modern Wine from Trinity College
History of Russia from Simple History
Cruel Colonialism – Imperial History from Simple History
The Renaissance – 14th – 17th Century from Simple History
HIST362: Modern Revolutions
History of Israel Explained
Imperial History from Simple History
History of Russia
The Industrial Age – 19th Century from Simple History
Interwar Period – 1918 – 1939 from Simple History
Jewish Pirates from Extra Credits
近代国际关系史导论 from Tsinghua University

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Military History

World War 1: Trauma, Memory, Controversy from The Open University ★★★★★(9)
The Civil War and Reconstruction – 1865-1890: The Unfinished Revolution from Columbia University ★★★★★(8)
The Civil War and Reconstruction – 1861 – 1865: A New Birth of Freedom from Columbia University ★★★★★(6)
The Civil War and Reconstruction – 1850-1861: A House Divided from Columbia University ★★★★★(4)
Greeks at War: Homer at Troy from Colgate University ★★★★☆(4)
Weapons Collection from Simple History ★★★★★(3)
World War II – 1939-1945 from Simple History ★★★★★(2)
Soldiers in History, Military Technologies from Simple History ★★★★★(2)
From World War to White Heat: the RAF in the Cold War from Royal Holloway, University of London ★★★★☆(1)
The Civil War and Reconstruction from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
The Vietnam War from Simple History ★★★☆☆(1)
WWI & WWII Behemoths from Simple History ★★★★★(1)
War in the Trenches – World War I Stalemate and Its Cultural Impact from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
The Gulf War – 1990 – 1991 from Simple History ★★★★★(1)
Pearl Harbor – The Last Word – 75th Anniversary Commemoration ★★★★★(1)
The Peloponnesian War – Causes and Thucydides’ Perspective – Part 2 from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
The First World War: trauma and memory from The Open University
The Imperial Forces on the Western Front: A Comprehensive Study
Unearthing the Trojan War: The Life of Heinrich Schliemann
Depression, War and Recovery; Britain 1931-1951

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Medieval History

Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Toledo (Spain) from Universidad Carlos iii de Madrid ★★★★★(12)
Deciphering Secrets: Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Burgos (Spain) from Universidad Carlos iii de Madrid ★★★☆☆(1)
Transformation of the Roman Empire – The Early Middle Ages, 284-1000 from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
Medieval History for UPSC-PCS & Other Exams – History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra + Other Sources – Detailed Explanation ★★★★★(1)
The Early Middle Ages, 284-1000 – The Splendor of Byzantium from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
The Early Middle Ages, 284-1000 – The Crucial Seventh Century from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
Islamic Conquests and Civil War – Early Middle Ages, 284-1000 from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
Monasticism in the Early Middle Ages – Paradoxes and Evolution from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
The Reign of Justinian – Early Middle Ages – Lecture 9 from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
Clovis and the Franks – Gregory of Tours’ Account of Early Medieval History from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
The Early Middle Ages, 284-1000 – Charlemagne and the Carolingian Dynasty – Lecture 19 from Yale University ★★★★☆(1)
Frankish Society in the Early Middle Ages – Merovingian Kingship and Power from Yale University ★★★☆☆(1)

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Ancient History

Health and Wellbeing in the Ancient World from The Open University ★★★★★(4)
The Terramare Culture and the Bronze Age Collapse from Dan Davis History ★★★★★(2)
The History of Ancient Environments, Climate, and Life from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ★★★★★(1)
Ancient Egypt: a history in six objects ★★★★☆(1)
Secrets of Ancient Egypt – History ★★★★★(1)
The body in antiquity from The Open University ★★☆☆☆(1)
Bronze Age Armor of Europe – Ancient History Documentary from Dan Davis History ★★★★☆(1)
Extra History – The Bronze Age Collapse from Extra Credits ★★★★☆(1)
Extra History: Cleopatra from Extra Credits ★★★★☆(1)
Ancient Mesopotamian Warfare in Sumer and Akkad from Dan Davis History ★★★★★(1)
What Did King Tut’s Tomb Teach Us – The Real Ancient Egypt from Wondrium ★★★★★(1)
Extra History: Third Century Crisis from Extra Credits ★★★★★(1)
The Greco-Roman World – Historical Context for the New Testament from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
Alexander the Great’s Conquests ★★★★★(1)
Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 from State University of New York
Art and life in ancient Egypt from The Open University
Health and wellbeing in the ancient world from The Open University
Introducing the Classical world from The Open University
Library of Alexandria from The Open University
BLUE: a symposium exploring aspects of life in ancient Egypt

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World History

World History by CrashCourse from CrashCourse ★★★★★(2)
Strange Stories in History from Simple History
HIST103: World History in the Early Modern and Modern Eras (1600–Present)
Figures in History from Simple History
Examine the Past – History
World History 2 from CrashCourse
Fast Facts – History
Extra History – Chronological Order – Pre-History – 1699 CE from Extra Credits
History Countdown
Extra History: Medicine from Extra Credits
History Explained
世界文明史 from Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities
世界现代史 from Northwest Minzu University

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American History

The Civil War and Reconstruction – 1865-1890: The Unfinished Revolution from Columbia University ★★★★★(8)
US History by CrashCourse from CrashCourse ★★★★☆(2)
Slavery and Harvard – Universities and Slavery Series, Part 4 from Harvard University ★★★★★(2)
American History: From Emancipation to the Present – Reconstruction and the Rise of Redemption – Lecture 4 from Yale University ★★★★★(2)
History of the United States of America from Simple History ★★★★☆(1)
The Road to a Constitutional Convention – American Revolution from Yale University ★★★★☆(1)
The American Civil Rights Movement from The Open University
The Wild West – 1865 – 1895 from Simple History
Colonial America – 1585 – 1776 from Simple History
History of America
America’s Lost Funeral Trains – The Forgotten Tradition from IT’S HISTORY
America – Our Defining Hours – History
A Guide to English-speaking Countries from Jinan University
The Making of America -A Critical Approach from Wuhan University
英语国家社会与文化 from South-Central Minzu University
美国社会与文化-一个批判视角 from Wuhan University
美国社会与文化 from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University

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European History

European History by CrashCourse from CrashCourse ★★★★★(2)
European Empires: An Introduction, 1400–1522 from University of Newcastle ★★★★☆(1)
History of Germany from Simple History ★★★★★(1)
Ancient Celts ★★★★★(1)
Vikings and the European Prospect in 1000 CE – Lecture 22 from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
Extra History – Joan of Arc from Extra Credits ★★★★☆(1)
Napoleon Bonaparte: From Corsican Origins to French Emperor from Yale University ★★★★★(1)
Nineteenth-Century Cities – Urban Growth and Social Change in Europe and America from Yale University ★★★★☆(1)
European History, Society and Culture from KU Leuven University
History of Italy from University of Naples Federico II
The Enlightenment from The Open University
Aspects of European History (1780- 1939) from St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata
Early modern Europe: an introduction from The Open University
National identity in Britain and Ireland, 1780–1840 from The Open University
Ireland in Rebellion 1782-1916 from Trinity College Dublin
Roaring Twenties? Europe in the interwar period from The Open University
Health, disease and society: Scottish influence in the 19th century from The Open University
What is Europe?
Irish Potato Famine – Extra History from Extra Credits
Witch-Hunting in European and World History from Gresham College

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Indian History

The Civilizational Roots of Indian Democracy from The University of Chicago ★★★★★(2)
Medieval History of India ★★★★★(1)
History of India-II from University of Kashmir
Indian Culture & History from Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University
Ancient History of India
History of India – VI (C.1750-1857) from CEC
Modern Indian History Video Lectures
A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir Spectrum
Modern History of India
Indian History by Pratik Nayak
India – The Ancient Intellectual Capital of the World from TEDx
The Story of Bengal
Making of Indian Feminism – Part 1 from NPTEL-NOC IITM

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Chinese History

Chinese History From Warring States to the Tang Dynasty | 资治通鉴 from Tsinghua University ★★★★★(1)
中国古代史（大学先修课) | Ancient History of China from Peking University
China’s Ancient Ritual Civilization | 中国古代礼义文明 from Tsinghua University
The Return of China from Harvard University
History of China
Chinese History
What Was the Terracotta Army For? – Challenging Common Theories from Harvard University
Perennial Evidence: China’s Economic and Social History through Museum Collections from Beijing Normal University
The Forbidden City of Beijing from Wondrium
Chinese History From Warring States to the Tang Dynasty from Tsinghua University
Extra History – Sun Yat-sen from Extra Credits
The Great Leap Forward – Mao Zedong and the History of China from Wondrium
Population in Modern China – Global Problems of Population Growth from Yale University
中国近现代史纲要 from Tsinghua University
大唐兴衰 from Tsinghua University
《史记》十讲 from Beijing Normal University
中国古代史通论 from Hubei University
简明中国古代史
党史故事 from Northeastern University
中国政治制度史 from Shandong University

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Japanese History

Visualizing Postwar Tokyo, Part 1 from University of Tokyo

Visualizing Postwar Tokyo, Part 2 from University of Tokyo ★★★★☆(2)
The Meiji Restoration and the Modernisation of Japan: The Dynamism of Yukichi Fukuzawa from Keio University
古書から読み解く日本の文化: 和本を彩る和紙の世界 from Keio University
日本の近代化: 福澤諭吉の格闘 from Keio University

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Art History

European Paintings: From Leonardo to Rembrandt to Goya from Universidad Carlos iii de Madrid ★★★★☆(8)
Film History from CrashCourse ★★★★☆(2)
Prehistoric Art from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★★(2)
Making sense of art history from The Open University ★★★★★(1)
Pintura europea: Leonardo, Rembrandt, Goya from Universidad Carlos iii de Madrid ★★★★☆(1)
The Language of Art from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★☆(1)
French Art – Rococo & Neo Classicism from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★☆(1)
Vincent van Gogh from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★★(1)
Roman Art from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★★(1)
Ancient Architecture from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★☆(1)
Space and the Illusion of Space in Art History from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★★(1)
Late Antiquity and Byzantium from Dave’s Art History Classes ★★★★★(1)
Germany 1919: The Birth of the Bauhaus from The Aspen Institute ★★★★★(1)
Modern Sculpture: An Introduction to Art History from University of York
Art and visual culture: medieval to modern from The Open University
Art in Renaissance Venice from The Open University
Delacroix from The Open University
Dutch painting of the Golden Age from The Open University
Artists and authorship: the case of Raphael from The Open University
Goya from The Open University