From the dawn of civilization to modern day conflicts, the natural environment has often played an important role in who controls the land and sea, which attacks are successful or unsuccessful, and ultimately, who wins and who loses. Terrain, climate, weather and the availability of natural resources are important factors that an invader or a defender can ignore at their peril. We will first explore the ways these elements were involved in everything from Hannibal’s invasion of the Roman Empire, to the Crusades, to the defeat of the Spanish Armada, to the invasion of Normandy and to the atomic bombing of Japan. Then, we will discuss how earth science factors were involved in the conflict in Ukraine. NOTE: This is a hybrid course and will be offered simultaneously online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent in advance of the first session to all students.