Crash Course World History: study plan and how long it takes
The CrashCourse playlist is 43 videos and 9.2 hours long. Here's how long it takes at different paces, a week-by-week schedule built from the real videos, and a planner that turns it into your own daily plan.
43 videos · 9.2 hours · CrashCourse
Crash Course World History, hosted by John Green, runs from the agricultural revolution through ancient civilizations, the Silk Road, Islam, the Mongols, the age of exploration, the Spanish Empire, revolutions, capitalism and socialism, China's revolution and globalization.
It's one of the most popular educational series on YouTube, known for its humour and big-picture connections.
Who it's for: Students taking world history, and anyone who wants a fast, entertaining overview of human history.
How long does it take?
The full playlist is 9.2 hours across 43 videos. Here's roughly how many days that is at different daily watch times and speeds, counting video time only:
| Daily time | At 1x | At 1.5x | At 2x |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 min a day | 19 days | 13 days | 10 days |
| 1 h a day | 10 days | 7 days | 5 days |
| 2 h a day | 5 days | 4 days | 3 days |
Make your own schedule
The playlist link is already filled in. Press Plan, set how much time you have each day and your speed, and you'll get a day-by-day schedule with a finish date and a calendar file. It reads the live playlist, so new videos are included.
Week-by-week schedule
A sample plan at 1 hour a day and normal speed, using whole videos so none is split across days. That's 2 weeks in total. For a different pace, start date or speed, use the planner above.
Week 1Videos 1–33 · 6h 23m
Day 1 · 56m
- 1The Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History #111m
- 2Indus Valley Civilization: Crash Course World History #210m
- 3Mesopotamia: Crash Course World History #312m
- 4Ancient Egypt: Crash Course World History #412m
- 5The Persians & Greeks: Crash Course World History #512m
Day 2 · 58m
- 6Buddha and Ashoka: Crash Course World History #612m
- 72,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius: World History #712m
- 8Alexander the Great: Crash Course World History #811m
- 9The Silk Road and Ancient Trade: Crash Course World History #911m
- 10The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or...Which Was It?: Crash Course World History #1012m
Day 3 · 49m
- 11Christianity from Judaism to Constantine: Crash Course World History #1112m
- 12Fall of The Roman Empire...in the 15th Century: Crash Course World History #1213m
- 13Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars: Crash Course World History #1313m
- 14The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really?: Crash Course World History #1412m
Day 4 · 54m
- 15The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?: Crash Course World History #1512m
- 16Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa: Crash Course World History #1611m
- 17Wait For It...The Mongols!: Crash Course World History #1712m
- 18Int'l Commerce, Snorkeling Camels, and The Indian Ocean Trade: Crash Course World History #1810m
- 19Venice and the Ottoman Empire: Crash Course World History #1910m
Day 5 · 56m
- 20Russia, the Kievan Rus, and the Mongols: Crash Course World History #2011m
- 21Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Zheng He - 15th Century Mariners: Crash Course World History #2111m
- 22The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? - Crash Course World History #2212m
- 23The Columbian Exchange: Crash Course World History #2312m
- 24The Atlantic Slave Trade: Crash Course World History #2411m
Day 6 · 57m
- 25The Spanish Empire, Silver, & Runaway Inflation: Crash Course World History #2511m
- 26The Seven Years War: Crash Course World History #2612m
- 27The Amazing Life and Strange Death of Captain Cook: Crash Course World History #2711m
- 28Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution: Crash Course World History #2811m
- 29The French Revolution: Crash Course World History #2912m
Day 7 · 51m
- 30Haitian Revolutions: Crash Course World History #3013m
- 31Latin American Revolutions: Crash Course World History #3114m
- 32Coal, Steam, and The Industrial Revolution: Crash Course World History #3211m
- 33Capitalism and Socialism: Crash Course World History #3314m
Week 2Videos 34–43 · 2h 52m
Day 8 · 50m
- 34Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism: Crash Course World History #3412m
- 35Imperialism: Crash Course World History #3514m
- 36Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I: Crash Course World History #3612m
- 37Communists, Nationalists, and China's Revolutions: Crash Course World History #3712m
Day 9 · 50m
- 38World War II: Crash Course World History #3813m
- 39USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War: Crash Course World History #3912m
- 40Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant: Crash Course World History #4013m
- 41Globalization I - The Upside: Crash Course World History #4112m
Day 10 · 14m
- 42Globalization II - Good or Bad?: Crash Course World History #4214m
Day 11 · 58m
- 43Crash Course Office Hours: World History58m
Tips for finishing
- Watch two or three episodes a day; you'll finish in about three weeks.
- World History 2 continues the series if you want more.