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World War 2 Special Topics
This page includes a collection of resources focused on on various World War II special topics including:
| POWs | |
| World War II Reenactors | |
World War II Propaganda:
A collection of English translations of propaganda material from the Nazi era.
Propaganda and the Second World War - CBC Archives
"Buy Victory Bonds!" Spread war-related rumours and you risk becoming "one of Hitler's Little Helpers." Ladies, join the army and you'll be "the proudest girl in the world!" Persuasive messages like these were everywhere during the Second World War, including on CBC Radio and Canadian movie screens. Indeed, wartime propaganda wasn't just the domain of Nazi Germany — Canada too created films, radio dramas and posters aimed at convincing citizens to join the military or help out on the home front.
Propaganda Leaflets - PsyWar.org
Extensive collection of propaganda leaflets from World War II.
German Propaganda Archive - Calvin College
A collection of translations of German propaganda material from the Nazi and East German eras, as well as a large number of images of posters and other visual material.
Adolf Hitler & Nazi Germany:
The Rise of Adolf Hitler - The History Place
A complete history - The Rise of Adolf Hitler from Unknown to Dictator of Germany, text and photos.
Hitler Youth - The History Place
A look at its development and organization.
Covers the rise of Hitler during the pre war years of 1933 to 1939.
Adolf Hitler - Teacher's Guide
Overview of Hitler's rise to power in Germany in the 1930s.
Hitler's Third Reich and World War II in the News
Provides a daily edited review of World War II news. Each article is hand-picked, with the intention that the selected source is either reliable, unique, has many WWII photos, or gives us the best insight or coverage on a particular topic.
The Hitler Pages - Historical Hitler Sites
The Hitler Pages: historic Hitler sites. Information about all the historic locations related to Hitler. With the exact locations.
World War II Reenactors:
Reenacting the allied forces of WWII and other time periods.
At the Front - Reenactors & Living History Listing
This page contains links to hundreds of living history and reenactors.
International Axis Re-enactment Community and Forum
Panzergrenadier is the international home for axis re-enactors.
This is Panzergrenadier, the international home for axis re-enactors. This web site is intended to serve and support the axis reenactment community, and in fact any re-enactor or enthusiast of WWII.
reenactor.Net, the on-line home of historical reenacting and living history! reenactor.Net is the on-line clearing-house for reenactors of all periods from around the world!. We have links and articles about, to and for reenactors from all periods of history.
Large forum dedicated to U.S. unit reenactors.
WW2 RAF/Commonwealth Air Forces Collector/Reenactor Forum
An online meeting place to discuss the challenges and issues faced by reenactors and collectors.
Welcome to the largest and most comprehensive WWII re-enactment web site online. Our forum, moderated entirely by re-enactors, has over 5,000 members and more than half a million messages. It is packed with news, events, classified listings, photos and banter amongst the biggest and best WWII re-enacting community in the world.
World War II Re-enactors magazine offers a comprehensive insight to the dedicated passion and pride of individuals who portray this conflict, opening a window on what being a reenactor is all about.
United Kingdom, Australia & New Zealand in World War II:
Australian Military in World War II
EverythingWorldWar2's collection of information, photos and resources dedicated to the Australian military in World War II.
Australian & New Zealand Military History from 1788 - World War II
An overview of Australia's participation on World War II.
Australians at War, commemorating the service and sacrifice of Australia's veterans over the past 100 years.
Australia World War II History
Australian forces were extensively involved in World War 2. This site serves to highlight Australia's involvement in the Second World War.
A major educational site containing text, documents, graphics, video and audio about Australians in World War 2 including battles and campaigns such as the fall of Singapore, Tobruk, Kokoda, POWs and the home front.
Britain At War Magazine - A history of Britain at war in the 20th century to the present.
British Military in World War II
EverythingWorldWar2's collection of information, photos and resources dedicated to the British military in World War II.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Established by Royal Charter in 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission pays tribute to the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars.
National Archives of Australia
Extensive collection of records related to Australia's role in the Second World War.
The National Archives has a huge collection of records on the individuals who fought throughout Britain's military history, as well as on strategies, campaigns and equipment.
The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939 -1945
This fifty volume series covers all areas of New Zealand's involvement in the Second World War, from detailed accounts of particular battalions, to the political and economic background and consequences, to full accounts of particular episodes and campaigns.
Extensive resource covering virtually all aspects of Australia's involvement in World War II.
In the United Kingdom, thousands of people have recorded their memories of the War. Recollections of WWII aims promote their stories through providing researchers with a unique directory of oral history collections relating to the Second World War.
The World War Two Nominal Roll was created to honor and commemorate the men and women who served in Australia's defence forces and the Merchant Navy during this conflict.
Dedicated to Australian forces were extensively involved in World War 2.
A World War II page featuring, but not restricted to, a British focus on World War II memories and diaries.
WW2 & Cold War History in Britain
A site dedicated to recording artifacts and military sites from World War 2 and the Cold War in Britain, including many pictures of airfields, weapons stores, weapons, bunkers, pillboxes and other remains.
New Zealand in the Second World War
Published by the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs in the decades after the end of the war, this fifty volume series covers all areas of New Zealand’s involvement, from detailed accounts of particular battalions, to the political and economic background and consequences, to full accounts of particular episodes and campaigns.
Canada in World War II:
This website is dedicated to the memory of the tremendous Canadian contribution in both World Wars, and a place of remembrance for all our fallen since 1914: from St. Julien to Ortona, to Kap'yong, Medak, Kandahar and beyond.
Canadian Battlefields Foundation
The mandate of the Canadian Battlefields Foundation is to remember, through educative and commemorative events, Canada's role in wars of the 20th Century century.
Canadian Military in World War II
EverythingWorldWar2's collection of information, photos and resources dedicated to the Canadian military in World War II.
Access online resources, services and the collection of Library and Archives Canada: Canadian documentary heritage (publications and records) providing knowledge about Canadian society and serving as the collective memory of the Government of Canada.
Love and War: Canadian War Brides - CBC Archives
Surrounded by falling bombs, strict rationing and nightly blackouts, a generation of young women found love. They were the war brides: British and European women who married Canadian servicemen in the Second World War. After tearful goodbyes to their families, they embarked on a grueling journey by ship and train to join their husbands and in-laws in a new country. Once they arrived, many war brides had to confront culture shock and desperate homesickness before embracing their new lives in Canada.
Reports from Abroad: Matthew Halton - CBC Archives
This is Matthew Halton of the CBC." So began Halton's war broadcasts. His reports were at times tender and sad and other times shocking and explosive. Halton was an unabashed sentimentalist who covered the war as a crusade, for which he was sometimes criticized but more often loved. Covering the major milestones of his generation – from the war trenches to the coronation of the Queen, Halton became Canada's most famous foreign correspondent. A thoughtful philosopher and determined idealist, Matthew Halton was an everyman poet who wore his heart boldly on his sleeve.
Through a Lens: Dieppe in Photographs and Film - Library and Archives Canada
This website contains photographic and film footage of Dieppe selected from the holdings of Library and Archives Canada. It features a timeline of the events leading up to the raid on Dieppe, 2 newsreels produced by the Nazi regime, 6 newsreels produced by the Canadian Film and Photo Unit, an image gallery, as well as Educational Resources for students at the intermediate and secondary level.
Victory! The End of the War in Europe - CBC Archives
May 8, 1945, was a day to celebrate. It was VE-Day, the long-awaited moment when the Allied forces triumphed over Nazi Germany to claim victory in Europe. But the joy brought by news of peace was dampened by the memory of fallen comrades and the ongoing war in the Pacific. From the liberation of Holland through the German surrender, celebrations in Canada and the servicemen's return, CBC Archives follows Canadians as the war ends in Europe.
World War II Leaders:
Allied leaders of World War II
Wikipedia's list of important political and military figures who fought for or supported the Allies during World War II.
Wikipedia's list of important political and military figures who fought for or supported the Axis during World War II.
Wikipedia's list of important Allied and Axis military commanders during World War II.
Biographical encyclopedia of the generals of World War Two. This project attempts to create a biographical database, which covers the army generals of all participating countries of the Second World War. At the moment the database contains 21,115 short biographical sketches of the army generals of World War 2.
Allied Women in World War II:
The A.T.S. was the forerunner of the British Women's Royal Army Corps. The aim of this site is to provide historical background for those that are interested, and to try and make contact with former members for research purposes.
The National WASP WWII Museum seeks to educate and inspire all generations with the story of the WASP: Women Airforce Service Pilots – the first women to fly American’s military aircraft – women who forever changed the role of women in aviation!
On Every Front: Canadian Women in the Second World War - CBC Archives
Canadian women were not allowed to fight during the Second World War but they did just about everything else. Tens of thousands joined the women's divisions of the Armed Forces. Hundreds of thousands stepped into jobs in wartime industry. At home and abroad they were welders and pilots, nurses and clerks, the homemakers that kept families together, protecting the home front and the Canadian way of life. These are some of their stories.
United States Army Women's Museum
The U.S. Army Women's Museum serves as an educational institution, providing military history training and instruction to soldiers, veterans and the civilian community. The museum is the custodian and repository of artifacts and archival material pertaining to the service of women across all branches and organizations of the U.S. Army from inception to the present day. The museum collects, preserves, manages, interprets and exhibits these unique artifacts as a means to provide training and educational outreach.
WASP Archival Collections from Texas Woman's University.
WASP, Women Air Force Service Pilots of WWII
A tribute to women air force service pilots of WWII, first women in history to fly American military aircraft.
Women Airforce Service Pilots - Remembered By Those Who Knew Them.
Dedicated to the Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII as remembered by those who knew them then and now. Come in and enjoy the memories just as we do!
A comprehensive collection of military photos and images from WWII, focusing on the women who served in the US war effort.
Women of World War II Red Cross Clubmobile
Celebrating the heroic women of World War II's Clubmobile service.
Home Front - British & American:
On this homepage, we want to inform you about the important job which American women did during WWII, despite their tremendous and sometimes hazardous difficulty, and how you can distinguish them by their uniform. We hope that our work is especially helpful for those who would like to reenact a female service women during WWII.
Coleshill House - Home of the Auxiliary Units 1940
Coleshill House is a website about the Auxiliary Unit. The Auxiliary Units were to have been Britain's last ditch line of defence, operating in a network of cells from hidden underground bases during World War Two.
'Films from the Home Front' brings together a collection of unique moving images illustrating what life was like for ordinary people in Britain during the Second World War, as seen through amateur documentaries, newsreels, government films, and home movies.
Fox Movietone News: the War Years, 1942 – 1944
“Fox Movietone News: the War Years, 1942 – 1944,” a collaboration between the University of South Carolina and the Library of Congress, provides online access for the first time to over two hundred Fox Movietone News newsreels released in American theaters from September 1942 through August 1944. Before the era of television news broadcasts, newsreels were shown in theaters across the country to inform and entertain audiences. During the war, two newsreels per week were released by each of the five major American newsreel companies (Fox Movietone News, Universal News, Hearst News of the Day, Paramount News, and Pathé News). These 8 to 10 minute Fox Movietone News newsreels record how the world appeared on screen to the American public during the war. As a whole, the collection helps us better understand how the war was waged on the home front. The films reveal a concerted effort to sustain a sense of “normalcy” in America even as war ravaged much of the globe. Battlefield victories (and losses) were interspersed with beauty pageants and ball games. But even when light-hearted news dominated much of a newsreel, the war was an inescapable reality.
The Home Guard - History of the Home Guard 1940 to 1944 and Chatham Home Guard Living History Unit.
Life on the Home Front: Oregon Responds to World War II
Oregon State Archives Exhibit - Defending the Homeland: Oregon Responds to World War II.
May Hill’s WWII Diaries – Seventy Years On
A remarkable englishwoman’s home front journal – humour, pathos, politics and poetry.
This site is dedicated to those in Britain during the Second World War who served on the home front in a civil defence role. It covers a number of aspects of the home front including: Air Raid Precautions (ARP) and Civil Defence (CD); the Home Guard (HG); the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and National Fire Service (NFS) and the role of civilians as fire watchers in the fire guard during and after the Blitz.
The Price of Freedom: Americans at War - Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History's online exhibition on America at war which includes a focus on World War II.
Rosie Pictures: Select Images Relating to American Women Workers During World War II
The Prints & Photographs Division holds hundreds of images relating to American women workers in World War II. This exhibit offers a selection, as well as information on locating additional images.
Dedicated to the 32nd Staffordshire Battalion and of many other units in Home Guard across the UK.
Voices of World War II: Experiences From the Front and at Home
Multimedia exhibit from the University of Missouri - Kansas City Libraries.
What did you do in the war, Grandma
An Oral History of Rhode Island Women during World War II.
Japanese American Internment During World War II:
This exhibit tells the story of Seattle's Japanese American community in the spring and summer of 1942 and their four month sojourn at the Puyallup Assembly Center known as "Camp Harmony."
Children of the Camps: the WWII Japanese American internment camp experience
A documentary and web site that explores the experiences of six Americans of Japanese ancestry who were confined as children to internment camps by the U.S. government during World War II.
Digital History Japanese-American Internment
Digital History enhances history teaching and research through primary sources, an online textbook, extensive reference resources, and interactive materials.
Exploring Japanese American Internment
Explore the World War II Internment of Japanese Americans through online video clips, text and photos.
WWII Japanese American Internment and Relocation Records in the U.S. National Archives.
Japanese-American Internment Collection
The Online Archive of California's collection from the War Relocation Authority (WRA) The War Relocation Authority (WRA) records represent the official documentation of the United States agency created to assume jurisdiction over the Japanese and Japanese Americans evacuated from California, Oregon, and Washington by the Western Defense Command, the Fourth Army, and the Wartime Civilian Control Administration (WCCA) during January/February of 1942. During its existence from March 1942 to 1946, the WRA controlled the administration of the relocation centers, administered an extensive resettlement program, and oversaw the details of the registration and segregation programs. Included in their records are administrative files, official publications, reports and surveys, legal papers, correspondence, and photographs and scrapbooks.
Japanese-American Internment Virtual Tour
Via these collections of photographic collections and personal remembrances, virtually visit the 10 Japanese-American internment camps that were created in the United States after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives
JARDA contains thousands of Japanese American internment primary source materials. Beginning in 1998, the University of California began digitizing thousands of images and documents, providing a single, easy-to-use entry point for anyone interested in this material.
Relocation to Rredress: The Internment of Japanese Canadians - CBC Archives
As Canadian soldiers were fighting overseas in the name of democracy, at home the federal government was staging the largest mass exodus in Canadian history. During the Second World War, roughly 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forcibly evacuated from the west coast and resettled in other parts of the country. Their struggle continued after the war as they fought for an apology and redress for their loss. CBC Television and Radio covered the crucial issues in their journey from relocation to redress.
Smithsonian Education - Japanese American Internment
Smithsonian Institution lesson plans in History, Art, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies. Search for lesson plans by subject or grade. Smithsonian educational materials emphasize inquiry-based learning with primary sources and museum collections.
War Relocation Camps in Arizona 1942-1946
Images from the War Relocation Authority Camps in Arizona vividly depicting the daily life of Japanese Americans detained in them during the Second World War.
Other World War II Special Topics:
Avalon Project - The International Military Tribunal for Germany
Collection of documents related to the Nuremberg trials.
Pictures, locations, information about bunkers from WW2, The Atlantikwall and the Cold War.
German American Internee Coalition
German American Internee Coalition (GAIC) was formed in 2005 by and for German American and Latin American citizens and legal residents who were interned by the United States during World War II.
Execution of Nazi War Criminals at Nuremberg Trials
On 1 October 1946, the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg delivered its verdicts, after 216 court sessions. Of the original twenty-four defendants, twelve (including Martin Bormann, tried in absentia) were sentenced to death by hanging. The author of this account, Kingsbury Smith of the International News Service, was chosen by lot to represent the American press at the executions.
Dedicated to the V1 Flying bomb and V2 Rocket attacks on London between June 1944 and March 1945.
Liberation Children and War Babies WWII
Children of the Liberation an association with warmth, integrity and compassion to all liberation children, bevrijdingskinderen, war babes, veterans and their families.
All you should know about Navajo Code Talkers
Moreorless - Heroes and Killers of the 20th Century
Short biographies and background notes on selected world heroes and killers of the 20th Century.
San Francisco Defense Guns in WW2
Photos and descriptions of artillery and gunners of the Army Coast Artillery guarding San Francisco's Golden Gate during the Second World War.
VI Corps Proudly Presents the Music of WWII
The great tunes of World War II.
V1 Flying bomb and V2 Rocket Attacks
The V1 Flying bomb and V2 Rocket attacks on London between June 1944 and March 1945 were the last great challenge of World War II that the people of London were to face.
The A-4/V-2 Resource Site - The V-2 Rocket.
War Tourism - WW2 Fortifications in Denmark and Norway
War tourist is an informative, apolitical, non-commercial web site, dedicated to the fascinating fortifications of The Second World War, focusing on the Atlantic Wall.
WW2 US Medical Research Centre
The site was founded by two World War 2 medical collectors and re-enactors from Europe, frustrated by the lack of comprehensive research tools for this area of WW2 History. The site originally started out as a database of United States Medical Department Item numbers and descriptions.