World War II Research

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Databases

Historical Newspaper Databases

Websites


Battle of the Bulge (PBS)

The accompanying website to the PBS American Experience film features footage of veterans’ recollections and a teacher’s guide.

BBC Online: World War II

Contains general as well as specific information on WWII. Features audio recordings, galleries and animated maps and timelines.

Berga: Soldiers of Another War (PBS)

Describes the history of a group of American P.O.W.s who were isolated and made to suffer greatly because the Nazis believed them to be Jewish. Interactive section allows one to imagine life as a prisoner.

D-Day (PBS)

A PBS American Experience site that contains a “Did You Know” section as well as a description of the contents of the paratroopers’ seventy-pound pack.

Encyclopedia of the Second World War

An immense collection of entries, cross-referenced, and with links back to their original sources. Features entries as general as “Background to the War,” and as specific as “Secret Agents.”

Go for Broke (Japanese American World War II veterans)

The history of Japanese American regiments from WWII with interactive maps and descriptions of the campaigns they were involved in, as well as an oral history video archive, lesson plans for teachers and assignments for students.

The Holocaust Museum

An expansive site that offers a Holocaust Encyclopedia and articles on the subjects of preventing genocide and addressing anti-semitism. Includes a teacher’s guide on how to teach the holocaust.

A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution

A multi-media Smithsonian site, which treats many aspects of the internment, starting with background and ending with the 1987 court cases. Site discusses of the constitutionality of a government’s actions during war and includes a “Reflections” area where visitors can share their thoughts on a variety of posted questions.

The National WWII Museum

Features online exhibits, slideshows of permanent exhibits, and a calendar of events at the museum in New Orleans.

The Price of Freedom: Americans at War

A Smithsonian virtual exhibit that features a variety of artifacts from different periods of the war. The visitor is able to examine the object and read a description. Included in the exhibition are weapons, pin-ups, and government orders.

A Thousand Suns

A site on the atomic bomb that features flash animations on such subjects as the differences between alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, and the destructive power of an atomic detonation. Also features a short resource section.

The U.S. Army and Matters of Race During WWII (PBS)

A Survey of the African American struggle to break through racial barriers in WWII. Includes a link to Truman’s executive order to desegregate the military.

US Latinos and Latinas in WWII

A project organized by the University of Texas at Austin to capture the stories of Latinos and Latinas during WWII. The site features web versions of the journal published from 1999 to 2004, which contain the narratives of soldiers and civilians involved in the war effort.

Women Who Came to the Front (Library of Congress)

Documents the varied WWII experiences of eight women who were “journalists, photographers, and broadcasters during WWII.” Features examples of works done by the women and a description of their achievements.

World War II Records at the National Archives

A list page within the National Archives site that provides finding aids for searching NARA's extensive World War II holdings. Also available here is a downloadable brochure (PDF) called "Finding Information on Personal Participation in World War II."

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