World War II

World War II (1939–1945) – Total war and global innovation 

• Radar – Crucial for detecting enemy aircraft and ships.

  • https://www.radarmuseum.co.uk/history/world-war-two/

  • https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/exploration-and-innovation/radar-sonar.html

  • https://www.pbs.org/transistor/background1/events/radar.html

• Atomic Bomb – Developed by the Manhattan Project; ended the war in the Pacific.

  • https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/atomic-bomb-hiroshima

  • https://www.britannica.com/event/atomic-bombings-of-Hiroshima-and-Nagasaki

  • https://www.history.com/articles/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki

  • https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/decision-drop-atomic-bomb

  • https://time.com/after-the-bomb/ (Survivor Accounts)

• V-2 Rockets – Early ballistic missiles used by Germany.

  • https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/missile-surface-surface-v-2-4/nasm_A19600342000

  • https://www.britannica.com/technology/V-2-rocket

  • https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195894/v-2-rocket/

  • https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-3/germany-conducts-first-successful-v-2-rocket-test

• Code-breaking (e.g., Enigma Machine) – British and U.S. breakthroughs helped win the war.

  • https://www.britannica.com/place/Bletchley-Park

  • https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196193/war-of-secrets-cryptology-in-wwii/#:~:text=The%20Allies%20were%20able%20to,solved%20its%20letter%2Dscrambling%20patterns.

  • https://www.aaas.org/taxonomy/term/10/code-breaking-instrumental-ending-world-war-ii

  • https://www.theiet.org/membership/library-and-archives/the-iet-archives/archives-highlights/secret-machines-a-history-of-british-code-breaking-during-world-war-ii

• Aircraft Carriers – Became dominant naval vessels.

  • https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/exhibits/taking-seas-rise-american-aircraft-carrier

  • https://www.britannica.com/topic/naval-warfare/The-age-of-the-aircraft-carrier

  • https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/aircraft-carriers.html

  • https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1945/november/carrier-task-force-world-war-ii

• Long-Range Bombers – Enabled strategic bombing (e.g., B-17, B-29).

  • https://www.britannica.com/technology/B-17

  • https://www.britannica.com/technology/B-24

  • https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/black-week-darkest-days-us-army-air-forces

  • https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/459025/army-air-forces-aircraft-a-definitive-moment/

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• Amphibious Landing Craft – Enabled D-Day and Pacific island invasions.

  • https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/invention-won-world-war-ii-180972327/

  • https://www.britannica.com/story/types-of-landing-craft-of-world-war-ii-infographic-spotlight

  • https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/louisiana-landing-craft-higgins-boat-d-day

  • https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/explore/museum/past-exhibits/d-day-75/men-exit-higgins-boat-waist-high-water-omaha-beach

• Synthetic Materials – Nylon, rubber, and other synthetics replaced scarce materials.

  • https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/syntheticrubber.html

  • https://www.nist.gov/pao/nist-100-foundations-progress/world-war-ii-highlights

  • https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/innovating-victory