The 16th International Conference on World War II, the premier educational event on the subject, concluded on December 9, 2023. The event brought together eminent scholars, authors, historians, and witnesses to history from around the globe to discuss the war that changed the world. 

The 2023 Conference featured a series of 16 expert-led discussions that delved into key battles, influential personalities, strategic decisions, and controversies of World War II.

Among the hundreds of attendees who gathered at The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center in downtown New Orleans were academics, history enthusiasts, and veterans, including several of World War II. The Conference facilitated a platform where featured speakers could engage with attendees in meaningful dialogue while participating in question-and-answer sessions.

The 16th International Conference on World War II, a program of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum, was presented by the Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of Pritzker Military Museum & Library, with additional support from The Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series on World War II Endowment Fund.

For information on the upcoming 2024 International Conference on World War II, click here.

To browse the featured speakers’ published works, many of which are signed by the authors, click here to visit The National WWII Museum Store.

Watch the full Conference using the YouTube playlist below, or click here to browse for each panel separately.

Sessions and Panels:

1. "Rethinking World War Two": Jeremy Black, PhD, and Rob Citino, PhD, sat for The Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Distinguished Lecture, in a conversation that challenged traditional narratives of the war and explored new angles in understanding its key battles and strategies.

2. "Europe in the Rubble": Chaired by Jason Dawsey, PhD, this panel featured discussions by Robert Hutchinson, PhD, and Günter Bischoff, PhD, providing insights into postwar Europe, including the Soviets at Nuremberg, American clemency for Nazi war criminals, and the Marshall Plan.

3. "Aftermath in Asia": Led by John Curatola, PhD, this session included experts Yuma Totani, PhD, and Rana Mitter, PhD, focusing on postwar Japan, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, China's WWII role, and the war’s legacy in the region.

4. "A New World Order and Postwar Responsibilities": William Hitchcock, PhD, chaired a discussion on the geopolitical shifts post–World War II, featuring insights from Blanche Wiesen Cook, PhD; Jeremi Suri, PhD; and Lizabeth Cohen, PhD, on Eleanor Roosevelt and the UN, America’s Role in the postwar world, and the American postwar economy.

5. "We Shall Overcome": This panel—featuring Marcus Cox, PhD; Kara Vuic, PhD; and David Davis—focused on the societal changes in postwar America, particularly the Civil Rights Movement, women’s expanded roles, and GIs returning with disabilities.

6. "Nimitz & His Commanders": This session—chaired by Jonathan Parshall and featuring Craig Symonds, PhD, and Trent Hone—explored Admiral Chester Nimitz's leadership in the Pacific theater.

7. "In The Rubble": Allan Millett, PhD, chaired a panel including Keith Lowe and Donald Bishop, PhD, discussing the global aftermath of World War II in Europe and Asia.

8. "To the End of the Earth: US Army & Downfall of Japan, 1945": This interview with author John McManus, PhD, led by Conrad Crane, PhD, explores the third book in McManus’s trilogy on the US Army in the Pacific theater.

9. "Our War Too!": Chaired by Steph Hinnershitz, PhD, this panel highlighted the diverse contributions during the war, featuring Catherine Musemeche, PhD, on oceanographer Mary Sears and her team of marine scientists; Dave Gutierrez on the last “Ace in a Day”; and James McNaughton, PhD, on Nisei soldiers in the American war effort.

10. "Legacies of the Second World War": This roundtable discussion featuring Museum President & CEO Emeritus Nick Mueller, PhD; William Hitchcock, PhD; and Jeremi Suri, PhD, explored the long-term impacts of World War II.

11. "Dauntless: Paul Hilliard in WWII and a Transformed America": An interview session featuring WWII veteran Paul Hilliard in conversation with Rob Citino, PhD, focused on Hilliard’s life and his wartime service.

12. "Forgotten Heroes": Chaired by Jeffrey Sammons, PhD, this session focused on Black servicemembers in World War II, including Major General Peter Gravett on the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion and Lieutenant Colonel Cameron McCoy, PhD, on the Montford Point Marines.

13. "Monuments Men & Women: A Never-Ending Story": Robert M. Edsel’s keynote highlighted the efforts of those who saved art and cultural treasures during World War II.

14. "Mass Murder & Memory in Eastern Europe": This session with Christopher Browning, PhD, and Alexandra Richie, DPhil, focused on the Holocaust in Eastern Europe.

15. "General Lesley J. McNair: Unsung Architect of the US Army": This discussion exploring General Lesley McNair's contributions featured Mark Calhoun, PhD, and John McManus, PhD.

16. "The Making of Masters of the Air": In the Conference’s special closing session, Playtone producer Kirk Saduski and author Donald L. Miller, PhD, discussed Miller’s book Masters of the Air and how it was turned into the Apple TV+ WWII miniseries.