Our Mission
The Institute for the Study of War and Democracy is a community of scholars forming a national center for research, higher education, publications, and public programming, dedicated to promoting the history of World War II, the relationship between the war and America’s democratic system, and the war’s continued relevance for the world.
Values
Excellence: The Institute works to meet the highest standards of accuracy and quality in all of our programs and services.
Accessibility: The Institute brings together the academy, other WWII authorities, enthusiasts, and public audiences.
Relevance: The Institute educates, informs, and encourages those who want to understand the price of freedom and preserve our democratic heritage.
Vision
The Institute for the Study of War and Democracy explores the war’s history and enduring legacies, and seeks to inspire civic engagement by:
- Becoming the preferred resource for audiences seeking fresh scholarship, public history, public programming, and commentary on World War II.
- Extending the reach of the Museum’s public programs and publications to larger national and international audiences.
- Sustaining a network of the world’s preeminent scholars and cultural leaders to promote and broaden the history, memories, and legacies of the war.
- Attracting new generations of Americans to study, research, and write about the American experience in World War II through fellowships, collections, Museum tours, lifelong learning, and additional outreach efforts.
Letter from the Institute Director
The Institute for the Study of War and Democracy serves as the research core and the higher education center of The National WWII Museum. Our team consists of experienced professional historians who share a passion for World War II.
Latest from the Institute
World War II and America’s Ship Names at 250
During World War II, ship names often referenced earlier eras of American history. Today, the US Navy continues its efforts to memorialize the country’s origins by upholding naming traditions that hark back more than 160 years.
-
Article TypeJapanese Hell Ships of World War II
Initially, hell ships moved Allied POWs to areas where their labor was needed, such as the Japanese main islands and other recently conquered regions, but later, they also moved prisoners to prevent them from being liberated by advancing Allied forces.
-
Article Type
Q&A with Historians Featured in World War II with Tom Hanks
The National WWII Museum was proud to collaborate on The HISTORY Channel’s 20-part series World War II with Tom Hanks. See what the Museum’s leading historians had to say about working on the show.
-
Article Type
The USS New Orleans before World War II
A product of post Great War naval treaties and launched amid rising global tensions, the USS New Orleans forged a bond with its namesake city in the years before World War II
-
Article Type
Sending Hope to Europe: The First CARE Packages Arrive in 1946
A surplus of Army rations and goodwill helped improve the lives of many Europeans impoverished by World War II.
Events & Programs
19th International Conference on World War II
Join us for our premier adult educational event bringing together the best and brightest scholars, authors, historians, and witnesses to history from around the globe to discuss the war that changed the world.
"Like A Thunderbolt From the Skies": Airborne Forces in World War II Symposium
Join us to explore the history, impact, and enduring legacy of the US Army Airborne.
-
Learn More
Institute Staff
-
Learn More
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
-
Learn More
Research A Veteran
-
Learn More
Distance Learning
-
Learn More
Historian Speakers Bureau
The Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy
More from Topic-
Article Type
World War II and America’s Ship Names at 250
During World War II, ship names often referenced earlier eras of American history. Today, the US Navy continues its efforts to memorialize the country’s origins by upholding naming traditions that hark back more than 160 years.
-
Article Type
Japanese Hell Ships of World War II
Initially, hell ships moved Allied POWs to areas where their labor was needed, such as the Japanese main islands and other recently conquered regions, but later, they also moved prisoners to prevent them from being liberated by advancing Allied forces.
-
Article Type
Q&A with Historians Featured in World War II with Tom Hanks
The National WWII Museum was proud to collaborate on The HISTORY Channel’s 20-part series World War II with Tom Hanks. See what the Museum’s leading historians had to say about working on the show.
-
Article Type
The USS New Orleans before World War II
A product of post Great War naval treaties and launched amid rising global tensions, the USS New Orleans forged a bond with its namesake city in the years before World War II
-
Article Type
American Liberators: Buchenwald
American soldiers liberated the concentration camp at Buchenwald on April 11, 1945, and were profoundly shaken by what they discovered.
-
Article Type
General George S. Patton
Few American generals of World War II inspired as much admiration or as much controversy as George S. Patton.
-
Article Type
The True Glory (1945): Teamwork Wins Wars
The True Glory chronicles the Allied liberation of Western Europe, from the preparations for Operation Overlord to the fall of Berlin.
-
Article Type
‘Climb to Glory’: The 10th Mountain Division’s Ski and Mountain Troops
“Climb to Glory,” the modern motto of the 10th Mountain Division, truly reflects their actions and sacrifice in the Italian mountains and beyond.
