In European prisoner of war camps, boredom became as fearsome an enemy as the Nazis themselves. These Americans fought it with inspiring creativity.

BLITZED: Drugs in the Third Reich
By Norman Ohler

On July 10, 1943, the Allies launched Operation Husky before sunrise, a massive amphibious assault on the southern shores of the island.

The National WWII Museum today announced new dates for its most popular tour: D-Day – The Invasion of Normandy & Liberation of France. Taking place from September 14 through 20, and again September 21 through 27, this spectacular tour itinerary will provide guests with an in-depth exploration of the sites key to America’s most famous WWII battle. Offering a full week of touring in Normandy, the Museum’s signature tour offers great value and features top guides, superior accommodations in prime locations, comprehensive dining and exclusive access to sites unseen on other programs.

Road to Berlin brings to life the drama, sacrifices, personal stories, and strategies of America’s campaign to defeat the Axis powers and preserve freedom.

In World War II, the three great Allied powers—Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union—formed a Grand Alliance that was the key to victory. But the alliance partners did not share common political aims, and did not always agree on how the war should be fought.

The United States was not the only leading power on the world stage after the end of World War II; it had a new competitor for this power in the Soviet Union. Tensions between the former allies quickly grew, leading to a new kind of conflict—one heightened with the threat of atomic weapons—that came to dominate global politics for the remainder of the twentieth century.

As fighting came to an end in 1945, people the world over faced for the first time the unprecedented extent of destruction and loss of life caused by World War II. As the costs of victory came into devastating focus, the diplomatic responses, rising global tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, and social disruption that followed in the aftermath of this conflict showed that World War II was truly "the war that changed the world."

Spotlight on Pamela and Mark Rubin, Museum Donors

While thousands of their fellow Americans were about to enter into the Battle of the Bulge and likely face capture under harsh circumstances by the war-weary German enemy, others, already POWs, celebrated a lonely Christmas holiday, the last of the war, in camps across  Europe.
 

How the looming Cold War convinced Americans to keep troops in Europe after the war.

Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in 1933 following a series of electoral victories by the Nazi Party. He ruled absolutely until his death by suicide in April 1945.