World War II transformed the United States from a midlevel global power to the leader of the “free world.” With this rapid rise in power and influence, the United States had to take on new responsibilities, signaling the beginning of the "American era."

The Berlin Airlift: From the position of the cockpit, WWII pilots Chuck Childs and Gail Halvorsen commit themselves to one of the greatest examples of humanitarian aid.

When World War II ended in Europe, American soldiers feverishly began calculating how soon they might go home based on a newly instituted point system.

In 1973 a devastating fire in the National Personnel Records Center destroyed about 17 million military personnel files. A loss with long-lasting repercussions, it affects our understanding and knowledge of many individual WWII stories.

The United Nations was a child of World War II, and another one of FDR's good ideas.

The modern history of Midway atoll includes its commercial uses and post-war reversion of a natural state resulting in its designation as a National Wildlife Refuge.

The Greek Civil War erupted in December 1944, pulling British forces into combat in Athens. Over the next five years this devastating conflict would shatter Greece and transform Europe.

Even though the fighting ended in Europe with VE-Day on May 8, 1945, the effects of the war and its legacies continue up to this day. 

The Institute for the Study of War and Democracy Historians and Special Guests Discuss How WWII's Aftermath Presents Lessons for the Aftermath of the Present Crisis.