On December 16th, 1944, near the end of World War II, Germany launched a major offensive intended to split the British and American Allied front line. Authors Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut and Stephen Ambrose discuss the offensive which became known as the "Battle of the Bulge."

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The National Press Club hosted a discussion on World War II reporting and censorship, and the experience of Associated Press reporter Ed Kennedy.  Kennedy was fired after he defied a military embargo and reported Germany's surrender a day before the official announcement.

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Reflections on World War II experiences from three veterans of the Army's 101st Airborne Division and a Holocaust survivor.  They are joined by two actors who appeared in the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers."  The World War II Foundation hosted this event.

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History professor Andrew Morris discusses the unprecedented demand for affordable housing in the mid-1940s and 1950s created by returning World War II veterans, resulting in the dramatic growth of U.S. suburbs. Professor Morris explains that with the combination of the Great Depression and the rationing of materials for World War II, new homes were not being built in significant numbers. As thousands of veterans came home and started families - coupled with an economic upswing - the demand for new housing skyrocketed. This class took place at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

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History professor Gary Ostrower examines the origins of World War II and discusses the major battles, turning points and countries involved.  Also detailed are the numbers of those killed in specific offensives and the types of tactics and weaponry used.  This class took place at Alfred University in New York.

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History professor Matthew O’Brien looks at the causes, major battles and repercussions of World War II. Professor O’Brien examines Hitler’s advance through Europe and Winston Churchill’s strategy to fight the Nazis. Also discussed are the failing of the Soviet Union’s non-aggression pact with Germany, and the eventual full participation of the United States in the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor. This class took place at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.

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Two World War II veterans and a former Army nurse who helped liberate German concentration camps describe the chaos and destruction they witnessed in Europe during the war. This event is from the American Veterans Center’s 15th Annnual Conference in Washington, DC.

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The Daughters of World War II and the Frontiers of Flight Museum commemorate Victory Over Japan Day. Fiske Hanley, a former B-29 crew member and Japanese POW, talks about his wartime experiences along with Bill Nagase, a former Japanese kamikaze pilot. The two men met as co-workers in the 1970s, and became friends.

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In this program from our 1999 "American Presidents: Life Portraits" series we focused on James Garfield's life and career. Historians discussed Garfield's military service, his election as president and assassination shortly after his inauguration. Suzanne Miller, the site manager at Garfield's home in Mentor, Ohio, talked about several of the artifacts and documents that Garfield left behind. 

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C-SPAN’s Local Content Vehicles take American History TV on the road. Throughout the weekend of May 18-20 we feature the history of Columbia, South Carolina.

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