Videos

A panel of historians took audience questions and discussed lessons learned by the American military as a result of their defeat at the Battle of Kasserine Pass in 1943. This panel was the…

Military historian Christopher Rein talked about his book, The North African Air Campaign: U.S. Army Air Forces from El Alamein to Salerno. Mr. Rein described how the fledgling U.S. Army…

Military historian Leo Barron talked about how General George Patton commanded troops in the Battle of El Guettar, which happened about a month after the February 1943 U.S. defeat in the Battle of Kasserine…

Steven Barry discussed the role of battalion commanders during the World War II North Africa campaign. He is the author of Battalion Commanders at War: U.S. Army Tactical Leadership in the…

Military historian Robert Citino talked about the events leading up to and during the 1943 Battle of Kasserine Pass in Tunisia. It was the first time the U.S. Army fought against German and…

Rick Jacobs marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal by talking about the battle’s strategies and significance. The Battle of Guadalcanal began in August of 1942. It was the…

Howard Blum talked about the life of Betty Pack, a Washington, D.C., debutante who worked as a spy for both the British and Americans during World War II. Mr. Blum described her ability to seduce…

Historians talked about the political developments in Korea and China after World War II. They spoke about the rise of communist leaders Kim Il-Sung of North Korea and Mao Zedong of China and the…

Peter Maguire talked about the legacy of the Nuremberg trials and described how, in the 1950s, the Germans questioned the validity of the sentences, which often resulted in pardons or paroles. Gerhard Weinberg…

Richard Frank talked about America’s post-World War II occupation of Japan. Mr. Frank spoke about General Douglas MacArthur’s relationship with Emperor Hirohito, and efforts to set up food distribution…

Mark Riebling talked about Pope Pius the Twelfth and the Catholic Church’s secret actions against the Nazis. He argued that, contrary to previous scholarship, the pope was involved in efforts to change the German…

Two authors and a POW/MIA historian discussed efforts to locate and return the remains of deceased American service members in the aftermath of World War II. “Those Left Behind” was part of the…

Historians talked about the ways Germany, China, Japan, and the United States remember and commemorate their involvement in World War II. This roundtable discussion was part of the multi-day 2016…

Ninety-five-year-old Office of Strategic Services (OSS) veteran U.S. Army Major General John Singlaub (Retired) recalled some of his many missions in Europe and Asia. Following World War II, General Singlaub…

Historians talked about the influence of American democracy after World War II. Topics included the growth of America’s federal government during the war, the United Nations and human rights after the war, and relief…

Alexandra Richie and Conrad Crane talked about the origins of the Cold War. Professor Richie spoke about Joseph Stalin and the reasons behind Soviet expansion, while Professor Crane examined the…

Todd DePastino talked about World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin’s post-war career. Mr. DePastino is the editor of two books that chronicle Bill Mauldin’s work. “Willie and Joe Back Home: Bill Mauldin and…

David Kennedy talked about the aftermath of World War II. Professor Kennedy argued that post-war changes, such as economic globalization and the formation of the United Nations, transformed America and the globe…

Authors talked about the fate of German and Japanese war criminals in the aftermath of World War II. “Pursuit of War Criminals: To Punish or to Partner?” was part of the multi-day 2016 International…

Alex Kershaw talked about the Jacksons, an American family who aided the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris. They lived on Avenue Foch, a street where many Gestapo and SS officers resided during…