World War II

U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, on Feb. 23, 1945.

The Famous Iwo Jima Flag-Raising Photo Captured an Authentic Moment—But Gave Many Americans a False Impression

The photo was taken on Feb. 23, 1945

A U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ship blasts a German U-boat during World War II.

A Nazi U-Boat Tactic Stumped Allied Forces — Until a Retired British Naval Officer Designed a Game to Reveal How It Worked

Using the floor as a giant board, the Western Approaches Tactical Unit, or ...

Using the floor as a giant board, the Western Approaches Tactical Unit, or WATU, would design a game that approximated a wolfpack attack on a convoy in the Atlantic

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki place candles at the Monument to the Victims, inside the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz II-Birkenau, on Dec. 6, 2019.

Germany Is Often Praised for Facing Up to Its Nazi Past. But Even There, the Memory of the Holocaust Is Still Up for Debate

Questions about confronting the Nazi past have been settled in Germany's hi...

Questions about confronting the Nazi past have been settled in Germany's history textbooks, but still cause controversy in villages and towns

The railway tracks leading to the main gates at Auschwitz, seen Dec. 10, 2004.

What Translating a Firsthand Account of Life in Auschwitz Taught Me About the Language of Suffering

When Eddy de Wind wrote 'Last Stop Auschwitz,' he was driven to let others ...

When Eddy de Wind wrote 'Last Stop Auschwitz,' he was driven to let others know what he had suffered. How can that emotion be translated?

Auschwitz detainees walking to gas chambers. Many of the French Jews rounded up in Paris during the Vel D'Hiv deportation in July 1942 were sent to Auschwitz.

A Surprisingly Large Percentage of Young French People Don't Know About the Holocaust, Study Finds

The survey also found that 20% of young French respondents believe that ant...

The survey also found that 20% of young French respondents believe that anti-Semitic views are "acceptable"

A newspaper seller carries a hoarding pronouncing the declaration of war between Britain and Germany, on the Strand, heading towards Admiralty Arch in London on Aug. 1, 1939.

Hundreds of Britons Volunteered for a Diary-Keeping Project in 1937. They Left an Invaluable Record of World War II

The founders of Mass Observation couldn’t have known that they’d be uniquel...

The founders of Mass Observation couldn’t have known that they’d be uniquely positioned to capture the hopes and fears of a nation at war

How Methamphetamine Became a Key Part of Nazi Military Strategy

World War II was not only the most destructive war in human history but als...

World War II was not only the most destructive war in human history but also the most pharmacologically enhanced. It was literally sped up by speed