For instance, you’d want to know that WWII lasted from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945.

The Axis Powers included Germany, Italy, Japan, (and less significantly) Vichy France, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Thailand, Finland, and Iraq. The Allied Powers included Britain, China, France, the Soviet Union, the United States, (and less significantly) Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, and Yugoslavia.

The Eastern Front was where the majority of concentration camps were located and, thus, played a major role in the Holocaust. The major battles fought on the Eastern Front include Stalingrad and the battles that led to the recapture of Kharkov by the Soviets.

The first phase of the war in the Western Front involved many of these western countries fighting Germany in attempts that culminated with the Battle of Britain. The second phase saw a lot of ground combat between the two sides that began with the landing in Normandy and lasted until the German defeat in 1945. The major battles fought on the Western Front include the Normandy D-Day landing, the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of Britain, and the Battle of Arnhem. [2] X Research source

The major battles fought in the Pacific Theater included Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

Much of the information regarding the Holocaust may contain graphic information, so review these materials at your own discretion.

Memoirs of the Eastern Front A Writer at War by Vasily Grossman Memoirs of the Western Front The Second World War by Winston Churchill To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy (America’s most decorated WWII soldier) Memoirs of the Pacific theater Goodbye, Darkness by William Manchester Isles of the Damned by R. V. Burgin

Eastern Front Berlin by Anthony Beevor Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor Western Front Armageddon by Max Hastings Overlord by Max Hastings Global The Meaning of the Second World War by Ernest Mandel The Origins of the Second World War by A. J. P. Taylor

Remember that few films are primary sources except for propaganda films.

Cross of Iron (1977) Stalingrad (1993) Enemy at the Gates (2001) (Stalingrad) Downfall (2004) (Berlin) Defiance (2008) Valkyrie (2008)

Das Boot (1981) Saving Private Ryan (1998) The Longest Day (1962) (Invasion of Normandy) A Bridge Too Far (1977) (Operation Market Garden) Band of Brothers (2001). This is a mini-series produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks that is based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s book of the same name. The series follows Easy Company, a company of paratroopers in the 101st Airborne Division, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, from their training in Fort Bragg to the occupation of Germany, covering scenes such as Operation Overlord (commonly known as D-Day), Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and Easy company capturing Hitler’s Eagle Nest.

The Thin Red Line (Guadalcanal) Flags of our Fathers (2006) (Iwo Jima) Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) The Pacific (2010). Like Band of Brothers, this is a miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Unlike Band of Brothers, it details the stories of soldiers of the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa and is based on three separate books. It is also an extremely accurate depiction of World War II.

If you have trouble finding a veteran to talk to, you might try attending your community’s Veteran’s Day parade. They often participate in such events. Alternatively, you can find interviews with WWII veterans online. You can also ask older relatives what their experiences were like. While not everyone went to war, those who stayed home can give you insight into what the world was like at that time. And many of them contributed to the war effort at home.

The National WWII Museum of New Orleans[9] X Research source The Museum of World War II in Boston[10] X Research source The Wright Museum of World War II in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire The WWII Japanese American Internment Museum in McGehee, Arkansas[11] X Research source The Imperial War Museum in London[12] X Research source The D-Day Museum in Portsmouth, England[13] X Research source The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, Japan[14] X Research source The Bergen-Belsen Memorial in Germany

This is a great way to learn about WWII, especially if you are not a very good self-motivator. If you take a course, you’ll have teacher-imposed deadlines to complete your learning.

There are also monuments, cemeteries, and memorials for you to visit near D-Day site in Normandy. [16] X Research source

Try visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, Sachsenhausen, or Buchenwald. [18] X Research source [19] X Research source