In this Academy, you will participate in a deep study of perhaps the most consequential events of the 20th Century. By examining speeches and other primary sources from the 1930s and 1940s, you will learn about U.S. involvement in the most destructive conflict in modern history.

What was World War II about? How and why did the United States become involved in the conflict? What did Americans – both the government and ordinary soldiers – believe they were fighting for? What contributions did the United States make to the eventual Allied victory? How did the experience of war change the United States, both domestically and in its role in the world?

The week will conclude with a role-playing game – Restoring the World, 1945: Security and Empire at Yalta – in which you will take on the role of a world leader, a diplomat, or a military officer at the 1945 Yalta Conference. Through this game, you will get a sense for the massive task these leaders faced in planning for the postwar world.