Hybrid event: The Legacy of World War II in American Society and Politics

© Riveter Virginia Davis (c) Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection

Eighty years after the end of World War II, this public panel will explore the lasting impact of the war’s conclusion on the development of American society and politics. By connecting international developments with local transformations, the discussion highlights how the war’s aftermath fundamentally reshaped the United States.

Topics will include the creation of the postwar world order and its geopolitical and domestic implications, the rise of the national security state, and the resulting effects on American politics, the economy, and the labor market. The panel will also examine the war’s role in catalyzing the Civil Rights Movement and trace major socio-cultural shifts such as migration patterns, gender role transformations, labor shortages, and the suburbanization of American life.

Bringing together perspectives from history, political science, and cultural studies, this conversation offers a reflection on how World War II continues to shape American life—at a moment when some of the war’s outcomes are increasingly being questioned.

Date: September 4, 12pm EDT 

Speakers:

  • Katherine Benton-Cohen (Georgetown University),
  • Thomas A. Guglielmo (George Washington University),
  • Jeremi Suri (University of Texas at Austin);

Moderator:

Axel Jansen (GHI Washington)

This is a hybrid event which will be held in person and streamed via Zoom.

Registration for in-person attendance:

https://www.ghi-dc.org/events/event/date/the-legacy-of-world-war-ii-in-american-society-and-politics

Registration to attend online via Zoom:

https://maxweberstiftung.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nZMcT22CTdG5LJ93jfy4Qg#/registration

This event is jointly organized with the American Historical Association (AHA), the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA), and the Goethe-Institute Washington. It is part of the Max Weber Stiftung Series “Ends of War” commemorating the 80 Year Anniversary of the End of World War II around the World and the GHI event series The Bigger Picture: American Politics and Culture in Historical Context.