Primary Sources
Boston Public Library Resources
- Book list - World War I Primary Resources: 12 Books To Check Out Now Primary sources are items that were made at the time you are researching. The Great War, or World War I, lasted from 1914 to 1918. These primary sources were re-printed as books that you can check out from the library. Keep in mind that the items themselves will be primary sources but descriptions and text will not be.
- Book list - World War II Primary Resources: 13 Books You Can Check Out Primary sources are items that were made at the time you are researching. World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. These primary sources were re-printed as books that you can check out from the library. Keep in mind that the items themselves will be primary sources but descriptions and text will not be.
Books at the Boston Public Library
War Posters by Call Number: D522.25 .A94 2007ISBN: 9780500251416Publication Date: 2007-11-01The posters themselves are primary sources.
Pearl Harbor by Call Number: J D767.92 .G677 2009ISBN: 9781433900471Publication Date: 2009-01-01Primary sources recount the journey to war, the attack, and its aftermath.
The World War I Reader by Call Number: D509 .W85 2007ISBN: 9780814758335Publication Date: 2006-12-01With this reader of primary and secondary documents, edited and compiled by Michael S. Neiberg, students, scholars, and war buffs can gain an extensive yet accessible understanding of this conflict.
World War II by ISBN: 9780787638962Publication Date: 1999-11-08Exploring World War II, this reference presents 15 excerpts from primary sources related to this period, including speeches, diary entries, newspaper accounts, novels, poems and memoirs.
Page OneISBN: 9780883659625Publication Date: 1996-09-01Compiling all of the major Times headlines from World War II, Page One: The Front Page History of World War II As Presented in The New York Times is an impressive chronicle of the events during the great war of the 20th century.
World Wars I and II
Poster from World War I, Source: Boston Public Library
This page contains primary sources relating to World Wars I and II.
At the time, World War I was known as The Great War, and it lasted from 1914 to 1918. It consisted of the Allies on one side and Central Powers on the other. The war began after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. The United States become an "Associated Power" in 1917, after Germany commenced open submarine warfare. The United States did not formally join the Allies. The war ended with victory for the Allies and an armistice on November 11, 1918. Over 16 million people died, both military and civilians, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in history.
World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. It was the deadliest conflict in history, with at least 50 million casualties. The war consisted of the Allies and Axis Powers and began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The United States joined the Allies in 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The war ended in 1945 when Japan surrendered after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
World War I (1914-1918)
Source: New York Public Library
In 1914, the RMS Lusitania, a British Ocean liner, was sunk by a German U-boat. The Lusitania was bound for Liverpool, and Germany declared the waters around England a war zone. 128 Americans were killed when the Lusitania sank, and the event is credited with helping change the minds of the American public. After the Lusitania, Germany agreed to an end of attacks on passenger ships (which did not last). The United States joined the war in 1917 after Germany declared open war submarine warfar.
New York Times, December 27, 1913, from New York Times database
The Battle of the Somme took place between July and November 1916 and was one of the bloodiest battles in history. One million people were killed or wounded, and more than three million people fought in the battle.
Source: New York Public Library
The United States joined World War I in 1917, after Germany refused to allow American passenger ships safe passage through to Europe. The United States did not officially join the Allies but was instead an "Associated Power."
Source: Library of Congress
The media was an important component of World War I. Newspapers covered the conflicts daily. War posters promoted the troops and war efforts. Music was being produced at an increasing rate, and songs about the war became popular.
World War II (1939-1945)
Source: New York Times, June 29, 1941
The Holocaust was a genocide that was committed by Nazi Germany in Germany and Germany-occupied countries, in which over 6 million Jew people were systematically murdered. Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and soon began establishing concentration and labor camps. The Holocaust ended in 1945 with the end of World War II.
Map of Pearl Harbor at the time of Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, Source: Memphis Public Library
On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces launched a surprise military strike on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On December 8, the United States declared war on Japan, and the country had entered World War II.
Source: Portal to Texas History
Nazi Germany is the period between 1933 and 1945 when Germany was ruled by the Nazi Party and Adolph Hitler. Nazi rule was totalitarian, with the government controlling all aspects of life in Germany and Germany-occupied countries. Their platform consisted of racism, especially anti-semitism (discrimination against Jewish people). Nazi Germany fell at the end of World War II in 1945.
Source: Library of Congress
"Propaganda" is information that is biased and is not objective. In the case of war propaganda, posters and advertisements supported the war efforts and condemned the enemy. Often, war posters would show what civilians could do, such as save rations, buy war bonds, or sign up for the draft.
Source: National Archives
On June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, Allied forces invaded the beaches of Normandy, France. The invasion lasted into July, and it led to the Germans retreating from the shore.