World War II was the most destructive conflict in the history of the world, affecting nearly everyone who was alive at the time, as well as the generations that followed. This seminar will examine the causes, course, and consequences of the war, both in the European and Asian/Pacific theaters, as well as on the American homefront. While it will emphasize the role that the United States played in the conflict, it will not ignore those aspects of the war in which Americans were not directly involved, such as the early war years (1939-41), and the genocidal conflict between Germany and the Soviet Union.