Peace and War in the 20th Century

Created by McMaster University Libraries (Hamilton, ON), this interactive, thematic website Peace and War in the 20th Century presents two parallel curated collections, "Waging Peace" and "Waging War" to audiences, especially students and teachers. Built around case studies, the collections present materials from the university library's archives about various thematic aspects of the topic, ranging from nuclear disarmament and women peace activists, on the one hand, to the home front and women at war, on the other. Each case study concentrates on a specific group, individual, or event during a particular war. With an emphasis on ordinary lives and experiences, the project proposes to shed light on the causes of the world wars and other conflicts; the role of governments and of war resisters in influencing public opinion; ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, be they soldiers or resisters. Yet the project also attempts to shed light on famous cases, including the famed Christmas Truce of 1914 and the life and activities of Vera Brittain. In addition, the website includes sub-sites with material on Nazi Germany's concentration camps and prisons and Jewish underground resistance in German and Europe during the Second World War.

The site has received support from the Canadian Culture Online Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Library and Archives Canada, and the Canadian Council of Archives.