Archived Content

Archives from World War II

From diaries to materials, the Archival Content contains miscellaneous items from World War II to provide additional insight into the war. 

Register of the Jan Karski papers

“Jan Karski and the Hoover Institution” on All Things Central Europe takes a look at the story of World War II Polish secret agent Jan Karski with guests from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

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Military Conquests and Battles

Japanese Conquests of World War II, from the David Rumsey Map Collection at Stanford University Libraries, in the Stanford Digital Repository. See a map printed in Tokyo, 1943, of Japanese World War II military conquests and battles.

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Military Mail Envelope

Japanese World War II Military Mail Envelope, from the David Rumsey Map Collection at Stanford University Libraries, in the Stanford Digital Repository. This clever preprinted envelope, printed February 1943 (Showa 18), for use by Japanese Imperial military lists and illustrates the battles and victories of the imperial forces. As the remarkable envelope is unfolded, two sticks pop up with a string strung between them. Little paper flags hang from the string, including those of fascist Italy, imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, and Vichy France. The background is a map of the world with vignettes of battle scenes. A watermark on the area reserved for writing is a message that reads, “Willing to keep shooting [fighting] until I die,” apparently a motto of the military.

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Diaries from WWII

Diaries of Joseph W. Stilwell, US Army general who served in the China Burma India Theater during World War II, spanning the period 1904–46. “The Food Mission Diaries of Hugh Gibson (1946 and 1947),” daily journal written by an American diplomat as he accompanied Herbert Hoover around the world on the “food mission” to assess needs and coordinate efforts in alleviating the famine caused by severe droughts and the devastation wrought by World War II.

“The Food Mission Diaries of Hugh Gibson (1946 and 1947),” daily journal written by an American diplomat as he accompanied Herbert Hoover around the world on the “food mission” to assess needs and coordinate efforts in alleviating the famine caused by severe droughts and the devastation wrought by World War II.