The Second World War represents the greatest loss of life in an armed conflict that the world has ever seen. On the 80th anniversary of the war ending, explore stories of the conflict from the National Library’s collections.
Representatives of Britain, Russia, France and the United States accepted the unconditional surrender of the German Armed Forces on 8 May 1945, ending the war in Europe. The war in the Pacific did not formally end until nearly four months later, when the Japanese instrument of surrender was signed on 2 September.
From recruitment posters urging Australians to enlist and opposition to conscription by conscientious objectors, to espionage and the evolving role of women’s work in the war effort, this exhibition highlights stories from our collections relating to the Second World War. Other items reveal the postwar reconstruction of nations whose citizens’ lives had been irrevocably changed by the conflict.
Content warning: Please be advised that this display contains objects and records, but not images, related to the Mauthausen–Gusen and Auschwitz concentration camps which some visitors may find distressing.
The exhibition runs from 26 August 2025 to 3 May 2026 and is exclusive to Canberra.
Image credit: Australian Comforts Fund, Combine forces with the Australian Comforts Fund. Give to them through the A.C.F. [detail], 1939, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2618636268
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