Reflecting on the greatest war in human history, one cannot help but think about the terrible conflict as a whole, its leaders, its peoples, and the puzzles still open about its conduct. Leaders on both sides realised that at stake from the very beginning was a complete restructuring of the world order. More than a conflict of imperial aggression, World War II was about who would live and command the globe’s resources and which peoples would disappear entirely because they were believed to be inferior or undesirable by the victor. This collection of special studies in twentieth-century German and world history illuminates the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world. Bringing together essays now widely scattered and several never previously published in English, this volume examines the Holocaust, the connections between the European and Pacific theatres of war, as well as the effects, leaders, and research problems of World War II. By examining the effects of World War II, its leaders, its problems, and the Holocaust, this volume provides an illuminating study of the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world.