The German Army surrenders to the allied troops on May 8, 1945. Europe is devastated, and more than 50 million have been killed, including 6 million Jews. Countless others have been killed because of their ethnicity, religion or lifestyle. The photographs of the Nazi death camps are shocking, and the world starts looking for answers to how this could have happened.

Twenty-two of the top Nazi leaders are brought to trial in Nuremburg. Perhaps most shocking is that many of them seem like ordinary people rather than heartless monsters.

Unlike after WWI, the allies decide to rebuild Germany rather than punish it. The Marshall plan is enacted, and billions are spent to help Germans create a new democratic society.