Determining content for national history covered in textbooks is often highly contested regardless of the country where the textbook originates. The most controversial is the portrayal of past conflicts in and between states. The authors wish to understand the differences between the US and English portrayals of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The role and impact of history textbooks in both England and the US is discussed. It is always important to have historical context when discussing historical events. Therefore, the historical context of the role of the Soviet Union during the Second World War is discussed. Within the study, three US and three English textbooks are analyzed to gain a deeper appreciation of both the nature of and reasons for the differing interpretation of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The results of the study are discussed using four major Soviet events of the Second World War: The Nazi-Soviet Pact, Operation Barbarossa, The Battle of Stalingrad, and The Soviet Advance on Nazi Germany. In summary, the US and English textbooks were sharply different in their portrayals with the US textbooks being more scant on information concerning the role of the Soviet Union in the Second World War than were the English texts. The authors conclude with four points: history textbooks seek to teach students a shared set of values, national ethos and political threads; the function of textbooks differs in the US and England; history teaching in the two countries is different, especially in terms of content coverage; and the textbook industry has power and influence.