WW2 Leaders

World War II

Axis vs. Allies

Leader Biographies

Hideki Tojo

Joseph Stalin

BenitoMussolini

Adolf Hitler

Francisco Franco

FDR

Winston Churchill

Harry Truman

CharlesDeGaulle

Axis Power

Hideki Tojo

Japan

Hideki Tojo

• Tojo (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), the leader of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during much of World War II, from October 17, 1941, to July 22, 1944.
• As Prime Minister, he was responsible for ordering the attack on Pearl Harbor, which initiated war between Japan and the United States, although planning for it had begun in April 1941 before he entered office.
• After the end of the war, Tojo was arrested, sentenced to death for Japanese war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, and hanged on December 23, 1948.

"Justice has nothing to do with victor nations and vanquished nations, but must be a moral standard that all the world's peoples can agree to. To seek this and to achieve it - that is true civilization" Hideki Tojo

Axis Power

Joseph Stalin

Soviet Union

Joseph Stalin

• NAME: Joseph Stalin • OCCUPATION: Dictator • BIRTH DATE: December 18, 1878 • DEATH DATE: March 05, 1953 • EDUCATION: Church school (Gori, Georgia, Russian Empire), Tiflis Theological Seminary • PLACE OF BIRTH: Gori, Georgia, Russia • PLACE OF DEATH: Moscow, Russia Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism.

“Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.” “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.” “Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.” ~Stalin

Axis Power

Benito Mussolini

Italy

Benito Mussolini

• NAME: Benito Mussolini • OCCUPATION: Dictator • BIRTH DATE: July 29, 1883 • DEATH DATE: April 28, 1945 • PLACE OF BIRTH: Dovia di Predappio, Forlì, Italy • PLACE OF DEATH: Mezzegra, Italy • FULL NAME: Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini • AKA: Benito Mussolini • NICKNAME: "Il Duce" ("the Leader")

BEST KNOWN FOR Benito Mussolini created the Fascist Party in Italy in 1919, eventually making himself dictator prior to World War II. He was killed in 1945.

We do not argue with those who disagree with us, we destroy them. "The press of Italy is free, freer than the press of any other country, so long as it supports the regime." ~ Benito Mussolini

Axis Power

Adolf Hitler

Nazi Germany - The Third Reich

Adolf HItler

• NAME: Adolf Hitler • OCCUPATION: Military Leader, Dictator • BIRTH DATE: April 20, 1889 • DEATH DATE: April 30, 1945 • PLACE OF BIRTH: Braunau am Inn, Austria • PLACE OF DEATH: Berlin, Germany • NICKNAME: Der Führer ("The Leader")

BEST KNOWN FOR Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. He initiated World War II and oversaw fascist policies that resulted in millions of deaths.

“if you want to shine like sun first you have to burn like it.” “Reading is not an end to itself, but a means to an end.” “To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens.”

Axis Power

Francisco Franco

Spain

Francisco Franco

• NAME: Francisco Franco • OCCUPATION: Dictator • BIRTH DATE: December 04, 1892 • DEATH DATE: November 20, 1975 • EDUCATION: Infantry Academy at Toledo • PLACE OF BIRTH: El Ferrol, Spain • PLACE OF DEATH: Madrid, Spain

BEST KNOWN FOR Francisco Franco led a successful military rebellion to overthrow the Spanish democratic republic in the Spanish Civil War (1936—1939), subsequently establishing his lasting dictatorship.

• I am responsible only to God and history.

Not even the American continent can dream of intervening in Europe without exposing itself to a catastrophe.

Allied Power

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

United States

FDR

• NAME: Franklin D. Roosevelt • OCCUPATION: U.S. President • BIRTH DATE: January 30, 1882 • DEATH DATE: April 12, 1945 • EDUCATION: Groton Preparatory School, Harvard University, Columbia University Law School • PLACE OF BIRTH: Hyde Park, New York • PLACE OF DEATH: Warm Springs, Georgia

BEST KNOWN FOR Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only U.S. president to be elected four times. He led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.

Allied Power

Winston Churchill

Great Britain

Winston Churchill

• NAME: Winston Churchill • OCCUPATION: Prime Minister, Journalist • BIRTH DATE: November 30, 1874 • DEATH DATE: January 24, 1965 • EDUCATION: St. George's School, Brunswick School, Harrow School, Royal Military College (Academy) at Sandhurst • PLACE OF BIRTH: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, England • PLACE OF DEATH: Hyde Park Gate, London, England

BEST KNOWN FOR As prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill rallied the British people during WWII, and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory.

“You have enemies? Good. It means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Allied Power

Harry S. Truman

United States

Harry S. Truman

• NAME: Harry S. Truman • OCCUPATION: U.S. President • BIRTH DATE: May 08, 1884 • DEATH DATE: December 26, 1972 • EDUCATION: Independence High School (now William Chrisman High School) • PLACE OF BIRTH: Lamar, Missouri • PLACE OF DEATH: Kansas City, Missouri

BEST KNOWN FOR Sworn in as the 33rd president after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's sudden death, Harry S. Truman presided over the end of WWII and dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” “Without a strong educational system democracy is crippled. Knowledge is not only key to power. It is the citadel of human freedom.”

Allied Power

Charles DeGaulle

France

Charles DeGaulle

• NAME: Charles de Gaulle • OCCUPATION: Military Leader, World Leader • BIRTH DATE: November 22, 1890 • DEATH DATE: November 09, 1970 • EDUCATION: Military Academy of Saint-Cyr • PLACE OF BIRTH: Lille, France • PLACE OF DEATH: Colombey-les-deux-Églises, France

BEST KNOWN FOR Charles de Gaulle rose from French soldier in World War I to exiled leader and, eventually, president of the Fifth Republic. He served as president from 1959 to 1969.

"Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first." "France has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war."

THE BREAK WITH SOCIALISM AND RISE TO POWER Mussolini initially condemned Italy's entry into World War I, but soon saw the war as an opportunity for his country to become a great power. His change in attitude broke ties with fellow socialists, however, and he was expelled from the organization. He joined the Italian army in 1915 and fought on the front lines, reaching the rank of corporal before being wounded and discharged from the military. After the war, Mussolini resumed his political activities, criticizing the Italian government for weakness at the Treaty of Versailles. He organized several right-wing groups into a single force and, in March 1919, formed the Fascist Party—the movement proclaimed opposition to social class discrimination and supported nationalist sentiments, hoping to raise Italy to levels of its great Roman past. Capitalizing on public discontent, Mussolini organized a para-military unit known as the "Black Shirts," who terrorized political opponents and helped increase Fascist influence. By 1922, as Italy slipped into political chaos, Mussolini declared that only he could restore order and was given the authority. He gradually dismantled all democratic institutions, and by 1929, had made himself dictator, taking the title "Il Duce" ("the Leader"). To his credit, Mussolini carried out an extensive public works program and reduced unemployment, making him very popular with the people.

VICE PRESIDENCY When FDR had to choose a running mate for the 1944 presidential election, he deemed his acting vice president, Henry Wallace, unacceptable. Wallace was disliked by many of the senior democrats in Washington, and since it was apparent that Roosevelt might not survive his fourth term, the vice presidential pick was especially important. Truman’s popularity, as well as his reputation as a fiscally responsible man and a defender of citizens’ rights, made him an attractive option. Truman was initially reluctant to accept, but once he received the nomination, he campaigned vigorously. Roosevelt and Truman were elected in November of 1944, and Truman took the oath of office on January 20, 1945. He served as vice president just 82 days before Roosevelt died of a massive stroke, and he was sworn in as president on April 12, 1945. With no prior experience in foreign policy, Truman was thrust into the role of commander in chief and charged with ending a world war. In the first six months of his term, he announced the Germans’ surrender, dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki—ending World War II—and signed the charter ratifying the United Nations.

WORLD WAR II At the time fighting broke out between Germany and France, de Gaulle was leading a tank brigade. He was temporarily appointed the brigadier general of the 4th Armored Division in May of 1940. Continuing to rise up professionally, de Gaulle became the undersecretary for defense and war for French leader Paul Reynaud that June. A short while later, Reynaud was replaced by Pétain. Pétain's new government, sometimes called the Vichy government, worked out a deal with Germany to avoid further bloodshed. The Vichy regime became infamous for collaborating with the Nazis. A dedicated nationalist, de Gaulle did not accept France's surrender to Germany in 1940. He instead fled to England, where he became a leader of the Free French movement, with the support of British prime minister Winston Churchill. From London, de Gaulle broadcast a message across the English Channel to his countrymen, calling for them to resist the German occupation. He also organized soldiers from French colonies to fight alongside the allied troops. De Gaulle sometimes irritated other allied leaders with his demands and perceived arrogance. American President Franklin D. Roosevelt reportedly could not stand him. In fact, at the war's end, de Gaulle was purposely left out of the Yalta Conference, as Germany negotiated its surrender. He did, however, secure his nation an occupation zone in Germany and a seat on the United Nation's Security Council. De Gaulle enjoyed wide support at home and, in 1945, became president of France's provisional government. In a dispute over greater power for the country's executive branch, de Gaulle resigned this post. For several years, de Gaulle led his own political movement, "Rally for the French People," which did not gain much momentum. He retired from politics in 1953.

DICTATORSHIP: WWII Franco intended to restore Spain to its former glory once the Civil War came to an end, but he soon discovered his country to be as economically damaged and politically divided as ever, and the outbreak of World War II only five months later made his government’s grasp on the country even more tenuous. Franco was ideologically sympathetic to the Axis cause, but he initially declared Spanish neutrality in the war. In June 1940, he met with Adolf Hitler and said he would bring Spain into the war on Germany’s side in return for certain concessions. Hitler was either unable or unwilling to meet Franco’s terms, and Franco’s government thenceforth tentatively sided with the Axis powers while cautiously avoiding direct diplomatic and military commitment to their war effort. Spain again declared complete neutrality in 1943, but the declaration came too late for the Allies to treat with any amount of significance. While the Allies weren’t impressed and the newly formed United Nations ostracized the Franco government, Franco’s calculated wartime diplomacy did manage to keep his regime and possibly Spain from being toppled along with the Axis powers. And the ostracism came to an end when tensions between the Soviets and the West ramped up at the height of the Cold War, and Franco was then seen as one of the world’s foremost anticommunist figures.

THIRD TERM AND THE U.N. Early in 1940, Roosevelt had not publically announced that he would run for an unprecedented third term as president. But privately, with Germany's victories in Europe and Japan's growing dominance in Asia, he felt that only he had the experience and skills to lead America in such trying times. At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Roosevelt swept aside all challengers and received the nomination. In November 1940, he won the presidential election against Republican Wendell Willkie. During 1941, Franklin Roosevelt pushed to have the United States' factories become an "arsenal of democracy" for the Allies—France, Britain, and Russia. As Americans learned more about the war's atrocities, isolationist sentiment diminished. Roosevelt took advantage, standing firm against the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Bipartisan support in Congress expanded the Army and Navy and increased the flow of supplies to the Allies. Hopes of keeping the United States out of war ended with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt was a commander in chief who worked with and sometimes around his military advisors. He helped develop a strategy for defeating Germany in Europe through a series of invasions, first in North Africa in November 1942, then Sicily and Italy in 1943, followed by the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944. At the same time, Allied forces rolled back Japan in Asia and the eastern Pacific. During this time, Roosevelt also promoted the formation of the United Nations.