World War II Database

In terms of nationality, five major countries participated in WW2.

Allies

• United Kingdom, led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill
• United States, led by President Franklin Roosevelt

Axis

• Japan, led by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo
• Germany, led by Führer ("Leader") Adolf Hitler

Soviet Union

• Russia and the Soviet Union, led by General Secretary Joseph Stalin, held different positions during the war. In Asia, Russia and the Soviet Union had a series of clashes with the Japanese, had a period of uneasy peace between 1941 and 1945, and then tore up the non-aggression agreement to surprise attack Japan in the final days of the war. In Europe, they invaded Poland jointly with Germany, and then joined the Allies when Germany turned on them.

There are also many other countries involved in the war. For example, led by Chairman of the Nationalist Government Chiang Kaishek, the Republic of China played a critical role in tying down many Japanese Army troops, making them unavailable to defend against the American advances in the Pacific War. Italy, too, played an important role in the political arena before the start of the European War and with her actions in North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. Poland, France, Ukraine, and other European nations suffered greatly as much of the European War was fought on their soil. Last but not least, Commonwealth nations such as Australia and Canada devoted much of their resources for the Allied cause.

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