key political figures in world war ii
Adolf hitler
“...the personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew.” - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler was the leader of the Nazi party and the Fuhrer of Germany before and during WWII. Before he rose to power, he fought in WWI. In 1923, Hitler and the newly formed National Socialist German Worker's Party hatched a plot called the Beer Hall Putsch, which landed Hitler in jail. During this time, he wrote Mein Kampf, an autobiography mixed with his personal thoughts. When Hitler was campaigning, he removed all anti-semantic comments, but once he was elected, he turned on the Jewish population very fast. Hitler shot himself as the Red Army closed in, in 1945.
People voted for Hitler for many reasons: after WWI, the economy was weak and he promised jobs and prosperity. Also, he appealed to German nationalism and was also a very convincing public speaker. Hitler was a key political figure in WWII for a variety of reasons. Not only did he lead the Nazi party to power, he aggressively took over a good part of Europe during WWII, and had plans for world domination. The reason Hitler was able to do so much without the League of Nations stopping him was the Policy of Appeasement. The Nazi Party, under Hitler's leadership, created concentration camps, where Jews and other minorities Hitler did not like were sent to either be gassed or killed. Fun facts on Adolf Hitler:
|
benito mussolini
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power” - Mussolini
Benito Mussolini (also known as Il Duce) was the fascist leader of Italy during WWII. He was a colorful public speaker who could excite an audience, and he also made promises of jobs, security, law, and order. However, fascism believed that the people should support only one political party and leader who could control the government, army, economy and the lives of the people. This meant Italy was a dictatorship, since those who opposed the part were destroyed, and the freedom of speech and press was taken away.
During WWI, although Italy fought with the Allies, they did not receive much as a reward. Like many other countries, Italy had a low employment rate after the war, among other problems. They voted for Mussolini because he promised things such as jobs, security, law and order, and also a return to the glory days of the Roman Empire. They saw him as a solution to most of their problems. Mussolini was an important political leader during WWII because he was the first ever to create a Fascist state in the world. He also would keep himself in power by any means, including murder. He was eventually murdered and hung in Milan on public display, three days before Hitler's suicide. Fun facts on Benito Mussolini:
|
Harry truman
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” - Harry Truman
Harry Truman was the President of the United States in the later years of WWII, after the death of Theodore Roosevelt.
Truman was an important political figure during WWII because he was the one who approved the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which remains the only atomic attack in history. Also, he was a spectator when the United Nations charter was signed in 1945 for world peace. Fun facts about Harry Truman:
|
Joseph stalin
“In the Soviet army it takes more courage to retreat than advance." - Stalin
Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republic following the death of Communist Vladimir Lenin.
In WWII, Hitler and Stalin, although they disliked each other, signed a non-aggression pact. However, the Nazis broke the Nazi-Soviet pact when they invaded the USSR in in January 1941. In the Battle of Stalingrad, the USSR defeated the Germans, and the "Red Army" drove the Germans out of Russia. Stalin was an important political figure during this time because he changed Russia into a powerful military (and industrial) force, and was a dictator, known for being ruthless. Even in his later years, he did not let up on his harsh regime. He died in 1953. Fun facts about Joseph Stalin:
|
William lyon mackenzie king
"Let it be remembered, too, that at a time of war, nearly everyone is under great strain." - King
William Lyon MacKenzie King was the Prime Minister of Canada before, during, and after WWII - he was the longest serving Prime Minister in Canada's history.
During WWII, he agreed to train pilots for other countries of the British Commonwealth in Canada; this was called the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan plan. However, he didn't have any knowledge whatsoever of Camp X - they believed King would shut it down if he knew about it. King was an important political figure during WWII, because under him Canada saw growth and prosperity during wartime as a growing middle power. Fun facts about MacKenzie King:
|
winston churchill
"An iron curtain has descended across the continent." - Churchill, the Iron Curtain speech
Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII. He led the country to victory against the Axis powers and Nazi Germany in WWII. He is known for making a post-war Iron Curtain speech leading up to the Cold War.
Churchill, during the war, managed to create an alliance with the Soviet Union and strengthened relations between the United States and Canada. Before he was Prime Minister, he warned about the rise of Nazi Germany, although these warnings were generally ignore. He was an important political figure during the war because he worked tirelessly throughout the war and refused to surrender - he was seen as inspirational because of this. |