World War II People
Who Made It Happen
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) was the dictatorial leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, or Nazi Party, commanding German forces throughout World War II. A fanatic nationalist, miltari...
Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) was the fascist prime minister of Italy, with dictatorial powers, from 1922 until he was overthrown in 1943.In May 1938, Mussolini promised to fight alongside Adolf H...
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) was the 32nd President of the United States and the only chief executive to be elected to more than two terms in office. Roosevelt held the presidency from 1934...
Hermann Goering
Hermann Goering (1893–1946) was a German military leader who became a prominent leader in the Nazi Party and second in command of the Third Reich government after Adolf Hitler. After World W...
Joe Louis
Joe Louis (1914–1981), an African-American boxer also known as the "Brown Bomber," defeated German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938, defending his world heavyweight title and, for many Black and white...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill (1874–1965) served as the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. He led Britain's fight against Nazi Germany in World War II. Churchill w...
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), a Republican, was the popular 34th President of the United States, serving two terms from 1953 to 1961. Prior to his presidency, Eisenhower was a lifelong milita...
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. Initially, Stalin's role in the committ...
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) became the 33rd President of the United States upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1945. Truman, who had only a high-school education and had been vice pr...