World War II Leaders
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
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1933-1945
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President of Democracy in America
 Faced a great deal of economic crisis-given credit for helping America recover from the Great Depression
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Created the New Deal
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Excellent speaker-used the radio for his fireside chats to communicate with
Americans
 Claimed America’s neutrality at the beginning of WW II
Winston Churchill
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Became Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940
 Considered to be Britain’s greatest weapon in WW II
 Early on, Britain fought alone against Germany
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Used his gift as a speaker to arouse Britons against Germany
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Communicated through radio; provided hope and said that victory could be achieved
Adolf Hitler
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1933-1945
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Named German Chancellor (PM)-called Der Fuhrer-“The Leader”
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Elected democratically by the German people-became Totalitarian dictator
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Very imperialistic-expansionist-Lebensraum
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Dismantled the Weimar Republic
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Leader of the Nazi Party- o German form of fascism o Extreme nationalism and racism (Master Aryan Race, The Holocaust) o Private property with strong govt control
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Wrote Mein Kampf-My Struggle
 Spoke of his “Third Reich”-German Empire; 1,000 year reign
 Faced economic crisis-put many men back to work-signed up for military serviceknown as the “Brown Shirts”-Hitler’s private army-Storm Troopers
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Started WW II by invading Poland in 1939
Benito Mussolini
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Led the fascist party in Italy-Totalitarian Dictator-early 1920’s
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Played on fears of economic collapse and communism
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Fascism-stressed nationalism-need of state above the individual; single strong leader needed; private ownership of property with strong govt controls
 “Black shirts”-his followers
 Il Duce-the leader
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Militaristic expansionist-Ethiopia-1935

Joseph Stalin
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Communist totalitarian dictator in Soviet Union-1924-1953
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Succeeded Lenin, the founder of the Communist Party in Russia
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State ownership of property; no civil liberties
 “Man of Steel”
 Stalin’s Purges-8-13 million killed
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U.S. opponent at the beginning of the Cold War after World War II
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Collective Farming-large govt controlled farms
Hideki Tojo
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Militaristic Prime Minister of Japan-1941
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Emperor Hirohito-powerless figurehead
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Tojo promised peace with Americans openly, but secretly planned to attack
America
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Expansionist and Imperialist
 Invaded Manchuria and China
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Oil needed to fuel expansion and the Japanese war machine