The Axis Power
- Germany, one of the many countries of the Axis Power, was controlled by Adolf Hitler during the beginning of the 1930's. Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party exploited widespread discontent in Germany to attract popular and political support. Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 started World War II, which as everyone knows, is one of the biggest wars of all time. The reason of Germany attacking Poland was because they wanted to get more land. Germany has already took Austria and Czechoslovakia, thinking that no one would notice, they decided to attack Poland as well. Because of their thoughts and actions of expanding their territories, Germany has started World War 2.
- Italy, another of the many countries of the Axis Power, was controlled by Benito Mussolini during the beginning of the 1920's, but lasted up until the end of the war in 1943. Like Germany, Italy also wanted to gain more land to their countries, which lead them into becoming allies during World War II. Italy has signed the treaty of friendship with Germany in November of 1936, and then a year later joined the Anti-Comintern pact in November of 1937. This country was a main target during the final stretch of World War 2, leading the United States and Great Britain to invade them. These battles were a series of Allied beach landings and land battles in Sicily and southern Italy up in the Italian mainland towards Nazi Germany. The Allied advance through Italy produced some of the most bitter, costly fighting of the war, much of it in treacherous mountain terrain.
- Japan, another of the many countries of the Axis Power, was controlled by Emperor Hirohito during the start and end of World War II. Japan was having its own little battles while Germany and Italy were fighting on the west. Japan started a battle in China to take it over in 1937, which was tried to be stopped by President F.D.R. and Secretary of State Cordell Hull so Japan could stop. This only led to more chaos with the two countries. Japan, having one of the world's strongest naval army, thought that it was a good idea to attack Pearl Harbor. This attack against the United States led them to fight back because many people have died and territory issues. The United States later finished them off with two Atomic Bombs, Little Boy and Fat Man, and ended the war.
The Allies Power
- Great Britain, also known as England, was one of the many countries who joined the Allies Power. At the time, Great Britain was controlled by Winston Churchill, who became Prime Minister in May of 1940 and Neville Chamberlain, who was the Prime Minister of England before Churchill. According to many people during the 1940's, Winston Churchill was the more aggressive war-time leader. During the late 1930's, Britain attempted to appease Germany and avoid another world war by signing the Munich Pact. This gave Germany "permission" to invade the contested Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. When Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia a few months later, it was clear that this attempt at appeasement did not work. When this happened, Germany had started to invade Poland, which led to Great Britain automatically supporting the conquered country. Great Britain was known as the Allies' "superpower" before Russia and the United States joined their side.
- Russia, also known as the Soviet Union, was one of the many different countries who had joined the Allies Power. This country was controlled by the infamous Joseph Stalin, a dictator who used to work with Adolf Hitler, another evil dictator. Russia had originally been a part of the Axis Power, but everything changed when Germany turned on them and took over some of their land. Russia had officially joined the Allies Power in June of 1941. This action has changed the tide of the war and was very surprising because Russia was a sworn enemy of the Allies Power. Many people say that the Soviet Union helped the cause of the Allies winning the War because of how big of a superpower they actually were. If the Soviet Union wasn't a part of the Allies, they most likely would have been the target of the atomic bomb, instead of Hiroshima...but that's just an opinion.
- The United States, was another one of the many countries who had joined the Allies Power. They were the last country to join this power, which was in December of 1941. At the time, the United States was controlled by President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to the rest of World War II. He was the only President in the United States to become elected four times in a row. The war turned out to be the countries most costliest war in American history in terms of spending, but the spending also played a key part in lifting the United States out of economic depression. The increasing need for war goods not only wiped out the unemployment, but also made women join the "work force" in large numbers for the first time. Like Russia, the United States had come into the war as a huge superpower, fighting both Germany and Japan at the same time, with their naval army and their foot soldiers. America later developed the Atomic Bomb, which is a very destructive explosive that has blown up twice of Japan. This bomb ended the war.