WW2 Presidents: Biography of Famous People, #1

By John E. Coffman

Churchill. Hitler. Mussolini. Roosevelt.

These are some of the most notable figures of the WW2. The names of Hitler and Mussolini evoke painful memories, while Winston Churchill and Roosevelt are remembered for their strength.

Short and sharp - Biography of Famous People: WWII Presidents is the only summary of all the notable leaders of the war that you'll need.

From the major Axis and Allied powers to nations like China, the men who held political control of the planet had complex motivations, unique goals, and fierce ambitions. Their influence directly impacted one of the most devastating wars in human history. But who were the men leading these battling nations?

You'll learn about:

• The countries that formed the Axis and Allied powers
• The rise of fascism and authoritarian regimes in Europe
• The cultural and political shift in China
• How the WWII–era leaders interacted with each other
• How these powerful men contributed to and ended a major global conflict

More!

So whether you're starting from the beginning or you're a history buff brushing up on details, this book has something for you.

 

Get your copy of Biography of Famous People: WWII Presidents today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: John E. Coffman
• Release date: Jun 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781991192608

John E. Coffman

John E. Coffman is passionate about how the past influences the present and how we became the society we are today. He absolutely devours any information on notable people throughout history: what made them tick, how they managed the success (and pressure) in their careers, and particularly how they impacted society, culture and ultimately history itself. His aim is to promote historical biographies in a quick and sharp way, so readers can get a good overall knowledge on leaders during key periods of time. 

Book preview

Biography of Famous People

Series 1 - WWII Presidents

John E. Coffman

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Table of Contents

Introduction

World War II

Part I: The Allies

Chapter 1: France - Charles de Gaulle

Political Situation of France

Early Life of Charles de Gaulle

Charles de Gaulle As The Leader of Free France

Legacy

Chapter 2: United Kingdom - Winston Churchill

England’s Political Climb

Young Winston

Contribution to WWII

Legacy

Chapter 3: USA - Franklin Roosevelt

The United States and Its Involvement in the War

Pearl Harbor

Early Life

Contribution to WWII

Legacy

Chapter 4: USA - Harry Truman

Early Life

Presidency and Contribution to WWII

Legacy

Chapter 5: The Soviet Union - Joseph Stalin

Russia Before WWII

Early Life

Contribution to WWII

Legacy

Chapter 6: China - Mao Zedong and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek

China Before WWII

Early Life: Chiang Kai-Shek

Contribution to WWII

Legacy

Life and Contribution of Mao Zedong

Part II: The Axis

Chapter 7: Germany - Adolf Hitler

The Reich

Early Life

Contribution to WWII

Remembrance

Chapter 8: Italy - Benito Mussolini

Fascism

Early Life

Contribution to WWII

Remembrance

Chapter 9: Japan - Hideki Tojo

Japan

Early Life

Contribution to WWII

Remembrance

Conclusion

References

Introduction

It must be a peace without victory. Victory would mean peace forced upon a loser, a victor’s terms imposed upon the vanquished. It would be accepted in humiliation, under duress, at an intolerable sacrifice, and would leave a sting, a resentment, a bitter memory upon which terms of peace would rest, not permanently, but only as upon quicksand. —President Woodrow Wilson, 1917 on American neutrality during World War I (WWI).

Through these words , President Wilson was able to perfectly summarize the sentiments of a defeated nation. Indeed, a nation that has been forced to surrender due to its opponent's strategic force, will most likely give up the fight out of fear of what would happen if it did not. When surrendering, this does not mean that the defeated have conceded to the desires of the victors or that their beliefs and opinions have been erased and converted overnight. These feelings often get suppressed under the circumstances and, if not handled correctly by the country’s leaders going forward, would only lead to history repeating itself and coming back with a vengeance. This is exactly the type of situation that led to World War II (WWII). The bitterness and humiliation that individuals from the defeated nations felt from the previous war Europe had endured was a lasting one and would resurface a few decades later like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

WWII was a direct testament to the bitterness and unhappiness that the afflicted nations held towards the way the previous war was dealt with and led to powerful politicians rebelling and pushing for drastic changes even if that meant taking drastic measures. In drawing up the Treaty of Versailles the intention was to bring peace; however, the opposite took place. As it only caused tensions to surmount and became just a means to delay the inevitable.

The treaty was signed on June 28th, 1919 at the palace of Versailles in Paris by three main stakeholders namely David Llyod George from Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau from France, and Woodrow Wilson from the United States. Each signatory had their own national agendas and terms that they wanted to include in the treaty. However, all three stakeholders wanted to impose heavy sanctions upon Germany. The following terms were put forth in the treaty:

●  The League of Nations was established and Germany was not permitted to join.

●  The German territory of the Rhineland had to be demilitarized.

●  German territories rich in coalfields were given to France as a means of remuneration for the destruction caused over a period of 15 years.

●  Germany’s territory had to be cut down by 13% and any overseas colonies were taken away.

●  Germany was prohibited from any form of unity with Austria.

●  100,000 men had to be cut from Germany’s army and the conscription dissolved.

●  Germany was not allowed to have any submarines and was only permitted to hold six battleships.

●  The German air force had to be dissolved.

●  Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war in what is commonly known as the Guilt War Clause.

●  Germany had to pay over $31 billion in war damages.

The German population considered these terms to be extremely brutal and many saw this as a tremendous humiliation for their nation. They would have preferred a treaty negotiated by and with input from all the nations involved, including Germany.

In an already vulnerable world, the population was looking towards anyone who would feel their pain as a nation and rise to power to represent the people as well as their struggles. The German population was still significantly blinded by the devastation of WWI and often chaos ensued the minute the government was threatened. This not only led to the rise of dictators and extremists but also brought along another war on a greater and more horrific scale than the first.

World War II

Spanning close to a decade from 1939 to 1945, the actions of this war led to a massive amount of casualties, with between 40 and 50 million lives lost. (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.).

Countries all over the world were involved including countries from Europe, Asia, and North America. The Allies included France, Great Britain, the United States of America, the Soviet Union, and China all of whom were going up against the Axis powers which included Germany, Italy, and Japan.

The leaders of these countries were not only elected to power but they had a massive following, made up of loyal citizens who stood by them and were dedicated to their cause. None of the leaders that we will learn more about in this book came to power via a coup d’etat and each one worked their way into the hearts of their people and made their way up the political ladder until they had reached a position high enough to exercise their power.

When looking at these countries, you may begin to wonder how these strange alliances were formed and what the common factors were that drove each group. Throughout this book, we will take you through the lives of the most prominent political leaders of World War II and take a closer look at how, although they were from very different cultures and backgrounds, they urged their nations to come together