Major Figures

The major people who played influential roles in the second world war

Isoroku Yamamoto

Head of IJN

Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was born on the 4th of April 1884 in Nagaoka, Niigata to a Samurai family. Originally born Isoroku Takano, he was adopted by the Yamamoto samurai family in 1916 and changed his last name to Yamamoto. He graduated from Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1904 and served in the Russo-Japanese war's Battle of Tsushima in 1904 aboard light cruiser Nisshin. As well as having studied naval history in Japan, he also spent a considerable amount of time abroad in the US, at Harvard University as well as 2 postings in Washington District of Columbia. Though he was the one who planned out the attack of Pearl Harbour, he didn't think that Japan could stand up to the US's industrial might and had actually condemned the plan and though he knew he couldn't change the emperor's mind, had designed the plan Operation Hawaii to give Imperial Japan a fighting chance in the Second World War. He was chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet up till 1943 and was one of the most unique commanders of any Navy. In 1943 after the humiliating defeat at the Battle of Guadalcanal, in order to boost the morale of Japanese troops, the Admiral boarded a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" from Rabaul in the Solomon Islands for an inspection tour of the South Pacific. His journey specification were decrypted by the American forces and while flying over Bougainville Island in Papa New Guinea, his bomber was shot down by heavy P-38 american fighters. It is said that he was found dead in the jungle of Bougainville Island clutching his Katana, sacred samurai sword, and was given a state funeral in Japan.

Adolf Hitler

Fuhrer of Germany at the time

Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer of Germany from 1938 to 1945, was born on the 20th of April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria. Born as an Austrian, Hitler as a child underwent a very abusive childhood from his father but also had a love for his mother. Being forced to be anything but an artist from his father, Hitler would find solace with his mother. He studied art in Vienna for a short period of time but later moved to Germany. Here, Hitler would found the Nazi workers party. After the infamous Beer Hall Putsch, in which he was arrested, Hitler grew in popularity and he made clear his expectations for a Germany of his choice. in 1933, the Nazi party was elected as the governing body of Germany, immediately, Hitler immediately began drawing up German expansion plans, also known as Lebensraum. Hitler was notorious for starting the war, the invasion of Poland, which is though to be the official starting date for the Second World war .as well as the mass genocide of Jews, non - Aryans and other "undesirable" persons during as well as before the war had begun. Hitler had led his armies during the second world war fiercely and when the final battle came, the Battle of Berlin, Hitler, in his fuhrersbunker, stated "This will end with Berlin" and he killed himself with a pistol on the 30th of April 1945.

Winston Churchill

PM of Britain at the time

Prime Minister Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Britain who served for the majority of the second world war. He was born on the 30th of November 1874 in Blenheim, Oxfordshire, England as Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. Churchill was born to a family at the highest level of Aristocracy, as his mother was the daughter of a wealthy American Businessman and his father was the Duke of Marlborough, due to this, he had access to many riches and even served in the British Army in India, Sudan and Cuba, then part of the Spanish Empire. He underwent education in the Harrow School for boys and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Churchill was married to Clementine Hozier in 1908, and during his service in the British Army, he took part in the Second Boer War in South Africa, the Mahdist War in Sudan and even the 1st World War. Churchill represented the Conservative party in his service of parliament and was elected as the prime minister of the British Empire in May 1940, succeeding Neville Chamberlain, who had resigned after the embarrassing failure for the British who could not stop Operation Weserubung, the German invasion of Norway, Churchill served for PM throughout the duration of the 2nd World War. Sir Winston Churchill, also known as the Roaring Lion, died on the 24th of Januray 1965 in London.

Franklin D Roosevelt

President of America of the time

President Franklin D Roosevelt was the president of America for the majority of the second world war. Born on the 30th of January 1882 in New York, Roosevelt belonged to a very wealthy family who had originally come from England aboard the ship, the Mayflower. Roosevelt had a very lavish lifestyle and with frequent trips to Europe, he became pretty much fluent in German and French, as well as having studied there. He, like other Major Figures, served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant, and then went on to becoming the 44th Governor of New York State. Roosevelt was married to his cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt. Rossevelt was elected as president of the United States on the 4th March 1933 and is the author of the famous declaration of war speech "A day that will live in infamy". Rossevelt died of a cerebral haemorrhage on the 12th of July 1945.

Benito Mussolini

Leader of Italian Fascist Movement

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born on the 29th of July 1883 in the Kingdom of Italy. He was the former prime minister of Italy and one of the youngest prime ministers in Italian history. Mussolini was born to a Blacksmith Father and a Schoolteacher Mother in Predappio, Kingdom of Italy. Mussolini was the eldest of his 3 siblings. As a child, he went to a boarding school run by Salesian monks and was a high achiever. He graduated from school and after a brief status as an elementary school teacher, he went to Switzerland to avoid compulsory military service and was arrested on accounts of political movements. When the 1st World War had come, Mussolini served on behalf of the Kingdom of Italy and achieved the highest rank of Corporal during his service. After the 1st World War, Mussolini joined a politically fascist party called the National Fascist Party. Mussolini believed that it was his duty to restore Italy's fame and to re-unite the Roman Empire, the Italian empire, he believed, would be the new Roman Empire. After having worked in many areas of Italian Politics such as the Minister of the Colonies and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was given the Title of Prime minister of Italy on the 31st October 1922 becoming the youngest Prime minister in Italian history. When war first broke out, he aligned with Hitler's dictatorial movements as his imperialist strives were a promising opportunity for Mussolini's aims to be met. In 1943, after the capitulation of the Kingdom of Italy, which was after the Sicily landings, Mussolini was forced to step down as Prime Minister and General Pietro Badoglio, a senior ranking Officer in the army took over. On the 28th of April 1945, Mussolini was executed by firing squad after being arrested.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of USSR at the time

Coming Soon !

Charles de Gaulle

President of France at the time

Coming soon !

Major Figures: Services