Allies of World War II

The coalition of countries that fought the Axis powers during World War II, led principally by the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and China.

Grand Alliance: The wartime partnership among the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. This shorthand captures the alliance among the coalition’s three largest powers.
Battle of the Atlantic: The prolonged naval campaign to control Atlantic shipping during World War II. Allied sea routes carried the troops and supplies that sustained the coalition.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: The 32nd president of the United States, who led the country through most of World War II. He expanded aid to Allied powers and helped define the coalition’s postwar aims.
Second Sino-Japanese War: The war between China and Japan that began in 1937 and merged into the wider World War II. China was fighting Japan years before the European war began.
United Nations: An international organization founded in 1945 to promote cooperation and collective security. The wartime allies established it as a framework for postwar international cooperation.
Combined Chiefs of Staff: The Anglo-American body that coordinated strategy and military planning during World War II. It turned cooperation between British and American forces into joint strategic direction.
North African campaign: The 1940–1943 campaign between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa. British, American, and other Allied forces fought together to defeat Axis armies there.
Winston Churchill: The British prime minister who led the United Kingdom for most of World War II. His government sustained Britain’s resistance and coordinated closely with the United States.
Invasion of Poland: Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, which prompted Britain and France to declare war. The invasion began the European war that later drew in a broader coalition.
Nuremberg trials: The 1945–1946 international military tribunal proceedings against leading Nazi officials. The victors jointly prosecuted senior members of the defeated German regime.

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