IDS Unit 7

ID: Allied Powers (WWII)

When: 1939-1945 (Specifically during World War II)

Who:

• Great Britain: Initially led by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (early war), then by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
• United States: Led by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (until his death in 1945), then by President Harry S. Truman.
• Soviet Union: Led by Joseph Stalin.
• China: Led by Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalist government). (Played a significant role in the Pacific Theater, though often overshadowed in Western accounts)
• Free France: Led by General Charles de Gaulle (after the fall of France to Nazi Germany). (Represented French resistance and later a provisional government).
• Other Nations: Including Poland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India (British Raj), and many others contributed to the Allied war effort.

What:

The Allied Powers were a coalition of countries that opposed the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) during World War II. Their primary goals were to defeat the Axis powers, liberate occupied territories, and establish a lasting peace. The Allies coordinated military strategies, shared resources, and provided mutual support throughout the war. The alliance was built on shared opposition to Fascism, Nazism, and Japanese expansionism, but also contained significant ideological differences, especially between the Western Allies (US and Britain) and the Soviet Union.

Impact: Why Significant?:

• Defeat of the Axis: The Allied victory in World War II led to the collapse of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan, ending their expansionist ambitions.
• Liberation of Europe and Asia: Allied forces liberated countries occupied by the Axis powers, freeing millions from oppressive regimes.
• Formation of the United Nations: The Allied Powers played a key role in establishing the United Nations in 1945, an international organization designed to promote peace and cooperation among nations.
• Start of the Cold War: The wartime alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union began to unravel after the war, leading to the Cold War, a period of geopolitical tension and ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. The differing ideologies and post-war aims of the Allies created a power vacuum in Europe and contributed to the division of the continent.
• Shifting Global Power: The war significantly altered the global balance of power, with the United States and the Soviet Union emerging as superpowers. The decline of European colonial powers also paved the way for decolonization movements in Asia and Africa.
• Economic Impact: The war stimulated economic growth in the United States, ending the Great Depression. However, it also devastated the economies of many European and Asian countries. The Marshall Plan, a U.S. initiative to provide economic aid to war-torn Europe, was a direct consequence of the Allied victory and the need for post-war reconstruction.