Commanders of World War II

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The Commanders of World War II were for the most part career officers. They were forced to adapt to new technologies and shaped the direction of modern warfare. Some political leaders, particularly those of the principal dictatorships involved in the conflict, Adolf Hitler (Germany), Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) and Benito Mussolini (Italy), acted as supreme military commanders as well as civil commanders of their respective countries or empires. .^[1]

[edit] Military commanders

[edit] Allied Powers

[edit] United Kingdom

Armed Force	Name		Highest Rank held during WW2	Highest Award	Fate	Casualties inflicted	Theatres / Battles
Army	Alan Brooke		Field Marshal	1st Viscount Alanbrooke	Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast.		Second (II Corps) British Expeditionary Force CIGS
		Commanded the II corps of the British Expeditionary Force at the Battle of France. Later served as the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.[1]
	Bernard Montgomery		Field Marshal	1st Viscount of El Alamein, Knight of the Garter.	Served as CIGS, and deputy leader of NATO.		Battle of France North African campaign Sicily Western Campaign, 1944 Arnhem
		A veteran of The Great War and the Irish War of Independence, entered the Second World War as a divisional commander within the British Expeditionary Force, defending France and then took command of II Corps during the evacuation at Dunkirk. After several Corps appointments was placed in command of South-Eastern Command before being dispatched to Egypt to take command of the Eight Army, following the death of William Gott. Won the Second Battle of El Alamein and played a crucial role in the completion of the North African Campaign. Then lead the Eighth Army during the Battle of Sicily and then the invasion of Italy itself. Was transferred back to the United Kingdom to take command of the 21st Army Group and led all Allied ground forces during Operation Overlord. Following the conclusion of this campaign, relinquishing the role of Ground Forces commander, he continued to lead 21st Army Group throughout the rest of the 1944-1945 North West Europe Campaign.[1][2]
	Harold Alexander		Field Marshal	1st Earl of Tunis.	Governor General of Canada.		Battle of Dunkirk North African Campaign Battle of Tunisia Allied invasion of Italy
		The last British soldier to evacuate Dunkirk, replaced Auchinleck from command at North Africa, and turned the tide in the allies favour. After defeating the Germans in North Africa, staged a successful invasion of Italy, liberating it in 1944/5.[1]
	Archibald Wavell		Field Marshal	1st Earl Wavell	Viceroy of India, returned to England in 1947 and became High Steward of Colchester.		North African campaign East African Campaign Anglo-Iraqi War Commander-in-Chief in India ABDACOM
		Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in the Middle East 1939–1941. Commander-in-Chief in India 1941–1942. Commander of ABDACOM 1942. Commander-in-Chief in India 1942–1943. Viceroy of India 1943-1947.[1]
	John Vereker		Field Marshal	6th Viscount Gort. Holder of the Victoria Cross (World War I).	Died in 1946.		Battle of France Battle of Dunkirk Battle of Malta
		A world war I hero, he played a major role in mobilising and arming the British forces during the Phony War. He took command of the British Expeditionary Force for the German invasion of France, and despite courageous fighting, was overwhelmed by German military tactics. When his troops were trapped in Dunkirk, he disobeyed orders from French and British command to attack and decided to evacuate, a decision which saved the lives of over 300,000 soldiers.[1]
	Claude Auchinleck		General	Order of the Bath	Commander-in-Chief, India		Norwegian campaign North African campaign
		Organised the Home Guard to protect against Operation Sealion. A quick response to the Iraq revolt impressed Churchill, who appointed him Commander-in-Chief of the North Africa forces. Frequent disagreements with British command, coupled with significant loss of territory against Rommel, forced him to be reassigned back to India. He fared better in this theatre, successfully mobilising Indian forces against the Burma invasion.[1]
Air Force	Charles Portal		Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Distinguished Flying Cross,[1] 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford.	Chairman of British Aircraft Corporation.[2]		Battle of Britain Battle of Normandy Strategic bombing of Germany
		Held back the Luftwaffe at the Battle of Britain. Continually launched air raids against Germany.[1]
	Arthur Harris		Air Chief Marshal	1st Baronet of Chipping Wycombe	Manager of the South African Marine Corporation		Strategic bombing of Germany
		Vigorously prosecuted the strategic air campaign against Germany.
	Hugh Dowding		Air Chief Marshal	1st Baron Dowding of Bentley Priory			Battle of Britain
Royal Navy	Dudley Pound		Admiral of the Fleet	Knight of the British Empire	Died of illness, October 1943.		Battle of Atlantic
		First Sea Lord 1939-1943.[1]
	Andrew Cunningham		Admiral of the Fleet	Distinguished Service Order, 1st Viscount of Hyndhope			Battle of Crete Battle of Taranto Battle of Cape Matapan Siege of Malta
		First Sea Lord 1943-1946.[1]

[edit] United States

Armed Force	Name		Highest Rank	Highest Award	Fate	Casualties inflicted	Theatres / Battles
Army	George Marshall		General of the Army	Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, GCB	Established the Marshall Plan, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize.		Home Front
		Mentored by General Pershing. Led the rapid growth of US forces, co-ordinated the Western Allies and promoted postwar reconstruction of Europe.[1]
	Dwight D Eisenhower		General of the Army	Distinguished Service Medal, Medal of Honor (offered).	After liberating Europe, served as NATO head before being elected the 34th President of the United States.		Operation Torch Battle of Sicily Battle of Italy Battle of Normandy Western Front (World War II)
		Entered the war as an assistant to the more senior Officers MacArthur and George Patton, showed his worth as a commander during the North Africa Campaign, before being chosen by Roosevelt to head the liberation of Europe on the Western Front as commander of SHAEF.[1]
	Omar Bradley		General of the Army	Distinguished Service Medal (Army and Navy).	Became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff		Battle of Sicily Battle of Normandy Western Front (World War II)
		This former infantry school instructor entered the war under Patton, and towards the end of the war, led a force of over 1.3 million troops (America's largest to serve under one man).[1]
	George S. Patton		General	Distinguished Service Cross	Died in a road accident 4 months after the end of the war.		Operation Torch Battle of Tunis Battle of Sicily Operation Cobra Falaise pocket Battle of the Bulge German and Czechoslovakian invasion
		An aggressive general whose ferocious military thrusts earned him admiration and respect from all participants in the war (and at times endangered his military career). Successfully used the German tactic of armored blitzkrieg against the Germans.[1]
	Douglas MacArthur		General of the Army	Medal of Honor, Philippine Medal of Valor	Tasked with rebuilding Japan after the war. Later involved in the Korean War.		Battle of the Philippines Southwest Pacific Area Battle of Leyte Battle of Leyte Gulf
		Recalled from retirement prior to the start of the Pacific war, was disappointed to relinquish the Philippines to the Japanese. Promising to return, he did so in 1945 and whilst in Manila, prepared for war in Japan itself.[1]
Navy	Ernest King		Fleet Admiral	Navy Cross	Retired on December 15, 1945.		Battle of Atlantic
		[1]United States Chief of Naval Operations.
	Chester Nimitz		Fleet Admiral	Distinguished Service Medal	Served as Chief of Naval Operations.		Battle of Coral Sea Battle of Midway Solomon Islands Campaign Battle of the Philippine Sea Battle of Leyte Gulf Battle of Iwo Jima Battle of Okinawa
		After the attack on Pearl Harbor, took command of the Pacific Ocean areas, and turned around USA's fortunes in the Battle of Midway. Closed the war with operations in the Leyte Gulf and Okinawa.[1]
	William Halsey, Jr.		Fleet Admiral	Navy Cross	Retired 1947.		Solomon Islands Campaign Guadalcanal campaign Battle of Leyte Gulf
		Commander of South Pacific Area 1942-1944. Commander of United States Third Fleet 1944-1945.[1][3]
	Frank Jack Fletcher		Vice Admiral	Medal of Honor	Chairman of the General Board, retired in 1947.		Battle of Coral Sea Battle of Midway Battle of the Eastern Solomons
		Sunk 6 enemy carriers. In November 1942, he became Commander, Thirteenth Naval District and Commander, Northwestern Sea Frontier. A year later, he was placed in charge of the Northern Pacific area [according to Oxford companion to second world war, this occurred in October 1942].[1]
Air Force	Henry Arnold		General of the Air Force	Distinguished Service Cross			Head of the USAAF[1]
		Member of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Combined Chiefs of Staff committees.[1]
	Ira Clarence Eaker		Lieutenant General	Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service Medal (Army, Navy and Air Force)	Became deputy commander of the Army Air Forces until retirement in 1947.		North African Campaign Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission
		Commander of the 8th US Bomber command.[1]
	Carl Spaatz		General	Distinguished Service Cross	Replaced Arnold in September 1947 to become chief of the US Air Force.		North African Campaign (Air support) Normandy campaign (Air support)
		One of the pioneers of US military aviation, Spaatz advocated the use of scientific analysis to bombing raids, and made effective use of long range fighters, tactics which helped the Allies achieve air superiority over Europe.[1]

[edit] Soviet Union

Armed Force	Name		Highest Rank	Highest Award	Fate	Casualties inflicted	Theatres / Battles
Army	Georgy Zhukov		Marshal of the Soviet Union	Twice an Order of Victory, four times Hero of the Soviet Union	Became Soviet member of the Allied Control Council for Germany.		Siege of Leningrad Battle of Moscow Battle of Stalingrad (Battles of Rzhev) Operation Bagration Battle of Berlin Eastern Front
		Successfully led the defence of Moscow and later relieved Leningrad. After vying with Rokossovsky for overall command, he led all Soviet armies in the closing stages of the war and at the Battle for Berlin.[1]
	Konstantin Rokossovsky		Marshal of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Poland	Order of Victory, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.	Polish Defense Minister		Battle of Moscow Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Kursk Battle of the Lower Dnieper Eastern Front
		Decisive role in the Battle for Moscow, led encirclement forces at Stalingrad, broke German counter-attack at Kursk, advanced into Poland and eventually linked up with the Americans at Wismar.[1]
	Aleksandr Vasilevsky		Marshal of the Soviet Union	Twice an Order of Victory, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.	Soviet Defence Minister		Battle of Moscow Second Battle of Kharkov Battle of Stalingrad - Operation Uranus Battle of the Lower Dnieper Operation Bagration Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation Eastern Front
		Stalin's strategic specialist who planned and carried through many successful Soviet operations as overall commander, particularly the encirclement at Stalingrad and the grand plan for Bagration. Commander-in-Chief of Soviet Forces in the Far East during Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation.[1]
	Boris Shaposhnikov		Marshal of the Soviet Union		Commandant of the Voroshilov Military Academy. Died in 1945.		Invasion of Poland Winter War Eastern Front
		Chief of the General Staff 1937-1940, 1941-1942. Organized pre-war build up of the Red Army.
	Nikolai Vatutin		General of the Army	Hero of the Soviet Union	Killed by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.		Battle of Moscow Voronezh Front Battle of Kursk Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
		Deputy of the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army. Decisive Soviet commander at Kursk, outmanoeuvered German commander Manstein and later routed German forces in Korsun salient.[1][Alternate reference needed]
	Ivan Konev		Marshal of the Soviet Union	Order of Victory, Hero of the Soviet Union	Appointed head of the Soviet forces in East Germany.		Kalinin Front Battle of Kursk Belgorod Odessa Kharkov Kiev Vistula-Oder Offensive
		[1]
	Semyon Timoshenko		Marshal of the Soviet Union	Order of Victory, twice a Hero of the Soviet Union.	Soviet Army commander in Belarus		Invasion of Poland Winter War Battle of Smolensk Second Battle of Kharkov
Soviet Navy	Nikolai Kuznetsov		Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union	Hero of the Soviet Union	Deputy Minister of the USSR Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces.		Barbarossa (Soviet naval defence) Battle of the Caucasus Eastern Front
Soviet Aviation	Alexander Novikov		Chief Marshal of Aviation of the Soviet Union	Two times Hero of the Soviet Union	Commander-in-Chief of the Air Forces of the Soviet Union Chief of the High school of civil aviation		Barbarossa (Soviet air forces) Eastern Front

[edit] Czechoslovakia

[edit] Poland

Armed Force	Name		Highest Rank	Highest Award	Fate	Casualties inflicted	Theatres / Battles
Army	Edward Rydz-Śmigły		Marshal of Poland	Order of the White Eagle	Suffered heart attack before he could participate in the Polish resistance.		Invasion of Poland (1939)
		Was commander-in-chief of Poland during its invasion by German and Russian troops. [1]
	Władysław Sikorski		General	Order of the White Eagle	Died in plane crash July 1943.		Invasion of Poland (1939) Polish Armed Forces in the West
		Served as Commander-in-Chief of the Polish government in exile, and formed the Polish Armed Forces.[1]
	Władysław Anders		General	Order Virtuti Militari	Became Inspector-General of the Polish Armed Forces in Exile.		Battle of Monte Cassino
		Founder & commander of the Polish Forces Armed in Iran (1942), better known as Anders Army.[1]
	Michał Rola-Żymierski		Marshal of Poland	Order of the White Eagle	He was a member of the Polish United Workers Party		Polish Armed Forces in the East.
		Was commander-in-chief of the Polish Army fighting alongside the Soviet Union. [1]
	Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski		Lieutenan