Commanders of World War II

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), Benito Mussolini (Italy), and Chiang Kai-shek (China), acted as supreme military commanders as well as civil commanders of their respective countries or empires.[1]

Military commanders

Allied Forces

United Kingdom

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Alan Brooke Field Marshal Knight of the Garter. Served as 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 Knight of the Garter. Served as CIGS, and deputy leader of NATO.
A veteran of World War I and the Irish War of Independence, Great General of the British Army, 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 Eighth 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 led 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 Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath Governor General of Canada.
The last British soldier to evacuate Dunkirk, replaced Auchinleck from command at North Africa, and turned the tide in the Allies' favour. Defeated the Germans in North Africa. Staged a successful invasion of Italy, and as Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces liberated it in 1944 before becoming Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces Headquarters, responsible for all military operations in the Mediterranean Theatre.[1]
Archibald Wavell Field Marshal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Viceroy of India, returned to England in 1947 and became High Steward of Colchester.
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]
Viscount Gort Field Marshal Holder of the Victoria Cross. Died in 1946.
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
Organised the Home Guard to protect against Operation Sea Lion. 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 Knight of the Garter Chairman of British Aircraft Corporation.[3]
Strong advocate of area bombing. Took over as head of the RAF after the Battle of Britain. Continually launched air raids against Germany, especially targeting civilian populations.[1]
Arthur Harris Air Chief Marshal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Manager of the South African Marine Corporation
Assisted Charles Portal in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany.
Hugh Dowding Air Chief Marshal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Dismissed as head of fighter command in November 1940. Became a theosophist after the war. Died in February 1970, aged 87 and buried in Westminster Abbey.
Leader in World War I of an RFC Squadron. Commander of the Battle of Britain. Deservedly credited with saving Britain from defeat.
Navy Andrew Cunningham Admiral of the Fleet Knight of the Thistle Served as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Died in June 1963, buried at sea off Portsmouth.
First Sea Lord 1943-1946.[1]
Louis Mountbatten Admiral of the Fleet Knight of the Garter Viceroy of India until 1947. First Sea Lord from 1954 to 1957.
Supreme Allied Commander of SEAC. Under him were such famous generals as William Slim and Joseph Stilwell.[1]
Sir Alfred Pound Admiral of the Fleet Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Died of illness, October 1943.
First Sea Lord 1939-1943.[1]

France

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Charles de Gaulle Général de Brigade Grand Master Legion of Honor Took control of France as President and was instrumental in creating the Fifth French Republic.
Defied Vichy France by vowing to continue fighting after the French surrender. He headed with de Tassigny the Free French Forces, who assisted the Allies in the liberation of France in 1944.[1]
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Marshal of France Grand Master Legion of Honor Later commanded French troops in the First Indochina War.
Defied Vichy France by vowing to continue fighting after the French surrender. He headed with Charles de Gaulle the Free French Forces, who assisted the Allies in the liberation of France in 1944.[1]
Alphonse Juin Marshal of France Grand Cross Legion of Honor Became Resident General in Morocco.
Commander of the Vichy French forces in North Africa until 1942, then commander of the French Expeditionary Corps in Tunisia and Italy.[1]
Maurice Gamelin Général d'Armée Grand Cross Legion of Honor Died in 1958.
Commander-in-Chief of French army during Battle of France, was replaced on 20 May 1940.[1]
Maxime Weygand General Grand Cross Legion of Honor Arrested on charges of treason but acquitted.
Commander-in-Chief of French army during the Battle of France from 20 May 1940 until the surrender of France. Oversaw the creation of the Weygand line, an early application of the Hedgehog tactic.[1]
French Navy François Darlan Admiral of the Fleet War Cross Murdered by Bonnier de La Chapelle December 1942.
Built up the French Navy to prepare for war, only to see it destroyed by the British Navy. Served the Vichy France government and was tipped to become Pétain's successor. Was commander of Vichy French forces in Operation Torch. After arranging a ceasefire, he defected to the Allied side.[1]

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 As Secretary of State his name was given to the Marshall Plan, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.
Was the aide to General Pershing during World War I. Was Chief of Staff having overall command of the US Army during and before World War II. Marshall served as the U.S. Army Chief of Staff during the war and as the chief military adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many of the American generals that were given top commands during the war were either picked or recommended by Marshall, including Dwight Eisenhower, Lloyd Fredendall, Leslie McNair, Mark W. Clark and Omar Bradley.[4] He 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 Cross, Medal of Honor (offered, but not accepted by him). After liberating Europe, served as NATO head and president of Columbia University before being elected the 34th President of the United States.
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. In December 1943, President Roosevelt decided that Eisenhower—not Marshall—would be Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. The following month, he resumed command of European Theater of Operations United States Army (ETOUSA) and the following month was officially designated as the Supreme Allied Commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), serving in a dual role until the end of hostilities in Europe in May 1945. He was charged in these positions with planning and carrying out the Allied assault on the coast of Normandy in June 1944 under the code name Operation Overlord, to head the liberation of Europe on the Western Front and the invasion of Germany.
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.
Recalled from retirement prior to the start of the Pacific war. Early on in World War II, received the Medal of Honor for extreme bravery. 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. MacArthur presided over the Japanese Unconditional Surrender in 1945. His strategy of maneuver, air strikes and force avoidance meant that soldiers under his command faced relatively low casualties.

[1]

Omar Bradley General of the Army Distinguished Service Medal (Army and Navy). Became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
This former infantry school instructor entered the war under Patton, later becoming his boss. Towards the end of the war, led a force of over 1.3 million troops (America's largest to serve under one man).[1]
Mark W. Clark General Distinguished Service Medal (Army and Navy). Became head of the Citadel
Led the triumphal entry into Rome. Served under General Harold Alexander. Ordered the destruction of the religious abbey at Monte Cassino. Was commander-in-chief in Italy from late 1944.[1]
George S. Patton, Jr. General Distinguished Service Cross Died in a road accident 4 months after the end of the war.
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]
Navy Ernest King Fleet Admiral Navy Cross Retired on December 15, 1945.
[1] United States Chief of Naval Operations.
Chester W. Nimitz Fleet Admiral Legion of Honour, Distinguished Service Medal Served as Chief of Naval Operations.
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.
Commander of South Pacific Area 1942-1944. Commander of United States Third Fleet 1944-1945.[1][5]
Frank Jack Fletcher Admiral Medal of Honor Chairman of the General Board, retired in 1947.

Recipient of the Medal of Honor for saving hundreds of refugees during the United States occupation of Veracruz in April 1914 during the Mexican Revolution. Operational commander at the pivotal Battles of Coral Sea and of Midway; nephew of Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher. 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]

Raymond A. Spruance Admiral Navy Cross Served as President of the Naval War College.
Commander of two of the most significant battles of the war, Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
USAAF Henry Arnold General of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal  
Member of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Combined Chiefs of Staff committees.[1]
Ira C. Eaker General Distinguished Service Medal (Army, Navy and Air Force) Became deputy commander of the Army Air Forces until retirement in 1947.
Commander of the 8th US Bomber command.[1]
Carl Spaatz General Air Force Cross Replaced Arnold in September 1947 to become chief of the US Air Force.
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]

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, Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union 1955-57
Involved in nearly every major battle on the Eastern Front. He successfully led the defense 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]
Aleksandr Vasilevsky Marshal of the Soviet Union Twice an Order of Victory, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Soviet Defence Minister
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]
Konstantin Rokossovsky Marshal of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Poland Order of Victory, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Polish Defense Minister
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]
Boris Shaposhnikov Marshal of the Soviet Union Three Orders of Lenin Commandant of the Voroshilov Military Academy. Died in 1945.
Chief of the General Staff 1937-1940, 1941-1942. Organized pre-war buildup of the Red Army.
Ivan Bagramyan Marshal of the Soviet Union Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Soviet Army commander
Bagramyan's experience in military planning as a chief of staff allowed him to distinguish himself as a capable commander in the early stages of the Soviet counter-offensives against Nazi Germany.
Nikolai Vatutin General of the Army Hero of the Soviet Union Killed by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
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]
Ivan Konev Marshal of the Soviet Union Order of Victory, Hero of the Soviet Union Appointed head of the Soviet forces in East Germany.Served as chief of the Soviet Armed Forces and Warsaw Pact.
Play a pivotal role in the War, retaking much of Eastern Europe. Helped in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Konev was also a competitor of leading star, Marshal Georgy Zhukov.[1]
Semyon Timoshenko Marshal of the Soviet Union Order of Victory, twice a Hero of the Soviet Union. Soviet Army commander in Belarus
Defence Commissar till 19 July 1941. Chairman of the Stavka (Soviet High Command). A capable commander in the early stages of World War II. Played a decisive role in the Winter War and the invasion of Poland.After the disaster at Kharkov, Timoshenko was removed by Stalin from front-line command but given overall commanders in different fronts of the USSR.
Soviet Navy Ivan Isakov Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Hero of the Soviet Union Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces.
Nikolay Kuznetsov Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Hero of the Soviet Union People's Commissar of the Navy during The Second World War
Soviet Aviation Sergei Khudyakov Marshal of Aviation of the Soviet Union Chief of Staff of the Air Forces of the Soviet Union, deputy commander of the Red Air Force
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

Republic of China

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Chiang Kai-shek Generalissimo Order of National Glory After the war against Japan, resumed Chinese Civil War against the communists. Retreated to Taiwan and led the Kuomintang (KMT) government there until his death.
Was both the head of the Republic of China and the supreme Allied commander in the China Theatre. Led the nation to total war from his temporary capital at Chongqing.
Mao Zedong Great Leader of Chinese resistance movements Honour Sabre of the Awakened Lion Defeated the Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War and established the People's Republic of China.
Greatly expanded communist base areas during the war, and eventually usurped control of China from Kuomintang.[1]
Yan Xishan General Order of Blue Sky and White Sun Fought on the side of the Republic of China in the civil war.
Warlord of Shanxi 
Chen Cheng General Order of Blue Sky and White Sun Became the Chief of the general staff
 
Zhu De Generalissimo Honour Sabre of the Awakened Lion Became the commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army.
Military leader of the Communist Eighth Route Army.
Xue Yue General Order of Blue Sky and White Sun Fought on the side of the Republic of China in the civil war.
 

Australia

Armed Force Name Highest Rank
held during World War II		 Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Brudenell White General Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Killed in the Canberra air disaster, 1940.
Chief of the General Staff (March–August 1940)
Thomas Blamey General Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Promoted to Field Marshal in 1950. Became an author and promoted welfare of ex-servicemen.
Commander-in-chief of Australian Armed Forces and commander-in-chief of Allied Land Forces in the South West Pacific Area.
Edmund Herring Lieutenant General Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Later Chief Justice of Australia. Received KCMG in 1949
Commander of Australian forces in the Kokoda Track campaign.
Leslie Morshead Lieutenant General Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Became General Manager of the Orient Steam Navigation Company.
Led the famous Australia defence against Rommel's in siege of Tobruk. Commander at the Battle of El Alamein. Australia forces took 22 percent of the casualties there. After learning the art of jungle warfare, was a very competent commander of operations against the Japanese in New Guinea.
Air Force Charles Burnett Air Chief Marshal Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath RAF officer loaned to Australia and served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1940 to 1942. Oversaw a 20-fold increase in the size of the RAAF which supported the Empire Air Training Scheme. Returned to Great Britain in 1942 and while suffering poor health worked in the RAF's cadet organisation, the Air Training Corps. Died of a coronary thrombosis months before the end of the War.
Fighter ace during the First World War. Deputy Commander of RAF in the Middle East.
Air Force Peter Roy Maxwell Drummond Air Marshal Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Died in an air crash at sea, 1945.
Fighter ace during the First World War. Deputy Commander of RAF in the Middle East.
Navy John Gregory Crace Vice Admiral Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Commanded Chatham Dockyard in Britain.
Commanded the Australian navy in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Commander of the Allied Naval Squadron, ANZAC Force.

New Zealand

Armed Force Name Highest Rank
held during World War II		 Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Bernard Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg Lieutenant General Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order
Holder of the Victoria Cross plus three other Distinguished Service Orders (World War I)		 Returned to New Zealand and later became Governor-General
A veteran of the Mexican Revolution and Victoria Cross recipient during the First World War. First soldier on beach for the Battle of Gallipoli during the First World War and the youngest general in the British Army during the First World War.[6] He liked to be in the thick of action—Churchill called him "the Salamander" due to his love of fire. Involved in the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Greece. Again defeated as the Allied Commander in the Battle of Crete after Churchill failed to provide enigma intelligence. Very successful as a Commander in various campaigns in the North African Campaign, including the Battle of El Alamein. Defeated again at the Battle of Cassino as a Corps Commander (this is nonsense-the Germans lost at Cassino-how could Freyberg be defeated?). Relieved Padua and Venice, and was first to enter Trieste in the race for Trieste, and successfully confronted Josip Broz Tito's Partisans there. By the end of World War II, Freyberg had spent ten and a half long years fighting the Germans (1940-1945 plus 1916-1918 equals 7 years-he fought the Turks in 1915).[7]
Air Force Arthur Coningham Air Marshal Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Missing in Bermuda Triangle.
A high scoring air ace in World War I. Air force Commander working with famous Major General George Patton during Operation Torch. Commander of tactical Air Forces for Operation Husky and D-Day.
Keith Park Air Chief Marshal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Returned to New Zealand
A veteran of World War I and air ace. Served under Hugh Dowding and commanded the defense of London during the Luftwaffe attacks. Dowding and Park are credited with winning the Battle of Britain. Led the defense of Malta.
Roderick Carr Air Marshal Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Air Officer Commanding Indian Air Force, 1946
Served in the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War. Commander of Northern Ireland RAF. Bomber Command Commander 4 Group. Deputy Chief of Staff (Air), SHAEF.

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.
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.
Served as Commander-in-Chief of the Polish government in exile, and formed the Polish Armed Forces.[1]
Władysław Anders General Order of the White Eagle Became Inspector-General of the Polish Armed Forces in Exile.
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 Builders of People's Poland He was a member of the Polish United Workers Party
Was commander-in-chief of the Polish Army fighting alongside the Soviet Union.[1]
Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski Lieutenant General Order of the White Eagle Elected Prime Minister of Polish government in Exile.
Commanded the main part of the Warsaw Uprising.[1]

Czechoslovakia

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Ludvík Svoboda General People's Hero of Yugoslavia, Hero of the Soviet Union Later president of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.
Commander of the Czechoslovak military units on the Eastern front
Ján Golian Brigadier General Czechoslovak War Cross Executed by the Germans in a concentration camp in Flossenburg.
Led the insurgent Slovak Army during the Slovak National Uprising.

Greece

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Alexander Papagos Field Marshal the Commander's Cross of the Cross of Valour Deported to Dachau Concentration Camp, led Greek army in Greek Civil War, later Field Marshal and Prime Minister of Greece.
Commander-in-Chief of the Greek Army in 1940-41.[1]
Aris Velouchiotis Corporal (actual rank)
Major of Artillery (assumed rank)		 Committed suicide after the Second World War.
Founder and chief leader of the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS).
Stefanos Sarafis Major General Later MP for the United Democratic Left, died in a car accident in 1957.
Chief military officer of the Greek People's Liberation Army after April 1943.
Napoleon Zervas Lieutenant Colonel Twice minister, died in 1957.
Commander of the National Republican Greek League resistance army.
Navy Alexandros Sakellariou Vice Admiral the Commander's Cross of the Cross of Valour MP, Navy and National Defense Minister after the war. Died in 1982.
Chief of staff of the Royal Hellenic Navy 1940-41, Minister for National Defence, 1951–52

Netherlands

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Henri Winkelman General Military William Order Died in 1952.
Was Commander-in-Chief of the Netherlands army during the Battle of the Netherlands.[1]
Hein ter Poorten Lieutenant General He spent the rest of the war in various prisoner of war camps, and in 1945 returned to the Netherlands. Died in 1968.
Commander of the ABDA land forces in early 1942.
Navy Conrad Helfrich Vice Admiral Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Died in 1962.
Commander of the ABDA Naval forces in 1942.
Karel Doorman Rear admiral Knight of the Military William Order Died in Battle of the Java Sea.
Commander of the combined American, British, Dutch and Australian (ABDA) fleet in the Dutch East Indies.[1]

Yugoslavia

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Draža Mihailović General of the Army Legion of Merit Executed by Communists in 1946.
Led the Chetniks.
Josip Broz Tito Marshal Order of the National Hero Became President of Yugoslavia
Led the People's Liberation Army.[1]

Canada

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Harry Crerar General Order of the Companions of Honour Became a diplomat, postings in Czechoslovakia, Netherlands and Japan.
De facto commander-in-chief of the Canadian military.[1]
Guy Simonds Lieutenant General Companion of the Order of Canada In 1951 he was appointed Chief of the General Staff
Devised the Kangaroo armoured personnel carrier.[1]
Andrew McNaughton Lieutenant General Order of the Companions of Honour First President of the United Nations Security Council
A noteworthy scientist and inventor of a direction finding device for artillery, a precursor to Radar. Fought in Vimy Ridge during World War I and was a Lieutenant Colonel. Commander of the Canadian troops until 1943. Was defeated in the Dieppe Raid. Opposed the breaking up of the Canadian Army, and insisted it fight as a single unit. Grandfather of Lieutenant-General Andrew Leslie of Canada.[1]

India

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Subhas Chandra Bose Supreme Commander of the Indian National Army Sher-e-Hind Died under mysterious circumstances.
Led the Indian National Army.
Mohan Singh Deb Captain Vir-e-Hind Became a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Commander-in-chief of the 1st Indian National Army.
Shah Nawaz Khan Major General Vir-e-Hind Became a member of the Lok Sabha.
Chief of the General Staff of The 2nd Indian National Army.
Lakshmi Sahgal Captain Padma Vibhushan Became a prominent leftist politician.

South Africa

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Jan Smuts Field Marshal Légion d'honneur Croix de Commandeur Helped drafting of the United Nations Charter, died 11 September 1950
Smuts signed the Paris Peace Treaty, resolving the peace in Europe, thus becoming the only signatory of both the treaty ending the First World War, and that ending the Second.[1]

Axis Forces

Germany

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Wilhelm Keitel Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Executed in 1946.
Chief of the OKW during World War II.Was convicted of war crimes in the Nurembeg Trials and executed by the Allies.[1]
Alfred Jodl Colonel General Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Executed in 1946.
Chief of the Operations Staff of the OKW.[1]
Heinrich Himmler Reichsführer-SS Blood Order, Golden Nazi Party Chief of the SS during World War II.[1] Suicide, 1945.
Military commander and a leading member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) of Nazi Germany. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler later appointed him Commander of the Replacement (Home) Army and General Plenipotentiary for the administration of the entire Third Reich. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust.
Walther von Brauchitsch Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Died in 1948.
Commander-in-Chief of the German Army 1938-1941.
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist Field Marshal Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Died in 1954 in a Soviet prison. Most senior German officer to die in a Soviet prison.
An aristocrat and senior commander in World War I. Commander of tank armies in the German Army in World War II. Fought in most of the actions involving blitzkrieg techniques.
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Died in 1948.
Exemplary service in World War I. Given the command of Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa. Was in charge of the unsuccessful siege of Leningrad, which lasted nearly 1000 days.
Gerd von Rundstedt Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves and Swords[8] Died in 1953.
A Kriegsakademie graduate of the Prussian nobility, and a major World War I veteran, Rundstedt distinguished himself as commander of numerous fronts of World War II including the Western and Eastern fronts of Europe.[1]
Günther von Kluge Field Marshal Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Committed suicide in 1944.
Commander of many successful operations including the invasion of Poland, France and the Soviet Union. Involved in the failed Hitler assassination, he decided to commit suicide.[1]
Georg von Küchler Field Marshal Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves Arrested in 1948 and sent to the Soviet Union by the Americans. Released in 1953.
Relieved von Leeb as commander of the siege of Leningard. After this failed, withdrew Army Group North, which saved them.[1]
Fedor von Bock Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Was killed by a British fighter pilot in 1945 and became the only one of two of Adolf Hitler's field marshal's to die from enemy fire.
Recipient of the Pour le Mérite from World War I, rose rapidly in rank to field marshal by the fall of France. Took command of Army Group Centre, whose Panzer groups penetrated the furthest into Russia.Was one of the Senior Wehrmacht Commander before the outbreak of war. Play a decisive role in the defeat of Poland and France. Bock was German Army Group Center commander during Operation Barbarossa, after the defeat at Moscow was relieved of command by Hitler. After Reichenau death, he was appointed to take over Army Group South. He was instructmental in defeating Marshal Timoshenko forces at Kharkov. However, Hitler was displeased with Bock and dismissed him. Played no further part in the war[1]
Erich von Manstein Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves and Swords[8] Imprisoned after war, later released and served as senior advisor to the Bundeswehr.
The master of mobile battle, authored the original Sichelschnitt plan, a plan which enabled Germany to capture France with minimal casualties. Manstein was one of the ablest general Hitler had. Manstein captured Sevastapol and was responsible for shoring up the Southern Front after the defeat at Stalingrad. He later recaptured Kharkov and gave the Soviets a beating. After the defeat at Kursk, he skillfully handled his army group retreat. However, he was dismissed by Hitler after frequently clashing with him in 1944. He then played no further part in the war from then on.[1]
Erwin Rommel Field Marshal Pour le Mérite, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds Committed suicide after being implicated in the Valkyrie plot. Official cause of death by the State was succumbing to wounds from an Allied air attack.
A legend in his own time, The Desert Fox headed the German campaign of North Africa. Rommel was highly decorated in World War I with the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest award. During World War II, he made an immediate impact in the Saharan desert, conquering all of West Africa and threatening to reach Suez. A number of factors such as stretching supply lines and the reinforcement of Allied military power (both in Morocco and Egypt) turned the tide in the favour of the Allies, and his forces were routed in the Battle of Tunisia in 1943. Before he could counterattack, German high command reassigned him to defend the Atlantic Wall. Rommel failed to stop the allied invasion of Normandy. Though typically linked to the assassination of Hitler, Rommel probably did not take part in the July 20 plot as he did not want future generations to think that the Axis lost the war due to backstabbing. Nevertheless, Rommel had to commit suicide, lest he face a mock-trial which would have surely ended in the death of him, his family and his aides.[1]
Walter Model Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds[8] Committed suicide in 1945.
German Army officer whose expertise in defensive warfare earned him the nickname of the 'Führer's fireman'[1]
Heinz Guderian Colonel General Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves[8] Died in 1954.
Main creator of Blitzkrieg tactics. Chief of OKH General Staff 1944-1945.[1]
Friedrich Paulus Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves[8] Soviet captivity until 1953. Became a vocal critic of the Nazi regime.
Commander of the disastrous campaign in the Battle of Stalingrad.
Josef Dietrich SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds[8] Sentenced to life, reduced to 25 years imprisonment in 1946. Promoted welfare of ex-servicemen on release.
Before World War II, Dietrich was very close to Hitler, and played a part in the Night of the Long Knives. Later in World War II he became the commander of 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, General of the Waffen-SS and member of the Prussian state council. Dietrich came into prominence for his role in the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944. He later commanded the defense of Vienna. He was a widely respected person in Germany both during and after the war.[1]
Air force Hermann Göring Reichsmarschall Grand Cross of the Iron Cross[8] Committed suicide after being sentenced to death for war crimes.
Was a high scoring air ace and took over the Red Baron's famous squadron, and won the prestigious Pour le Mérite in World War I. Hitler's second in charge. Commander-in-Chief of Luftwaffe 1935-1945. During World War II, he did not live up to his prior high standards. He was involved with the running of Germany and the war, and the central decision making, including implementation of the Holocaust.[1]
Albert Kesselring Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds[8] Died in 1960 at the age of 75.
Was commander-in-chief of Luftwaffe South (1941–1943), then South-west (1943–1945), then West Europe (1945). Was a very competent commander as chief of the defense of Italy against the allies, when he caused plenty of problems, even though heavily outnumbered, including at the prolonged battles of Anzio and Monte Cassino. Was a leader in the defense of Germany at the end of the war. Kesselring was widely admired and acknowledged on both sides as a "fair fighter" and was responsible for protecting priceless artworks and even the City of Rome from destruction.[1]
Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves[8] Died in 1945.
Robert Ritter von Greim Field Marshal Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds[8] Committed suicide in 1945.
An ace of World War I and winner of the prestigious Pour Le Merite award. Before World War II, went to China to help build their air force. A commander of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Poland. He was loyal to Hitler to the end, flying in on 26 April 1945 with Hanna Reitsch. He and Hanna Reitsch said "It was the blackest day when we could not die at our Führer's side.".[1]
Kurt Student General Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves[8] Held as a Prisoner of War by the British and freed in 1948.
An ace of World War I. Before World War II, trained troops in airborne operations. Commanded the successful airborne operations in the Battle of Crete. Commanded the highly successful operation to free Benito Mussolini. Successful again in the defense against airborne landings near Arnhem.[1]
Navy Erich Raeder Grand Admiral Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Died in 1960.
Commander-in-Chief of Kriegsmarine 1936-1943.[1]
Karl Dönitz Grand Admiral Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves[8] Briefly became President of Germany. Spent 10 years in prison. Died in 1980.
Commander-in-Chief of Kriegsmarine 1943-1945.[1]

Italy

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army
Pietro Badoglio Marshal of Italy Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation Succeeded Mussolini and arranged an Armistice of his country with the Allies. Died in 1956 of natural causes (Cardiac asthma).
Was not in favour of Italy's alliance to Germany, and resigned after the Battle of Greece.[1]
Rodolfo Graziani Marshal of Italy Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Graziani was sentenced to 19 years in jail but only 4 months were served. Died in 1955.
Viceroy of Italian East Africa, Governor-General of Italian Libya, Minister of Defense of RSI.
Ugo Cavallero Marshal of Italy Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Committed suicide in 1943 after alienating both Germany and non-fascist Italy.
Chief of the Italian Supreme Command 1940-1943.[1]
Giovanni Messe Marshal of Italy Grand Officer of the Military Order of Savoy Became a member of the Italian Senate. Died in 1968.
Commander of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
Ettore Bastico Marshal of Italy Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Marshal of Italy and high rank officer during North Africa Campaign. Died in 1972.
Governor of the Italian Aegean Islands and Lybia.
Mario Roatta Chief of Staff of the Italian Army Silver Medal of Military Valor (3) Removed from service by Badoglio in 1943 under Allies' request. He later fled to Spain living under protection of Francisco Franco. In Italy he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment but his sentence was overturned in 1948. Died in 1968.
General of the Italian Second Army known for his cruelty against civilians in the Italian-occupied Yugoslavia and for the deportation of many Slavs to the Rab concentration camp.
Alfredo Guzzoni General Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Died in 1965.
Commander-in-Chief of Army Group Liguria.
Navy Arturo Riccardi Admiral Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Removed from office by Badoglio. Died in 1966.
Served as Chief of staff of the Italian Navy.
Angelo Iachino Admiral Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy Died in 1976.
Commander of the Italian Naval Academy
Junio Valerio Borghese Frigate captain Knight of the Military Order of Savoy Died under mysterious circumstances in 1974. His death could be compatible with arsenic poisoning.[9]
Known for his neofascist activism in post-war Italy and for the Golpe Borghese.
Air Force Italo Balbo Marshal of the Air Force Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Killed by friendly fire over Tobruk.
Governor-General of Libya, Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa.

Japan

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Hideki Tojo General Order of the Rising Sun Executed in 1948.
Prime minister of Japan 1941-1944 was also a military commander. Chief of the Army General Staff in 1944.[1]
Hajime Sugiyama Field Marshal Order of the Rising Sun Committed suicide shortly after the end of the war.
Chief of the Army General Staff 1940-1944.[1]
Prince Kotohito Kan'in Field Marshal Order of the Chrysanthemum Died in 1945
Chief of staff of the Army, 1931–1940
Hisaichi Terauchi Field Marshal Order of the Rising Sun Died in a prisoner of war camp in Malaya June 1946.
Son of former PM Terauchi Masatake, became the senior officer of the Imperial Japanese after the coup of 1936. Was at one time considered as Tojo successor after the latter's resignation.
Shunroku Hata Field Marshal Order of the Rising Sun Sentenced to imprisonment.
 
Tomoyuki Yamashita General Order of the Rising Sun Executed at 1946.
Forced the surrender of the allies in the Battle of Singapore. Defender of the Philippines against MacArthur. an American military tribunal in Manila tried General Yamashita for war crimes relating to the Manila Massacre and many atrocities in the Philippines and Singapore against civilians and prisoners of war, such as the Sook Ching massacre, and sentenced him to death. This controversial case has become a precedent regarding the command responsibility for war crimes and is known as the Yamashita Standard.[1]
Iwane Matsui General Order of the Rising Sun Retired 1938, executed in 1948.
Arrested by the American occupation authorities after the surrender of Japan, Matsui was charged with war crimes in connection with the actions of the Japanese army in China also known as The Nanking Massacre. In 1948, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) found him guilty of class B and C war crimes, and he was hanged that December at Sugamo Prison, alongside six others, including Hideki Tojo. He was 70 at the time of his death.
Navy Osami Nagano Fleet Admiral Order of the Rising Sun Died of a heart attack in 1947.
Chief of the Navy General Staff, 1941-1944.
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu Fleet Admiral Order of the Chrysanthemum Died in 1946.
Chief of staff of the Navy, 1932-1941.
Isoroku Yamamoto Fleet Admiral Order of the Chrysanthemum The plane carrying him was shot down in 1943.
Commander of the Dec. 7, 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1939-1943. Isoroku Yamamoto, was killed on Bougainville Island when his transport bomber aircraft was shot down by United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft operating from Kukum Field on Guadalcanal.[1]
Mineichi Koga Fleet Admiral Order of the Rising Sun Killed in plane crash 1944.
Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1943-1944.[1]
Soemu Toyoda Admiral Order of the Rising Sun Died in 1957 at the age of 73.
Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1944-1945, Chief of staff of the Navy 1945.[1]
Chūichi Nagumo Admiral Order of the Rising Sun Committed suicide in 1944 during the battle of Saipan.
Torpedo specialist and commander of the Carrier Striking Task Force that attacked Pearl Harbor. Successful raids at Darwin and the Indian Ocean were reversed at the Battle of Midway. Although he had tactical victories in the Guadalcanal campaigns, his battle strength was severely depleted, and was switched to the defence of the Mariana Islands.[1]
Jisaburō Ozawa Vice Admiral Order of the Sacred Treasure Died in 1966.
Replaced Toyoda in 1945 to become commander-in-chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet[1]

Hungary

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Gusztáv Jány Colonel General Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Sentenced to death in 1947.
Commanders of the Hungarian Second Army at Battle of Stalingrad.
Dezső László Colonel General Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Sentenced to death in 1949.
Commanders of the Hungarian First Army at Battle of Budapest
Géza Lakatos Colonel General Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Died in 1967, Australia at the age of 77.
Was a Colonel General in the Hungarian Army during World War II who served briefly as Prime Minister of Hungary, under governor Miklós Horthy from 29 August 1944, until 15 October 1944.

Thailand

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Plaek Phibunsongkhram Field Marshal Order of the Nine Gems Later ousted after the defeat of the Japanese, only to return to power in 1948 and become Prime Minister until 1957.
Prime Minister and dictator of Thailand during the war, eventually commanding Thai forces during the French-Thai War.
Jarun Rattanakun Seriroengrit Lieutenant general Order of the Crown of Thailand Commander of an infantry battalion and took part in the invasion and occupation of the Shan States in Burma.
Commander of Phayap Army during the Pacific War.

Finland

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Marshal of Finland Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty Succeeded Risto Ryti as President of Finland
Was Commander-in-Chief of Finnish army during World War II. Organised the Mannerheim Line in the Karelian Peninsula.[1]
Karl Lennart Oesch Lieutenant General Mannerheim Cross Died in 1978
Was one of the most important Finnish generals. II Corps and III Corps of the Finnish ground forces were under his command at the end of the Continuation War.

Romania

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Ion Antonescu Marshal of Romania Order of Michael the Brave Executed in 1946.
Took control of Romania when Carol II abdicated, and established a fascist dictatorship with the Iron Guard Party. Acted as Commander-in-Chief of the Romanian Army and Conducător of Romania, recapturing Bessarabia and northern Bucovina, then appointed himself marshal. When his forces were decimated at Stalingrad, he started negotiating for peace . His career ended in 1944 when he was arrested by King Michael, who signed an armistice with the Allies.[1]
Petre Dumitrescu General Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Died in 1950 after a bout with cancer.

Slovakia

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Ferdinand Čatloš Major General Was briefly imprisoned, set free in 1948, died in 1972.
Slovakian Minister of Defence and Chief General Staff.

Burma

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Aung San Major General Order of the Star of the Revolution Arranged for the establishment of Burmese independence, assassinated under mysterious causes in 1947.
Led the Burma National Army and the Anti-Fascist Organisation.

Switzerland

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Henri Guisan General Special war time four star General of Swiss Armed Forces Retired in Switzerland feeling his mission was fulfilled, 1945
General Guisan developed his famous Swiss National Redoubt concept in summer 1940, He made it very clear that Switzerland would resist any Nazi invasion. If they ran out of bullets they were to resort to the bayonet. He said that Switzerland would defend itself against any invader and would never surrender. Indeed, Swiss citizens had been instructed to regard any surrender broadcast as enemy lies and resist to the end.

Ukraine

Armed Force Name Highest Rank Highest Award Fate Casualties inflicted Theatres / Battles
Army Roman Shukhevych General Gold Cross of Combat Merit First Class, the Cross of Merit in gold Died fighting NKVD forces in Lviv in 1950.
Supreme commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 I.C.B Dear; M.R.D. Foot (2005). Oxford Companion to the Second World War (paperback ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280666-6.
  2. ↑ Lord Ismay (2001). NATO, the first 5 years. NATO archives.
  3. ↑ C A Portal_P
  4. ↑ Ossad, Steven L., Command Failures: Lessons Learned from Lloyd R. Fredendall, Army Magazine, March 2003
  5. ↑ "Fleet Admiral Halsey Jr Profile at Naval Historical center". Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  6. ↑ Youngest General WW1
  7. ↑ Freyberg - Archives from Italy
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 List of Knight's Cross recipients
  9. ↑ Incerti, Corrado. "Borghese: indigestione o veleno?" (PDF). Retrieved 8 December 2014.

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