Who was the Greatest Leader of WWII?

[comiso90]

I have to go with Churchill.
He possessed Immeasurable charisma yet projected understated confidence. In times of strife, people see what they want to see. Churchill was one of the few that were up to the challenge.

Churchill was the brooding intellectual humorist that personified stubborn tenacity and inspirational leadership.

Roosevelt always seemed like more of a stern politician or angry uncle and I think he could have tried harder to keep eastern europe out of Soviet hands.


Queen Wilhelmina gets honorable mention too.

 

[bigZ]

Like any great leader FDR had his faults(Churchill himself was known to be ruthless and is still hated by the Polish for his connection to a certain assaination).

Britain is indebted to FDR. It took a brave leader to to introduce the Lend Lease(which we only paid off last December at a very generous 2%). Especially considering the popular anti war feeling present in the US during that period.

On seperate note the Marshal Plan also came in pretty handy too.

Pity the US isn't a colony anymore as we could have ended slavery a generation earlier and the Civil War would probably have been avoided, plus are Americian cousins would now appreciate a nice cuppa instead of that coffee muck.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Pity the US isn't a colony anymore as we could have ended slavery a generation earlier and the Civil War would probably have been avoided, plus are Americian cousins would now appreciate a nice cuppa instead of that coffee muck.

 

[bigZ]

How about including AIoannis Metaxas leader of Greece. Another great leader to come from Ithaca. Gave the Italians a good whipping before the Germans had to intervene.

 

[rogthedodge]

Has to be Churchill

• Rallied inpspired the country when many (including certain Lords Royals were all for seeking a treaty)
  
• Helped / convinced FDR that the US had to get involved (ie the isolationists had to be overcome)
  
• Was prepared to be as brutal as Hitler if required (check out the auxilliary units and our mustard gas plans!)
  
• Managed to convince FDR that the 'Europe First' strategy was the correct choice
  
• Saw Stalin for what he was - and disagreed with the FDR/Stalin plans for post-war Europe (particularly Poland) to such an extent he was excluded from the discussions.

All this said FDR was a great man too and played a very astute political game to bring the US into the war / fought the US popular mood and military instinct to concentrate on the Pacific. We owe him a lot.


A few points on previous comments:

HMQ a 'hero'? - the Royal Family spent every night in Windsor, hardly in the firing line! OK so she drove a truck and certainly 'did her bit' but 'hero' is a bit OTT

Convoy protection - surprised to see a Canadian not recognise the extraordinary effort by the Canadian Navy on convoy duties (we haven't forgotten!) - visited the last corvette in Halifax harbour last year and nothing but respect for anyone crossing the Atlantic / fighting in that

Marshall plan - great for the occupied / defeated but the UK was excluded and forced to borrow money at close to market rates - we still owe some £200m on the post-war loan!

R
C/o Pedant Towers

 

[drgondog]

Has to be Churchill

• Rallied inpspired the country when many (including certain Lords Royals were all for seeking a treaty)
  
• Helped / convinced FDR that the US had to get involved (ie the isolationists had to be overcome)
  
• Was prepared to be as brutal as Hitler if required (check out the auxilliary units and our mustard gas plans!)
  
• Managed to convince FDR that the 'Europe First' strategy was the correct choice
  
• Saw Stalin for what he was - and disagreed with the FDR/Stalin plans for post-war Europe (particularly Poland) to such an extent he was excluded from the discussions.

All this said FDR was a great man too and played a very astute political game to bring the US into the war / fought the US popular mood and military instinct to concentrate on the Pacific. We owe him a lot.

He capitalized on the Pearl Harbor 'mistake' but I'm not sure what it would have taken otherwise and no amount of political astuteness would have overcome our desire to not be involved in another European War.

Europe probably owes Hirohito and Tojo an eternal debt of gratitude to get us in the fight but you are right about Europe 'first' guidance by FDR and Marshall - neithe had to be convinced

A few points on previous comments:

HMQ a 'hero'? - the Royal Family spent every night in Windsor, hardly in the firing line! OK so she drove a truck and certainly 'did her bit' but 'hero' is a bit OTT

Convoy protection - surprised to see a Canadian not recognise the extraordinary effort by the Canadian Navy on convoy duties (we haven't forgotten!) - visited the last corvette in Halifax harbour last year and nothing but respect for anyone crossing the Atlantic / fighting in that

Marshall plan - great for the occupied / defeated but the UK was excluded and forced to borrow money at close to market rates - we still owe some £200m on the post-war loan!

R
C/o Pedant Towers

Roge - I agree Churchill but think he is shortchanged by merely naming him Greatest Leader in WWII. He may be my personal favorite as greatest English speaking leader of all time

 

[pbfoot]

Convoy protection - surprised to see a Canadian not recognise the extraordinary effort by the Canadian Navy on convoy duties (we haven't forgotten!) - visited the last corvette in Halifax harbour last year and nothing but respect for anyone crossing the Atlantic / fighting in that

I am aware ofr the RCN and it's growth but I was commenting more on the tools of war being supplied by the US prior to 12/41 .How the US prior to 41 in conjunction with Canada built airports that crossed the international boundary landed aircraft on the US side they were towed over the border to Canada so as not to affect nuetrality treaties

 

[trackend]

Close but I go for Roosevelt over Churchill. Churchill was a great orator (with great speech writers behind him) and excelled at persuading the US to give support at a very touch and go time, he was also a great wit.
Monty said to him once " I don't smoke I don't drink I'm 100% fit" Churchill replied "well I do smoke I do drink I'm 200% fit".
The problem I feel is that Churchill had a habit of getting involved in military tactics and as a military leader he was poor.

On the other hand I feel Roosevelt had to fight a senate that contained a large number of Isolationists during the early stages of the war yet despite his very poor health he battled away and lead from the front, his conviction was total and his support and confidence in his armed forces unsurpassed. He worked tirelessly in pushing through legislation and before the first bomb had landed in Hawaii the country was getting geared up for war.
Ultimately I believe he worked himself to death he may have not been on the front line with a rifle but the war killed him just as surly as if he had been.
So to me not only did he galvanized the nation at a very politically fractional time, he also made the ultimate sacrifice for his country thats why I vote him the greatest leader of WW2 .


One last thing perhaps not the greatest but worth a mention Is Tito he was ruthless but he certainly lead his nation , caused a huge headache for the Germans tied up thousands of troops and held together a fractional cluster of countries right up till his death in the 80's

 

[Woods]

Churchill, Roosvelt and Stalin. They did win the war, you know.

Churchill lost the English 'Empire' After WW2,down the tubes
Roosevelt was most likely one of the biggest traitors in American history
Stalin had to have been one of the biggest mass murderer's in history

They won the war and lost the peace.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

How was Roosevelt one of the biggest traitors in American history?

 

[rogthedodge]

Churchill lost the English 'Empire' After WW2,down the tubesRoosevelt was most likely one of the biggest traitors in American history
Stalin had to have been one of the biggest mass murderer's in history

They won the war and lost the peace.

Wrong on so many counts:

1. It was the BRITISH Empire

2. Churchill was out of power by the end of '45 - India gained independence in '47

3. The Empire was in decline from '18 onwards

4. Churchill didn't 'lose' the Empire, it was wound down after WW2 due to our bankruptcy, US pressure and agitation for independence.

5. No need for quotes: it wasn't an 'Empire' - it was an Empire!!!!

I don't see how you can argue the US lost the peace - '45 was the start of the US's world-dominance.

USSR managed to retain a massive buffer between them and NATO for over 50 years - again that's not 'losing'.



Perhaps a bit more research before you go near the keyboard?

 

[syscom3]

Yeah, how was FDR a traitor?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah I am waiting for an answer as well. Somehow I dont think we will get one.

 

[ToughOmbre]

Churchill lost the English 'Empire' After WW2,down the tubes
Roosevelt was most likely one of the biggest traitors in American history
Stalin had to have been one of the biggest mass murderer's in history

They won the war and lost the peace.

One for three. You got the Stalin part right.

Roosevelt a traitor? Wrong Think I know what you're going to say. Don't even bring up the ridiculous "FDR knew the Japs were gonna attack Pearl Harbor" myth.

 

[drgondog]

One for three. You got the Stalin part right.

Roosevelt a traitor? Wrong Think I know what you're going to say. Don't even bring up the ridiculous "FDR knew the Japs were gonna attack Pearl Harbor" myth.

I gotta say it.

Even IF Roosevelt had the knowledge that Japan was going to strike and didn't warn Kimmel, it was probably the only way we get in the war and the world is a different place that I don't want to contemplate if we continued to sit on the sidelines for another year.

Even if I disagreed with many of his political inclinations, what he did to the Gold standard, etc - he should get large doses of credit for possibly preventing a major swing toward Socialism or even Communism during the Great Depression!

Perhaps the gentleman has a different definition of 'Traitor' that I don't understand?

 

[renrich]

Actually FDR IMHO precipitated a strong swing toward socialism during the Depression deterred somewhat by the Supreme Court but that hardly qualifies him as a traitor. Also some of his agreements with Stalin cost us dearly during the post war years but I believe his judgment was impaired somewhat by his illness at that time although I don't believe he ever regarded the USSR as much of a threat as Churchill did. FDR does not get credit for the Marshall Plan as he was deceased when the MP was initiated. To me Churchill is probably the greatest English speaking leader of all time with the possible exception of George Washington.

 

[Woods]

FDR had more communists in his adm. and did more than any other pres. to promote communism. He adored them. And again,we won the war and lost the peace. FDR and Churchill's war led to the enslavement of millions of Eastern Europeans (half of Europe)behind the 'iron curtain' in post war years. And YES...I beleive 100% that he knew of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Pure treason. Fdr had to bail Engand out. Lend lease was a farce.
What did winnie say? Give us the tools and we can finish the job?(something like that) Right.

"I think if I give Stalin everything I possibly can, and then ask for nothing in return,he won't try to annex anything and will work with me for world peace and democracy."-- FDR at Yalta

 

[ToughOmbre]

And YES...I beleive 100% that he knew of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Pure treason.

All right, lets hear it. How did he know?

TO

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I would like and explanation of how FDR was a communist.

I think for a President at war he did a damn good job.

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Better than Bushie?