<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> 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), Benito Mussolini (Italy) and Emperor Hirohito (Japan), acted as supreme military commanders as well as dictators for their respective countries or empires . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Armed Force </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Name </Th> <Th> Highest Rank </Th> <Th> Highest Award </Th> <Th> Fate </Th> <Th> Casualties inflicted </Th> <Th> Theatres / Battles </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Army </Td> <Td> Alan Brooke </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Field Marshal </Td> <Td> Knight of the Garter . </Td> <Td> Served as CIGS . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Chief of the Imperial General Staff </Li> <Li> Battle of the Ypres - Comines Canal </Li> <Li> Operation Ariel </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> Commanded the II corps of the British Expeditionary Force at the Battle of France . Later served as the Chief of the Imperial General Staff . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bernard Montgomery </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Field Marshal </Td> <Td> Knight of the Garter . </Td> <Td> Served as CIGS, and deputy leader of NATO . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Western Desert Campaign </Li> <Li> Battle of Alam el Halfa </Li> <Li> Second Battle of El Alamein </Li> <Li> Battle of El Agheila </Li> <Li> Tunisia Campaign </Li> <Li> Battle of Medenine </Li> <Li> Operation Pugilist </Li> <Li> Battle of Wadi Akarit </Li> <Li> Operation Husky </Li> <Li> Operation Avalanche </Li> <Li> Western Front (World War II) </Li> <Li> Operation Overlord </Li> <Li> Battle for Caen </Li> <Li> Operation Epsom </Li> <Li> Operation Goodwood </Li> <Li> Operation Cobra </Li> <Li> Falaise pocket </Li> <Li> Operation Market Garden </Li> <Li> Battle of the Bulge </Li> <Li> Western Allied invasion of Germany </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> 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 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Harold Alexander </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Field Marshal </Td> <Td> Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath </Td> <Td> Governor General of Canada . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Battle of Dunkirk </Li> <Li> Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre </Li> <Li> Adriatic Campaign of World War II </Li> <Li> North African Campaign </Li> <Li> Battle of Tunisia </Li> <Li> Italian Campaign (World War II) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> 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 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Archibald Wavell </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Field Marshal </Td> <Td> Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath </Td> <Td> Viceroy of India, returned to England in 1947 and became High Steward of Colchester . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre </Li> <Li> Adriatic Campaign of World War II </Li> <Li> North African campaign </Li> <Li> East African Campaign </Li> <Li> Anglo - Iraqi War </Li> <Li> Syria--Lebanon Campaign </Li> <Li> Burma Campaign 1942--43 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> 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 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Viscount Gort </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Field Marshal </Td> <Td> Holder of the Victoria Cross . </Td> <Td> Died in 1946 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Western Front (World War II) </Li> <Li> Battle of France </Li> <Li> Battle of Dunkirk </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> 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 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Claude Auchinleck </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> Order of the Bath </Td> <Td> Commander - in - Chief, India </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II </Li> <Li> Adriatic Campaign of World War II </Li> <Li> North African Campaign </Li> <Li> Anglo - Iraqi War </Li> <Li> Operation Crusader </Li> <Li> Battle of Gazala </Li> <Li> First Battle of El Alamein </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> 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 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Air Force </Td> <Td> Charles Portal </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Marshal of the Royal Air Force </Td> <Td> Knight of the Garter </Td> <Td> Chairman of British Aircraft Corporation . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Chief of Air Staff </Li> <Li> Adlertag </Li> <Li> Strategic bombing during World War II </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> 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 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Arthur Harris </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Air Chief Marshal </Td> <Td> Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath </Td> <Td> Manager of the South African Marine Corporation </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Strategic bombing during World War II </Li> <Li> Combined Bomber Offensive </Li> <Li> Pointblank directive </Li> <Li> Battle of the Ruhr </Li> <Li> Bombing of Kassel in World War II </Li> <Li> Battle of Berlin (RAF campaign) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> Assisted Charles Portal in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Hugh Dowding </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Air Chief Marshal </Td> <Td> Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath </Td> <Td> 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 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Battle of Britain </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> Leader in World War I of an RFC Squadron . Commander of the Battle of Britain . Deservedly credited with saving Britain from defeat . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Navy </Td> <Td> Andrew Cunningham </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Admiral of the Fleet </Td> <Td> Knight of the Thistle </Td> <Td> Served as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland . Died in June 1963, buried at sea off Portsmouth . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> French West Africa in World War II </Li> <Li> Battle of the Mediterranean </Li> <Li> Battle of Calabria </Li> <Li> Battle of Taranto </Li> <Li> Battle of Cape Matapan </Li> <Li> Siege of Malta (World War II) </Li> <Li> Operation Torch </Li> <Li> Operation Retribution (1943) </Li> <Li> Operation Husky </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> First Sea Lord 1943 - 1946 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Louis Mountbatten </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Admiral of the Fleet </Td> <Td> Knight of the Garter </Td> <Td> Viceroy of India until 1947 . First Sea Lord from 1954 to 1957 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Battle of Dieppe </Li> <Li> South - East Asian theatre of World War II </Li> <Li> Burma Campaign </Li> <Li> Operation Tiderace </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> Supreme Allied Commander of SEAC . Under him were such famous generals as William Slim and Joseph Stilwell . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sir Alfred Pound </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Admiral of the Fleet </Td> <Td> Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath </Td> <Td> Died of illness, October 1943 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Battle of the Atlantic </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="7"> First Sea Lord 1939 - 1943 . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who was the leader of italy during the second world war