Quiz: How Well Do You Know the Leaders of WWII?

Hitler's rise to power was the more surprising because he'd already been imprisoned for a failed coup in 1923. But the tide of German political sentiment changed over the intervening ten years.

Chamberlain was advocating an appeasement policy until Germany invaded Poland, at which point his hand was forced. He had previously stated publicly that England would not tolerate such an invasion.

Churchill took over for Neville Chamberlain, who resigned because he felt labour politicians could not follow a staunch conservative, even in wartime. Churchill is widely admired for shepherding Britain through some of its darkest days.

History has not looked favorably on Stalin. True, his alliance with the capitalist West against the Nazis essentially assured the Allied victory, but he was also a brutal dictator whose policies worsened a postwar famine and allowed millions of deaths.

Stalin was born in a small town called Gori, to parents of modest means. He spoke Georgian, which is still a thriving language in the former Soviet republic.

Mussolini was the prime minister of Italy before he simply took over as a fascist dictator. He brought Italy into the war in June 1940, in support of Nazi Germany.

Erwin Rommel was part of the North African campaign in WWII. The campaign down there was the responsibility of Italian forces, but Rommel, newly promoted to general, provided extensive support.

Churchill made several stirring addresses to Parliament during the war. His "beaches" speech was made just before the battle of Britain.

Japan also had a prime minister, but this does not mean that Hirohito's role was a merely ceremonial one. Postwar debates about Hirohito's role in the war, both in Japan and the West, have largely concluded that he was an active participant in wartime decision-making.

Roosevelt came from a wealthy, well-connected family. Perhaps surprisingly, he was unusually sympathetic to the poor and working-class, creating the "New Deal", including social programs that Americans rely on to this day.

Bradley's name isn't as well-known as Patton or MacArthur, but should be. Never again have so many troops served under a single commander as when Bradley headed the Western Front -- about 1.3 million were under his command.

Roosevelt signed an executive order relocating Japanese residents who were not yet citizens, or those with dual Japanese-American citizenship. Often, they lost property and businesses in the move -- a difficult setback for immigrants making a life in a new country.

Under Stalin's direction, hundreds of thousands of "enemies of the working class" were killed in the late 1930s, and many more exiled from Russia or imprisoned in gulags. This made Stalin a very strange bedfellow with FDR and Churchill, and indeed, the Western-Soviet alliance didn't last long after the war ended.

Tojo was descended from the samurai caste. Historians suggest that the samurai code of bushido informed Tojo's sense of discipline and national pride.

All the men listed were geniuses in scientific fields, and Einstein and von Braun were even physicists, like Oppenheimer. But it was Oppenheimer who went to Los Alamos to head up the bomb project, which the Pentagon feared the Nazis might also be working on.

One interesting sidenote about WWII leaders is how many of them overcame some kind of disability or ailment to become historical figures. These include speech impediments, polio, and in Eisenhower's case, an infection which nearly cost him his leg. Against medical advice, Eisenhower refused amputation and, fortunately, recovered.

Eisenhower, a moderate conservative, was twice elected president of the United States. One of his signature achievements was America's Interstate Highway system. (And yes, "Steve Rogers" is Captain America and therefore not real -- we're just keeping you on your toes!)

MacArthur was known for his corncob pipe and his crusty leadership style. Reportedly, Pentagon brass asked him to amend his statement about the Japanese-held Philippine islands to "We shall return," but MacArthur refused to do so.

The Korean war was technically a United Nations "police" action. MacArthur was therefore the UN commander; however, he was in charge of troops that were overwhelmingly either American or South Korean.

Churchill didn't coin the term "black dog" for depression, but he used it as a sort of code word in communications with friends. Back then, it was harder for men (and probably women too) to discuss depression outright; there was a "pull up your socks and cope" ethic.

Patton was so adept at the sport that he was a pentathlete at the 1912 Olympics (fencing is one of the five sports that make up pentathlon). He also designed a new cavalry saber for the Army, known as the "Patton sword."

Schindler was a businessman who hired Jews to work in his enamelware factory, and later a munitions factory. He was the subject of the Steven Spielberg film, "Schindler's List."

Of course, it's unlikely that the average Japanese person believed the emperor was literally the incarnation of a divinity. But this remained part of Japanese rhetoric about the royal family in the mid-20th century. Specifically, they were said to be descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Frank Capra was Italian-born (as Francesco Rosario Capra). But he amply proved his devotion to the United States with the seven "Why We Fight" films, meant to inspire U.S. soldiers. Walter Huston, incidentally, was the actor who narrated the films.

Truman succeeded Roosevelt upon Roosevelt's death, and remarked that his succession felt like "a load of hay" fell on him. He was the commander-in-chief who authorized the use of the atomic bomb on civilians at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a decision that remains controversial to this day.

You might have learned about King George's speech impediment from the movie "The King's Speech," in which Colin Firth played the monarch. Winston Churchill, meanwhile, had a lisp -- not a stutter, as is sometimes erroneously said.

Edward VIII could not marry a divorced woman and stay king. He gave up the throne to be with his American bride (and maybe to escape the pressures of kingship; who knows?)

Roosevelt contracted the disease at 39 years old and was paralyzed from the waist down. He used crutches at times, and avoided being photographed while in a wheelchair.

Roosevelt made the speech the day after the surprise attack, to the U.S. Congress, which is the branch of the government that must declare war. Congress did so that same day.

Elizabeth II became queen after her father died in 1952. She shares her name with England's most famous queen, Elizabeth I, who ruled in the days of Shakespeare and never shared power with a husband.

Hitler's propaganda machine had built up Rommel to be a hero; for this reason he was given the opportunity to privately take a cyanide pill. Afterward, the false news was spread that he'd died in a shooting attack on his car.

Claus von Stauffenberg carried a bomb in a briefcase into a bunker meeting with Hitler and other military leaders. Unfortunately, an aide moved it away from Hitler so that Hitler could walk around freely while addressing his subordinates.

Though she is commonly referred to as Hitler's "lover," they did marry -- but just days before killing themselves to avoid capture by Allied forces.

While Tojo was executed, Hirohito emerged largely unscathed from the war. He was seen as an important potential ally to the West as the Cold War heated up, an ally that would be useful in keeping the entire Far East from falling to communism.

Mussolini was killed by leftists and hung upside down in a service station, as a warning to remaining supporters of fascism. His mistress, Clara Petacci, was killed and displayed with him.

Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage before finishing his fourth term. His declining health was kept from the public during his re-election campaign, which is ethically questionable, but FDR is such a beloved figure that this has not been a blot on his presidency.