Allies of World War II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allies of World War II United Nations
1939–1945
Allies and their colonies      Allies entering after the attack on Pearl Harbor      Axis powers and co-belligerents      Neutral powers and their colonies The "Big Four":  Soviet Union (from June 1941)  United States (from December 1941)  United Kingdom  China (since July 1937) Occupied countries with governments-in-exile: Ethiopia Free France Poland Yugoslavia Greece Netherlands Belgium Norway Czechoslovakia Luxembourg Other Allied combatant states:  India  Canada  Australia  New Zealand  South Africa  Philippines  Brazil  Mongolia  Mexico Former Axis powers or co-belligerents:  Italy (from September 1943)  Romania (from August 1944) Bulgaria (from September 1944)  Finland (from September 1944)
Status	Military alliance
Historical era	World War II
• Anglo-Polish alliance	31 Mar 1939
• Tehran Conference	Nov–Dec 1943
• Bretton Woods Conference	1–15 Jul 1944
• Yalta Conference	4–11 Feb 1945
• United Nations formed	Apr–Jun 1945
• Potsdam Conference	Jul–Aug 1945

The Allied Powers (or Allies of World War II) were a group of countries that worked together to fight against the Axis countries during World War II. They won the war, which ended in 1945. This group of nations later helped form the United Nations, an organization for world peace. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt first used the name "United Nations" for the Allies.

Who Were the Allies?

The Allies were a large group of countries. They joined forces to stop the Axis powers, mainly Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan. The main leaders of the Allies were sometimes called "The Big Three." These were the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union.

The Big Four

Before the war ended, four major Allied powers were recognized as the "Big Four." These were the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the Republic of China. China had been fighting against Japan since 1937, even before the main World War II began. The Soviet Union joined the Allies in June 1941, and the United States joined in December 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Countries That Joined the Allies

Many countries joined the Allied effort. Some were major powers, while others were smaller nations. They all played a part in defeating the Axis.

Here is a list of some of the countries that were part of the Allies:

Countries with Governments in Exile

Some countries were taken over by the Axis powers. However, their leaders and governments continued to fight from other countries. These were called "governments-in-exile." They included:

• Ethiopia
• Free France (French forces fighting from outside occupied France)
• Poland
• Yugoslavia
• Greece
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Norway
• Czechoslovakia
• Luxembourg

Countries That Switched Sides

A few countries, like Romania, Bulgaria, and Finland, were initially allied with the Axis powers. However, they later switched sides and fought with the Allies from 1944 until the war ended in 1945. Italy also switched sides in 1943.

Key Allied Meetings

Leaders of the Allied powers met several times during the war to plan their strategies. These meetings were very important for coordinating their efforts.

Tehran Conference (1943)

In November–December 1943, the leaders of the "Big Three" – Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union), Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States), and Winston Churchill (United Kingdom) – met in Tehran, Iran. They discussed how to open a second front against Germany in Europe.

Bretton Woods Conference (1944)

In July 1944, representatives from 44 Allied nations met in Bretton Woods, USA. This conference focused on creating a stable global economy after the war. They set up the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Yalta Conference (1945)

In February 1945, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill met again in Yalta, a city in Crimea. They made important decisions about how Europe would be organized after Germany's defeat. They also discussed the future of the United Nations.

Potsdam Conference (1945)

The final major Allied conference took place in Potsdam, Germany, in July–August 1945. By this time, Roosevelt had passed away, and Harry S. Truman was the U.S. President. Churchill was also replaced by Clement Attlee during the conference. They discussed the administration of defeated Germany and the end of the war with Japan.

Images for kids

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  The Allied leaders of the European theatre (left to right): Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meeting at the Tehran Conference in 1943

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  The Allied leaders of the Asian and Pacific Theater: Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill meeting at the Cairo Conference in 1943

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  Wartime poster for the United Nations, created in 1941 by the U.S. Office of War Information

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  Wartime poster for the United Nations, created in 1943 by the U.S. Office of War Information

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  British Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft (bottom) flying past a German Heinkel He 111 bomber aircraft (top) during the Battle of Britain in 1940

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  British Crusader tanks during the North African Campaign

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  British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal under attack from Italian aircraft during the Battle of Cape Spartivento (27 Nov 1940)

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  British soldiers of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Elst, Netherlands on 2 March 1945

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  Free French forces at the Battle of Bir Hakeim, 1942

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  FAFL Free French GC II/5 "LaFayette" receiving ex-USAAF Curtiss P-40 fighters at Casablanca, French Morocco

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  The French fleet scuttled itself rather than fall into the hands of the Axis after their invasion of Vichy France on 11 November 1942.

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  The fall of Damascus to the Allies, late June 1941. A car carrying Free French commanders General Georges Catroux and General Paul Louis Le Gentilhomme enters the city, escorted by French Circassian cavalry (Gardes Tcherkess).

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  Soviet soldiers and T-34 tanks advancing near Bryansk in 1942

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  Soviet soldiers fighting in the ruins of Stalingrad during the Battle of Stalingrad

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  Soviet Il-2 ground attack aircraft attacking German ground forces during the Battle of Kursk, 1943

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  U.S. Marines during the Guadalcanal Campaign in November 1942

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  American Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber aircraft during the bombing of oil refineries in Ploiești, Romania on 1 August 1943 during Operation Tidal Wave

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  U.S. soldiers departing landing craft during the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 known as D-Day

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  Philippine Scouts at Fort William McKinley firing a 37 mm anti-tank gun in training

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  Soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army associated with Nationalist China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War

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  Soldiers of the First Workers' and Peasants' Army associated with Communist China, during the Sino-Japanese War

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  Victorious Chinese Communist soldiers holding the flag of the Republic of China during the Hundred Regiments Offensive

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  Members of the Belgian Resistance with a Canadian soldier in Bruges, September 1944 during the Battle of the Scheldt

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  Norwegian soldiers on the Narvik front, May 1940

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  Pilots of the No. 303 "Kościuszko" Polish Fighter Squadron during the Battle of Britain

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  Polish partisan of the Home Army (AK), "Jędrusie" unit, holding a Browning wz.1928 light machine gun

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  Partisans and Chetniks escorting captured Germans through Užice, autumn 1941

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  Partisan leader Marshal Josip Broz Tito with Winston Churchill in 1944

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  Chetniks leader General Mihailovic with members of the U.S. military mission, Operation Halyard, 1944

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  Romanian soldiers in Transylvania, September–October 1944

See also

In Spanish: Aliados de la Segunda Guerra Mundial para niños