World War II was a global war that affected many different countries, invoking treaties that required countries to come to the aid of their allies. These different sides became know as the Allies and the Axis. While it is not the purpose of this course to introduce you to each country that played even a small role in this war it is our intention to cover the major countries involved. For the Allies these countries would be the United States of America, The British Empire (including it's many territories), Australia (part of the British Empire but critical in the Pacific campaign), the French, the Soviet Union and China. The Axis comprised of mainly three large or powerful countries and many smaller countries as well. The main countries that comprised the Axis were Germany, Italy and Japan. The battles of World War II in the begining mainly were focused on Europe and Northern Africa and after they were defeated the Allies would concentrate their vast military resources in the Pacific Campaign. This lesson is designed to give you an overview of the countries involved and the leaders who made the decisions. There were many charismatic leaders who had a huge influence on the war and how it would progress. By understanding the leaders you will understand how they influenced and shaped the events of World War II.