<Ul> <Li> Neville Chamberlain , who had formerly led a policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany , was Prime Minister during the first stages of the war , taking office in 1937 and resigning on 10 May 1940 after the failed Norwegian campaign . Chamberlain , who remained Conservative Party leader , then became Lord President of the Council . He died of cancer on 9 November 1940 , half a year after resigning . </Li> <Li> Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during most of the war , from 1940 to 1945 . An early opponent of Hitler , he opposed appeasement of Germany . He was First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of war , then came into power at the start of the Nazi invasion of France . During the Battle of Britain , Churchill 's speeches boosted the British morale during the darkest moments . </Li> <Li> Clement Attlee was the Labour Party leader during the war , and was generally responsible for domestic politics throughout the war as a member of Churchill 's War Cabinet . He served as Deputy Prime Minister under Churchill . After the end of the war in Europe , he was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following his party 's victory in the 1945 general elections and served from 1945 to 1951 . He attended the second half of the Potsdam Conference and announced the Defeat of Japan . </Li> <Li> Dudley Pound was First Sea Lord and as such the professional head of the Royal Navy from June 1939 to September 1943 , shortly before his death . He chaired the Chiefs of Staff Committee , which was responsible to Winston Churchill for the British military 's conduct of the war , until March 1942 . </Li> <Li> Alan Brooke was Chief of the Imperial General Staff ( head of Britain 's army ) from December 1941 and from March 1942 also chaired the British Chiefs of Staff Committee . He held the posts until the war 's end and was as such Churchill 's foremost military advisor . He was promoted Field Marshal in January 1944 . </Li> <Li> Andrew Cunningham succeeded Dudley Pound as First Sea Lord and naval member of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee in 1943 . He remained in the post for the rest of the war . </Li> <Li> James Somerville was commander - in - chief of the Eastern Fleet who was defeated by the Japanese in the Indian Ocean raid and commanded them at the Battle of Cape Spartivento . </Li> <Li> Charles Portal in October 1940 succeeded Cyril Newall as Chief of the Air Staff , the head of the Royal Air Force , and member of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee . He continued in this role for the rest of the war . He was promoted Marshal of the Royal Air Force in June 1944 . </Li> <Li> Harold Alexander , 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis at the end of the War was a Field Marshal and Commander - in - Chief of AFHQ responsible for the direction of Allied troops in the Mediterranean theatre . Previously he had commanded 15th Army Group which conducted the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Italian Campaign . Prior to this he commanded 18th Army Group which directed the Allied forces during the culmination of the Tunisia Campaign leading to the surrender of Axis forces in North Africa . Before that was Commander - in Chief British Middle East Command , overseeing Montgomery 's Eighth Army successful campaign to defeat the Axis forces in the Western Desert Campaign . </Li> <Li> Viscount Gort relinquished the role of Chief of the Imperial General Staff on the outbreak of war to command the British Expeditionary Force in France from 1939 to 1940 . He later served in a variety of less prominent posts , including Governor of Gibraltar and of Malta . </Li> <Li> Bernard Montgomery , 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein was a General ( later Field Marshal ) who led the Allied forces in North Africa . Under his command the Allies were able to defeat the Afrika Korps and their Italian allies . He later commanded the 21st Army Group and all Allied ground forces during Operation Overlord . He was also the primary mind behind the failed Operation Market Garden . He accepted the surrender of German forces on the 4 May 1945 . </Li> <Li> Hugh Dowding , 1st Baron Dowding was an Air Chief Marshal who commanded RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain . He ended the sacrifice of aircraft and pilots in the attempt to aid troops during the Battle of France , which was
<Ul> <Li> Neville Chamberlain , who had formerly led a policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany , was Prime Minister during the first stages of the war , taking office in 1937 and resigning on 10 May 1940 after the failed Norwegian campaign . Chamberlain , who remained Conservative Party leader , then became Lord President of the Council . He died of cancer on 9 November 1940 , half a year after resigning . </Li> <Li> Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during most of the war , from 1940 to 1945 . An early opponent of Hitler , he opposed appeasement of Germany . He was First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of war , then came into power at the start of the Nazi invasion of France . During the Battle of Britain , Churchill 's speeches boosted the British morale during the darkest moments . </Li> <Li> Clement Attlee was the Labour Party leader during the war , and was generally responsible for domestic politics throughout the war as a member of Churchill 's War Cabinet . He served as Deputy Prime Minister under Churchill . After the end of the war in Europe , he was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following his party 's victory in the 1945 general elections and served from 1945 to 1951 . He attended the second half of the Potsdam Conference and announced the Defeat of Japan . </Li> <Li> Dudley Pound was First Sea Lord and as such the professional head of the Royal Navy from June 1939 to September 1943 , shortly before his death . He chaired the Chiefs of Staff Committee , which was responsible to Winston Churchill for the British military 's conduct of the war , until March 1942 . </Li> <Li> Alan Brooke was Chief of the Imperial General Staff ( head of Britain 's army ) from December 1941 and from March 1942 also chaired the British Chiefs of Staff Committee . He held the posts until the war 's end and was as such Churchill 's foremost military advisor . He was promoted Field Marshal in January 1944 . </Li> <Li> Andrew Cunningham succeeded Dudley Pound as First Sea Lord and naval member of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee in 1943 . He remained in the post for the rest of the war . </Li> <Li> James Somerville was commander - in - chief of the Eastern Fleet who was defeated by the Japanese in the Indian Ocean raid and commanded them at the Battle of Cape Spartivento . </Li> <Li> Charles Portal in October 1940 succeeded Cyril Newall as Chief of the Air Staff , the head of the Royal Air Force , and member of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee . He continued in this role for the rest of the war . He was promoted Marshal of the Royal Air Force in June 1944 . </Li> <Li> Harold Alexander , 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis at the end of the War was a Field Marshal and Commander - in - Chief of AFHQ responsible for the direction of Allied troops in the Mediterranean theatre . Previously he had commanded 15th Army Group which conducted the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Italian Campaign . Prior to this he commanded 18th Army Group which directed the Allied forces during the culmination of the Tunisia Campaign leading to the surrender of Axis forces in North Africa . Before that was Commander - in Chief British Middle East Command , overseeing Montgomery 's Eighth Army successful campaign to defeat the Axis forces in the Western Desert Campaign . </Li> <Li> Viscount Gort relinquished the role of Chief of the Imperial General Staff on the outbreak of war to command the British Expeditionary Force in France from 1939 to 1940 . He later served in a variety of less prominent posts , including Governor of Gibraltar and of Malta . </Li> <Li> Bernard Montgomery , 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein was a General ( later Field Marshal ) who led the Allied forces in North Africa . Under his command the Allies were able to defeat the Afrika Korps and their Italian allies . He later commanded the 21st Army Group and all Allied ground forces during Operation Overlord . He was also the primary mind behind the failed Operation Market Garden . He accepted the surrender of German forces on the 4 May 1945 . </Li> <Li> Hugh Dowding , 1st Baron Dowding was an Air Chief Marshal who commanded RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain . He ended the sacrifice of aircraft and pilots in the attempt to aid troops during the Battle of France , which was
who was the leader of great britain during wwii
who was the leader of great britain during wwii
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill