axis powers library

 

People, such as Erwin Rommel and Erich Raeder, were involved in the fight for Nazi dominance during World War II. Their biographies and the biographies of other people associated with the Axis are presented in this section.

Featured Article:  Are there Nazi war criminals still at large?

A few Nazi leaders escaped justice after World War II. Who are they, and how are people trying to bring them to justice more than 50 years later? See more »

5 Hitler Videos

5 Hitler Videos

Adolf Hitler was dictator of Germany and leader of the Axis forces during World War II. How did he achieve such power?

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Are there Nazi war criminals still at large?

Are there Nazi war criminals still at large?

A few Nazi leaders escaped justice after World War II. Who are they, and how are people trying to bring them to justice more than 50 years later?

See more »
Joseph Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels

Goebbels, Joseph Paul (1897–1945), a German Nazi propagandist. As minister of propaganda in Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, 1933–45, he not only used the press, radio, and other forms of communication to serve the Nazi regime, but also molded German cultural life to that end.

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Adolf Eichmann

Eichmann, Adolf (1906–1962), a German Nazi official. He joined the Nazi party and the SS (party police) in 1932, and was assigned to Jewish affairs in 1934.

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Albert Kesselring

Kesselring Albert (1887–1960), a German army officer. He joined the army in 1904 and was an aviator during World War I, becoming a friend of Hermann Göring.

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Alfred G. Jodl

Jodl, Alfred Gustav (1892?–1946), a German army officer. Jodl was chief of staff of the high command of the armed forces, 1938–45, rising to the rank of colonel general.

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Alfred Rosenberg

Rosenberg, Alfred (1893–1946), a German Nazi leader. As an official spokesman for Nazism, Rosenberg taught that there was a German “race,” superior to others, and that “inferior” races, particularly the Jews, were responsible for Germany's ills.

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Erich Raeder

Raeder, Erich (1876–1960), a German naval officer. As head of the German naval command, 1928–35, he rebuilt the German navy, in violation of the Versailles Treaty of 1919.

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Erwin Rommel

Rommel, Erwin (1891–1944), a German army officer. An expert in tank warfare, he was called “The Desert Fox” for his genius in directing German troops in North Africa during World War II.

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Gunther von Kluge

Kluge, Gunther von (1882–1944), a German army officer. He participated in the Polish and French campaigns early in World War II and commanded the drive on Moscow in 1941.

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Heinrich A. H. W. Von Brauchitsch

BrauchitschHeinrich Alfred Hermann Walther von (1881–1948), a German army officer.

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Heinrich Himmler

Himmler, Heinrich (1900–1945), a German Nazi leader. As head of the Nazi concentration camp system, he was largely responsible for the deaths of vast numbers of persons.

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Heinz Guderian

Guderian, Heinz (1888–1954), a German army officer. An expert on tank strategy, Guderian was given command of all German panzer (armored) units in 1938.

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Hermann W. Goering

Goering, or Göring, Hermann Wilhelm (1893–1946), a German air force officer and Nazi leader.

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Hirohito

Hirohito (1901–1989), emperor of Japan, 1926–89. His Japanese title, Tenno, means “heavenly sovereign”; the name of his reign, Showa, means “light and peace.” During Hirohito's reign, Japan came under military rule, entered World War II, and suffered defeat—and then developed into a democracy and became one of the most prosperous nations in the world.

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Isoroku Yamamoto

Yamamoto Isoroku, (1884–1943), the Japanese admiral who led the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941, starting war with the United States.

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Joachim Von Ribbentrop

Ribbentrop, Joachim von (1893–1946), a German Nazi diplomat. Ribbentrop was ambassador to Great Britain, 1936–38, and foreign minister, 1938–45.

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Karl Doenitz

Doenitz, Karl (1891–1980), a German naval officer. He was a submarine expert who became commander in chief of the German navy in 1943.

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Karl R. G. von Rundstedt

Rundstedt, Karl Rudolf Gerd von (1875–1953), a German army officer. Rundstedt was a member of an aristocratic Prussian family and the son of a general.

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Kurusu Saburo

Kurusu Saburo (1888–1954), a Japanese diplomat. He was on a special peace mission to the United States when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

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