Allied leaders of WW2; power and politics

"If the 'greatness' of a King can be measured by the extent to which his qualities correspond to the needs of a nation at a given moment in its history, then George VI was a great King, and perhaps a very great King". His wife was later famous as The Queen Mother.

"It was the inspiring leadership of John Curtin that pulled Australia successfully through World War Two. He united a country still suffering the divisions caused by the conscription referenda of World War One and the Depression. It was Curtin who argued with Churchill for the sending of Australia's forces back to New Guinea to fight off the Japanese thrust. This was to be until the United States could mobilise for the drive back to Japan. It was Curtin who battled unsuccessful with both Churchill and Roosevelt to have the Pacific war against the Japanese given the same priority as the European war against the Germans".

Churchill. . . The master statesman stood alone against fascism and renewed the world's faith in the superiority of democracy

"You couldn't shrug your shoulders at Douglas MacArthur," observes historian David McCullough. "There was nothing bland about him, nothing passive about him, nothing dull about him. There's no question about his patriotism, there's no question about his courage, and there's no question, it seems to me, about his importance as one of the protagonists of the 20th century."

Blamey was a general who attracted controversy but retained the confidence of prime ministers, who upheld Australia’s interests against British and American demands, and under whom the Australian Army was developed for the vital battles of the war in the Pacific. He was recalled from the Middle East by Prime Minister John Curtin to become Commander-in-Chief of the Australian army and led the Australian forces through the desperate and dark days of Japanese advances, to eventual victory in 1945. A close and mutually supportive relationship developed between Blamey and Curtin. Despite misgivings from some Labor MPs, Blamey retained Curtin’s confidence and was given a public reception upon his arrival in Australia at the Melbourne Town Hall at which time the prime minister promised that Blamey would enjoy unfettered control in his new command. In an acknowledgement of Blamey’s contribution to the war effort, Prime Minister John Curtin said: "History will give to General Blamey one of the highest places in the annals of this country for the service he has rendered to it."