Most Powerful Countries of World War II

This list is based on both axis and allied forces. Please add more if I missed something.
The Top Ten
Germany Germany was formally united in 1871 under the initiative of Bismarck with King Wilhelm of Prussia as emperor. The previous 'Holy Roman Empire', basically a continuation of the empire of Charlemagne/Karl der Grosse was dissolved in 1806... read more

The Germans made the first operational jet, the largest European battleship ever, the first ballistic missile, the first radio-controlled bomb, the Gustav and Dora guns, etc. The Germans were only defeated because of their terrible allies, the fact that they were basically against the world, and because Hitler made poor military and social mistakes, including the Holocaust, which wasted manpower and money.

When it comes down to it, Germany had better technology and training. The allies only had sheer numbers. The Germans took out the 5th largest military in 20 days (Poland) and killed well over triple their casualties. The Tiger tank took out 5 Sherman tanks for every Tiger. They probably had the top 3 tanks in the war. That is why I voted Germany for the top WWII country.

Soviet Union

Honestly, I think the U.S.S.R. should be number one because it defeated Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front while the West was still struggling.

The Soviet Union and China did all of the heavy lifting during WWII, and I'm sorry, but that's just true. Seventy percent of all Japanese casualties were caused by the Chinese, and seven out of every eleven German soldiers that died were killed by the Soviets. And Germany was not going to win even if they captured Moscow. Stalin would not let them take Moscow.

The production capabilities and the sheer manpower of the USSR were enough to beat the Germans. And the reason they were not going to surrender if Moscow was taken is that Stalin was going to put every single person in the USSR between him and the Germans, and the Germans were not going to win WWII even from the start. Hitler was experiencing manpower shortages as early as 1942 or 1943, this mainly being caused by the eastern front.

So I guess I'm just going to put my list here.

1. Soviet Union
2. United States
3. United Kingdom
4. Nazi Empire
5. Japan

Honorable Mentions: Canada, France, China, Italy, and the rest of the dominions of the British Empire

United States of America The United States of America, or the U.S.A. for short, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, 48 of them are contiguous states. There are two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, which are north and south of the contiguous states, respectively. The United States declared its independence from the... read more

Although the German Reich invented the first operational jet and defeated most countries it was up against, their problem was oil. The U.S. was the number one producer of oil. Since the Germans decided to fight a war of attrition, they were doomed. Germany could not win World War II.

As for the Soviets in the east, in 1941, the Soviets were disorganized and had terrible leadership after the Great Purge in the 30s. They particularly favored strength in quantity over quality. If the U.S. were to execute 'Operation Unthinkable,' the Soviets would certainly push the Allied powers to the Rhine, and possibly to the English Channel. The United States had the resources, the manpower, the industry, quality in equipment, and the allies. The U.S. would ultimately dominate the entire scene in World War II.

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia in the Pacific Ocean. It lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland (east of China, Korea, Russia) and stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and near Taiwan in the southwest... read more

Japan was one of the superpowers during the war. It had a very good fighting force even though lacking in numbers. They had very good training and discipline. They went through China very fast with a lot fewer troops. Their air force was okay but not that good. But what makes them so powerful is their navy. Their navy helped them take over much of Southeast Asia and was incredibly powerful with very well-made ships such as the Yamato.

The Japanese had 3 million men against the Chinese, and the Chinese had over 20 million. They took over Burma, Indonesia, New Guinea, most of the Pacific, most of the Chinese coast, threatened Australia, and even took some of Alaska. However, their naval fleet was no match for the Americans. Not to mention the nukes that ended their fighting chances.

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly shortened to United Kingdom, UK or Britain is a Sovereign State located of the Northwestern coast of Europe. It is a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy currently lead by Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and its current prime minister is... read more

The US did not win the war for us. Despite popular propaganda, most historians that aren't tainted by patriotism will tell you the US profited off war bonds. While their impact is far from small, it holds nothing against the 4 years of young British blood spilled fighting the Germans. We were by far the prominent force, with Russia wavering and France getting its ass kicked.

The war was set to be won. It was clear the population of Germany was beginning to revolt against Adolf Hitler. The US just allowed veterans of the UK army to be moved to the front line, allowing the war to be quickly finished in under half a year after that.

Italy Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana) is a sovereign state and unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe.

Italy covers an area of 301,338 km². With almost 62 million inhabitants, it is the third most populous EU member state. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares... read more

Great bully in African countries, weak in defending themselves or invading others.

Very weak, but had cool ships and planes.

Canada Canada is a country in North America that is next to the United States, and it's the 2nd largest country in the world by area (size is 9.985 million km²). This country has 10 provinces, and 3 territories. Canada became a dominion on July 1, 1867. Its 10 provinces are: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec,... read more

Canada had the fourth-largest navy and third-largest air force. It was the most mechanized force in the world. They protected the Atlantic without US help for a big part of the war. Their fighters protected Great Britain, and their troops invaded one of the five beaches of Normandy, invaded Italy, and liberated Belgium and the Netherlands.

Canada ended the war as the fourth largest in the world.

Canada's good in military matters. They have the best snipers in the world.

China China, officially known as the People's Republic of China, is a country located in East Asia. It is the world's second most populous country, boasting a population of more than 1.4 billion. China spans five geographical time zones and shares its borders with 14 countries, making it second only to Russia... read more

During the battle with Japan, China had pinned 90% of Japanese infantry, 50% of their air force, and 20% of the Japanese navy, with most of them being captured or eliminated! Despite a colossal number of casualties - 20 million, composed of mostly civilians and soldiers - the most populated country has never given up on fighting against the Japanese. With a large disparity between the production levels and quality of the weapons, on average, the death of three Chinese soldiers could exchange one death of a Japanese soldier. Massive respect!

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey... read more

They fought to defend their country from invaders (Axis). They might have lost when Germany helped Italy to take Greece, but they fought like heroes.

Greece... hmmm... ah yes. Greece held out. They demolished the Italians until Germany came along, but still, they were good. As a person above me or below me said, "Greeks don't fight like heroes, heroes fight like Greeks."

Greece fought off Italy until Germany happened.

India India, officially known as the Republic of India, is a country located in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the most populous country, with over 1.4 billion people. Additionally, it is the most populous democracy in the world... read more

Actually, India should be at number 4 because 80% of British troops were actually Indians. Indians also had unique tactics and tremendous strength. Had it not been for India, Britain might have lost the South Asian front.

India was a very powerful country even before and after the invasion of Britain. All of the funding for WW2 was coming from only India. Indians were a huge part of the British Army.

The Contenders
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north. With a population of approximately... read more

Poland's military was decent before the war. When Germany's invasion started, the Polish military was able to mobilize thousands of troops quickly. Poles fought hard, but they did not stand a chance against the superior German technology and then an invasion by the Soviets.

Notable for their refusal to roll over and die, they always fought the occupation, not the most powerful, but one of the most determined.

Poland held off invaders for hundreds of years until the Germans took them out in 20 days.

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation (RF), is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, covering over 17,125,191 square kilometres (6,612,073 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across... read more

Should be higher. Germany invaded Russia, but then Russia got its land back!

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and... read more
France France, officially the French Republic, is a sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European part of France, called metropolitan France, extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to... read more

France should be way and I mean WAY higher. At least 6th-8th since the French military was superior to the German but only fell due to an intelligence failure. The French military on paper was the strongest prior to the Battle of France.

France lost against the Germans, so it wasn't true - SIKE! They knew a surrender would come, predicted by De Gaulle, and took over a Vichy French colony. They helped with the invasion of Iraq and Syria (Free France), and the French Resistance exploded in 1944, fought in Operation Dragoon, took Southern Germany, helped in D-Day (Resistance), occupied Paris by itself, and helped with Germany. They were not No. 1 but No. 5 at least in my opinion.

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in southwestern Europe with parts of territory in the Atlantic Ocean and across the Mediterranean Sea. The largest part of Spain is situated on the Iberian Peninsula; its territory also includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands... read more

Franco is considered Spain's best leader. He had almost all of Spain's support. He also had German and Italian support, but even without these powers, he still had the power and support to unite Spain.

Powerful enough to mind their own country (civil war) during the bloodiest war happening around them.

Vatican City Vatican City, officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City, is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It is the smallest nation on Earth, and is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.

Vatican City, officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City, is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. They were never annexed by Italy.

Austria Austria was Celtic (Hallstadt) then as Noricum, part of the Roman Empire, Alaric, who took over Rome, studied at a monastery near Vienna. In the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Emperors moved to Vienna, then Austria became separate. Medieval documents from Eastern Europe as far as West Ukraine were often... read more
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi), Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and... read more

They are some of the only ones able to stop the Japanese from invading their mainland.

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a sovereign state located in the Horn of Africa.

This country was the only African country that successfully resisted colonial domination and maintained its independence. The Battle of Adwa speaks it all.

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao... read more

I love my country. Nationalism is in my heart and mind.

The Philippines is actually considered strong, as their nationalism is very strong.

Philippine patriots were strong in WWII. They cared about their country and they died for their country.

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers (3,300,000 sq mi) and with over 214 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous. Its capital is Brasília,... read more

Brazil is powerful in only one way: its population. This country could have built a powerful, extremely huge army in days.

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles northeast of New Zealand's North Island.
Yugoslavia A now-defunct country in Southeastern and Central Europe, Yugoslavia was established in 1918 and dissolved in 1992. Composed of several ethnic groups, the country faced significant political and social challenges, culminating in its breakup into several independent states. The capital was Belgrade,... read more

Yugoslavia's military was good, but political instability was their downfall.

It was one of the strongest countries in Europe.

Romania Romania is a sovereign state located in Southeastern Europe It borders the Black Sea, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, and Moldova. It has an area of 238,391 square kilometres and a temperate-continental climate. With over 19 million inhabitants, the country is the seventh-most-populous member state... read more

Romania shortened the war by 6 months by switching sides. That prevented Hitler from finishing the nuclear bomb.

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, is an enclaved microstate surrounded by Italy, situated on the Italian Peninsula on the northeastern side of the Apennine Mountains. San Marino covers a land area of just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi),... read more
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