World War 2 lasted from 1939 to 1945. In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland using their Blitzkrieg tactic, starting the war. The major Allied powers were the US, USSR, Britain, and France, while the major Axis powers were Germany, Japan, and Italy. Adolf Hitler was the dictator and leader of Nazi Germany, while Benito Mussolini led Fascist Italy and Hirohito was the emperor of Imperial Japan. The war included many famous battles and weapons, and culminated with the D-Day Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 led by Allied generals including Eisenhower and Montgomery against Axis generals such as Rommel.