Which British Prime Minister led the United Kingdom through most of World War II?

Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister who led the United Kingdom through most of World War II. He became prime minister on May 10, 1940, as Nazi Germany invaded Western Europe, and remained in office until the war ended in Europe in 1945.

Churchill formed a coalition government that included members of his Conservative Party, the Labour Party, and other political groups. He became famous for speeches that helped sustain British morale during the Blitz, the evacuation from Dunkirk, and the long struggle against Germany. He worked closely with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin as the Allies coordinated their war effort.

Neville Chamberlain was prime minister when Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939, but he resigned in 1940. Clement Attlee served in Churchill’s wartime cabinet and later replaced him after Labour won the 1945 election. Churchill returned as prime minister from 1951 to 1955.