Despite their vast differences and initial mutual distrust, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin forged an unlikely alliance during World War II. Stalin's leadership and his country's vast resources proved invaluable to the Allied victory, as the Soviet Union endured the brunt of the German onslaught on the Eastern Front. While their wartime partnership eventually fell apart, Stalin's role in defeating Nazi Germany secured his place as an unlikely hero in the eyes of many Britons.
