In Britain during WW2, Churchill's approval rating always remained sky-high. While there was widespread solidarity during the worst of the Blitz, when Britain was no longer under threat of invasion, some of the old habits of the British class system returned. Hence, the longer the war dragged on, the more the polls indicated more support for Labour. But Churchill simply assumed he could use his wartime popularity to coast his way to victory in the first post-war election, and found out that wasn't the case. People are able to grasp nuances that could allow democracy to continue even during a total war.
Someone should have recorded Stalin's reaction upon learning that Churchill was going to have to go home early from Potsdam due to his party losing.
