World History WWII

Multiple Choice

How did most German citizens feel about the Treaty of Versailles (1919)?

• They felt the treaty was fair since German leaders helped write it.

• They were angry and resented what they thought was an unfair treaty.

• They felt cheated because they wanted the monarchy to stay in power.

• They were thankful for the generosity of the treaty.

Multiple Choice

Why did Japan's Meiji restoration occur?

• The United States threatened Japan to force them to trade.

• Britain fought wars to sell opium in Japan

• The people of Japan revolted, executed the emperor.

• Japan was invaded by Korea.

Multiple Choice

Based on the motto: ""Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Armed Forces” which country would Japan be likely to create an alliance?

• Nazi Germany

• Great Britain

• The United States

• Communist USSR

Multiple Choice

China at this time:

• is ruled by the Qing dynasty.

• has overthrown its last emperor and adopted a Republic.

• is a communist country ruled by a dictator like the USSR.

• is a major world power, leading global trade.

The Road to War

The Axis Powers Emerge

• All seeking to expand their territories, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Shōwa Japan all sign a pact to form the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis or the Axis Powers.

• The three countries agree to not interfere with each other's territorial expansion and fight Soviet Communism.

Match

Match the following axis leaders to their countries.

• Hideki Tojo

• Adolf Hitler

• Benito Mussolini

Japan

Nazi Germany

Fascist Italy

• Japan

• Nazi Germany

• Fascist Italy

German Aggression

• Hitler sought to bring all German-speaking people into his Third Reich and increase their Lebensraum ("living space").

  • Despite opposition from the Austrian government, Germany invaded Austria to "preserve order" completing the Anschluß (joining).

  • Germany next turned to Czechoslovakia, demanding that the Germany-speaking people in the Sudetenland region 'be given autonomy' -- and were likewise invaded.

Multiple Choice

After Germany gained Austria (Anschluß) and part of Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland), Neville Chamberlain stated:

"I am sure that some day the Czechs will see that what we did was to save them for a happier future. And I sincerely believe that what we have at last opened the way to that general appeasement which alone can save the world from chaos."

Which of the following best describes the reasoning behind 'appeasement'?

• Chamberlain thought Britain should completely isolate themselves to prevent war.

• Chamberlain allowed Germany to make minor gains in hope of preventing a large-scale war.

• Chamberlain openly supported the goals of Adolf Hitler.

• Chamberlain wanted to encourage war with other countries.

From Appeasement to War

• While Chamberlain was praised for 'preventing war' with Germany, others -- like British Politician Winston Churchill -- saw the threat posed by Nazi Germany:

  • "Do not suppose that this the end. This is only the begining of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup..." (October 1938)

• The next year the Nazi-Soviet pact held that Germany and the USSR would not get involved in each other's wars.

  • A week later, German forces invaded Poland. Britain and France had no choice but to declare war, begining WWII.

Blitzkrieg

• The Nazi invasion of Poland revelead Germany's plans for blitzkrieg (lightening-war) -- using tank and air power to overwhelm their enemies.

  • The USSR invaded from the east.

  • Within a month Poland ceased to exist.

Expansion

• Using these tactics, Nazi Gemrnay quickly invaded much of continental Europe and Norway next spring (1940).

• After Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands in May, France surrendered by June, facing an invasion from Fascist Italy.

  • Germany occupied northern France while the south operated under a 'puppet regime' known as Vichy France.

Multiple Choice

Unlike Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister Winston Churchill:

• refused help from allied countries.

• sought to continue fighting at any cost.

• was more willing to negotiate.

• was more open to compromise.

The Nazis attack the USSR

• Having taken much of Europe and North Africa-- with only Britain and neutral countries the only left unscathed -- Hitler turned on Stalin.

  • Invading east was another component of the goal of lebensraum -- to gain the resources of Russia.

• Like Napoleon, however, Nazi forces were not prepared for Russia's harsh winters.

• While costing both armies massive losses, Nazi Germany failed to take key Russian cities.

Multiple Select

As this map shows, the US would later be allied with:

(TWO)

• Switzerland

• Great Britain

• Italy

• Turkey

• Soviet Union (USSR)

Multiple Choice

The President of the United States at the start of WWII was ______________, who had been President since 1932 (during the Great Depression)

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt

• Calvin Coolidge

• Woodrow Wilson

• William Howard Taft

• Theodore Roosevelt

Multiple Choice

Which best describes the purpose of this speech?

• To comfort the public during the war.

• To inform Americans about the war effort in Europe.

• To state the reasons the US was going to war with Japan.

• To encourage a peaceful settlement of conflicts with Japan.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is best represented by the graph shown here?

• Government spending was higher in World War I than in World War II.

• Government spending increased during World War II.

• Government spending increased during the New Deal but fell during World War II.

• Government spending was not significantly affected by the New Deal or World War II.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following arguments would most benefit from the information contained in this graph?

• The second World War expanded opportunities for women in the workplace.

• Policymakers opposed women working in dangerous manufacturing jobs during World War Two.

• Women had a mortality rate equal to men fighting in World War Two.

• Women generally opposed changing norms that resulted from World War Two.

North Africa & Italy

• Allied forces trapped Nazi forces in North Africa, leading to their surrender there in 1943.

• From there, Allied forces invaded Italy.

  • Mussolini was overthrown and a provisional government signed an armistice but fighitng did not stop -- Nazi forces continued the war effort in Italy.

  • Mussolini was later captured and executed by Italian Communists.

D-Day

• To break a second front in the war effort, Allied forces decided to invade through France.

• In the largest marine invasion in human history ~160,000 Allied troops (87,000 British & Canadian; 73,000 American) led by Dwight D. Eisenhower crossed the English Channel in Normandy, France.

Liberating Europe

• Allied forces took many months to advance into Nazi-occupied Europe.

• By 1945, Germany could no longer defend itself against allied air-raids -- millions of Germans were displaced by bombings, at least 350,000 were killed.

• As the end of the war seemed eminent, allied leaders met at the Yalta Conference to create a post-war plan.

V-E Day

• As the Soviets approached Berlin, Hitler committed suicide with his wife in a bunker in late April 1945.

• On May 7th, Germany surrendered.

• The next day, May 8th was proclaimed V-E Day -- Victory in Europe day.

  • The War in the Pacific, however, continued.

Dropdown

The

Select answer

was the decisive factor which caused the United States to enter World War II.

Dropdown

The battle of ​

Select answer

was the deadliest battle of World War II. The USSR lost more lives in this single battle than the United States lost in World War I and World War II.

Match

Match the following people to their role in the allied war effort.

• Dwight D. Eisenhower

• Joseph Stalin

• Winston Churchill

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Commanded Allied forces in D-Day

Leader of USSR

Prime Minister of Great Britain

President of the United States

• Commanded Allied forces in D-Day

• Leader of USSR

• Prime Minister of Great Britain

• President of the United States

Ending the War in the Pacific

• With fierce resistence from Japan ongoing, the United States made the decision to use a weapon it had secretly developed -- the atomic bomb.

• In August 1945, the United States bombed the cities of Hiroshima and (two days later) Nagasaki with atomic bombs, killing over 100,000 instantly.

• Nonetheless, it was unclear if Japan would surrender.

V-J Day

• In an action unheard of for a Japanese Emperor, Hirohito forced his government to surrender.

• Japan officially surrendered on September 2nd 1945, ending the world's largest and deadliest war.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following claims is NOT supported by this graph?

• The USSR (Soviet Union) had the highest number of casualties.

• China did not have a major role in World War II.

• The United States suffered more casualties than France.

• Poland suffered more casualties than Japan.