World War II: Battles and Events

Based on the photograph and your knowledge of U.S. history, how did battles such as Okinawa influence U.S. strategy in World War II?

• The United States chose to drop the atomic bomb rather than invade Japan to end the war.

• The United States chose to focus on winning the war against Germany before winning the war against Japan.

• The United States chose to allow forces of the Soviet Union to invade Japan in order to reduce casualties.

• The United States chose to intern some of its citizens in the hope that Japan would surrender.

Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows. Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. . . . —President Franklin D. Roosevelt, address to Congress, December 8, 1941 Which statement correctly summarizes the reason for this speech?

• Axis violations of international law caused the United States to hold criminal trials.

• German expansion in Western Europe caused the United States to assist France.

• Japanese aggression in the Pacific caused the United States to declare war.

• Allied defeats on the battlefield caused the United States to develop new weapons.

Which situation influenced Harry S. Truman’s decision to use atomic weapons against Japan?

• The U.S. military’s island-hopping campaign against Japan was unsuccessful, and U.S. public opinion was turning against the war.

• Strong resistance by the Japanese showed that an invasion of Japan would result in a large number of U.S. casualties.

• Many U.S. navy ships were destroyed during battles in the Pacific, and the Allies were not ready to send reinforcements.

• The U.S. military needed to move supplies from the Pacific to help with fighting in Europe.

This diagram indicates that during World War II the federal government —

• provided technological training for soldiers on the battlefield

• developed a new weapon designed to gain a strategic advantage over enemies

• instituted a disaster-preparedness program for the civilian population

• nationalized industries considered essential to national security

Which event prompted the United States to enter World War II?

• The German annexation of Austria

• The Soviet occupation of Germany

• The landing of Allied soldiers on Normandy Beach

• The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

What was the PRIMARY objective of the actions represented in this 1945 cartoon?

• To stop Japan from cutting off supply lines into China

• To prevent Japan from invading China for natural resources

• To force Japan to accept terms of unconditional surrender

• To punish Japan for its treatment of soldiers at Bataan

Read the list and answer the question that follows. • Japan invades Korea and China. • Germany invades Poland. • Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. Which title correctly replaces the question mark?

• Events That Encouraged the United States to Join NATO

• Events That Inspired U.S. Nationalism during World War I

• Events That Contributed to U.S. Rejection of the League of Nations

• Events That Led to U.S. Involvement in World War II

What was the main effect of the event reported in this headline?

• The Soviet Union invaded Japan to gain access to natural resources.

• The United States initiated the Marshall Plan to help with the rebuilding of Japan.

• Germany surrendered to the Allies and promised to help in the fight against Japan.

• World War II ended with Japan surrendering to the Allies.

In this excerpt, General Eisenhower is describing his reaction to —

• the Bataan Death March

• Nazi concentration camps

• Japanese American internment camps

• the bombing of Hiroshima

Which technological advancement was developed in installations near these cities during World War II?

• Long-range submarines

• Radio navigation

• Atomic bombs

• Jet engines