wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

WWII practice test

Total questions: 33

Worksheet time: 17mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which TWO goals did the US government hope to accomplish by rationing goods during World War II?

a)

to create jobs for American workers

b)

to help European businesses grow

c)

to provide soldiers with necessary food

d)

to build enough weapons to win the war

2.

Which TWO of the following are examples of things that were rationed by the US government during World War II?

a)

gas

b)

beds

c)

food

d)

books

3.

If President Harry Truman decided against using atomic weapons, World War II MOST LIKELY would not have ended until........

a)

the Soviet Union switched sides during the war.

b)

the Allies invaded the Japanese home islands.

c)

the Allies took control of the German capital.

d)

the Soviet Union declared war on Japan.

4.

The German invasion of which nation caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany?

a)

Austria

b)

Belgium

c)

Czechoslovakia

d)

Poland

5.

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during World War II?

a)

Vladimir Lenin

b)

Karl Marx

c)

Joseph Stalin

d)

Leon Trotsky

6.

Who was prime minister of the United Kingdom during most of World War II?

a)

Neville Chamberlain

b)

Winston Churchill

c)

George Patton

d)

Joseph Stalin

7.

Which of the following is an international organization created to maintain peace in the aftermath of World War II?

a)

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

b)

the International Criminal Court

c)

the European Union

d)

the United Nations

8.

Why were posters like this produced during World War II?

a)

to encourage women to join community defense organizations in case of invasion

b)

to encourage women to work in defense industries in order to support the war effort

c)

to encourage women to serve in government and replace men drafted into the military

d)

to encourage women to join the military and support their country by fighting overseas

9.

Who was president of the United States during the majority of World War II?

a)

Herbert Hoover

b)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

c)

Harry Truman

d)

Woodrow Wilson

10.

Who was chancellor of Germany during World War II?

a)

Joseph Goebbels

b)

Hermann Göring

c)

Adolf Hitler

d)

Erwin Rommel

11.

Read the quotation from President Harry Truman. Then answer the question that follows.


"Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war . . ."


Based on this quotation, what was President Truman's motivation for dropping the bomb?

a)

to protect the Japanese people from their leaders

b)

to punish the Japanese for their actions during World War II

c)

to punish the Nazi government for its crimes against humanity

d)

to force Germany to surrender before more Americans lost their lives

12.

Why did the government issue posters such as this during World War II?

a)

to make sure that the people of Europe did not go hungry during the war

b)

to make sure that soldiers fighting overseas had the supplies they needed

c)

to make sure that enemies of the United States could not receive supplies

d)

to make sure that the American economy did not enter another depression

13.

Read the quotation from President Harry Truman. Then answer the question that follows.


"The atom bomb was no 'great decision.' It was used in the war, and for your information, there were more people killed by fire bombs in Tokyo than dropping of the atomic bombs accounted for. It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness. The dropping of the bombs stopped the war, save[d] millions of lives."


Based on the quotation and your knowledge of social studies, why did Truman think it was necessary to use atomic weapons during World War II?

a)

Japan was developing its own atomic weapons and had to be stopped.

b)

The United States wanted to end the war without an invasion of Japan.

c)

The United States wanted to test the effects of atomic weapons in combat.

d)

Japan was communist and the United States wanted to change its government

14.

How did the leaders of the Allied powers plan to maintain world peace after World War II?

a)

by creating an organization to help settle disputes without war

b)

by creating a shared military that would enforce peace agreements

c)

by promoting the spread of communism to every nation in the world

d)

by sharing nuclear secrets so that all nations could defend themselves

15.

What was one cause of German aggression leading up to World War II?

a)

Many Germans resented the harsh conditions imposed on Germany after World War I

b)

British and French colonial expansion in Africa threatened Germany's status as a major power.

c)

The United States's successful nuclear test caused the German public to call for military expansion.

d)

The German economy relied on selling raw goods and Germany was running out of rescources

16.

How did Japan's aggression lead to a major turning point in World War II?

a)

The Japanese invasion of China led the United States to declare war and protect its longtime ally.

b)

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor convinced the US public that it was necessary to enter World War II.

c)

The Japanese invasion of the Soviet Union led the United States to declare war and protect its longtime ally

d)

The Japanese attack on the Philippines convinced the US public that it was necessary to enter World War II.

17.

Read the excerpt below from a newspaper column written by Eleanor Roosevelt. Then answer the question that follows.


Our own land and our own flag cannot be replaced by any other land or any other flag. But you can join with other nations, under a joint flag, to accomplish something good for the world that you cannot accomplish alone. . . . The [United Nations] is our greatest hope for future peace. Alone we cannot keep the peace of the world, but in cooperation with others we may hope to achieve this much longed-for security.


Based on the excerpt, which statement would Eleanor Roosevelt agree with?

a)

Only by opening their borders and allowing people to move freely could the countries of the world achieve peace.

b)

Countries must first agree to give up control of their militaries to the United Nations if there is ever to be world peace.

c)

Only by working together through organizations such as the United Nations can the world maintain lasting peace.

d)

The United States must be the leader of the United Nations because the country is the most committed to maintaining peace.

18.

Why was Iwo Jima strategically important to the United States during World War II?

a)

The island was close to Japan and could serve as a staging area for an invasion.

b)

The island was close to Germany's coast and would allow bombers to strike Berlin.

c)

The island was a US naval base located halfway between the United States and Japan.

d)

The island was home to a US air base located halfway between the United States and Europe

19.

Which grouping shows the correct ranking of countries from lowest to highest number of military deaths during World War II?

a)

Germany, China, Soviet Union

b)

United Kingdom, Japan, United States

c)

Japan, United States, Germany

d)

United States, China, Soviet Union

20.

The date on which Japan formally surrendered to the United States in 1945 is commonly referred to as....

a)

D-Day.

b)

UN Day.

c)

VE Day

d)

VJ Day.

21.

Which World War II leader entered into a pact with the leaders of Germany and Italy?

a)

Władysław Anders

b)

Charles de Gaulle

c)

Hirohito

d)

Joseph Stalin

22.

What was the opinion of many US military leaders when the first African American soldiers began training at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama?

a)

Leaders believed the African Americans were the best pilots in military.

b)

Leaders doubted that the African Americans would become skilled pilots.

c)

Leaders doubted that many African Americans would volunteer for military service

d)

Leaders believed that the integration at Tuskegee would work throughout the military.

23.

Which former first lady of the United States worked with the United Nations to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

a)

Betty Ford

b)

Eleanor Roosevelt

c)

Lady Bird Johnson

d)

Jacqueline Kennedy

24.

During World War II, the US government introduced rationing because certain goods were in short supply. What was the opportunity cost of rationing during the war?

a)

Consumers had to work longer hours to purchase goods.

b)

Consumers benefited as the price of goods fell dramatically

c)

Consumers had to purchase goods from the government.

d)

Consumers could not have all of the goods that they wanted.

25.

Which World War II leader founded the Fascist Party in Italy?

a)

Hirohito

b)

Adolf Hitler

c)

Benito Mussolini

d)

Joseph Stalin

26.

How did geography play a role in the aggressive expansion of Japan prior to World War II?

a)

Japan had access to a lot of oil and coal, resources that fueled the Japanese war industry.

b)

Japan lacked a lot of resources, so Japan invaded countries that had the resources it wanted.

c)

Japan shared a long land border with China, and Japan built up its military to defend the border.

d)

Japan was struck by a massive tsunami, so Japan invaded new territories to resettle its

27.

Read the quotation. Then answer the question that follows.


“You see, those [men] always understood that they had a ‘double duty’—one to their country and another to all the black folks who were counting on them to pave the way forward. So for those [men], the act of flying itself was a symbol of liberation for themselves and for all African Americans.” — First Lady Michelle Obama, May 9, 2015


Based on your knowledge of social studies, who is the First Lady referring to in this quotation?

a)

the Little Rock Nine

b)

the Flying Tigers

c)

the Rough Riders

d)

the Tuskegee Airmen

28.

What do these two timelines reveal about the motivations of Japan and Germany during World War II?

a)

Both Japan and Germany were seeking to enlarge their territories

b)

Both Japan and Germany focused on defending their home territories.

c)

Japan focused on expansion, while Germany sought to maintain peace.

d)

Germany focused on expansion, while Japan sought to maintain peace.

29.

Why did the United States believe that the League of Nations needed to be replaced with a new organization, the United Nations?

a)

because it was controlled by Germany

b)

because it failed to prevent World War II

c)

because it was controlled by the Soviet Union

d)

because it failed to prevent the Great Depression

30.

3 D-Day, June 6, 1944, was a significant event because it marked the beginning of which of the following?

a)

the colonial expansion of the United States into territory in the Pacific

b)

the Cold War conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union

c)

the shift in American public opinion toward US entry into World War I

d)

the recapture of territory seized by the Germans during World War II

31.

The Holocaust can best be described as

a)

Hitler’s plan to take over Europe and increase Germany’s power.

b)

The Japanese plan to take over Asia and control the entire Pacific Ocean.

c)

The millions of people who were killed because of fighting in World War II.

d)

Germany’s plan to kill unwanted people who were considered not as good, including millions of Jews.

32.

What does this map illustrate?

a)

the Allied invasion of Europe during World War II

b)

German aggression in Europe during World War II

c)

Soviet expansionism after the end of World War II

d)

the spread of democracy after the end of World War II

33.

What did this poster use to motivate Americans during World War II?

a)

the events of D-Day

b)

the Battle of Iwo Jima

c)

he horrors of the Holocaust

d)

the bombing of Pearl Harbor