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World War II Quiz

Total questions: 40

Worksheet time: 21mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What type of political philosophy gave rise to dictators with total power and who denied other individuals freedoms?

a)

Fascist

b)

Democratic

c)

Communist

d)

Socialist

2.

What treaty did Hitler violate by building up Germany's military, reconquering more land, and refusing to repay reparations?

a)

Treaty of Versailles

b)

Treaty of Paris

c)

Treaty of Trianon

d)

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

3.

What were the worldwide economic problems from the 1920s to 1930s that allowed the rise of unstable governments led by dictators?

a)

High War Debt owed by Germany; Massive Unemployment; High Inflation

b)

Electrification

c)

Roaring 20's

d)

Low Inflation

4.

Who were the fascist dictators and leaders of the Axis Powers in WW2?

a)

Adolf Hitler (Germany); Hideki Tojo (Japan); Benito Mussolini (Italy)

b)

Winston Churchill (UK); Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA); Joseph Stalin (USSR)

c)

Charles de Gaulle (France); Hirohito (Japan); Mussolini (Italy)

d)

Mao Zedong (China); Kim Il-sung (North Korea); Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam)

5.

Which country was invaded by Germany to start WWII on September 1, 1939?

a)

Poland

b)

France

c)

Czechoslovakia

d)

Austria

6.

Who was the leader of Great Britain during WW2?

a)

Winston Churchill

b)

Neville Chamberlain

c)

Clement Attlee

d)

David Lloyd George

7.

What was the Battle of Britain?

a)

Air raids and bombings by German planes during Summer of 1940, first German defeat by British Royal Airforce

b)

A naval battle between the UK and Germany

c)

A ground invasion of Britain by German forces

d)

The first major battle of WW2

8.

Which country joined the Allies to receive aid after being invaded by Germany in 1941?

a)

Soviet Union

b)

Italy

c)

Japan

d)

France

9.

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during WW2?

a)

Joseph Stalin

b)

Leon Trotsky

c)

Vladimir Lenin

d)

Nikita Khrushchev

10.

What action was supported by the U.S. BEFORE direct involvement in WW2, as stated by President Franklin Roosevelt?

a)

The U.S. provided economic and military aid to the Allies through the LEND-LEASE BILL

b)

The U.S. declared war on Japan

c)

The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Japan

d)

The U.S. sent troops to Europe

11.

What was the cause for the U.S. to enter WW2 on December 8, 1941?

a)

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941

b)

Germany invades Poland

c)

Italy declares war on the U.S.

d)

The U.S. is attacked by Germany

12.

Who were the main leaders of the Allied Powers?

a)

Great Britain (Winston Churchill); USA (FDR); Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin)

b)

Germany (Hitler); Italy (Mussolini); Japan (Tojo)

c)

France (De Gaulle); Canada (King); Australia (Curtin)

d)

China (Chiang Kai-shek); India (Gandhi); USSR (Stalin)

13.

What were War Bonds?

a)

Americans were encouraged to buy these from the U.S. government to finance military operations

b)

A type of currency used during the war

c)

A bond issued by the Allies

d)

A loan given to soldiers

14.

What were Scrap Drives?

a)

Americans on the Homefront would support the war effort by donating scrap items

b)

A campaign to collect money for the war

c)

A drive to recruit soldiers

d)

A program to ration food

15.

What did the U.S. government encourage women to do when the U.S. entered WW2?

a)

Take industrial jobs working in defense plants

b)

Join the military

c)

Stay at home

d)

Volunteer for Red Cross

16.

What was a negative result of WW2 in the U.S.?

a)

Relocation to INTERNMENT camps of about 120,000 Japanese Americans

b)

Economic prosperity

c)

Increased civil rights

d)

Expansion of the military

17.

What role and experiences did African Americans have during WW2?

a)

They served and fought in segregated military units

b)

They were not allowed to serve

c)

They fought alongside white soldiers

d)

They were given leadership positions

18.

What is Rationing?

a)

Restricting the amount of food, gas and other goods people may buy during wartime

b)

A method of collecting taxes

c)

A way to distribute weapons

d)

A program to support farmers

19.

What were Victory Gardens?

a)

They helped to conserve food for the soldiers abroad

b)

Gardens planted for decoration

c)

Gardens that were used for research

d)

Gardens that were destroyed during the war

20.

Who were the U.S. Presidents during World War II?

a)

Franklin D. Roosevelt (until April 1945) & then his V.P. Harry S. Truman

b)

Harry S. Truman & John F. Kennedy

c)

Dwight D. Eisenhower & Franklin D. Roosevelt

d)

Lyndon B. Johnson & Richard Nixon

21.

What was the turning point of the war in the Pacific for the U.S. versus Japan in 1942?

a)

Battle of Midway

b)

Battle of Iwo Jima

c)

Battle of the Coral Sea

d)

Battle of Leyte Gulf

22.

What was the turning point for WW2 on the eastern front in the Soviet Union?

a)

Battle of Stalingrad

b)

Battle of Kursk

c)

Battle of Leningrad

d)

Battle of Moscow

23.

What does 'Normandy Invaded' refer to?

a)

Likely a newspaper headline in 1944 just after D-DAY invasion

b)

A battle in the Pacific

c)

A political meeting

d)

A treaty signed by the Allies

24.

Which Axis Power surrendered on May 7, 1945?

a)

Germany

b)

Japan

c)

Italy

d)

Hungary

25.

What is the timeline of the War in the Pacific?

a)

(1941) Pearl Harbor causes U.S. to join war; (1942) Battle of Midway is a turning point

b)

A timeline of battles in Europe

c)

A timeline of the Cold War

d)

A timeline of the Vietnam War

26.

What was the Battle of Iwo Jima?

a)

A battle in February and March 1945 in which U.S. forces took Iwo Jima from Japan, a strategic location in the Pacific

b)

A naval battle in the Atlantic

c)

A ground invasion in Europe

d)

A bombing raid in London

27.

What was the Manhattan Project?

a)

A secret U.S. project for the construction of the atomic bomb

b)

A military operation

c)

A political campaign

d)

A scientific research project

28.

What forced the surrender of Japan in 1945?

a)

President Harry S. Truman ordered the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japanese cities

b)

A naval blockade

c)

A ground invasion

d)

Diplomatic negotiations

29.

What does 'Anti-semitism' refer to?

a)

Prejudice towards Jewish people

b)

A political ideology

c)

A type of government

d)

A military strategy

30.

What was Hitler's reason for planning the Holocaust?

a)

To systematically rid Europe of Jewish people

b)

To expand Germany's territory

c)

To create a new government

d)

To promote peace

31.

What was the purpose of U.S. 'HOMEFRONT' Posters?

a)

Encourage men to enlist in the military

b)

Encourage women to work in defense jobs

c)

Encourage all people to work

32.

Who was Charles Drew?

a)

Scientist & "Father of the Blood Bank"

b)

A military general

c)

A politician

33.

What were Women Air Service Pilots (WASPs)?

a)

Trained pilots who flew military aircraft to transport supplies

b)

Women who served in combat

c)

Women who worked in factories

d)

Women who were nurses

34.
What was the purpose of the Nuremberg Trials?
a)
To put Jews on trial for religious crimes.
b)
A series of laws targeting Jews.
c)
To put Nazi officials on trial for their crimes in WW2.
d)
To create the nation of Israel of the Jewish people.
35.

Why did Great Britain and France use a policy of APPEASEMENT with Hitler when he led Germany to take some European territory in 1938?

a)

They thought this would show Hitler they would fight him

b)

They wanted to avoid war, but it only encouraged Hitler to become more aggressive and start WW2

c)

They wanted to get the U.S. to fight Hitler

d)

They wanted to start a war

36.

The Battle of the Bulge was the last truly major German ground offensive of the war.

a)

true

b)

false

37.

What was the ultimate goal of the island-hopping strategy?

a)

To capture all Japanese-held islands

b)

Capturing key islands to use as military bases, in order to reach and invade Japan

c)

To create resort locations for vacations

38.

What were the Tuskegee Airmen known for?

a)

Escorting bomber planes.

b)

Bombing enemy submarines.

c)

Circling the globe.

d)

Sneaking into enemy camps.

39.

Why was Navajo great for a code? Check all that apply.

a)

It was not a written language.

b)

It was complex

c)

It had an easily accessible dictionary.

d)

It was easy to learn.

40.

What is the mission of the United Nations?

a)

To maintain worldwide peace and security

b)

develop relations among nations to solve problems

c)

provide a place for countries to meet and discuss policy

d)

All of the above