World War II Test Review

What were some of the motivations for Japan to build an empire?

1.) Japan was overcrowded and faced shortages of raw materials 2.) They wanted the rich European colonies of Southeast Asia. 3.) They wanted to take over Manchuria and later mainland China.

What did the Soviet Union ask the Allies to do during the WWII?

1.) Open up a second battle front in the West (will later be the D-Day invasion) 2.) Send massive amounts of financial aid to help USSR fight 3.) Recognize the territorial claims USSR had in Eastern Europe. The Allies did not met any of Stalin's requests.

What years did World War II occur?

1939-1945

What domestic challenge made it difficult for France, Great Britain, and the United States to halt German and Italian aggression in the 1930s?

All of these nations suffered tremendous economic hardship due to the Great Depression. This economic chaos also led to increased social tensions, and in Germany more targeted hatred of the Jewish citizens of Germany.

What do Germany, Italy and Japan all have in common?

All three nations successfully invaded other nations.

What was future president Dwight Eisenhower's role during WWII?

Eisenhower was an army general. He helped to plan and led the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France (Operation Overlord)

Who was the mastermind of the "island-hopping" campaign the US used in the Pacific?

General Douglas MacArthur

What nations made up the Axis Powers?

Germany, Italy, Japan

What nations made up the Allied Powers?

Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, China, United States

Why did Hitler target the Jewish population as scapegoats for all of Germany's troubles?

Hatred of Jews, or anti-Semitism, was a key part of Nazi ideology.

What important role did Winston Churchill play during the war?

He was prime minister of Great Britain. He warned that the policy of appeasement was a disaster.

What did Germany do to the Rhineland?

Hitler's goal was to systematically destroy the Treaty of Versailles. Under the Treaty, the Rhineland was to be kept a demilitarized zone, no German military allowed. Hitler's first act to attack the Treaty of Versailles was to start stationing troops in the Rhineland.

What happened to the Sudetenland?

Hitler's goal was to unify all German speaking people into a great Germany. The people living in the Western portion of Czechoslovakia were German speaking and Hitler claimed they wanted to be a part of Germany. He annexed the Sudetenland, making it a part of Germany.

What prompted Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany?

Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939

How were the Holocaust and Hitler's Final Solution related?

Holocaust is the term for the genocide that resulted from the plan called the "Final Solution"

In the 1930s, why did Great Britain and France respond to German and Italian aggression with appeasement?

In the 1930s, Great Britain and France were not prepared to go to war. They were dealing with the aftermath of WWI, just getting back on their feet and trying to recover from the chaos of the Great Depression. They wanted to avoid war.

What was the goal of Hitler's "Final Solution"?

It was the genocide of the people the Nazis considered inferior, all European Jews.

What country invaded Manchuria in 1931?

Japan

Where were Nazi extermination camps typically located? What is the name of the largest?

Most of the extermination camps were located in Poland. Auschwitz was the largest extermination camp facility.

How did Mussolini try to achieve his Roman Empire for Italy?

Mussolini saw how the League of Nations did nothing to stop Hitler's annexation of Austria, so he went about invading Ethiopia. No one stopped him or tried to punish his actions and later he invaded Albania.

How did Kristallnacht demonstrate Nazi persecution of Jews?

Nazi troops attacked Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. A law was passed requiring all Jews to wear the yellow Star of David. The Nazis began to deport Jews to ghettos and some into concentration camps.

What occurred on D-Day? What was it's code name?

Operation Overlord took place in June 1944. Allied forces invaded France's Normandy beach from the English channel.

Which country did Germany conquer in September 1939?

Poland

Where were the atomic bombs dropped? Why were those locations chosen?

President Truman had to decide to either risk the lives of thousands of American soldiers with a land invasion or select two less populated cities in Japan to drop the atomic bombs. The military selected Hiroshima & Nagasaki. This decision would also bring the war to the quickest end possible.

Prior to World War II, what country was used by Hitler as a testing ground for his new weapons?

Spain

Who won World War II?

The Allies

What was significant about the Battle of Midway?

The Battle of Midway Island was a turning point in the war in the Pacific against the Japanese.

Which event marked the final Allied victory in World War II in Europe?

The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler's last stand against the Allied. The German army suffered terrible losses and Hitler knew there was no way to recover.

What was the policy of appeasement?

The British and French decision to give into aggression to keep peace.

What crucial lesson was learned in the Battle of Britain?

The British people "kept calm, and carried on". They did whatever they needed to do to stay strong and did not surrender. In the end it proved that Hitler's advances could be blocked.

Who was the Non-Aggression Pact signed between? What did each side get as a benefit?

The Germans and Soviets signed the non-aggression pact. Hitler wanted to invade Poland and for Stalin not to interfere. In return for letting Hitler invade, Stalin and Hitler would split Poland.

What event occurred on the day described as "a date which will live in infamy?"

The Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Which nation had the greatest loss of lives during World War II?

The Soviet Union

How did the Nuremberg Laws help set the Holocaust in motion?

The laws stripped Jews of citizenship and basic human rights.

What policy of the Nazi party led to the Holocaust?

The pursuit of racial purity

What does the use of kamikaze pilots show about Japanese culture?

They valued national honor more than individual life.

What was the blitzkrieg strategy?

Using air force strike attacks, you surprise and use overwhelming air force followed by land attacks using tanks.