WW2 (History gr 10)

Question 1

(before WW2)
What Pact did Italy and Germany make in 1937?

Answer 1

The “Anti- Comintern Pact”
(a declaration against communism)

• Japan and Spain were also members.

Question 2

(before WW2)
Why did Mackenzie King meet up with Hitler in 1937?

Answer 2

He was ensuring Hitler that Neville Chamberlain would cooperate with him. Then tried to persuade Chamberlain that Hitler was a good person.

Question 3

(before WW2)
What Pact did Germany and Italy form in 1939?

Answer 3

Germany formed the “Pact of Steel”. Which was formed as an official military partnership between Italy and Germany.

Question 4

What year did Germany invade Poland?

Explain more on what happened.

Answer 4

Germany invaded Poland in 1939. It was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

Hitler’s goal was to wipe Poland off the map.

Question 5

(before WW2)
What did imperial Japan invade in 1937?

Answer 5

Nanjing, which was the capital of China at the time. It lasted 6 weeks killing an average of 300 000. (most of their civilians)

Like Germany, Japan looked to expand its empire and would later join Germany in the Axis powers.

Question 6

(before WW2)
What year did Hitler annex Austria?

Answer 6

1938.

Question 7

(Before WW2)
How did Hitler annex Sudetenland? (Part of Czech)

What was the agreement called?

Answer 7

It was given to Hitler by England and France, hoping to satisfy him.
(It did not)

It is also known as the “Munich Agreement”

Question 8

(before WW2)
What happened to the “Munich Agreement” in 1939?

Answer 8

Hitler betrays the “Munich Agreement”, and annexes all of Czech instead.

Question 9

(before WW2)
Where did Germany send an ultimatum in 1939?

Answer 9

Germany sent an ultimatum to Lithuania saying that they needed to give up the region or they would invade it.

This is also Germany’s last territorial acquisition before the start of WW2.

Question 10

(before WW2)
Which non-ally does Germany make an agreement with in 1939?

What was the agreement?

Answer 10

Germany made an agreement with the USSR not to fight in the next 10 years.

What nobody knew: The USSR and Germany had already agreed to invade Poland.

Question 11

What did the ultimatum that Britain sent to Germany when Germany was invading Poland say?

Answer 11

It said that if Germany stopped invading Poland and just left, Britain would not declare war on them.

(Germany ignored this and Britain and Britain’s allies declared war)

Question 12

In September Canada declares war on Germany/Nazi Germany. Why?

Answer 12

Because Mackenzie King (Canada’s PM at the time) realized that Nazi Germany threatened the very existence of Western Civilization.

Question 13

What was the significance of the Battle of the Atlantic? (1939-1940)

Answer 13

It was the struggle between the Allied and German forces for control of the Atlantic Ocean.

(Allies needed to keep the vital flow of men and supplies going between North America and Europe, while German’s wanted to cut these supply lines)

Question 14

What was the significance of the Battle of France? (Apr 1940)

Answer 14

Germany invades “low countries” and the phony war ends.

Question 15

What was the significance of the Miracle of Dunkirk? (Jun 1940)

Answer 15

An average of around 300 000 soldiers were evacuated back to Britain. This evacuation boosted morale. It was called the “Dunkirk Evacuation” (it was a miracle so many could be saved)

Question 16

What was the significance of the Battle of Britain? (Aug 1940)

Answer 16

Germany changed tactics and started to focus on destroying London, not the RAF. (They wanted to crush British morale) But Britain demonstrated determination and resilience, and its people allowed them to remain free from the Nazi occupation.

Question 17

What was “Operation Sea Lion”?

Answer 17

“Operation Sea Lion” was Germany’s plan to launch an amphibious (land and sea) invasion of Britain. - Did not happen because the RAF was supposed to be largely destroyed for this to work.

Question 18

(question)
Which countries were in the Allied Nations during WW2?

Answer 18

Canada, France and England.

Question 19

(question)
Which countries were in the Axis Nations during WW2?

Answer 19

Italy, Japan and Germany.

Question 20

(question)
Which countries were neutral during WW2?

Answer 20

US and Soviet Union.

(The main ones, there were many more neutral countries)

Question 21

What was “Operation Barbarossa” (Jun 1941) ?

Answer 21

It was the invasion of the Soviet Union/USSR. This was when Hitler betrayed Joseph Stalin (USSR) and their non-aggression pact.

Question 22

Why did Hitler invade the USSR (Operation Barbarossa) ?

Answer 22

Hitler wanted to obtain resources to supply Germany. Plus he had already conquered most of Europe, so he thought “Why not conquer the USSR too?”

Question 23

What was the attack on Pearl Harbor (1941) ?

Answer 23

After peace talks failed, Japan launched a to-wave surprise attack on the US Navy and the Pacific Ocean.

Question 24

Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor (1941) ?

Answer 24

Despite the US dwarfing Japan’s military, Japanese leaders bet Hitler would maintain control of Europe and keep the US busy.

Question 25

Which country declared war on Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack (1941) ?

Answer 25

The US declared war on Japan in response to the attacks. Following the declaration of war, Germany and Italy declared war on the US.

Question 26

What was the Hong Kong invasion (1941) ?

Answer 26

Japan was looking to control more land in South East Asia. So they planned to invade Hong Kong.

As well as at this point in History, Japan was considered a British Colony.

Question 27

What were Winston Churchill’s pros and cons for sending troops to Hong Kong?

Answer 27

Pros: Defend Chinese allies and slow down Japan’s takeover of China.

Cons: Defending Hong Kong is essentially hopeless. Soldiers will be killed and captured.

Question 28

What were Winston Churchill’s pros and cons for sending troops to Hong Kong?

Answer 28

Pros: Spare Soldiers from death and/or captured.

Cons: Hong Kong will be abandoned (Britain will be remembered for not protecting is ally)

Question 29

Did Winston Churchill end up sending the troops to Hong Kong?

Answer 29

Originally, Churchill rejected the idea, but changed his mind and accepted an offer from Canada to send Canadian Battalions to Hong Kong.

This was Canada’s first major battle in WW2.

Question 30

(question)
What does the term “Black Christmas” refer to?

Answer 30

It refers to when the Canadian Soldiers were overrun in 18 days, the Japanese Soldiers took over Hong Kong and committed many atrocities. (December 25, 1941)

Question 31

(question)
Who is Neville Chamberlain?

Answer 31

British Prime Minister from 1937 - 1940.

Question 32

(question)
Who is Winston Churchill?

Answer 32

British Prime Minister from 1940 - 1945. (after Chamberlain)

Question 33

(question)
Who is Mackenzie King?

Answer 33

Canadian Prime Minister from 1947 - 1950.

Question 34

Who is Joseph Stalin?

Answer 34

Leader of the USSR from 1924 - 1953.

Question 35

Who is Mussolini?

Answer 35

Italian dictator.

Question 36

Which people are known as the “Big Three” ?

Answer 36

Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain and Joseph Stalin.

Question 37

What was the Holocaust (1939 - 1945) ?

Answer 37

It was a point in time when over 6 million Jews were killed due to the Nazis. The Germans thought that they were racially superior (compared to Jews) and that Jews were a threat to them. Therefore they needed to get rid of them.

Question 38

Who is Oskar Schindler?

Answer 38

A business man of whom saved 1,200 Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Question 39

What was the significance of the Dieppe Raid (1942) ?

Answer 39

It was to test German defences and response, as well as to gain experience for mounting a future, full scale raid into France.

Question 40

What was the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad (1942 - 1943) ?

Answer 40

It halted the German advance into the Soviet Union and shifted the tide of war in favour of the allies.

It is also known as the bloodiest WW2 battle. (2 million casualties)

Question 41

What was the significance of the Gran Sasso Raid (1943) ?

Answer 41

It was a high-risk mission launched by German forces to break Mussolini (Italian Dictator) out of prison.

Question 42

What was the significance of the Battle of Ortona (1943) ?

Answer 42

A small battle was fought between the Germans and Canadians in the Italian town of Ortona. Hitler ordered his troops to defend Ortona at all costs.

1375 Canadians were killed.

Question 43

What was “Operation Market Garden” (1944) ?

Answer 43

It was the allied airborne invasion into the Netherlands, making a major advance into Germany.

Question 44

What was the Yalta Conference (1945) ?

Answer 44

It was a conference held by the USSR, where the leaders of the “Big Three” met to discuss the future of Europe after WW2.

Question 45

What was the significance of the Battle of Berlin (1945) ?

Answer 45

It was the final battle against Nazi Germany that eventually forced their unconditional surrender. germany found itself surrounded by Allied forces pushing from the west and soviet forces pushing from the east.

Question 46

Why did Germany Surrender (1945) ?

Answer 46

It was a mix of one, Germany being surrounded in the Battle of Berlin, and two Hitler killing himself. Alfred Jodi finally surrenders unconditionally to Soviet and Allied forces.

Question 47

What was Japanese internment (1942 - 1949) ?

Answer 47

They were camps of whom people of Japanese descent were forcibly relocated and incarcerated in Canada.

(the US did this as well)

Question 48

What is the significance of Hiroshima (atomic bomb) 1945 ?

Answer 48

The nuclear bomb “little boy” was dropped on Hiroshima by an American B - 29 bomber the Enola Gay. - This happened because America wanted Japan to surrender.

Question 49

What is the significance of Nagasaki (atomic bomb #2) 1945 ?

Answer 49

After Japan still refused to surrender, the US decided to drop another bomb on Nagasaki 3 days later. This atomic bomb was called “fat man”.

Question 50

(end of WW2)
What happened after both Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) ?

Answer 50

Japan officially surrenders. The Japanese foreign affairs minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri.