WWII Study Guide Condensed

Question 1

Who was Benito Mussolini?

Answer 1

The founder of Italy’s fascist party

Question 2

Who was Joseph Stalin?

Answer 2

The Soviet Union’s dictator; he held power as General Secretary of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party

Question 3

How did Hitler rise to power?

Answer 3

Germany experienced economic instability after the Treaty of Versailles, which Hitler took advantage of. Paul von Hindenburg appointed him chancellor in 1933.

Question 4

What were the Neutrality Acts of 1935-1937?

Answer 4

They made it illegal for Americans to sell arms to any country at war and banned US citizens from traveling war ships. In general, they were an attempt at limiting America’s involvement in war.

Question 5

What countries comprised of the Axis Powers?

Answer 5

Germany, Italy, and Japan

Question 6

What is Blitkrieg?

Answer 6

“Lightning War”; using surprise tactics to overwhelm an enemy country in hopes of creating disorganization

Question 7

Who was Winston Churchill?

Answer 7

The British leader who replaced Chamberlain as prime minister; he refused to negotiate peace in WWII.

Question 8

What happened at the Battle of Britain?

Answer 8

The Germans attacked coastal targets and British shipping operations

Question 9

What were the Nuremberg Laws?

Answer 9

They took citizenship away from Jewish Germans and banned marriage between Jews and Germans

Question 10

What was Kristallnacht?

Answer 10

A young Jewish refugee (Herschell Grynzpan) shot a German diplomat as revenge for Jewish deportations. Nazis then attacked many Jews and acted like it was a spontaneous reaction instead of a planned attack.

Question 11

What was the St. Louis affair?

Answer 11

900 escaping Jews were on a ship from Germany to Cuba, but were rejected by the Cuban government

Question 12

What was the Neutrality Act of 1939?

Answer 12

It lifted the arms embargo, but kept the ban on loans and ships

Question 13

What was the America First Committee?

Answer 13

An isolationist group opposed to American intervention or aid to Allies

Question 14

What was the Lend-Lease Act?

Answer 14

Roosevelt’s idea to allow the US to lend or lease arms to any country deemed necessary for America’s defense

Question 15

What was the Atlantic Charter?

Answer 15

A policy statement (agreed on by Roosevelt and Churchill) that defined America and Britain’s ideals for the postwar world.

Question 16

Who was Henry Kaiser?

Answer 16

An American industrialist who is known as the father of “liberty ships”.

Question 17

What was the War Production Board?

Answer 17

Roosevelt’s attempt to improve the mobilization process. They set priorities and production goals to control the distribution of materials and supplies.

Question 18

Who was Douglas MacArthur?

Answer 18

He was the general of the US Army who helped defend the Philippines

Question 19

What was the Bataan Death March?

Answer 19

The Japanese army forced nearly 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war to march to their prison camp. Almost 10,000 died.

Question 20

Why was the Battle of Coral Sea significant?

Answer 20

The Japanese experienced failure because Americans had decoded a message regarding an attack.

Question 21

What happened at the Battle of Midway?

Answer 21

The Japanese surprise-attacked American carriers by attacking the Coral islands. The US managed to stop the Japanese advance.

Question 22

Who were the key leaders in North Africa?

Answer 22

General Erwin Rommel and General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Question 23

What happened at the Battle of Stalingrad?

Answer 23

Germany tried to attack Stalingrad because of its economic significance, but the Soviet Union defeated them – they had an advantage because they were well-equipped for the weather

Question 24

What was the Office of Price Administration?

Answer 24

Designed by Roosevelt, the OPA helped stabilize prices and keep inflation under control.

Question 25

What was rationing?

Answer 25

The OPA limited the purchase of products to make sure there was enough for military use.

Question 26

What happened at the Casablanca Conference?

Answer 26

Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to step up the bombing of Germany. Churchill thought to attack Italy, the “soft underbelly” of Europe because he assumed Italians would quit the war.

Question 27

What happened at the Tehran Conference?

Answer 27

Roosevelt and Stalin agreed to launch a full-scale offense against Germany. They also decided that after the war, they would divide Germany and keep international peace.

Question 28

What was D-Day?

Answer 28

The Allies invaded Normandy, France. It liberated France, stopping Germany from exploiting its resources.

Question 29

What was a kamikaze?

Answer 29

Japanese pilots who flew suicide attacks into enemy targets

Question 30

What was the Battle of the Bulge?

Answer 30

Hitler’s last major offensive in WWII against the Western front. He tried to cut off the Allies’ supplies.

Question 31

Who was Harry S. Truman?

Answer 31

Roosevelt’s vice president who took over when he died

Question 32

What was the importance of Iwo Jima?

Answer 32

Over 6,800 marines died trying to attack and invade the Japanese island

Question 33

What were the terms for surrender of Japan?

Answer 33

Japanese leaders were willing to surrender as long as the emperor stayed in power, but most Americans wanted him removed from power.

Question 34

What were the Nuremberg Trials?

Answer 34

The trials for the 22 Nazi German leaders. Seven went to prison and twelve were sentenced to death. Similar trials were held in Japan.