World War II Study Guide

Answers

1. Why did Great Britain and France declare war on Germany?

• Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

2. What event caused the U.S. to enter WWII?

• Attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan

3. Who were the Axis powers during WWII?

• Japan, Italy, and Germany

4. How did WWII affect the U.S. economy?

• It brought the U.S. out of the Great Depression

5. What were some of the roles women had during WWII?

• Nurses, pilots, mechanics, and radio operators.

6. Who were the first African American fighter pilots and where did they train?

• Tuskegee Airmen in Tuskegee, Alabama

7. What happened at the Battle of Iwo Jima?

• It was a tough fight for the U.S. troops, because of Japanese military tactics. The U.S. was able to have victory at this battle.

8. After which battle was Germany forced to retreat from the Soviet Union?

• Battle of Stalingrad

9. Where did the largest sea invasion in world history take place?

• Normandy, France

10. How did the use of atomic bombs impact the outcome of WWII?

• Japan was forced to surrender

11. What were concentration camps?

• Places where Jews and others were imprisoned and murdered by the Nazis

12. About how many Jews were murdered during the Holocaust?

• 6 million

13. Which event was a turning point in WWII and helped lead to an end to conflict?

• D-Day, when the Allies organized a massive surprise attack on Nazi forces in France

14. Who was the prime minister of Great Britain during WWII?

• Winston Churchill

15. What was the purpose of dropping the atomic bombs?

• To make Japan surrender and end WWII

16. Why were women able to take over the jobs of men during WWII?

• Millions of men were drafted for the war.

17. Who were the four countries that started the United Nations?

• China, U.K., U.S., and Soviet Union

18. During the war, the government asked Americans to save their scrap metal and plant victory gardens. What was the purpose of these requests?

• There were not enough resources to fight the war.

19. Who was the leader of Italy?

• Benito Mussolini

20. Who was the leader of Japan?

• Emperor Hirohito

21. Who was the leader of Germany?

• Adolf Hitler

22. Who was the leader of the U.S. at the start of the war? At the end of the war?

• • Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union?

• Joseph Stalin

24. How did WWII change life for many women and African Americans?

25. What year did WWII start?

• 1939

26. What is the date which will “live in infamy”?

• December 7, 1941, which is the attack on Pearl Harbor.