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About This Quiz
World War II was supposed to be the war to end all wars. It was one of the largest conflicts the world has ever seen with total military deaths by some estimates as high as 80 million soldiers and an additional 30 to 50 million civilians. Never before has a war had such staggering death and destruction, nor has there been a war that stretched throughout the globe. There were few if any countries who were not impacted by the devastation. It was a war that made heroes, defeated evil, and in the midst saw the best and worst of humanity. Sadly, most stories of greatness were lost forever among the sheer numbers.Â
How much do you know about World War II? The battles, the victories, losses and those who led the Allies versus the Axis? You may have heard of D-Day, but can you recall VE-Day?Â
Which country attacked which country and which Axis nation surrendered first, and why? Did you know that there were three dictators in Europe at the time of the war? You know Hitler and Mussolini, but who was the other dictator involved?
While World War II is considered one of the largest scale and most destructive wars in the history of the world, it can also teach us a lot about humanity and how to prevent future world wars. It all starts with knowledge. So, how much do you know about the war to end all wars? Buckle up and take this quiz soldier!
When did World War II begin?
June 28, 1914
November 11, 1918
September 1, 1939
The start of the war in Europe is generally held to be September 1, 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland; Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on July 7, 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on September 19, 1931.
June 1, 1941
Which country was annexed by Germany and the USSR?
Czechoslovakia
Austria
Denmark
Poland
Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbors, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states.
When did Germany attack the USSR?
June 22, 1941
The traditional Western and Soviet view was that Nazi Germany launched a sudden and unprovoked attack—Operation Barbarossa—on USSR on June 22, 1941.
November 14, 1939
December 3, 1928
March 1, 1953
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When did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
May 24, 1943
October 17, 1918
December 7, 1941
On the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan), the Japanese Navy conducted a surprise military strike against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A total of 2403 people died including civilians and 1,177 were from the USS Arizona which is now a memorial site.
July 4, 1931
Who was the third dictator besides Mussolini and Hitler who did not take part in World War II?
Francisco Franco
Franco's Spain maintained an official policy of neutrality during World War II, although the German navy was allowed to use Spanish harbours from 1940 to 1943, German agents gathered intelligence in Spain on Allied activity, and the Blue Division fought alongside the European Axis Powers against the Soviet Union. By the 1950s, the nature of his regime changed from an extreme form of dictatorship to a semi-pluralist authoritarian system.
Enver Hoxha
Hirohito
Josef Tito
Who led the Indian National Army?
Bernard Montgomery
Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose, was an Indian nationalist whose defiant patriotism made him a hero in India, but whose attempt during World War II to rid India of British rule with the help of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan left a troubling legacy. He was known for his militant approach to independence and for his support of socialist policies.
Charles de Gaulle
Ivan Konev
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Who said this famous quote: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.â€
Adolf Hitler
Benito Mussolini
Franklin Roosevelt
Winston Churchill
The Prime Minister of the UK from 1940-1945 said this to his cabinet on May 13. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature and was the first person to be made an honorary citizen of the United State.
Which German leader landed in Britain on May 10, 1941 and was arrested?
Semyon Timoshenko
Rudolf Hess
Hess flew solo to Scotland to try to negotiate peace with the United Kingdom, but he was taken prisoner and eventually was convicted of crimes against peace, serving a life sentence.
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
Heinrich Himmler
When was atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima?
June 5, 1944
April 3, 1939
August 6, 1945
The two bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) in Japan killed at least between 129,000–226,000 people. It killed 90 percent of the city of Hiroshima, some dying later due to radiation exposure. The US dropped the bombs after receiving consent from the United Kingdom, as required by the Quebec Agreement.
September 15, 1949
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When did Japan announce their surrender?
August 15, 1945
Emperor Hirohito announced his intentions to surrender on August 15, 1945, however the war didn't fully end until September 2, 1945. This is known as V-J (Victory over Japan) Day around the world.
April 7, 1952
June 9, 1940
September 19, 1918
Who commanded the Eighth Army at El Alamein?
Bernard Montgomery
General Bernard Montgomery was a noted UK military leader and gained fame in 1942 for his part in the first major Allied land victory at El Alamein, Egypt. "Before Alamein we never had a victory," said Winston Churchill later, "after Alamein we never had a defeat."
Adolf Hitler
Jan Smuts
Who famously said, "We shall never surrender"?
Hitler
Churchill
This quote was spoken by Winston Churchill just before the Battle of Britain and the complete text is: "... we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
Roosevelt
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Which island was awarded the George Cross for gallantry?
France
Malta
It was awarded by King George VI of the United Kingdom in a letter dated April 15, 1942 to the island's Governor Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie, so as to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" during the siege it underwent in the early parts of World War II. The George Cross is woven into the Flag of Malta and can be seen wherever the flag is flown. It is a Southern European island country in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Italy.
Spain
England
In which French area were the D-Day landings?
Normandy
The Normandy Invasion is also called Operation Overlord, The launch date of this invasion, June 6, 1944 , is now known as D-Day and is marked by the simultaneous landing of U.S., British, and Canadian forces on five separate beachheads in Normandy. By the end of August 1944 all of northern France was liberated.
Bretagne
Brittany
Corsica
Approximately how many warships and boats were sunk in World War II?
100
500
1000
2000
Germany alone had nearly 1000 submarines sink while a total of 1,554 US ships were sunk due to war conditions, according to the War Shipping Administration.
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In which year did the German Army invade Russia?
1945
1941
It is commonly believed that the invasion of Russia was one of Hitler's greatest strategic blunders. Up to that point the German war machine had conquered and subjugated all her enemies (except for Britain), while at the same time Russia had been providing her with much needed resources such as oil and wheat. England's position was deteriorating quickly and the United States was still neutral. The invasion of Russia cut off those precious supplies, and even though the Russians took unprecedented losses the Germans ultimately failed to take Moscow and suffered heavily in the winter that followed.
1939
1950
Where did the Battle of Buna-Gona take place?
South Pacific
The Battle of Buna–Gona was part of the New Guinea campaign in the Pacific Theater. It followed the conclusion of the Kokoda Track campaign and November 16, 1942 until January 22, 1943. The battle was conducted by Australian and United States forces against the Japanese beachheads at Buna, Sanananda and Gona.
Mediterranean Sea
Near the islands of Hawaii
Which two ships sunk off Malaya three days after Japan entered the war?
HMS Victory and HMS Albion
HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales
These two naval ships were sunk by land-based bombers and torpedo bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 10, 1941 off the east coast of present-day Malaysia. It illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks against even the heaviest of naval assets if they were not protected by air cover, and led the Allies to place importance on their aircraft carriers over battleships.
HMS Bulwark and HMS Daring
HMS Defender and HMS Iron Duke
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In which country did the battle of El Alamein take place?
France
Japan
Egypt
This battle marked the culmination of the World War II North African campaign between the British Empire and the German-Italian army. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel returned late to the battle from illness and tried to turn the tide, but General Montgomery and the British's advantage in personnel and artillery proved too overwhelming. Rommel managed to escape complete annihilation by withdrawing his men to Tunisia.
Italy
Which officer led the Dam Busters raid (Operation Chastise) in 1943?
Captain Smith
Wing Commander Johnson
Captain Lawson
Wing Commander Guy Gibson
Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out in May 1943 by the 617 Squadron of Royal Air Force, better known as the "Dam Busters." Using a specially developed "bouncing bomb" the Möhne and Edersee Dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley; the Sorpe dam sustained only minor damage.
What date is known as VE-Day?
January 7, 1945
May 8, 1945
Victory in Europe Day, generally known as VE Day or simply V Day, was the public holiday celebrated on May 9, 1945 (May 7 in Commonwealth realms) to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's surrender of its armed forces. It consequently marked the end of World War II in Europe.
January 21, 1946
September 25, 1946
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What name was given to the dead man, deliberately dropped into the sea to be found by German agents, who carried false papers to deceive the Axis powers about Allied intentions to attack Europe?
The Deep Blue Something
Secret Agent Man
The Man Who Never Was
Glyndwr Michael was the Welsh homeless man whose body was used in Operation Mincemeat. Operation Mincemeat was the successful deception plan of WWII that lured German forces to Greece before the Allied invasion of Sicily. The Allied losses numbered several thousand fewer than would have been expected had the deception failed. He had died after ingesting phosphorous-laced rat poison.
What is the name of the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1946?
Fohnsee
Haarschmuckfachgeschäft
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht was consisted of the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy) and the Luftwaffe (air force). The designation Wehrmacht replaced the previously used term, Reichswehr, and constituted the Third Reich’s efforts to rearm the nation to a greater extent than the Treaty of Versailles permitted.
Rathaus
What was the name of the French underground movement that fought against the Germans in World War II?
The Maquis
During the Occupation of France in World War II, The Maquis were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into France's Service du Travail Obligatoire to provide forced labor for Germany. To avert capture and deportation to Germany, they became increasingly organized into non-active resistance groups called maquisards.
The Creme
Angosian
Cardassian
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Which famous World War II general said, "We shall return," just before retreating from the Philippines in 1942?
General Patton
Adolf Hitler
General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur, born in 1880, was a five-star American general and Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s. He played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II and received the Medal of Honor for his service there, making him and his father Arthur MacArthur, Jr., the first father and son to be awarded the medal.
Joseph Stalin
What was "Operation Dynamo" code for?
The Battle of Moscow
The Western Front
The European Front
The Dunkirk Evacuation
Also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, Operation Dynamo was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, in May through June in 1940. When large numbers of Belgian, British, and French troops were cut off and surrounded by the German army during the Battle of France, Churchill called the events in France "a colossal military disaster", saying "the whole root and core and brain of the British Army" had been stranded at Dunkirk and seemed about to perish or be captured.
What was the only part of the UK to be occupied by German troops?
Channel Islands
This area is an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. Before German troops landed in June-July 1940, evacuation took place, although many young men had already left to join the Allied armed forces. Thousands of children were evacuated with their schools to England and Scotland. They were liberated May 9 1945.
Devon
Scilly Isles
Isle of Wight
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Which Russian tank was largely responsible for the German defeat on the Eastern Front?
M3100
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet tank whose had lasting influence on the field of tank design since its introduction in 1940. It has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential tank design of WWII though its armor and armament were surpassed in the later years of the war. It was the most-produced tank of WWII, as well as the second-most-produced tank of all time.
Mi6
0678
With whom did Britain sign a 20 year 'Treaty of Alliance' and mutual assistance in 1942?
China
France
USSR
The treaty was signed on May 26, 1942 in London by British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and by Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov. It established a military/ political alliance between both nations during WW II and for the following 20 years.
Japan
In which industry were Britain's Bevin Boys called up to work in 1943?
Coal mining
The program was named after Ernest Bevin, a former trade union official and then British Labour Party politician who was Minister of Labour and National Service. Ten percent of all male conscripts between 18 and 25 were chosen plus some volunteered as an alternative to joining the military. Nearly 48,000 performed important but mostly unrecognized service in the mines, and many weren't released until two years after the war ended.
Postal service
Fire service
Tank manufacturing
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Which British author broadcast from Germany to America in 1941 and was branded as a traitor?
C.S Lewis
P.G. Wodehouse
English-born comic novelist, P.G. Wodeouse broadcast from Berlin over the Nazi radio network five times taking aim at America and causing outrage in Britain. Wodehouse - who lived in the French town of Le Touquet - spent a year of internment, mostly in an asylum, in the German town of Tost, Upper Silesia after the town where he lived was invaded. He is best known as the creator of the fictional character Jeeves.
J.R.R Tolkein
Thomas Hardy
What was the name of the German coding machine?
Magna
Codex
Enigma
German military messages enciphered on the Enigma machine were first broken by the Polish Cipher Bureau in December 1932. This success is attributed to Polish cryptologists, Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski, working for Polish military intelligence. It was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius toward the end of the first world war.
Revolution
Who said, "The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home"?
General Patton
The quote is: "Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home." General George S. Patton is best known for his leadership of the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
Hitler
Churchill
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Approximately how many military and civilian citizens of the USSR died in World War II?
10 million
2 million
29 million
Although the exact figures are disputed, World War II casualties of the Soviet Union from all related causes number somewhere between 27,000,000 and, 29,000,000. During the Soviet era, information on casualties was considered top secret, years later the information was made public. The official number during the Soviet era was 20 million.
166 million
What is the name of the weapon captured by the Germans in early North African and Eastern Front encounters?
Bazooka
They soon reverse engineered their own version of the Bazooka - a type of rocket launcher weapon - increasing the warhead diameter to 8.8 cm among other changes and called it the Raketenpanzerbüchse "Panzerschreck" ("Tank terror"). Toward the end of the war, the Japanese also developed a similar weapon known as the Type 4 70 mm AT Rocket Launcher. The term "bazooka" is still informally used for any ground-to-ground shoulder-fired missile weapon.
.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire rifle
.38 Smith & Wesson Special pistol
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