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About This Quiz
Many people have a fascination with World War II. They spend hours reading non-fiction or watching the History Channel; these people consider themselves novice historians of one of the most dramatic and impactful time periods in human history. Are you one of these people? Prove it by taking this quiz!
The nations involved in the war formed two opposing alliances. What were they called?
Axis and Allies
The two major powers were the Axis (Germany, Italy and Japan) and the Allies (the U.S., Britain, France, China and the USSR).
Homeland and Confederacy
Nazis and Freemen
How many years did the World War II last?
four
six
The war lasted six years, from 1939 to 1945.
nine
Who was the U.S. president when Pearl Harbor was attacked?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt was president when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Harry Truman, then the vice president, became the 33rd U.S. president when FDR died in 1945.
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
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During the conflict, were there more civilian or battle-related deaths?
civilian deaths
The numbers are staggering, with an estimated 45 million civilian and 15 million battle-related deaths.
battle-related deaths
the numbers are about the same
Some historians believe what contributing factor helped set the stage for World War II?
instability in Europe following World War I
Instability in Europe after World War I is widely believed to have helped create a climate where Hitler's National Socialist Party could rise to power.
widespread drought and the resulting famine in Europe
class struggles in Europe and elsewhere
In what year did Germany invade Poland?
1929
1939
In September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland, an act that resulted in both France and Great Britain declaring war on Germany.
1941
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Adolf Hitler predicted the war in his memoir published in 1925. What was it called?
"Mein Kampf"
In his 1925 memoir "Mein Kampf," Hitler predicted the war in Europe and Jewish persecution in Germany.
"Meinem Triumph"
"Heimat"
Which came first V-E Day (victory in Europe) or V-J Day (victory in Japan)?
V-E Day
V-E Day came first on May 8, 1945. V-J Day followed on Sept. 2, 1945, the day Japan surrendered to the Allies.
V-J Day
They occurred at the same time.
Two nuclear bombs were dropped on Japan in 1945, bringing about the surrender of Japanese and the end of the war in the Pacific Ocean theater. In which two Japanese cities were they detonated?
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The Hiroshima bombing was the first ever deployment of an atomic bomb.
Tokyo and Hiroshima
Tokyo and Nagasaki
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The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy motivated the U.S. to enter the war. On what date was Pearl Harbor attacked?
Feb. 7, 1939
June 21, 1940
Dec. 7, 1941
Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec. 7, 1941. The attack took approximately two hours and resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 American service members.
How many different countries were involved in the conflict?
23
30
By the end of the war, more than 30 countries across the globe were involved in the fight between the Allies and the Axis.
41
The D-Day invasion the Allies orchestrated to retake Europe from the German Third Reich was launched at what location?
the Normandy coast
The D-Day invasion took place on the coast of Normandy, France. Through misdirection, the Germans believed the attack would occur in the Pas-de-Calais along the narrowest part of the English Channel between England and France.
the Pas-de-Calais
Cherbourg-Octeville, France
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About how many battle-wounded people were there worldwide during the course of World War II?
10 million
25 million
Worldwide battle casualties are estimated at 25 million.
40 million
The D-Day invasion, code-named Operation Overlord, was considered a major turning point in favor of the Allies. On what date did it occur?
April 23, 1944
June 6, 1944
D-Day, the day more than 160,000 Allied troops invaded Western Europe, occurred on June 6, 1944.
Sept. 12, 1944
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, how long did it take Congress to approve President Roosevelt's request to declare war on Japan?
one day
It took one day for Congress to approve President Roosevelt's request. There was a single dissenting vote.
one week
one month
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British engineer Robert Watson-Watt's radio-wave device was designed to be a weapon, but it actually became what kind of technology?
sonar
radar
In 1935, Robert Watson-Watt was working on a means of destroying enemy aircraft. His efforts resulted in the development of radar technology.
microwaves
There are currently five branches of the U.S. armed services, the: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Which branch was part of the Army until after World War II?
Air Force
The Air Force was recognized as its own military branch in 1947, years after the war ended.
Coast Guard
Marines
Japan and the Soviet Union were on opposite sides of the World War II conflict. In what year did they sign a peace treaty?
1945
1952
never
Japan and Russia (formerly known as the Soviet Union) never signed a formal peace treaty, but they are still working on it. One bone of contention is a dispute over the South Kuril Islands (also called the Northern Territories dispute), which the Russians took from the Japanese after the war.
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The use of secret, unbreakable codes was a behind-the-scenes strategy employed in wartime. One code language used by the U.S. Marines was borrowed from what Native American people?
the Navajo
About 400 Navajo "code talkers" worked for the war effort. Their coded communications were never broken by the Japanese.
the Arapaho
the Iroquois
What treat was invented during the war to compensate for chocolate shortages?
peanut butter
Nutella
That would be Nutella, a chocolate and hazelnut spread that is experiencing a resurgence of popularity.
the nougat filled candy bar
Who first used the phrase "the war to end all wars"?
Winston Churchill
Harry Truman
Woodrow Wilson
The quote often used to describe World War II is attributed to President Woodrow Wilson, but he wasn't actually talking about World War II. He was referring to World War I.
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Of the eight battleships damaged or destroyed during the Pearl Harbor attack, how many were eventually repaired and placed into service?
all eight
six
Six battleships were eventually restored. The California and the West Virginia were sunk and later raised and repaired. Two, the Arizona and the Oklahoma, never rejoined the fleet.
two
During the war, the British referred to Germans by what common nickname?
Jerries
Jerry, or Jerries (plural), was slang for a German soldier during World War I that became more commonly used in World War II.
Johnnies
Karls
How many domestic automobiles were produced in the U.S. after the bombing of Pearl Harbor (between February 1942 and October 1945)?
0
Life in the U.S. changed drastically after Pearl Harbor. Raw materials like rubber, steel and nylon were used in the war effort. From early 1942 to late 1945, no domestic automobiles, auto parts or trucks were produced.
2,500
15,000
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Before Japan's surrender, there were plans for possibly launching a third atomic bomb. Which city was targeted for this final assault?
Tokyo
Had it been necessary, the third bomb was scheduled for release over Tokyo.
Osaka
Kyoto
What was a "Liberty Steak"?
Spam
K-rations
a hamburger
The "Liberty Steak" was a common hamburger. Fearing the name was somehow pro-Nazi, clever marketers changed it for the duration of the war.
Did any of Hitler's relatives fight for the Allies?
no
yes, Hitler's brother
yes, Hitler's nephew
Hitler's nephew, William Hitler, served in the U.S. Navy during the war. He changed his name to William "Willy" Patrick Stuart-Houston.
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Enola Gay was the name of the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb over the port city of Hiroshima, Japan. What was the name of the aircraft that dropped the second bomb over Nagasaki?
Bockscar
Bockscar was named for its usual pilot Frederick Bock. On the actual day of the bombing, though, Bock was in another B-29 designed to take scientific measurements of the blast.
Big Boots
Reliant
Kamikaze "suicide" pilots were dreaded Japanese weapons during the war. About how many Kamikaze pilots intentionally crashed their planes into enemy targets during the conflict?
500
2,800
Approximately 2,800 Japanese pilots died in kamikaze raids during the war. Their efforts killed over 4,900 sailors and destroyed 34 U.S. ships.
10,000
World War II was a devastating conflict, but it did lead to the creation of an effective international organization devoted to worldwide peace and security. What is it?
the League of Nations
the United Nations
The United Nations formed in 1945 to replace the floundering League of Nations. Only sovereign states can become UN members. This influential organization currently has 193 member states.
NATO
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You Got:
/30
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