World War II 1938-1945 — Practice Quiz
A US History cheat sheet for World War II 1938-1945 — every key formula with its symbols defined — plus a medium-level practice quiz to test recall.
Formulas & key concepts
Policy of giving in to an aggressor's demands in order to keep the peace (e.g., Munich Agreement)
Where: Failed to stop Hitler's aggression
Law that allowed the US to ship arms and other supplies, without immediate payment, to nations fighting the Axis powers
Where: Ended US neutrality in practice
Surprise attack by Japan on the US naval base in Hawaii
Where: "A date which will live in infamy"; brought US into WWII
Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII
Where: Opposed by the Allies (US, UK, USSR)
Group of nations, including the US, Britain, and the Soviet Union, that opposed the Axis powers
Where: Led by FDR, Churchill, and Stalin
Agency established to coordinate the production of military supplies by US industries
Where: Ended the Great Depression
Cultural icon of WWII, representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards
Where: Symbol of women's contribution to the war effort
Restricting the amount of food and other goods people may buy during wartime to assure adequate supplies for the military
Where: Coupons used for sugar, meat, gasoline, etc.
Forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during WWII
Where: Executive Order 9066
Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of Japanese internment
Where: Justified as a "military necessity"
African American campaign for victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home
Where: Laid groundwork for Civil Rights Movement
First African American military aviators in the US Armed Forces
Where: Proved African Americans could fly and fight with distinction
Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France (Normandy)
Where: Operation Overlord; turning point in European theater
Last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front
Where: Allied victory; depleted German resources
Victory in Europe Day; marked the formal acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender
Where: End of war in Europe
Systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime
Where: "Final Solution"; genocide
Crucial naval battle in the Pacific theater; US defeated Japan
Where: Turning point in the Pacific war
Military strategy employed by the Allies in the Pacific War against Japan and the Axis powers
Where: Bypassing heavily fortified islands to reach Japan
Bloody battles in the Pacific; critical for US invasion of Japan
Where: High casualty rates influenced decision to use atomic bomb
Code name for the secret US project set up in 1942 to develop atomic bombs
Where: Led by J. Robert Oppenheimer
Japanese cities destroyed by US atomic bombs
Where: Led to Japan's surrender and end of WWII
Victory over Japan Day; marked the end of WWII
Where: Japan formally surrendered on USS Missouri
Meeting of FDR, Churchill, and Stalin to plan for post-war world
Where: Agreed on division of Germany and creation of UN
Meeting of Truman, Churchill/Attlee, and Stalin to negotiate terms for the end of WWII
Where: Issued Potsdam Declaration demanding Japan's surrender
International organization formed to promote international peace, security, and cooperation
Where: Replaced the League of Nations
Series of military tribunals held by the Allied forces after WWII to prosecute prominent members of Nazi Germany
Where: Established principle of individual responsibility for war crimes
Law that provided financial and educational benefits for WWII veterans
Where: Helped veterans attend college and buy homes
Native Americans who used their traditional language to transmit secret Allied messages in the Pacific theater
Where: Code was never broken by the Japanese
Agreement with Mexico that allowed Mexican laborers to work in the US during WWII
Where: Addressed labor shortage in agriculture
Series of conflicts in Los Angeles between US servicemen and Mexican American youths
Where: Highlighted racial tensions on the home front
Practice quiz
What was the primary goal of the policy of "appeasement" adopted by some European powers before World War II?
- To provoke Germany into an early war.
- To prevent war by satisfying Hitler's demands.
- To form a strong military alliance against the Axis.
- To encourage economic sanctions against aggressive nations.
Answer: To prevent war by satisfying Hitler's demands.
The Lend-Lease Act, passed in 1941, significantly altered the United States' stance on World War II by:
- Formally declaring war on Germany and Japan.
- Providing military aid to the Axis powers.
- Allowing the US to supply Allied nations with war materials without immediate payment.
- Establishing a permanent military alliance with Great Britain.
Answer: Allowing the US to supply Allied nations with war materials without immediate payment.
What event, described by President Roosevelt as "a date which will live in infamy," directly led to the United States' entry into World War II?
- The German invasion of Poland.
- The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
- The sinking of the Lusitania.
- The Battle of Midway.
Answer: The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
The cultural icon "Rosie the Riveter" symbolized which significant aspect of the American home front during World War II?
- The rationing of goods and supplies.
- The contributions of women to the war effort in industrial jobs.
- The efforts of soldiers fighting overseas.
- The internment of Japanese Americans.
Answer: The contributions of women to the war effort in industrial jobs.
During World War II, Executive Order 9066 led to the forced relocation and incarceration of which group of Americans?
- German Americans.
- Italian Americans.
- Japanese Americans.
- African Americans.
Answer: Japanese Americans.
The "Double V Campaign" during World War II advocated for which two victories for African Americans?
- Victory in Europe and victory in the Pacific.
- Victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home.
- Victory in the air and victory at sea.
- Victory in economic prosperity and victory in political power.
Answer: Victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home.
What major Allied operation on June 6, 1944, marked the beginning of the liberation of Nazi-occupied France and was a turning point in the European theater?
- The Battle of the Bulge.
- The invasion of Italy.
- D-Day (Operation Overlord).
- The Battle of Stalingrad.
Answer: D-Day (Operation Overlord).
Which crucial naval battle in 1942 is considered a major turning point in the Pacific theater of World War II, where the United States decisively defeated Japan?
- The attack on Pearl Harbor.
- The Battle of Iwo Jima.
- The Battle of Midway.
- The Battle of Okinawa.
Answer: The Battle of Midway.
The secret US project established in 1942 to develop atomic bombs was known by what code name?
- Operation Overlord.
- The Apollo Program.
- The Manhattan Project.
- Project Paperclip.
Answer: The Manhattan Project.
What international organization was formed in 1945, replacing the League of Nations, with the goal of promoting international peace, security, and cooperation?
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
- The Warsaw Pact.
- The United Nations.
- The World Court.
Answer: The United Nations.
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