Question 1

To support the Spanish republican government and to protest the German bombing of a Basque town in April 1937,Pablo Picasso painted:

Accepted Answer

Pablo Picasso painted Guernica to support the Spanish republican government and protest the German bombing of a Basque town in April 1937. The painting depicts the suffering and destruction caused by war, and has become a symbol of anti-war movements.

Question 2

Which of the following was NOT an important factor in the weakness of the League of Nations?

Accepted Answer

While the effects of the Great Depression did pose challenges to the League of Nations, it was not a primary factor in its weakness. The other options, particularly B, C, and E, played much greater roles in the League's ultimate failure.

Question 3

Which of the following is considered a crucial quality of Winston Churchill's leadership during the Second World War?

Accepted Answer

Winston Churchill's extraordinary gift of language, using speeches to inspire courage and defiance, is considered a crucial quality of his leadership during the Second World War. His speeches, such as the famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, were instrumental in maintaining morale and rallying the British people during the darkest days of the war.

Question 4

Japan's actions in the Pacific,which led to conflict with the Allies in the Second World War,began with its efforts to establish what Japan referred to as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Japan's efforts to expand its influence in the Pacific during World War II were driven by its desire to create a Greater Pacific Co-Prosperity Sphere, which was essentially an economic and political union of Asian countries under Japanese leadership. This concept was used to justify Japan's aggressive actions in the region and was a key factor leading to its conflict with the Allies.

Question 5

How did Nazi efforts to end the Great Depression in Germany contribute to the militarization of Europe?

Accepted Answer

The Nazi's massive program of rearmament, along with their building of military infrastructure, was intended to reduce unemployment by providing jobs for German workers. However, this also increased the militarization of Germany and ultimately contributed to the arms race and tensions in Europe, which eventually led to the outbreak of World War II.

Question 6

Several consequences of the Great Depression of the 1930s led to the Second World War.Among these was:

Accepted Answer

The Great Depression led to an intensification of economic nationalism as countries tried to protect their own industries and prevent foreign competition. This protectionism ultimately led to tensions between countries and contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Question 7

During the mid-1930s,the Spanish Civil War provided a testing ground for opposing forces in Europe,with the Soviet Union backing the republican government and Nazi Germany backing:

Accepted Answer

Nazi Germany backed Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War.

Question 8

After a policy of appeasement failed to curb Hitler's actions on the Continent,the ruling British government was replaced by a coalition under the leadership of:

Accepted Answer

Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as the leader of the British government after it became clear that Chamberlain's policy of appeasement had failed to prevent Hitler's aggression. Churchill's leadership during World War II was instrumental in leading the Allied forces to victory.

Question 9

Due to the memories of World War I,many Western nations were divided in their response to actions taken by fascist and nationalist governments.Some wished to meet such actions with force if necessary,while others wished to negotiate.This second approach is usually referred to as:

Accepted Answer

The second approach is usually referred to as appeasement, which means to satisfy the demands of a country in order to avoid conflict. This was the approach taken by some Western nations, such as Britain and France, towards Hitler's aggression in the lead up to World War II.

Question 10

To what does the term Blitzkrieg refer?

Accepted Answer

Blitzkrieg refers to the sweeping, meticulous use of German armored vehicles and air power to cut apart slower enemy armies. This tactic was famously used by Germany during World War II, particularly in the invasion of Poland in 1939 and the invasion of France in 1940.

Question 11

The mandate territories were created after World War I:

Accepted Answer

The mandate territories were created as part of the post-World War I settlement to add to the French and British empires. The territories were former Ottoman territories in the Middle East and Africa and were placed under the control of France and Britain as mandated territories, with the intention of eventually granting them independence.

Question 12

The Second World War differed from the First World War in many ways that did NOT include:

Accepted Answer

The improvement of trench warfare was not a similarity between the First and Second World Wars. The use of trenches was primarily a defensive tactic used in the First World War, whereas the Second World War saw a shift towards more mobile and offensive tactics, such as Blitzkrieg.

Question 13

Following the German army's rapid victory in its invasion of Poland,the war entered a stage of inaction,a stage some referred to as a:

Accepted Answer

The stage of inaction following the German victory in Poland was known as the "Phony War," as both sides fortified their defenses and waited for the other to make a move.

Question 14

How did Neville Chamberlain presume that the Munich agreement would satisfy Hitler's ambitions?

Accepted Answer

Neville Chamberlain believed that allowing Hitler to unify all ethnic Germans in one state, which was ultimately achieved through the Munich Agreement, would satisfy Hitler's territorial ambitions and prevent further aggression. Chamberlain hoped that this appeasement strategy would avoid another devastating war with Germany. However, his assumptions were proven wrong when Hitler soon violated the Munich Agreement and continued his expansionist policies.

Question 15

Although France had been defeated by the Germans,it was allowed to establish a subject government in the south of France under the leadership of First World War hero:

Accepted Answer

Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain was appointed as the leader of Vichy France, a pro-Nazi puppet government that controlled the southern half of France after Germany's victory over France in 1940. Although Pétain was a respected First World War hero, he later collaborated with Nazi Germany and supported their ideology.

Question 16

When the war in the West finally did begin in 1940,the Germans nearly destroyed the combined British and French armies,but a great number of the British and French soldiers escaped in a massive evacuation from:

Accepted Answer

The best choice is B) Dunkirk, as it was the site of the massive evacuation of British and French soldiers in 1940. Normandy, Calais, and Dieppe were also sites of significant battles during World War II, but they were not the location of the evacuation described in the question. Amsterdam was not involved in the war in the same way that the other locations were.

Question 17

How did Stalin respond to the settlement at Munich?

Accepted Answer

Stalin responded to the settlement at Munich by feeling that it was a betrayal by the Western powers and he believed that they would not be able to stop the expansion of Nazi Germany. As a result, he signed a nonaggression pact with Nazi Germany in August 1939, which allowed Germany to invade Poland without fearing Soviet intervention.

Question 18

How did France ultimately respond to Germany's stunning early successes in May 1940?

Accepted Answer

France rapidly surrendered after six weeks of fighting, leading to the establishment of the Vichy government, a neutral, right-wing regime in the southern part of France.

Question 19

The Second World War began with the German invasion of Poland on:

Accepted Answer

The Second World War began with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Choice A is incorrect as that was the date of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which brought the US into the war. Choice B is incorrect as this was the date of the Munich Agreement between Germany, Britain, France, and Italy which allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Choice D is incorrect as this was the date of the Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day), and Choice E is incorrect as there were no major events on this date related to the Second World War.

Question 20

Hitler's stated objective in the 1930s was to reunite all ethnic Germans inside his "Third German Reich," and the first move to accomplish this objective was the:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hitler's stated objective in the 1930s was...

Quiz 26: The Second World War