Question 1

What is blitzkrieg?

Accepted Answer

A form of intense warfare where the attacked uses a rapid overwhelming force to quickly defeat the enemy

(Hitler used blitzkrieg to quickly subdue Poland)

Question 2

How did Hitler's rapid success in Poland affect his strategy?

Accepted Answer

He continued to conquer Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France in the next few months

Question 3

What was the Destroyers-for-Bases agreement?

Accepted Answer

An agreement between the US and the UK where the US would deliver 50 destroyers in exchange for eight British air and naval bases in the Western hemisphere

Question 4

What was Vichy France?

Accepted Answer

The name given to the French State controlled by the Nazis during WWII

Question 5

Why did Hitler order a large campaign against Britain by the Luftwaffe (German air force)?

Accepted Answer

He believed air bombardment would weaken Britain enough so that sea and land forces could invade it

Question 6

What was the Lend-Lease Act?

Accepted Answer

An act that gave president FDR unlimited ability to lend war materials to Britain, breaking the pretension of neutrality

Question 7

What was the Atlantic Charter?

Accepted Answer

A statement issued by FDR and Churchill in 1941 about what the world should look like after WWII

(restoring self-government; abandoning use of force; disarming aggressor nations)

Question 8

What was the Battle of Britain?

Accepted Answer

A military campaign during WWII, where the British Army defended Britain from Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe

Question 9

What did Hitler do after failing to invade Britain?

Accepted Answer

He attacked the Soviet Union to eliminate Bolshevism and create Lebensraum (land for Aryans to settle and develop)

(took pressure off of Britain)

Question 10

Who was Winston Churchill?

Accepted Answer

British Prime Minister during WWII

Known for his strong leadership

Question 11

What was the Siege of Leningrad?

Accepted Answer

A massive, prolonged military blockade where Hitler's Nazi forces attempted to invade Leningrad

(resulted in Soviet victory after three years and millions of deaths)

Question 12

What was the Attack on Pearl Harbor?

Accepted Answer

A surprise military strike by the Japanese Empire against the US's Pearl Harbor, destroying much of the US Pacific fleet

Question 13

What effect did the Japanese think the Attack on Pearl Harbor would have on the US?

Accepted Answer

The Japanese expected it to wipe out the US's naval base and prevent them from responding

(this prediction did not hold true)

Question 14

What did the US do in response to the Attack on Pearl Harbor?

Accepted Answer

US isolationism disappeared overnight, and the public demanded retaliation against Japan

(Britain and China joined the US against Japan; Hitler soon declared war on the US)

Question 15

How did the Indian Army influence WWII?

Accepted Answer

It became the largest volunteer army in history, sending out over 2.5 million men

Most troops went to fight the Japanese in Southeast Asia, but some went to North Africa

Question 16

Who was Erwin Rommel?

Accepted Answer

German general during WWII who led German troops in Egypt

(known as the "Desert Fox")

Question 17

What was the Battle of El Alamein?

Accepted Answer

A battle during WWII where the British defeated Rommel in North Africa, turning the tide of war

Question 18

What was the Battle of Stalingrad?

Accepted Answer

A battle between Germany and the Soviet Union during WWII, where the Soviets defeated the pride of Hitler's military

(combined with the Battle of El Alamein, this turned the momentum of war against the Nazis)

Question 19

What was the Battle of the Coral Sea?

Accepted Answer

A major battle between the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy, where the US stopped the Japanese from invading New Guinea and the Soloman Islands

(helped prevent invasion of Australia)

Question 20

What was the Battle of Midway?

Accepted Answer

A battle between the US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy, where Allied forces turned the tide in their favor

(6 months after Pearl Harbor; 1 month after Coral Sea)

Question 21

What was the Battle of Guadalcanal?

Accepted Answer

A military campaign against Japanese forces during WWII, where the Allies won their first offensive battle against Japan

Question 22

Who was Douglas MacArthur?

Accepted Answer

An American general who played a prominent role in WWII's Pacific Theater

Question 23

What is island-hopping?

Accepted Answer

A military strategy used in WWII against Japan

Idea is to bypass heavily fortified islands, while capturing a path of islands leading to the final target

Question 24

How did technology influence the Allies' success against Japan?

Accepted Answer

Development of aircraft carriers provided air support for battleships

Aircraft raided ships, and submarines damaged Japan's supply lines

Question 25

What was D-Day (Normandy Landings)?

Accepted Answer

Landing operations by Eisenhower, who launched an amphibious invasion of 150,000 Allied forces into Normandy (northern France)

Lots of Allies died, but they could eventually establish a base, later liberating Paris

Question 26

What was the Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Counteroffensive)?

Accepted Answer

A WWII battle between the Allies and Germany in the Ardennes Forest

(resulted in Allied victory, giving Germany no hope to win WWII)

Question 27

What was the Battle of Kursk?

Accepted Answer

A WWII battle between the Germans and Soviets, where the Soviets defeated the Germans and began to advance on Berlin

Question 28

What were the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Accepted Answer

The detonation of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima, then Nagasaki by the US

(140,000 Japanese civilian deaths)

Question 29

What was V-E Day?

Accepted Answer

Victory in Europe Day, when the Allied forces officially beat Germany in WWII

Question 30

Why did the US drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima nad Nagasaki?

Accepted Answer

The Allies feared invading Japan would lead to too many casualties

Truman was hesitant to use atomic bombs, but eventually decided to do it

Question 31

What was V-J Day?

Accepted Answer

Victory over Japan Day, when the Allies officially beat Japan

7.7 - Conducting WWII, AP World History: Modern Flashcards