World War II Quiz

Treaty of Versailles

treaty that ended World War I and imposed harsh penalties on Germany, leading to resentment and contributing to the rise of Hitler and World War II.

Neville Chamberlain

British Prime Minister who famously pursued a policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany, hoping to avoid war

Great Depression

severe economic downturn that began in the late 1920s and lasted throughout the 1930s

Non-aggression Pact

agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other

Adolf Hitler

German politician who led the Nazi Party and was the primary instigator of World War II and the Holocaust

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

US President who led the country through the Great Depression and World War II

Poland

country invaded by Nazi Germany in September 1939, which started World War II.

Allied Powers

military alliance of Great Britain, Soviet Union, and United States

Axis Powers

military alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan

Pearl Harbor

surprise attack by Japan on the US naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which led to US entry into World War II

Battle of Midway

naval battle fought in June 4-7, 1942, in which the US defeated Japan and turned the tide of the war in the Pacific

Berlin

capital city of Nazi Germany, which was captured by Soviet forces in May 1945

Stalingrad

city in Russia where a major battle was fought between German and Soviet forces in 1942-43, resulting in a Soviet victory

DDay

Operation Overlord Normandy - the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, which marked the beginning of the end of the war in Europe

General Issued

standard-issue item or procedure in the military, such as uniforms or rations

VE Day

May 8, 1945, Germany officially surrendered to the Allies and the war in Europe ended

Atomic Bomb

a powerful weapon that uses nuclear reactions to release massive amounts of energy, which was used by the US to bomb Japan in August 1945

Harry Truman

US President who made the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan

Hiroshima

Japanese city that was destroyed by the first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945

Nagasaki

Japanese city that was destroyed by the second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945

VJ Day

August 15, 1945, Japan officially surrendered to the Allies and the war ended