Practice Questions for WWII Test
1. Which was a characteristic of Germany under Adolf Hitler and the Soviet Union under
Josef Stalin?
A.
B.
C.
D.
an official foreign policy of isolationism
governmental control of the media
public ownership of business and industry
the absence of a written constitution
2. What is the meaning of this political cartoon?
A. The Soviet Union should not attack the Axis.
B. Appeasement is the best response; Germany
is unstoppable.
C. USSR won’t be as easy to defeat as smaller
European nations.
D. If America doesn’t end its isolationism, the
Allies will be overpowered.
3. World War II is often considered to be a turning point in history because
A. the League of Nations demonstrated that an international organization could maintain world
peace
B. the war brought an end to dictatorships as a form of government
C. European domination of the world began to weaken as nationalism in colonies increased
D. religious and ethnic differences were no longer a source of conflict between nations
4. Which reform took place in Japan after World War II?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Japan’s industrial capability was greatly reduced
The emperor’s position was abolished
Japan became a representative democracy
Labor unions were declared illegal
5. Which is one major reason the Holocaust is considered a unique event in modern
European history?
A. Jews of Europe have seldom been victims of persecution.
B. Civilians rarely were killed during air raids on Great Britain.
C. Adolf Hitler concealed his anti-Jewish feelings until after he came to power.
D. The genocide was planned in great detail and required the cooperation of many people.
The Covenant of the League of Nations
The HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES, in order to promote international co-operation and to achieve
international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war by the
prescription of open, just and honorable relationships between nations by the firm establishment of
the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among Governments, and by the
maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organized
peoples with one another Agree to this Covenant of the League of Nations.
Excerpt from the Treaty of Versailles, 1919
6. Based on the excerpts, why was the League of Nations created?
A. To be sure that the countries of the world had a place to gather.
B. To promote international understanding and acceptance.
C. To achieve international co-operation and avoid conflict.
D. To create laws that all nations agree to follow.
7. Based on the clues provided in the excerpt, the League of Nations was formed following:
A. World War I
B. World War II
C. the American Revolution
D. the Cold War
The alarm went off between 5-5:30 A.M., and as usual, I jumped on my bicycle towards the firehouse.
I had a strange feeling when I got there and saw many people standing in front of it. I was not
allowed to go into the firehouse to take the engines out, or even to open the doors. One of my
friends, who lived next to the Synagogue, whispered to me, “Be quiet—the Synagogue is burning; I
was beaten up already when I wanted to put out the fire.”
Eventually we were allowed to take the fire engines out, but only very slowly. We were ordered not
to use any water till the whole synagogue was burned down. Many of us did not like to do that, but
we had to be careful not to voice our opinions, because “the enemy is listening.”
Only after one of the party members was worried that his house was going to catch fire, were we
allowed to use water. But, even then, we just had to stand and watch until the House of Prayer was
reduced to rubble and ashes.
In the meantime, the marshals rounded up the Jews and dragged them in front of the Synagogue,
where they had to kneel down and put their hands above their heads. I saw with my own eyes how
one old Jew was dragged down and pushed to his knees. Then the arsonists came in their brown
uniforms to admire the results of their destruction.
…Everyone seemed rather quiet and subdued… We had to stand watch at the Synagogue to make
sure there were no more smoldering sparks.
As I was watching the destroyed Synagogue and the frail old Jews, I wondered whose turn would be
next!... When would it be our turn? Will the same thing happen to our Protestant and Catholic
Churches?
An excerpt from a letter that was written by a retired fireman remembering the Night of Broken
Glass, in November 1938 in Laupheim, Germany
8. Why were the firemen allowed to only take the fire engines out slowly?
A. Because the Nazis wanted to ensure the synagogue would be destroyed.
B. Because the citizens did not want the firemen to be injured in the chaos.
C. Because the marshals wanted to round up the Jews first to see the fire.
D. Because the Jewish firemen did not want the synagogue to be saved.
9. Notice the last words of the excerpt. Which other written text is the most alike the
questions the fireman asks in the last paragraph?
A. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler C. “They Came For the Communists” by Martin Niemueller
B. Night by Elie Wiesel
D. Why We Fight by Frank Capra
10. What was the name of the night in which the events described here happened?
A. The Olympics
B. Kristallnacht
C. Auschwitz
D. D-Day
11. Use the map above to answer the question: Which of these countries was not under the
control of another?
A. Mongolia
B. Manchuria
C. Australia
D. China
12. Use the map above. Knowing that the Allies sailed out from southern shore of the British
isles and traveled due south, can you identify in which country the soldiers landed on D-Day?
A. Germany
B. France
C. Italy
D. Russia
13. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Americans
A. fought back with many planes of their own
B. lost their president, who was killed
C. immediately dropped an atomic bomb on Japan
D. were completely surprised
14. The German invasion of the Soviet Union was stopped by
A. the harsh Russian winter
B. the atomic bomb
C. the end of the war
D. an agreement between the Soviet Union and Germany