Name: ______Date:______
WWII UNIT TEST STUDY GUIDE
AGGRESSION IN EUROPE
1. Where did each of the aggressive nations invade and why?
2. What is appeasement?
a. Why was it tried?
b. Why did it fail?
3. Explain what the Anschluss was:
4. Which countries made up the Axis alliance?
5. What aggressive actions did Hitler take (and in what order)?
6. What was the purpose of the Munich Conference?
7. Why did the U.S. decide to be isolationist?
8. Explain the purpose of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact:
WORLD WAR II
9. Why did Great Britain and France enter the war?
10. Explain the Blitzkrieg strategy:
11. What was the Maginot Line and why didn’t it work?
12. What was the reason for the “fake war”?
13. How did the British manage to win the Battle of Britain?
14. Why does Italy attack North Africa instead of helping in the Battle of Britain?
15. Explain the island-hopping strategy:
16. Who was the Commander of Allies in Europe? In the Pacific?
17. Why were the Germans defeated at the major battles in the Soviet Union?
18. What was the last major German offensive?
19. Why did the Japanese turn to kamikaze pilots?
20. Why did the United States decide to drop the atomic bomb on Japan?
SHORT ANSWERS: These are the actual short answer questions on the test. Since you have them ahead of time, they are worth 10 points each. The expectation is you will use information from class notes and discussions as well as your ability to apply logic and reason in answering these questions. Specific examples will be an absolute requirement as will the explanation of why these examples matter!
1. Explain how the invasion of the Soviet Union by Hitler was so similar to the invasion of Russia by Napoleon. What could Hitler have done differently to help win if he’d studied history?
2. Explain whether or not you think the U.S. was justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Make sure to use information from the battles in the Pacific in your answer.