Quiz 23: The Abyss: World War Ii and the Holocaust, 1940-1945

German offensives in Scandinavia and Western Europe in 1940 relied on a style of fighting known as blitzkrieg.What characterized this strategy? A) drawn-out series of massive battles within major population centers B) short, fast, and powerful attacks intended to overwhelm the enemy C) siege-type warfare meant to starve the enemy into submission D) alliances with internal enemies, resulting in civil unrest and weakened central governments E) covert operations made by small units using mostly machine guns

Which of the following occurred at Dunkirk in 1940? A) a confrontation between French and German troops that convinced the Allies they would lose the war B) the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of British troops from a French port, the success of which boosted British morale C) a largely unsuccessful meeting during which Winston Churchill sought terms with the German colossus D) the return of French civilians after having fled much of France two years prior E) a major aerial duel of German and British forces that came to be known as the Battle of Britain

What concern distracted the French political and military leadership during the German invasion, perhaps to the point of leading to the fall of France? A) evacuating the country's Jewish citizens B) erecting strong defenses around the capital city of Paris C) coordinating efforts with their British allies D) rallying the nation through speeches and printed propaganda E) preventing a left-wing uprising

What did the Nazi army accomplish with the Blitz? A) the almost complete destruction of Britain's Royal Air Force B) a severe limitation of Britain's industrial output C) a marked lowering of British morale and support for war efforts D) the destruction of a large number of British buildings and considerable civilian casualties E) the utter destruction of London's subway system

What was Britain's greatest weakness at the time of the initial Nazi assault in 1940-1941? A) British factories were unable to keep up with the German output of aircraft. B) The Germans had cracked the British communication codes. C) Britain relied on imports to feed its population. D) The German military had primitive radar technology, whereas the British military Did not. E) Air battles were fought over German-held land where fallen planes were irretrievable.

What was the significance of the Lend-Lease policy? A) It was largely unsuccessful, in part due to the U.S.refusal to extend resources to the USSR at any point. B) It officially gave the Germans control of the bases and resources of fallen France, resulting in a large-scale ramping up of Axis military production. C) It offered new military technologies to both the Allied and Axis powers, in exchange for military leases. D) Its approval by Congress marked America's official entry into the war as a combatant country, in anticipation of a possible attack on Pearl Harbor. E) It provided the Allies with the strength of American industrial output in exchange for leases of military bases or eventual repayment.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the state of the war during 1940-1941? A) Following the Battle of Britain, it was clear that the Phony War would return. B) The Nazis consolidated their rule on the European continent, with the help of so-called collaborators. C) At this stage, Nazis preferred to take absolute control of most conquered areas, rather than ruling through local authorities. D) The military alliance among the Axis powers grew very loose and was in danger of falling apart. E) Compared to the other conquered European countries, France mattered the least.

What was the situation in Poland in 1940? A) Poland was waging a war on two fronts, against Germany and the Soviet Union. B) Germany occupied Poland, with the cooperation of the Polish government. C) Poland was in a state of civil war, with various factions competing for control. D) Italy occupied Poland, despite a strong and active resistance movement. E) Poland was effectively nonexistent, with territory split between German and Soviet control.

What was the General Government? A) a blanket term used by Germans for all Nazi regimes throughout Europe B) a surprisingly effective Polish resistance movement C) Soviet-controlled European nations during the early part of World War II D) a portion of Central Poland under direct Nazi rule E) a term encompassing all countries controlled by the Axis powers

What was the eventual result of Italy's attempted invasion of Greece in 1940? A) Britain gained important strategic bases in Greece. B) Mussolini was challenged by an unsuccessful coup d'état. C) Hitler concluded that Italy would not stand up to a serious military challenge. D) Germany expanded its control of eastern and southern Europe. E) Nearly all of Greece's 3 million Roma residents were murdered.

What was Operation Barbarossa? A) It was the German invasion of the Soviet Union, during which the scale of death of the war significantly increased. B) It was the Allied invasion of France across the English Channel, during which their forces faced an Atlantic Wall built by the Nazis. C) It was an undercover effort to liberate prisoners from German concentration camps. D) It was a special German military "task force" of SS members that pursued Jews, Roma, homosexuals, the mentally handicapped, and Communists. E) It was a large-scale secret project undertaken by British and American physicists to build the first atomic bomb.

Why did Hitler invade the Soviet Union? A) Hitler considered an eastern war inevitable eventually, and the USSR was the only potential British ally left on the Continent. B) Hitler learned of imminent Soviet plans to attack German troops in Poland and sought to prevent it. C) Hitler was concerned about German troops sympathizing with Soviet political ideals and was determined to eradicate them. D) The Soviets were in conflict with the Germans regarding the treatment of Jews and undertook efforts to protect them. E) The Soviet Union had a far smaller population than Germany did and would be an easy target.

What development before World War II significantly hampered the effectiveness of the Soviet army in resisting invasion? A) the conscription of women B) a series of purges removing top military leaders C) the creation of a communist command economy D) a strong anti-war culture E) a string of brutally cold and snowy winters resulting in destroyed roads

Hitler stated that "the struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful, and unrelenting harshness." What struggle was he referring to in this statement? A) the Phony War B) the overthrow of the Vichy Regime C) the war on the Eastern front D) the Battle of Britain E) the series of blitzkrieg attacks in 1940

When do historians believe Hitler lost any remaining hesitation about implementing his long-held ambition to exterminate the Jews? A) after Germany lost its first significant battle B) in the 1930s, several years before the war began C) as German forces advanced into the Soviet Union D) when the United States entered the war E) when Hitler began showing signs of insanity

What form did the struggle for control of Leningrad take? A) a brutal blitzkrieg attack B) a protracted siege C) an aerial battle D) a swift surprise attack from within the city E) a battle fought entirely by submarine

What strategy did Georgi Zhukov use to oppose the Germans at Leningrad and Moscow? A) mass mobilization of civilians to build defensive lines B) new U-2 submarine technology C) the cutting off of German supply lines D) sneak attacks at German military camps E) the first primitive radar technology

What was the greatest challenge to the German army as it neared Moscow in fall 1941? A) bombing raids by the British and Americans B) Russian weather and terrain C) attacks by the Night Witches D) civilians fighting back with rifles and Molotov cocktails E) an outbreak of dysentery

What occurred in the Pacific in the months immediately following Pearl Harbor? A) the Allied capture of large numbers of Japanese prisoners B) battles between the British and French in colonial territory C) the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki D) a series of quick Japanese victories over Allied colonial holdings E) the large scale transfer of American troops to bases in Guam and Wake Islands

What was a consequence of colonial soldiers serving in Allied European armies? A) Native governments began to weaken and increasingly depended on colonial leadership. B) The colonial powers initially guaranteed they would free the colonies at the end of the war in exchange for the service of the soldiers. C) The colonial powers only turned to the United States for the supply of raw materials during the war, not to their colonies. D) The colonial powers forbade all colonial soldiers, including Indians, from fighting on the European continent itself. E) Colonial soldiers often resented exploitation by the colonial powers, believing that they owed them for their service.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor? A) It prevented a British attack on Syria from bases in Palestine and Iraq. B) It caused Europe to no longer be considered a principle theater of operation for the rest of the war. C) It greatly expanded the dimensions of the war and tied it to a struggle for control of the Pacific Ocean. D) It led the British and Americans to stop devoting money and resources to the Manhattan Project. E) It led Hitler to believe that Germany would lose the war, due to the entry of the United States as an Allied power.

What did Churchill refer to as "perhaps, the end of the beginning" of the war? A) the bombing of Pearl Harbor B) the American sinking of Japanese ships at Midway C) the end of the siege of Leningrad D) the British victory at El Alamein E) the British evacuations at Dunkirk

What action was punishable by death in the Soviet army? A) retreat B) espionage C) hoarding food D) rape of enemy civilians E) the spread of propaganda encouraging brutality

Stalingrad has been considered the most important battle of the war due to the lasting blow it dealt to the Nazis.What led to the German defeat at Stalingrad? A) the severity of the Soviet weather and terrain B) the sheer number of Soviet troops and weapons C) the mechanical failure of a large number of German tanks D) very few casualties suffered by the Soviet forces E) the disobedience by German soldiers of their officers' orders

Why did America develop a submarine fleet in 1942? A) to prepare for an invasion of the Italian coast that would fulfill Stalin's demand of a second front B) to stop Japanese shipments of food and oil because Japan was dependent on imports C) to guard British merchant ships since Britain did not participate in the Lend-Lease policy D) to protect German refugees, such as those on the Wilhelm Gustlo E) to aid British troops in North Africa, helping to preserve the British empire

What happened at the Wannsee conference? A) Stalin issued his infamous Order 227 for mobilization: "Not a Step Back!" B) The Allies finalized the details for post-war occupation of Germany and Austria. C) Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to open a second front to relieve pressure on Soviet troops. D) The Nazis planned the industrialized mass murder of the Jews. E) The Americans committed to using the atomic bomb against the Japanese.

What is the largest and most famous German concentration camp, where nearly 1 million of the estimated 5.4 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust died? A) Bergen-Belsen B) Auschwitz-Birkenau C) Jedwabne D) Dachau E) Treblinka

Which group had the second highest death total at the hands of the Nazis? A) Soviet prisoners of war B) homosexuals C) Roma D) German political prisoners E) Catholics

What distinguishes the Holocaust from other episodes of genocide in history? A) Those killed included large numbers of women and children. B) The perpetrators left behind little paperwork or physical evidence of the killings. C) The perpetrators did not rely on the prejudice of the local populations. D) The killings were systematized and deliberately planned. E) The killings were concentrated in one area, rather than a large network of camps.

Which country saw the greatest economic growth during World War II? A) United States B) Soviet Union C) Germany D) Britain E) Italy

Although the Allies had a clear economic advantage, that did not mean an easy victory.Which of the following was a particular problem for the Allies? A) maintaining supply lines B) learning to work together C) poor leadership D) a romanticized view of war E) poor discipline among troops

Which statement accurately describes the Allied bombing campaigns in Europe? A) They markedly lowered German support for the war. B) As the war went on, they were carefully targeted to military areas. C) They permanently destroyed German industrial output early in the war. D) They entailed few Allied losses. E) They inflicted massive civilian casualties.

What was the pattern of warfare on the Eastern Front in 1942 and 1943? A) a series of short, brutal battles with no clear winner B) Soviet victories with high casualties on both sides C) guerilla-type warfare due to the destruction of equipment D) German victories resulting in significant gains in territory E) trench-type warfare reminiscent of World War I

Why did the British favor invading Italy rather than France? A) Roosevelt persuaded them by agreeing to send American troops to North Africa, which was also in easy reach of the Italian coast. B) They were concerned about inflicting casualties on the French, who historically had been British allies. C) They wanted to appease Stalin, who no longer supported the idea of invading France by the time of the invasion of Italy. D) They believed it was a more immediate, achievable target and would require fewer resources. E) They felt prepared to invade France but were strongly opposed to the idea of opening a second front.

Which of the following was practiced by the British government during the war? A) forced relocation of German residents into refugee camps B) rationing of food and fuel C) conscripting women into combat D) stricter censorship than that practiced by German government E) stifling of dissent through mass arrests

Which German practice was enacted by the Nazis only after the war had begun? A) the imposition of strict censorship B) the use of slave labor in factories C) almost total control over the economy D) large-scale propaganda campaigns E) the use of police force to stifle dissent

Which two factors were most important in determining the success of resistance movements in occupied countries? A) geography and organizational ability B) charismatic leadership and military training C) their easy access to high-quality weapons D) historical animosity to Germany and a culture of obedience E) religious idealism and access to food

Which of the following accurately describes the Warsaw ghetto uprising? A) The uprising was the only challenge to German authority made by force by a subjected people during the war. B) The uprising was a series of street battles early in the war, which resulted in equal German and Jewish casualties and delayed the opening of the concentration camps. C) In an impressive act of resistance, Polish Jews planned and executed a sneak attack on the Nazis, but they ultimately suffered a tragic counterattack. D) The uprising turned into a years-long battle that only ended late in the war, a time when resistance movements overall were engaging in far less daring campaigns. E) The uprising was a surprisingly successful rebellion that was led by the Resistance and saved thousands of Jewish lives.

What advantage did the Allies have over Germany in the race to develop atomic weapons? A) a government-controlled economy B) popular support for the project C) the willingness to engage in total war D) Jewish physicists who had left Germany before the war E) a strong research and development weaponry program

What finally motivated Roosevelt and Churchill to commit to the invasion of France? A) their fear that the Soviet Union would gain control of all of Europe B) reports of mass killings of Jews and civilians C) a wish to aid French resistance movements D) Hitler's increasing mental instability E) the German development of the V-1 bomb and V-2 missile

Who was the commander of the D-Day invasion? A) Charles de Gaulle B) Georgi Zhukov C) Erwin Rommel D) George Patton E) Dwight Eisenhower

Approximately how much time elapsed between the D-Day invasion and the Allied liberation of Paris? A) one week B) two and a half months C) two days D) just over a year E) a year and a half

What was a common political situation in Nazi-occupied countries, such as Greece, following liberation? A) a swift return to pre-war governments B) the democratic election of collaborationist leaders C) the establishment of puppet governments by Allied powers D) violent power struggles E) an anarchic political vacuum

Which of the following did the Allies agree upon at Yalta in 1945? A) giving the British control of Austria for several years B) requiring a military escort and protection for German refugees leaving Poland C) holding war crimes trials for prominent German Nazis D) taking full control of post-war Germany E) ceding the territories of the Baltic states and eastern Poland to the Soviet Union

What was the main focus of the Potsdam Conference? A) making provisions for protecting and feeding refugees B) demilitarizing and denazifying Germany C) signing of an agreement by Stalin to commit to the war in Japan D) establishing democratic reforms in Russia E) signing of surrender agreements with Germany and Japan

What was the approximate death toll caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima? A) 40,000 B) 130,000 C) half a million D) 15,000 E) close to 1 million

Which nation suffered the greatest losses during World War II? A) Soviet Union B) Britain C) the United States D) Germany E) Italy

According to the textbook, what does the view of the Holocaust as a "bureaucratic cancer" ignore? A) impersonal processes beyond individual control and beyond conscious intentions B) the promise of fulfilling Germany's desire for Lebensraum or "living space" C) technological changes that strengthened the German economy following industrialization D) the many successes of Jewish challenges to Hitler's power, such as those of the Jewish Combat Organization E) the individuals who did the actual killing and the ten or more years of ideological indoctrination that built on long traditions of anti-Semitism

Which of the following was a result of World War II? A) The joint U.S.-Soviet Union victory caused the Continent to become divided between two conflicting political forces, both of which were led by nations outside the traditional European heartland. B) European imperialism became much easier to impose, as military service by colonial soldiers had increased the contact between empires and their colonies and helped create many lasting shared goals. C) The defeat of Nazi Germany spread fascism and extreme conservatism to an unprecedented degree, as many movements immediately sought to preserve and restore Nazi ideology. D) Japan gave European powers control of many more colonies in Asia after the war, thereby strengthening the structures of European colonialism. E) The trench warfare developed during World War II would lead to more mechanized warfare and, thus, a series of smaller wars, which were considered the most terrifying in European history.

At the beginning of the war, Winston Churchill had a negative reputation as a stubborn has-been who drank too much, but his memorable speeches during the war came to be regarded as key in inspiring the British people.

German ground troops never attacked Britain.

Soon after the 1940 defeat, the Vichy government banned all French Jews from professions such as the military, journalism, and civil service.

During the early part of World War II, through spring 1941, the death toll had already far surpassed that of World War I due to a new reliance on trench warfare.

At the time the Nazi-Soviet pact was signed, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union shared many political and social ideas and ideals.

The Soviets heeded warnings of the possibility of a German invasion and were well prepared for the initial attack.

The United States extended its Lend-Lease program to the USSR, and U.S.goods greatly aided the Soviet war effort.

Hitler never officially declared war on the United States.

The Soviet ability to enact remarkably rapid industrial initiatives was an asset during the war.

Some portion of local populations in occupied countries willingly aided the Germans in the project of Jewish extermination.

Petain's Vichy regime had the support of most French citizens for the first two years of the occupation.

The Allied invasion of France took Hitler completely by surprise.

The Soviets treated German civilians mercifully when pursuing the Axis army in retreat along the eastern front.

Hitler's suicide resulted in one last desperate attempt by the Germans to defeat the Soviet army.

The war in Japan ended several months after the end of the war in Europe.

Compare and contrast the war experiences of Britain and France in 1940-1941.Include the types of attacks each country experienced, the degree to which civilians were impacted by the war, the various leaders in each country, and the role geography played in each country's fate.

What were the typical living conditions for civilians in occupied countries in Europe in 1940-1941? Was there any difference between German treatment of the Western European and Eastern European populations?

Describe the initial German invasion of the Soviet Union and the Soviet response.How did the Soviet prospects and tactics change over time? What was significance of the struggles for Leningrad and Moscow?

Why is the Battle of Stalingrad considered a turning point in the war? What advantages did the Germans have going into the battle? What advantages were held by the Soviets, and what steps did the Soviet government take to rally soldiers and civilians?

How did German treatment of the Jews in the occupied countries change during the course of the war? What does Heinrich Himmler's claim that those who took part in the Holocaust "remained decent fellows" tell us about the Nazi mind-set regarding the Jews?

Why did Stalin want the Allies to open a second front against the Germans by invading France? Why did the Allies choose to invade Italy rather than France in 1943? Did that invasion achieve Stalin's goal?

What were some similarities between pre-war and post-war life in Germany and the Soviet Union, and what changed? How did the experience of British citizens during the war compare to those in Germany and the Soviet Union?

Give a brief overview of the path from the "beginning of the end" to the actual end of the war in Europe.

Why did violence follow liberation throughout Europe?

Describe the refugee crisis following the war.What groups of people were displaced? Under what conditions were they traveling? Why didn't they receive much-needed aid?