World War II Trivia Quiz

Answer: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a strike on the United States base at Pearl Harbor. The attack was originally thought to be headed toward the Philippines or other islands in the Pacific. The US did not think the Japanese could send their planes and ships for a full strike on Pearl Harbor.

Answer: Blitzkrieg

Some countries against which Hitler used these tactics were Poland, France, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. They either fell immediately, or after a few weeks or in some cases, just days.

Answer: The Japanese army swept through the city, killing civilians as well as soldiers.

The Japanese army took control of the city as the Chinese soldiers tried to retreat. In the end, the Chinese were forced to surrender as the Japanese troops overwhelmed the Chinese forces. The surrender was followed by the massacre of an estimated 250,000 Chinese.

Answer: The Battle of Midway

During the Battle of Midway, the Japanese fleet sent four carriers and a couple of other ships. They weren't expecting any American carriers and this caused their downfall. The American carriers were able to destroy all of the Japanese carriers, but the Americans lost one carrier, the Yorktown.

Answer: The Bataan Death March

The Bataan Death March is the best known atrocity committed against American POWs. At least 16,000 men survived to tell the tale, but the rest killed by their Japanese captors. It lasted 8 days.

Answer: Germany

The US and Britain agreed on a "Germany First" policy of priorities.
Nazi Germany was seen as the main threat because it dominated most of Europe.

The US sent most of their forces to Europe to defeat Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated, the US concentrated their attack on Japan.

The Soviet Union was an ally. (The Cold War did not begin till the late 1940s, in other words after WWII).

Italy was defeated before the Allied forces reached Germany.

Answer: Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain was the a key turning point for Hitler's offensive in Western Europe. He had always been on the offensive until the Battle of Britain.

Answer: Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge was a counter-offensive made by the Nazis to stike back, and they tried to take back some of the land that had already been liberated by the Allied forces and they aimed to reach Antwerp.

Answer: The atomic bomb

Atomic bombs destroyed two cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By threatening to destroy Tokyo with another atomic bomb, the Japanese were forced to surrender soon after.

Answer: May 7, 1945

On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered because they were besieged on all sides by the American, Russian, and other European forces. Also, their leader was dead, having committed suicide on April 30, 1945 and the food supplies were running out.