Causes and Alliances
These three nations made up the main Axis Powers in World War II.
Germany, Italy, and Japan
This major event on December 7, 1941 brought the United States into World War II.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
The Battle of Midway took place in this month and year, and was a turning point in the Pacific.
June 1942
These were the first two countries to formally declare war on Germany after its invasion of Poland.
Britain and France
Germany surrendered in this year, ending the war in Europe.
1945
These three nations were the core Allied Powers fighting against the Axis.
The United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union (USSR)
This German military strategy emphasized rapid, coordinated attacks by air and ground forces to overwhelm enemies before they could respond.
Blitzkrieg ('lightning war')
In 1935, Italy invaded this African nation, demonstrating Axis aggression before the war began.
Ethiopia
Germany attacked the Soviet Union in this year, opening the massive Eastern Front.
1941
The war officially ended in this month and year, following Japan's surrender.
August/September 1945 (V-J Day was August 15 / formally September 2)
Before officially entering the war, the United States helped the Allies in this important way.
By supplying them with weapons and food (through the Lend-Lease program)
In 1937, Japan took this aggressive action that escalated conflict in Asia.
Japan invaded China
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan in this year, bringing the Pacific war to an end.
1945
Germany aided Spain during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s by providing these.
Supplies and weapons
Germany was unable to win the war for these two main reasons.
Multiple fronts
Lack of resources
Germany occupied this country before the war officially began — its first territorial takeover in 1938.
Austria
In the late 1930s, the Soviet Union instigated an armed conflict with this neighboring country.
Finland
In the mid-to-late 1930s, Japan and the Soviet Union had these along their shared border — a sign of growing tensions in Asia.
Japan-Soviet border conflicts
Germany's D-Day landing site was kept secret partly through Allied deception. What was the actual location of the Normandy landings, and what date did they occur?
Normandy, France — June 6, 1944
The invention and use of the atomic bomb was the biggest U.S. military advancement of the 1940s. Explain what it was and why it was significant to ending the war.
The atomic bomb was a nuclear weapon of unprecedented destructive power. Dropped on Hiroshima (Aug 6) and Nagasaki (Aug 9) 1945, it killed hundreds of thousands and led Japan to surrender, ending WWII without a ground invasion of Japan.
These were the first two Western European countries Germany invaded at the start of World War II, launching its rapid western offensive.
Norway and Denmark (or Belgium and the Netherlands — accept either pair)
Name TWO reasons Germany was unprepared for the Allied landings at Normandy on D-Day.
Shortage of Luftwaffe (air force) manpower; Wehrmacht and SS units stationed elsewhere; attention diverted to other locations; they were deceived about the landing site (accept any two valid reasons)
Explain why the Battle of Midway was a major turning point in the Pacific. What did the U.S. accomplish, and what did it change?
The U.S. destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers, crippling Japan's naval air power. It shifted the balance of power in the Pacific from Japanese offense to American offense, allowing the U.S. to begin 'island hopping' toward Japan.
As a last effort to turn the war around, Germany deployed these — experimental advanced weapons. Why did this strategy ultimately fail?
Wunderwaffe (wonder weapons — including early jet aircraft and rockets); failed because Germany lacked the resources, manpower, and time to produce them in sufficient numbers
Why was Germany's decision to invade the Soviet Union in 1941 is considered one of Hitler's greatest strategic mistakes.Match at least one of these two reasons:
It opened a massive second front, splitting German forces; the Soviet Union's size and harsh winters exhausted German supply lines; the USSR eventually became one of the strongest Allied forces; it took pressure off Britain and allowed the Allies to regroup