Deck 12: World War II

Question 1

How did Roosevelt's preparedness program affect the size of the U.S. fleet?

A) It doubled its size.
B) It had no effect.
C) It tripled its size.
D) It reduced it to half.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In the short term, how did rapid expansion affect the Army's effectiveness?

A) It decreased the Army's effectiveness as officers were diverted to training and administrative duties.
B) It enhanced the Army's effectiveness as numerous draftees were trained.
C) It limited the Army's effectiveness as new recruits were inexperienced and had low morale.
D) It had no effect.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

All of the following Army officers participated in a major training exercise in September 1940 in Louisiana EXCEPT

A) George Marshal
B) George Patton
C) Walter Krueger
D) Dwight D. Eisenhower

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The Germany First strategy assumed which of the following?

A) A German defeat of Great Britain would greatly decrease chances of an eventual Allied victory.
B) A German victory over Great Britain would exert little effect on the chances for Allied victory.
C) A German victory over Great Britain was impossible, so first priority should not be given to the European theater but rather to the Pacific.
D) Germany should be defeated first as it was vastly more evil.

Question 5

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, while essentially successful, failed to damage which aspect of the United States Navy based in the Pacific?

A) aircraft carriers
B) destroyers
C) battleships
D) submarines

Question 6

Where was the turning point battle in the Pacific?

A) Midway
B) Coral Sea
C) Tarawa
D) the Marianas

Question 7

What type of warfare did the terrain in Papua and the Solomons dictate for U.S. and Japanese forces?

A) infantry combat
B) naval blockade
C) aerial bombardment
D) air, land, and sea battles

Question 8

Which locations were necessary as an advanced based for bombing the Japanese home islands?

A) Marianas
B) Philippines
C) Rabaul
D) Solomons

Question 9

Which factors influenced Truman's decision to utilize the atomic bombs?

A) Japanese determination to mount a determined defense of their home islands and growing American casualties
B) growing war weariness among American allies and a demonstration of American power
C) growing American casualties and Soviet war weariness
D) to demonstrate American military capacity clearly to the Soviets

Question 10

Why did combat at Kasserine Pass run counter to later engagements in Northern Africa?

A) Inexperienced American troops were quickly defeated by the Germans.
B) British officers refused to listen to their American counterparts.
C) British troops quickly disheartened the less experienced German cavalry.
D) The hierarchy of the U.S. military survived and went basically unchanged throughout the ordeal.

Question 11

How did the Sicilian campaign reflect negatively on the highest levels of Allied command?

A) General Patton and Montgomery allowed personal differences to dictate their decision-making.
B) British officers refused to work amicably with the French command.
C) General Alexander allowed his close friendship with Eisenhower to cloud his judgment regarding tactical decisions.
D) General Eisenhower refused to work with General Patton.

Question 12

Which of the following turned the tide in favor of the Allies in Europe?

A) better transports
B) improved fighter aircraft
C) long-range missiles
D) superior leadership

Question 13

Which of the following terms best describes the Allied fighting at Normandy during June 1944?

A) cautious yet slow, brutal victories
B) quick and easily won victories
C) disheartening yet very close losses
D) rapid movement of uncontested combat

Question 14

Which specific group benefited most from their military participation in the Allied War effort?

A) African Americans
B) women
C) Navajos
D) Japanese Americans

Question 15

How did the combat record of Japanese-American soldiers compare with the federal government's view of their ethnicity at home?

A) A stellar combat record defeated the stereotype that Japanese-Americans were disloyal.
B) Rampant desertion rates reinforced negative stereotypes at hom.
C) Few accolades led many to question their contribution to the war effort.
D) Brutal fighting perpetuated the stereotype that they were vicious.

Question 16

How did the U.S. contribute to the deteriorating international situation of the late 1930s?

Question 17

What actions did the U.S. take to aid Great Britain before formally entering the war? Did these justify Germany's declaration of war on the U.S.? Why or why not?

Question 18

How did Japanese-American relations deteriorate after the mid-1930s? What specific issues exacerbated growing distrust between the two nations?

Question 19

How were the Japanese attacks on American possessions in the Pacific at the outset of the war successful? In what ways did they fall short? Were these deficiencies due to poor planning, flawed execution, or some other factors? Support your answer.

Question 20

The Battle of Midway, in 1942, is often seen as the decisive turning point for the war in the Pacific. Is this characterization just? Why or why not?

Question 21

What do you see as the major turning points in the Pacific Theater in World War II? Support your answer.

Question 22

Who dominated the Allied planning of operations during the period 1942-1943? Why was this the case? How did it change over the course of operations?

Question 23

Describe the various factors that postponed an Allied invasion of Europe until 1944. How did these various factors combine to hold back the Allied assault? How did the planning for the invasion betray a shift in the balance of power among the Western allies?

Question 24

Why was Eisenhower the logical choice for supreme command of the Allied invasion?

Question 25

How did the war produce change and opportunities for women and minorities in both the economic realm and in the ranks of the military?