World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations – including all of the great powers – eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries.
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How Well Do You Know the World War II? Quiz Questions
At the start of the European theatre in 1939, there were already two countries at war. What were the two countries?
North Korea and South Korea
Japan and China
Poland and the Soviet Union
The offensives in Poland and France taught the English-speaking world a new word called "Blitzkrieg." What does it mean?
Mechanized War
Lightning War
Panzer Assault
Which country denied much needed border access to the Soviets, thus finding itself at war against the Red Army?
Finland
Sweden
Denmark
Germany turned its aggression on its old foe France. Even with Allied help, France fell easily, leaving Britain to be the next target. A massive air battle soon followed. What was this battle called?
Battle of Gibraltar
Battle of Dover
Battle of Britain
Italy decided to join Hitler's march of conquest in June 1940. Which Italian dictator was calling the shots?
De Gasperi
Mussolini
Umberto II
German U-boat attacks threatened Britain's fragile economy by concentrating on shipping tonnage along which vital supply route?
English Channel
North Sea
Atlantic
Japan's day of infamy came with the attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. In which year did this attack take place?
1941
1939
1942
Which German general was sent to Tripoli ahead of his army to stem considerable Italian losses?
Rommel
Himmler
Hess
Which two British ships (one a battleship, the other a battlecruiser) were sent to Singapore to provide artillery support and to help prevent the Japanese invasion of Malaya (now Malaysia)?
HMS King George V and HMS Churchill
HMS Repulse and HMS King George V
HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
Who was the British commander of the Allied forces in Malaya and Singapore?
General Brett
General Percival
Vice Admiral Phillips
In a surprise attack, three miniature Japanese submarines sneaked into which harbor sinking the HMAS Kuttabul?
Bangkok
Hong Kong
Sydney
British Admiralty knew the havoc the new German battleship Bismarck could inflict on allied shipping if it were to escape into the open sea. They therefore threw every available ship and plane into the hunt. The first engagement with the Bismarck would prove devastating to the Royal Navy when she sent which capital ship to the bottom?
HMS Hood
HMS Royal Oak
HMS King George V
Guadalcanal was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific. In which group of islands is Guadalcanal found?
The Solomon Islands
The Philippines
Indonesia
Which of the following was NOT a Nazi death camp?
Berchtesgaden - Germany
Auschwitz - Poland
Majdanek - Poland
June 6, 1944, D-Day: The longest day in WWII. What was the code name for the Allied landings in Normandy?
Operation Market Garden
Operation Bismarck
Operation Overlord
On which beach did the Americans run into a firestorm of resistance during the D-Day landings?
Omaha
Juno
Utah
Which significant 1942 naval battle thwarted Japanese attempts to land troops in New Guinea, sunk one carrier and badly damaged another?
Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of Truk
Battle of Santa Cruz
It was the largest battleship ever built. It was a symbol of Japanese supremacy, not only on the sea but also as a race. The characteristics of this super battleship brought naval power to a new level. What was it named?
Shoho
Zuikaku
Yamato
Military deaths in World War II: What country suffered the most military deaths in the war?
USSR
Germany
Great Britain
Civilian deaths in World War II: Which country suffered the largest number of civilian deaths?
USSR
Germany
Japan
For hundreds of years of naval warfare, large battleships dominated the seas. In one single battle these giants of the sea were to become largely redundant and a new style of naval warfare was unveiled. What was the location of the first naval battle ever fought where opposing fleets never actually came in contact with each other?
Midway
Coral Sea
Iwo Jima
Two nations were able to bring fully operational jet fighters into the war before it ended. Britain's Gloster Meteor showed promise when it shot down a V1 Flying Bomb in July 1944. On the other side of the English Channel, Germany were about to mass-produce 1400 of which infamous jet aircraft?
Junkers Ju-88
Messerschmitt Me 262
Dornier Do335
Which American general was nicknamed "Blood and Guts"?
Bradley
Eisenhower
Patton
The scale of loss sustained in the invasion of Okinawa was so high that it lent weight for which action to bring the war to a speedy conclusion?
Full-scale Marine landings in Japan
The use of the atomic bomb
Massive bombing runs on Tokyo
Where did the signing of the Japanese surrender take place, bringing the close to the long and costly war?
Parliament House, Tokyo
The War Centre, London
Aboard the USS Missouri
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