World War II Questions and Answers
World War II
What were the similarities between WWI and WWII?
While there were certainly many differences between World War I and World War II, there were also many notable similaities worth examining. This list could be very extensive, but I will mention...
World War II
What were the similarities between Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin?
There were similarities between Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini. One similarity is that both leaders were dictators who had total control of the government, and both men used propaganda to...
World War II
What were some similarities between the European and Pacific theaters during World War II?
There are many differences between the European and Pacific theaters during World War II, including that the US entered the Pacific theater in response to the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor....
World War II
How did the League of Nations respond to Japan's invasion of Manchuria?
In the early 1930s, the League of Nations was powerless to do much of anything regarding the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. After the Lytton Commission was sent to examine the situation and...
World War II
This Photo Shows Which Major Difference Between The War In Europe And The War In The Pacific?
Although the fighting took place simultaneously, the European theater and the Pacific theater of World War II had significant differences. In Europe, more nations were engaged with each other. On...
World War II
What were the causes and effects of Pearl Harbor?
The Japanese hoped that by crippling the US Navy with a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, they would score a decisive victory and head off a longer war that they expected would follow. The Japanese...
World War II
Compare and contrast the methods of dictatorship used by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin.
The nature of Mussolini's dictatorship was somewhat different to those of Hitler and Stalin. For one thing, he was never able to exert complete control over his party. The Italian Fascist Party was...
World War II
How did the Western democracies respond to the aggression of the Axis powers during the 1930s?
The most powerful Western European democracies, Great Britain and France, responded to Axis aggression with a policy of appeasement. This meant they did not interfere militarily with Nazi land...
World War II
How did the United States gain the upper hand in the Pacific sphere during WWII?
The main way in which the United States got the upper hand in this war was through industrial might. It also gained the upper hand to some degree through intelligence and luck. The US started to...
World War II
What were the short-term effects of World War II?
In the wake of the Second World War, international communism was in a greatly strengthened position. Soviet troops were in Eastern Europe, including the eastern half of Germany. These boots on the...
World War II
What factors led to the rise of right wing authoritarian regime in Europe in 1919-1939?
To add to what was already stated, and an important fact that is almost always overlooked when looking at 20th century Germany is that the United States kept the Weimar Republic afloat during the...
World War II
Was appeasement a mistake in WWII?
I would certainly argue that appeasement was a mistake. I suppose you could argue that it was a mistake before WWII and not a mistake in that war. However, it seems hard to say that appeasement...
World War II
To what extent did militarism contribute to the origin of World War II?
In connection to Germany, it’s reasonable to claim that militarism contributed to the origin of World War II to a great extent. Many acclaimed historians, like Richard J. Evans, speak to the...
World War II
Why is World War II known as the Good War?
It seems weird to call one of the bloodiest wars in history “the good war,” but that is the nickname that World War II is known by. World War II took place between 1939 and 1945, and its nickname...
World War II
What different challenges did the U.S. face fighting in the Pacific versus fighting in Europe? War In The Pacific
In the Pacific, we also did not really have a forward base from which to stage invasions, like we did in Europe with England against Germany, and the bombing raids against Japan had to assemble...
World War II
What world countries were not heavily involved in World War II?
The name World War II seems to indicate that ever country around the globe was involved in some way. However, there were a few countries who were able to keep out of the war, or at least remain...
World War II
How did tanks change the way battles were fought?
Tanks became a war weapon during WWI. The tanks of that war were quite slow but they could be used against enemy fortifications since they were nearly impervious to machine gun fire. Tanks could...
World War II
What were Winston Churchill's objections to the Munich agreement ?
While Churchill objected strongly to the Munich agreement, he had earlier made positive statements about Hitler, saying, according to Richard Holmes's book In the Footsteps of Hitler "I will not...
World War II
How did the end of World War II shape the postwar world?
The end of World War II shaped the postwar world because it gave the Allies the opportunity to make decisions about Europe as a whole. Particularly important were the Allies’ decisions about...
World War II
Who was leader/president of France during World War II?
On May 10, 1940, Germany began invading the nations to its west. The advanced and overpowering German army cut through France using blitzkrieg tactics. In six weeks, France was defeated, and...
World War II
What did the motives of Germany, Italy, and Japan have in common during World War II?
The most important single motive shared by the so-called Axis powers was the establishment of empire. To that end, Germany, Italy, and Japan felt unable to subscribe to the prevailing norms of...
World War II
Why did Winston Churchill oppose Neville Chamberlain?
Winston Churchill opposed Neville Chamberlain mainly because of the events leading to the start of World War II and how the Allies were doing when World War II began. When Germany was taking land...
World War II
How Did The Us Government Mobilize The Economy For War
The United States military entered World War II in December 1941, in the aftermath of the Japanese bombing of American vessels in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A number of drastic economic impacts were...
World War II
What were the consequences of President Roosevelt's decision to issue Executive Order 9066?
The consequences of President Roosevelt's decision to issue Executive Order 9066 was to remove many Japanese Americans from their homes in the US and relocate them to detention camps for the...
World War II
During World War II, were the goals of the United States overseas consistent or inconsistent with its goals on the...
If we are discussing goals rather than what actually occurred in the messiness of reality, yes, the goals of the United States overseas were consistent with its goals on the home front at that...
World War II
What is the significance of the invasion of Italy (Italians surrender to Allies, September 1943)?
The Allied invasion of Italy was significant for several reasons. One reason was that the invasion of Italy meant that the Allies were successful with their invasion of North Africa. The Allies...
World War II
1. How did the Allied forces win the war in Europe? 2. What were the major events leading up to the outbreak of war...
1. European victory was accomplished through the size of the Soviet force, American military might, Germany's flawed strategy of a two-front assault, and allied aerial bombardment. Although...
World War II
Why were Midway, El Alamein, and Stalingrad important turning points in the war?
The Battle of Midway, which resulted in the loss of four Japanese Aircraft Carriers, was the first major defeat for the Empire of Japan, and was the farthest their forces would advance in the...
World War II
What were the main points of Allied military strategy in Europe?
World War II allied military strategy for Europe: Churchill and Roosevelt and their advisers met in Washington in late 1941. They decided that they must fiirst make a big effort at defeating...
World War II
What were the consequences of World War II for the United States?
Coming out of World War II, the primary consequence was the rise of the United States as one of two dominant world powers along with the Soviet Union. The United States and Soviet Union had the...
World War II
What were the perceived threats of Hitler and Mussolini?
The overwhelming threat of a centralized authority figure that faced no internal check or limitation was reality under the rule of Hitler and Mussolini. Both leaders were quite "efficient" in...
World War II
At the end of WWII, why was the fate of Poland so important to the US and the Soviet Union?
The fate of Poland was very important to both the United States and the Soviet Union, though the Soviet Union managed to maintain control of Poland. The war against the Nazis had left Stalin's army...
World War II
I have to analyze The Speech at the Red Army Parade on the Red Square (written and presented by Joseph Stalin on...
Stalin delivered this speech to an audience of soldiers who, immediately afterwards, were going to fight against the Nazis in the Battle of Moscow. The primary purpose of the speech was to inflame...
World War II
How did the United States prepare for World War II?
Even though the United States did not enter World War II until the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, it had been preparing for the likely possibility of joining the conflict for some...
World War II
How did the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa influence the decision to use the bomb against Japan?
The battles of Iwo Jima, along with other similar battles like that on Saipan, influenced the US decision to drop the atomic bombs because they convinced the Americans that an invasion of the...
World War II
How did WWII pave the way for global decolonization?
While global decolonization was already under way by the time World War II broke out, the devastation suffered by colonial powers during that war made their ability to sustain colonial holdings far...
World War II
Why did the Japanese choose the date and time for the attack on Pearl Harbor?
The Japanese chose the date and time for the attack on Pearl Harbor to maximize the element of surprise and therefore maximize the damage they could inflict to the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor....
World War II
What is the meaning behind the "Spirit of Liberty" speech by Judge Learned Hand?
I am basing my answer to this question on the excerpt in the link below. In this excerpt, Hand starts by saying that all Americans either chose to come to America or are the descendants of those...
World War II
What advantages did Britain have over Germany in the Battle of Britain?
The main advantage that Britain had over Germany in this battle was the fact that it was fighting a defensive battle and therefore would have an easier time being victorious. One aspect of this was...
World War II
Why weren't the Czechs invited to take part in the Munich Conference?
The Czech president, Benes, was prepared for war in case Germany launched an offensive. He had already taken steps to secure military support by approaching the USSR, France and Britain. These...
World War II
In President Truman's press release of August 6, 1945, why does the atomic bomb's power have to be explained?
The reason for this is simple. No one knew what an atomic bomb was at that time. The Manhattan Project that was making the atomic bomb was one of the most closely guarded projects of the war....
World War II
How did Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb forever change the nature of international relations?
Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan changed the future of international relations in a number of ways. First, in the short term, this move led to further distrust between the...
World War II
What events led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor?
The main events that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor were actions that Japan took in pursuit of an empire in Asia and the Pacific. Added to this was the United States’ reaction to...
World War II
What's the importance of the Bataan Death March in terms of WWII?
From a strategic perspective, the Bataan Death March had little impact on the course of the war. The march happened after American forces surrendered the Philippines to the Japanese. The Japanese...
World War II
What role did geography play in Japan's desire to expand its empire in the 1920s and 1930s?
Japan's geography was a prime motivator for its territorial expansion in the 1920s and 1930s. First of all, Japan's population was rapidly growing and modernizing during those years, and space and...
World War II
World War II is often referred to as the "Good War." Evaluate that title for the war. Is it appropriate? Why, or why...
A good war is surely a contradiction in terms as all wars involve death, suffering, and misery, often on a massive scale. And World War II was no exception. It's estimated that somewhere in the...
World War II
Explain how America gradually began to respond to the threat from totalitarian aggression while still trying to stay...
As World War II approached, the United States responded to totalitarian aggression while staying neutral. There were several actions that we took. In 1937, President Roosevelt warned Americans of...
World War II
How did Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin rise to power, and what methods did they use to keep power?
Stalin Stalin was involved in revolutionary activities as a young man. Right from the start of his political career, he was a common criminal, staging daring bank robberies to help raise funds for...
World War II
Was the US involvement in WWII inevitable?
Obviously, President Roosevelt and Congress had a choice in whether the US would enter the war or not. The issue, however, is not as simple as that. One should also consider the repercussions if...
World War II
Why was the Fall of France a turning point in World War Two?
Typically, the Fall of France is not seen as a turning point. Turning points are those events like the Battle of Stalingrad where the Axis advance is stopped and the war turns in favor of the...
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