How much do you know about World War 2 Quiz

german troops are studying a map in world war 2  

Welcome to the World War 2 quiz.

 

How much do you really know about the second world war?

 

Let's see and find out!

 

This World War 2 quiz has 20 questions which start off very easy and later on become more difficult.

   

Around ten million soldiers died in the First World War. But less than 20 years after its end, the former war participants are once again on the brink of a global conflict. The peace created in 1919 is fragile; nobody seems prepared to defend it - and the National Socialist government under Adolf Hitler is eager to conquer a world empire.

It is the largest military conflict that the world has witnessed, a deadly war in which millions of fighters fought around the world.. At the end of World War I, Germany and its allies are defeated and held solely responsible for the war. With heavy sanctions imposed upon them, the previous allies and multi-ethnic states Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires are dismantled, while Germany has got to repay what many consider an unreasonable debt. Its colonies and some of its territories are ceded to the victors, and to Poland which is recreated. The German people see these sanctions as humiliation and their economy is weakened by excessive debt and suffers hyperinflation. National mints try to address this by printing banknotes, causing a devaluation of its currency. The following year, radical measures are taken to halt inflation and stabilize and revive the economy. But in 1929, the Wall Street crash in New York causes the worst economic crisis of the 20th century. The impact of this financial crisis is felt all around the world, with Germany not spared either, causing the unemployment rate to explode. Severely weakened, Germany sees a rise of nationalism in 1933, that allows the rise to power of the Nazi party with Adolf Hitler at its helm. Despite the strict conditions imposed upon Germany after WWI, the new totalitarian regime resets the country and restores military service. The country also begins an aggressive foreign policy with the dream of uniting all German-speaking people. Italy, despite its victory with the Allies, is frustrated by the quantity of territory it gained after the first World War. Since 1922, the country is ruled by the dictatorial fascist party of Benito Mussolini. Italy starts a colonial policy by conquering Ethiopia and prepares an invasion of Albania. In Spain, starts three years of a civil war opposing the Republican government who's supported, by the USSR and the International Brigades, and the nationalist camp led by Francisco Franco and aided by Italy and Germany. The two countries took the opportunity to test their armies and to get closer diplomatically. In Asia, Japan continues its expansionist policy. The state takes advantage of the civil war in China to invade new territories. Japanese troops are using chemical and biological weapons and are committing massacres against the local population. Germany is now powerful enough to launch its territorial expansion. The first step in the German territorial expansion is the annexation of Austria with support from the local Nazi party. After the Invasion of the West of Czechoslovakia, the Slovak Republic turns into a German satellite state while Hungary grows closer diplomatically. Next, the Soviets occupy a part of Lithuania and sign a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany which includes a plan to carve up Europe. Hitler then attacks Poland, which provokes the United Kingdom and France to declare war, marking the beginning of World War II. Although the German forces are concentrated in the East, the Allied troops do not take the initiative in the West. Instead, in an attempt to weaken the German military industry, France and the United Kingdom try to cut the strategic iron ore route that passes through Norway. As a reaction, a German invasion of Denmark and Norway follows. Bypassing the Allied defences, the Wehrmacht captures Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. Hitler's new military strategy is called Blitzkrieg, which surprises opposition defenses, with rapid, high-intensity attacks in a concentrated area. British forces retreat in the face of this German military prowess, and the German Wehrmacht captures Paris. The French army is defeated, and an armistice is signed. Germany leaves the South and the East of France and its other territory and colonies under the control of the new puppet government. Therefore, Hitler has indirect control of French colonies without having to send any armed forces there. But not all French colonies stay loyal to the new puppet regime. Some French colonies and the Belgian Congo stick to the Allies. In London, which already hosts several governments in exile, General Charles de Gaulle creates Free France which continues to fight Nazi Germany. Brazzaville is named as its capital. Pursuant to agreements signed with Germany, the Soviet Union seizes the Baltic states and a part of Romania. Germany, Italy and Japan combined to form the Axis Powers. All British territories and colonies, besides Ireland, join the Allied forces and enter the war against the Axis powers. The fighting in Africa starts with clashes between the armies of Italian colonies and Allied forces. While in Europe, after the so-called Battle of Britain, massive aerial bombing of British cities, Germany does not invade Great Britain and fails to take over the country. Besides the non-aggression pact, Hitler decides to invade the USSR. But the invasion is delayed by Italy, that fails to invade Greece and is forced to retreat by Allied forces. After Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria join the Axis forces, the Wehrmacht heads south to invade the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Kingdom of Greece.The German occupation leads to various forms of resistance everywhere in Europe. In The Balkans and other parts of Eastern Europe, guerilla forces called “Partisans” undermine the Axis forces. People organize strikes, demonstrations or protect wanted persons. Some groups provide military intelligence for the Allies, conduct sabotage or print resistance newspapers. But the German secret police persecutes the resistance with brutal methods. In Germany the anti-Nazi resistance attempts several times to assassinate Hitler… but fail. On June 22, 1941, Axis forces launched the largest military operation in history to attack the USSR, which now passes de facto into the camp of Allied forces. The bulk of the German troops, well equipped and motorized, rush to the east. The Allied invasion of Iran opens up a supply route through the Caucasus giving the Soviets badly needed access to military equipment. The German Wehrmacht starts its siege of Leningrad which lasts about 872 days causing more than 1 million civilian deaths. The Soviets halt the German advance at the gates of Moscow. With its supply lines too extended, the German forces suffer a harsh and deadly winter. Following the ideology of the NSDAP the SS massacre Slavic and Jewish populations behind the front lines. In Asia, Japan occupies French Indochina. To counter its expansionist policy, the United States imposes upon it an embargo on oil and steel. In response, the Japanese conduct a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor which damages a large part of the US naval fleet. As a reaction to this massive aerial bombing, the United States enters the war on the Allied side. In the beginning, they concentrate their forces on the Pacific theatre and support the USSR by providing supplies. Japan, for its part, conquers new territories in the Pacific. In addition to the massacres, Japan sends 10 million Chinese civilians into forced labour camps. In addition to the massacres committed by Japanese forces committed in China, Japan sends 10 million Chinese civilians into forced labor camps and forces hundreds of thousands of women into prostitution for the Japanese army. In Indonesia and other conquered territories, millions of prisoners and civilians suffer the same fate. Following the Nazi ideology, concentration and extermination camps are built to kill Jews, resistance fighters, political opponents, gypsies, homosexuals and people with disabilities. To prevent a second front in Europe, the Wehrmacht builds a series of military installations protecting the coast from invasion calling it the Atlantic Wall. But the Allies first landed in Morocco and Algeria. Italian Libya finds itself caught between two fronts. With no colonies left the invasion of Vichy Frances happens. On the German Eastern Front, the Axis forces try to cut the supply route of the Caucasus. But for the first time, the German offensive undergoes a major military setback. The Soviets take the initiative and counterattack. By that time Africa is entirely controlled by Allies who organize a landing in Sicily to open up a second front in Europe. The new Italian government requests an armistice, causing the Germans to invade. After almost three years of constant defeat, the USSR strikes back and pushes the German forces westward, forcing them to concentrate on the Eastern Front. When the Allies land in Normandy, their armies quickly take over and liberate Paris. On the Western front as well as as on the Eastern front, countries are liberated or switch sides. At the edge of total victory over Germany, Allied powers announce the creation of the United Nations. Countries that declared war on Germany and Japan would be admitted at its founding conference. On April 30, Hitler commits suicide in his bunker just before the arrival of the Soviets. Eight days later, the country surrenders. After the defeat of Nazi Germany, the United States and USSR join forces to overcome the Empire of Japan. The Soviets began a military invasion via Manchuria, while the US drops two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 15, Japan surrenders, marking the end of World War II. After 6 years of war, the human toll is heavy with at least 60 million dead, mostly civilians. Many cities are completely destroyed. Europe and the USSR subject millions of German prisoners of war to bonded labour, many of whom would die. Germany and Austria are carved up among the victors.,The old guard of European powers are left exhausted and ruined by war.,The United States and USSR emerge as the remaining global superpowers.