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Questions and Answers
What was the estimated number of fatalities resulting from World War II?
Which of the following was a contributing factor to the outbreak of World War II?
Which two countries initially declared war on Germany after its invasion of Poland?
What was the name of the pact between Germany and the Soviet Union that partitioned Poland?
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What was the primary role of aircraft in World War II?
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What was the outcome of the Battle of Midway in 1942?
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In what year did the European Axis powers, led by Germany, invade the Soviet Union?
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What was the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad?
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What was the outcome of the war in Europe?
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Why did the United States and the United Kingdom declare war on Japan?
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Study Notes
World War II Overview
- World War II was a global conflict fought between the Allies and the Axis powers from 1939 to 1945.
- It was the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in 70-85 million fatalities.
Causes of the War
- Rise of fascism in Europe
- Spanish Civil War
- Second Sino-Japanese War
- Soviet-Japanese border conflicts
- Tensions in the aftermath of World War I
Major Events of the War
- Germany, under Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland on 1 September 1939
- United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939
- Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned Poland under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939
- Germany conquered much of continental Europe through a series of campaigns and treaties from 1939 to 1941
- Germany led the European Axis powers in an invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941
- Japan attacked American and British territories in December 1941, including Pearl Harbor
- The United States and the United Kingdom declared war on Japan
Key Turning Points
- Battle of Midway in 1942: Japan's advances were halted
- Defeats in North Africa and at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union: Germany and Italy were defeated
- Allied invasions of Sicily and the Italian mainland in 1943: Axis powers lost initiative
- Liberation of German-occupied France by the Western Allies in 1944
- Soviet Union regained territorial losses and pushed Germany and its allies back in 1944
- Japan suffered reversals in mainland Asia and the Pacific Islands in 1944-1945
- Allied invasion of Germany, Fall of Berlin, and Hitler's suicide in 1945
- Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945
- Japan's unconditional surrender on 15 August 1945
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Description
Test your knowledge of World War II, a global conflict that involved almost all countries and lasted from 1939 to 1945. Explore the roles of the Allies and Axis powers, and the impact of total war on civilians and military resources.
