WH World War II Exam Review
2018
Britain now stood alone against the power of Germany's military forces,
which had conquered most of Western Europe in less than two months. - -
Why was the fall of France important for Britain in terms of World War II?
-Winston Churchill - -Who was the British Prime Minister during the Battle of
Britain?
-Germany vs. Britain - -What countries were involved in the Battle of
Britain?
-It was an air superiority battle between Britain and Germany in which
Germany bombed targets in Britain in an attempt to overtake the country.
German Luftwaffe used a battle strategy known as Blitzkrieg or "lightening
war," bombing Britain day and night. - -What kind of battle was the Battle of
Britain? Explain the type of warfare.
-Operation Sea Lion - -What was the codename for the German invasion of
Britain?
-Britain possessed an effective air defense system, first-rate fighter pilots,
and a great military leader in Air Marshal Hugh Dowding. On the other hand,
the Germans had major problems: they had no navy left after the costly
conquest of Norway, their army was unprepared for any form of amphibious
operations, and the Luftwaffe had suffered heavy losses in the west. - -What
advantages did Britain have over Germany in the Battle of Britain?
-The Germans had poor intelligence and little idea of British vulnerabilities.
They wasted most of July in waiting for a British surrender and attacked only
in August. Although air strikes did substantial damage to radar sites, on
August 13-15 the Luftwaffe soon abandoned that avenue and turned to
attacks on RAF air bases. A battle of attrition ensued in which both sides
suffered heavy losses. - -How did Britain win the Battle of Britain?
-Britain won the battle, which ensured that Germany would be forced to
fight a two-front war, with Britain fighting Germany to the west and the
Soviet Union fighting Germany to the east. - -Why was the Battle of Britain
significant in World War II?
-Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so
few - -What famous quote did Winston Churchill say in relation to the Battle
of Britain?
, -The battle is considered to be a turning point in World War II in which
afterwards Germany was on the defensive for the remainder of the war. - -
Why do historians consider the Battle of Stalingrad to be so significant to
outcome of World War II? Explain.
-Hitler had not initially intended on attacking Stalingrad but turned his
armies towards the city in an attempt to control the route for supply lines
and to take the symbolically named city. - -Why was the invasion of
Stalingrad a poor strategic decision for Germany?
-It was named after Joseph Stalin. Stalin would have been embarrassed to
lose the city named after him, while Hitler would have seen it as a victory. - -
Why was Stalingrad symbolically important to both the Soviet's and the
Germans?
-Joseph Stalin - -Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the battle of
Stalingrad?
-Adolf Hitler - -Who was the leader of Germany during the battle of
Stalingrad?
-The invading Germans saw this invasion of the Soviet Union as essential to
their campaign in southern Russia, since from this strategic point on the
Volga River they could launch further assaults in the Caucasus. - -What was
Germany's goal with the invasion of Stalingrad?
-This was urban street fighting of the most bitter sort, occasioning
tremendous losses on both sides. The blasted ruins of houses and factories
began to stink as hot winds carried the smell of decaying corpses into every
nook and cranny. - -Explain the type of fighting that characterized the Battle
of Stalingrad.
-In mid-November, as the stalled invaders were running short of men and
munitions, Zhukov launched his counteroffensive to encircle the enemy.
Hitler ordered them to hold their ground at all costs. Air Marshal Hermann
Goring promised to resupply the Sixth Army from the air but proved unable
to do so. As winter set in, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein mounted a rescue
mission, but it was halted short of its goal, and the freezing and starving
Germans in Stalingrad were forbidden to try to reach their would-be
rescuers. - -Explain the fate of the German forces inside of Stalingrad. What
happened?
-2 million - -What were the combined civilian and military losses of the
battle of Stalingrad?
, -Soviet Union - -Which nation won the battle of Stalingrad?
-As the Germans drove deeper into the Ardennes in an attempt to secure
vital bridgeheads, the Allied line took on the appearance of a large bulge,
giving rise to the battle's name. - -How did the Battle of the Bulge get its
name?
-Its objective was to split the Allied armies by means of a surprise blitzkrieg
thrust through the Ardennes to Antwerp. - -What was the objective of the
Nazi attack in the Battle of the Bulge?
-101st Airborne Division - -Who defended Bastogne in the Battle of the
Bulge?
-A crucial German shortage of fuel and the gallantry of American troops
fighting in the frozen forests of the Ardennes proved fatal to Hitler's ambition
to snatch, if not victory, at least a draw with the Allies in the west. - -What
helped the Allied victory in the west during the Battle of the Bulge?
-His forces played a key role in defeating the German counterattack in the
Battle of the Bulge, after which he led them across the Rhine River and into
Germany, capturing 10,000 miles of territory and liberating the country from
the Nazi regime. - -What role did Lieutenant General George S. Patton play
in the Battle of the Bulge?
-Battle of Normandy - -What is the name of the battle that D-Day is
associated with?
-Operation Overlord - -What was the codename of the battle that D-Day is
associated with?
-German WWII Field Marshal who was tasked, by Hitler, with building the
German defenses along the "Atlantic Wall" in Northern Europe. - -Who was
Erwin Rommel and what was his role in the preparations for what would
become D-Day?
-General Dwight Eisenhower - -Who was appointed Supreme Allied
Commander of Operation Overlord on January 1944?
-The Normandy invasion began to turn the tide against the Nazis as it also
prevented Hitler from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern
Front against the Soviets. - -What was the significance of the Battle of
Normandy (and D-Day) in terms of its overall impact on the war in Europe?
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