The Second World War: Fronts and Turning Points – answers and explanations
Here are the answers to all 15 questions in the The Second World War: Fronts and Turning Points quiz, each with a short explanation. From the invasion of Poland to VJ Day, how well do you know the Second World War? Haven't played yet? Take the quiz first and compare your score.
Play the quiz · 15 questions1. Winston Churchill replaced which British Prime Minister in May 1940?
Answer: Neville Chamberlain
Winston Churchill succeeded Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister on 10 May 1940, the same day Germany launched its invasion of the Low Countries and France. Churchill led Britain until July 1945.
2. Pearl Harbor, attacked by Japan in December 1941, is on which Hawaiian island?
Answer: Oahu
Pearl Harbor is a lagoon harbour on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, west of Honolulu and about 8 miles from Waikiki. Japan attacked the US naval base there on 7 December 1941.
3. The city of Stalingrad, scene of a decisive WWII battle, stands on which river?
Answer: Volga
Stalingrad, now called Volgograd, stands on the Volga River. During the 1942–1943 battle, Red Army troops crossed the Volga under heavy fire to reinforce the besieged city.
4. What was the codename for the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944?
Answer: Operation Overlord
The Allied invasion of Normandy was codenamed Operation Overlord. It began on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the largest amphibious assault in history.
5. Rosie the Riveter symbolised American women doing what kind of wartime work?
Answer: Factory and shipyard work
Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon representing American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II. Many of these women produced munitions and other war supplies.
6. Which country invaded Poland from the east in September 1939, weeks after Germany?
Answer: The Soviet Union
The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland on 17 September 1939 without declaring war, about two weeks after Germany attacked on 1 September. The invasion followed a secret protocol in the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939.
7. Churchill's tribute to 'the Few' honoured which Battle of Britain group?
Answer: RAF fighter pilots
In his speech of 20 August 1940, Churchill paid tribute to 'the Few', the RAF Fighter Command pilots who were defending Britain against the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.
8. The 1945 Yalta Conference of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin was held where?
Answer: Crimea
The Yalta Conference took place at Yalta in Crimea from 4 to 11 February 1945. It was the last meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, because Roosevelt died that April.
9. VE Day, marking Allied victory in Europe, fell on which date in 1945?
Answer: 8 May
VE (Victory in Europe) Day was celebrated on 8 May 1945, after Germany's unconditional surrender. VJ (Victory over Japan) Day followed on 15 August 1945.
10. Which British wartime poster slogan was rediscovered and became a 2000s craze?
Answer: Keep Calm and Carry On
The British government printed millions of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters in 1939, but they were hardly ever displayed. A copy was rediscovered in 2000 at Barter Books in Alnwick, and the slogan went on to become a huge craze.
11. Which German term, meaning 'lightning war', described Germany's rapid 1939 attacks?
Answer: Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg, German for 'lightning war', describes fast attacks that combined tanks, motorised infantry and aircraft. The term became widely known after Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939.
12. Which RAF fighter, alongside the Hurricane, defended Britain in 1940?
Answer: Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane were the RAF's main fighters in the Battle of Britain in summer and autumn 1940. The Hurricane actually shot down more enemy aircraft, but the Spitfire became the symbol of the battle.
13. Who became US President when Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945?
Answer: Harry S. Truman
Vice President Harry S. Truman became US President when Franklin D. Roosevelt died on 12 April 1945. Months later, Truman authorised the atomic bombings of Japan.
14. Omaha and Utah were D-Day landing beaches for troops from which country?
Answer: United States
American troops landed on Omaha and Utah beaches on 6 June 1944. British forces landed on Gold and Sword, and Canadian forces landed on Juno.
15. Before VJ Day, atomic bombs hit Hiroshima and which other Japanese city?
Answer: Nagasaki
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. Japan announced its surrender on 15 August, now remembered as VJ Day.