Questions about World War II

The World War II it was a bloody conflict and meant a rupture in world history.

That's why college entrance exams, contests and the Enem test frequently charge this subject.

To help you even more, we have prepared a selection of 10 questions with commented answers , so you can review this content and crush your exams.

Good study!

Question 1

(Fuvest) “This war, in fact, is a continuation of the previous one .”

_{(Winston Churchill, in speech delivered to Parliament on August 21, 1941).}

The above statement confirms the latent continuity of unresolved problems in the First World War, which contributed to fuel antagonisms and led to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Among these problems, we identified:

a) the growing economic nationalism and increased competition for consumer markets and investment areas.
b) the development of Chinese imperialism in Asia, with an opening to the West.
c) the Austro-English antagonisms over the question of Alsace-Lorraine.
d) the ideological opposition that weakened ties between countries, weakening all types of nationalism.
e) the division of Germany, which led to an aggressive policy of maritime expansion.

Correct alternative a) growing economic nationalism and increasing competition for consumer markets and investment areas.

In the interwar period, European countries continued to compete for markets and regions to invest their capital, as they did before the First World War.

The other options are not correct and are very fanciful. The Chinese do not expand across Asia (on the contrary, they are invaded by Japan) and nationalism is strengthened, even though there is ideological opposition between the countries.

Question 2

(Unemat) The Second World War (1939-1945) acquired worldwide character from December 7, 1941, when:

a) the Russians took the initiative to annex the Baltic States.
b) the Germans invaded the Mediterranean coast of Africa.
c) the Japanese attacked the US base at Pearl Harbor
d) the French, by order of Marshal Pétain, occupied Southeast Asia;
e) the Chinese ceded most of their territory to Axis troops.

Correct alternative c) the Japanese attacked the US base at Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the pretext for the Americans to enter the conflict. In this way, the war takes on a worldwide character.

The other options are not correct. The French did not invade Southeast Asia, nor did the Chinese cede their territory to the Axis.

Question 3

(UFRN) In relation to the Second World War it is correct to say that:

a) Hitler undertook a relentless persecution of the Jews, which resulted in the death of six million people.
b) the Americans remained neutral in the war until 1941, when they bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
c) De Gaulle was the head of the Vichy government.
d) with the German attack on Pearl Harbor, the Americans decided to enter the war.
e) the Crisis of 1929 had nothing to do with the Second World War.

Correct alternative a) Hitler undertook a relentless persecution of the Jews, which resulted in the death of six million people.

World War II can be defined in many ways. However, what stands out most in this conflict was Hitler's relentless persecution of the Jews.

The other options are not correct, as they describe events that did not occur this way. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were only bombed in 1945 and the Japanese were responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Question 4

(Enem/2009) The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the resulting war between the Americans and the Japanese in the Pacific was the result of a process of erosion of relations between them. After 1934, the Japanese began to speak more uninhibitedly of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere", regarded as the "Japanese Monroe Doctrine".

The Japanese expansion had begun in 1895, when it conquered China, imposed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, starting to exercise tutelage over Korea.

Having defined its projection area, Japan began to have constant friction with China and Russia. The area of ​​friction came to include the United States when the Japanese occupied Manchuria in 1931 and then China in 1937.

About the Japanese expansion, it is inferred that:

a) Japan had an expansionist policy in Asia, of a warlike nature, different from the Monroe doctrine.
b) Japan sought to promote the prosperity of Korea, protecting it in the same way as the USA did.
c) the Japanese people proposed cooperation with the United States in copying the Monroe Doctrine and proposing the development of Asia.
d) China allied with Russia against Japan, and the Monroe doctrine provided for a partnership between the two.
e) Manchuria was a North American territory and was occupied by Japan, originating the war between the two countries.

Correct alternative a) Japan had an expansionist policy in Asia, of a warlike nature, different from the Monroe doctrine.

In the first half of the 20th century, Japan leaves its isolationist posture and sets out to conquer neighboring territories, invading the Korean peninsula and China. The Monroe Doctrine was a more defensive theory, in which the United States would not allow an attack from a European country to an American country.

The other options are not correct, as Japan does not ally with the United States and neither does China with Russia.

Question 5

(Enem/2008) In a speech given on March 17, 1939, the British prime minister at the time, Neville Chamberlain, supported his political position:

_{Available at:www.johndclare.net. With adaptations.}

Knowing that the commitment made by Hitler in 1938, mentioned in the text above, was broken by the German leader in 1939, it is inferred that

a) Hitler aspired to control more territories in Europe beyond the Sudetenland.
b) the alliance between England, France and Russia could have saved Czechoslovakia.
c) the breach of this commitment inspired the policy of 'European appeasement'.
d) Chamberlain's policy of appeasing the German leader was contrary to the position taken by the Allied powers.
e) the way Chamberlain chose to deal with the Sudetenland problem led to the destruction of Czechoslovakia.

Correct alternative a) Hitler aspired to control more territories in Europe besides the Sudeten region.

Hitler wanted to conquer all of Europe and then the world. Thus, bringing together the Germanic populations within Germany was only the first step towards fulfilling this objective.

The other options are not correct. France, England and Russia had no intention of saving Czechoslovakia and the breaking of that commitment meant the beginning of the war.

Question 6

(Fatec-adapted) In 1942, Disney Studios released the film “Alô, Amigos”, in which two domestic birds meet:Donald Duck and Zé Carioca the parrot. This one, affable and hospitable, takes the illustrious American to discover the wonders of Rio de Janeiro, such as samba, cachaça and the Sugar Loaf.

The creation of a Brazilian character by an American studio was part, at that time,

a) the good-neighbor policy practiced by the USA, which saw South America as part of the security circle of its borders during the Second World War.
b) the clear disregard of the North Americans towards Brazil, by creating a rogue character as a way of disqualifying the Brazilian people.
c) the fear that the North Americans had, because Brazil became a great power within South America and began to supplant the American economic power.
d) the North American territorial expansion project over Mexico, a project that needed support from other Latin American countries, including Brazil.
e) the North American concern with Brazil's entry into the Second World War, alongside Nazi Germany, and with the establishment of German naval bases in the port of Santos.

Correct alternative a) the good neighbor policy practiced by the USA, which saw South America as part of the security circle of its borders during the Second World War.

The Good Neighbor Policy was a strategy of co-optation through cultural exchange, scholarships, and cooperation at the economic level. In this way, the United States guaranteed the support of its continental neighbors for its policies.

The other options are not correct. The United States did not fear the growth of Brazil and the Germans did not install naval bases in the port of Santos.

Question 7

(UFRGS/2015) In 1942, the Brazilian government declared a state of war against Germany and Italy, sending troops to the European continent in 1944. Regarding Brazilian participation in World War II, it is correct to say that

a) the experience of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB), during the First World War (1914-1918), was decisive for the success of the Brazilian expedition.
b) the taking of Monte Castelo, in Italy, was the main military conquest carried out by the FEB soldiers.
c) Brazil, during the period in which it remained neutral in relation to the conflicts, did not allow the installation of US military bases in its territory.
d) Brazil's participation in the war against the Nazi-fascist regimes was in line with the democratic form of government assumed by Getúlio Vargas since 1937.
e) Brazil's participation with the allies granted the country a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Correct alternative b) the capture of Monte Castelo, in Italy, was the main military conquest carried out by the FEB soldiers.

Monte Castelo was a hill where German soldiers were installed and which was taken by the soldiers.

The other options are not correct. Brazil only remained neutral at the beginning of the conflict and there was no democratic government in 1937.

Question 8

(UFPR/2015) According to historian Regina da Luz Moreira, “the return of the FEB contingents precipitated (...) the fall of Vargas in 1945 ”.

_{Source:CPDOC. "Facts &Images> 1944:Brazil goes to war with the FEB".}

Tick ​​the alternative that justifies the statement above, relating the performance of Brazil, through the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB), in World War II with the first government of Getúlio Vargas (1930-1945).

a) By fighting for democracy and against fascism in Europe with the FEB, the Vargas government lost internal support by maintaining an authoritarian regime.
b) By fighting for democracy and defeating fascism in Europe, the squares gained popular support to overthrow the Vargas dictatorship.
c) By overthrowing the Franco regime in Spain, Brazilian soldiers inspired the population to fight for elections, after 15 years of Estado Novo.
d) By defeating the fascists in the Battle of Monte Castelo in Italy, the FEB won American support to overthrow the Vargas dictatorship.
e) In fighting for the liberation of the European peoples, the Brazilian government exhausted its financial resources in the Army, precipitating the fall of Vargas.

Correct alternative a) When fighting for democracy and against fascism in Europe with the FEB, the Vargas government lost internal support by maintaining an authoritarian regime.

With Brazil's participation in World War II, the government began to receive criticism from progressive sectors of society. In this way, Vargas became increasingly isolated until he was deposed in 1945.

The other options are not correct, as none of these facts occurred in reality. The FEB was dismantled even before boarding, and the soldiers were demobilized.

Question 9

(UFMG/2009)

The years after the Second World War were tense between the great world powers.

Considering the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact, created in this period, it is CORRECT to state that:

a) NATO aimed to appease the conflicts related to the division of the city of Berlin, as well as to protect the countries under its economic influence from the threats of external invasion and military conflicts.
b) both developed policies that encouraged the so-called arms race, which, during the Cold War period, placed the Planet under the threat of nuclear war.
c) both were established, simultaneously, to defend the interests of the countries that disputed, after the Second World War, a reorganization of the European and American spaces.
d) the Warsaw Pact signatory countries allied and, to defend their financial interests, formed an economic bloc, in order to compete with Germany, England and the United States.

Correct alternative b) both developed policies that encouraged the so-called arms race, which, during the Cold War period, placed the Planet under the threat of nuclear war.

The Warsaw Pact was a self-defense and military pact between countries that declared themselves socialist after the conflict. For its part, NATO did the same, but among the North Atlantic capitalist countries.

The other options are not correct, as they emphasize the financial aspect that did not exist in these agreements.

Question 10

(Fuvest/2009) The atomic bombs, dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, resulted in the death of approximately 300,000 people, immediate victims of the explosions or illnesses caused by exposure to radiation. These events marked the beginning of a new historic stage in the arms race between nations, characterized by the development of nuclear programs for war purposes.

Considering this stage and the effects of the atomic bombs, analyze the statements below.

I. The atomic bombs that hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped by the United States, the only country that had this type of weapon at the end of the Second World War.

II. The radiations released in an atomic explosion can produce mutations in human genetic material that cause diseases such as cancer or are passed on to the next generation if they occur in germ cells.

III. Since the end of the Second World War, several nations have developed atomic weapons and, currently, among those that have this type of weapon, there are China, the United States, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and Russia.

It is correct what is stated in

a) I, only.
b) II, only.
c) I and II only.
d) II and III, only.
e) I, II and III.

Correct alternative e) I, II and III. The question accurately summarizes what happened before, during and after the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan.

The United States was the only one that mastered atomic technology, the effects of radiation can be transmitted from generation to generation and there are countries that have atomic weaponry.

Question 11

The breakup by the Nazis of the German-Soviet Pact signed between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), in 1939, caused worldwide astonishment. What did this agreement consist of?

a) Treaties made between Hitler and Stalin so that both would not attack Poland.
b) Non-aggression agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union for ten years and a clause that included the division of Poland between the two countries.
c) Policy of agreements between Hitler and Stalin that established neutrality in the event of an armed conflict in Europe.
d) A political-military alliance between both countries that guaranteed support in case either of them was attacked by England or France.

Correct alternative b) Non-aggression agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union for ten years and a clause that included the division of Poland between the two countries.

The German-Soviet Pact, also known as Ribbentrop-Molotov, established that Germany and the USSR would not commit any hostilities for a decade. However, he secretly claimed that Poland would be divided between both countries if Germany invaded. This was done when Hitler sent German soldiers to occupy Poland on September 1, 1939.

Question 12

World War II was characterized by the development of the war industry. On this subject it is correct to say that:

a) The greatest invention of this conflict was the atomic bomb dropped on Japanese cities in August 1945.
b) The Nazis managed to create weapons such as the nuclear submarine and the Ziklon-B gas.
c) The same strategies used in the First War were repeated in the Second, such as the use of cavalry.
d) War aviation was restricted to patrol and reconnaissance missions.

Correct alternative a) The greatest invention of this conflict was the atomic bomb dropped on Japanese cities in August 1945.

The race to master atomic weapons had existed since the early 1940s. The Nazis had neither the conditions nor the money to develop the weapon, as everything had to be done:from research to testing.

On the contrary, the United States spent enormous sums on researching and developing the atomic energy that would culminate in the creation of the two bombs that would explode in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.

Question 13

See the poster below:

“Together we can strangle Hitlerism.”

About the image we can say that it portrays:

a) The agreements reached at the Tehran Conference in 1943, which provided for the deployment of British troops in the Soviet Union.
b) The Soviets' attempt to convince the British to open another battlefront in Western Europe.
c) The Anglo-Soviet alliance against Nazism which also included the United States.
d) The ridicule of Adolf Hitler by the British press, but without major consequences for the countries involved.

Correct alternative c) The Anglo-Soviet alliance against Nazism which also included the United States.

The poster expresses the union of the British and the Soviets against a common enemy:Hitler's ideology.

Question 14

Germany's situation at the end of the war was the focus of attention of the victorious countries. Tick ​​the correct alternative on the topic:

a) Germany did not receive any help from the Marshall Plan and dragged itself into an economic crisis until the 1960s, when it was bailed out by the Soviet Union.
b) The country was occupied by the United States and the USSR, went through a process of “denazification” , but had economic help for its reconstruction from both countries mentioned.
c) Germany was divided into two territorial entities, influenced by the United States and the USSR, which removed the country from several events of the Cold War.
d) The country was condemned by the disasters of the Second World War, had to pay heavy indemnities to the losers and became a minor actor within the European world.

Correct alternative b) The country was occupied by the United States and the USSR, underwent a process of “denazification” , but he had economic help for his reconstruction from both countries mentioned.

Unlike World War I, the victors did not impose a humiliating defeat on Germany. They took advantage of the power vacuum to occupy the country for a few years, persecute and prosecute the Nazi leaders, and build a strong political system.

Question 15

After the war, several nations gathered on October 24, 1945, in New York, to celebrate the inauguration of the United Nations - UN. Tick ​​the alternative that best explains this institution:

a) The continuation of the work of the League of Nations, suspended since the beginning of the conflict in 1939.
b) A discussion forum in order to minimize the distance between the capitalist world and the communist world during the Cold War.
c) A political alliance between the victorious countries in order to ensure that fascism and its related regimes would no longer exist.
d) An international force above nations, for the purpose of defending world peace, human rights and the equality of peoples.

Correct alternative d) An international force above nations, with the purpose of defending world peace, human rights and the equality of peoples.

The UN is a supra-national institution with the clear objective of preventing wars, massacres and violence of one people against another, or even civil wars.

There is also more material here! So keep studying :

• Films about the Second World War
• D-Day - World War II
• Questions about the Military Dictatorship