8th Grade American History Name ____________________
WWII Study Guide Questions KEY
PART ONE QUESTIONS
1. What was Roosevelt’s “Good Neighbor” Policy? The US would allow Latin American countries to
handle their own affairs
2. What is totalitarianism? A system of government that regulates every aspect of life
3. What were the 4 totalitarian governments and their countries involved in WW2? Fascism of Italy,
Militarism of Japan, Nazism of Germany, Communism of Soviet Union
4. What is the “Black Shirts”? a military group that Mussolini used to enforce his ideas.
5. What promises did Mussolini make to Italy? To restore Italian pride
6. How did Mussolini gain the people’s support? He built railroads, highways, and gave peasants land
and houses
7. What is fascism? Political and economic system that promoted extreme nationalism and militarism
8. What was Hitler’s book Mein Kampf about? His racist views and desire to expand the German
nation
9. How effective was the League of Nations at stopping foreign aggression from Japan, Germany and
Italy? They were not very effective.
10. What attitude did Americans have toward foreign affairs between WW1 and WW2? They want to
remain isolationists.
11. What did the French and British leaders do to appease Hitler? Gave him Sudetenland.
12. What promise did Hitler make if Germany was given Sudetenland? He would leave the rest of
Czechoslovakia and Europe alone.
13. What claims did Hitler make about Sudetenland when he demanded they join Germany? That
they were being mistreated
14. Did he keep this promise? No, he continued taking territory and countries
15. What were the immediate causes of the war? Violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Invasion of
Poland (blitzkrieg) by Germany and Soviet Union
16. What were the terms of the nonaggression pact between Hitler and the Soviet Union? Not to
attack each other and to each take part of Poland
17. What is a blitzkrieg? A lightning war or German assault on western European countries
18. What was Britain and France’s reaction to the invasion of Poland? They declared war on
Germany
19. What was America’s initial reaction to the war? Neutrality Acts (1935) and Collective Security,
Cash-and-carry policy (1939), Destroyers for bases trade
20. What happened at Dunkirk after the German invasion of France? British and French troops were
trapped between the sea and the German army, and the British sent boats there to evacuate them -
338,000 Allied troops were rescued.
