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Quizzes > History

WW2 quiz: How much do you know about World War II?

Quick, free World War 2 test of key events and figures. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Anthony MendozaUpdated Aug 25, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper cut style illustration of WWII quiz banner with tank plane helmet medal and question mark on golden yellow background

This WW2 quiz helps you check what you know about major battles, leaders, and turning points. Work through quick questions, see your score instantly, and pick up a few new facts. If you want more, try a tougher wwii quiz, focus on armor with the ww2 tank quiz, or explore broader world history trivia.

Germany began World War II in Europe by invading which country on September 1, 1939?
Czechoslovakia
Belgium
Poland (the invasion on Sep 1, 1939, triggered Britain and France to declare war)
Denmark
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On what date did the Allied landings in Normandy, known as D-Day, take place?
December 7, 1941
June 22, 1941
May 8, 1945
June 6, 1944 (Operation Overlord's main assault day)
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Operation Barbarossa referred to which major World War II action?
The Allied invasion of Sicily
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
The German invasion of the Soviet Union (launched June 22, 1941)
The German invasion of France in 1940
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Who became British Prime Minister in May 1940 following Neville Chamberlain's resignation?
Clement Attlee
Winston Churchill (formed a wartime coalition government)
Anthony Eden
Stanley Baldwin
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Which U.S. President authorized the use of atomic bombs against Japan in 1945?
Herbert Hoover
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Harry S. Truman (he made the decision in August 1945)
Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Who led the Free French Forces during World War II?
Jean Moulin
Charles de Gaulle (head of the Free French and later provisional government)
Pierre Laval
Philippe Pétain
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On which date did Japan attack Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II?
December 11, 1941
September 1, 1939
December 7, 1941 (a date which will live in infamy)
June 4, 1942
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What was the name of the portable rotor cipher machine widely used by the German armed forces whose codes the Allies famously broke?
Enigma (its decryption at Bletchley Park was crucial)
Lorenz
Ultra
Shark
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Operation Market Garden in September 1944 primarily aimed to achieve what?
Open a second front in the Balkans
Capture Rome to force Italian surrender
Invade southern France via the Riviera
Seize key bridges in the Netherlands to outflank the Rhine (a bold airborne-ground operation)
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The U.S. Lend-Lease Act of 1941 primarily did what?
Created the United Nations
Established a draft for all U.S. men
Provided military aid and supplies to Allied nations (notably Britain and the USSR)
Declared war on the Axis powers
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Operation Citadel was the German offensive that led to which major Eastern Front battle in 1943?
Smolensk
Moscow
Kursk (the largest tank battle in history)
Stalingrad
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Who accepted Japan's formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945?
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
General Douglas MacArthur (as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers)
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Which battle is widely considered the largest naval battle of World War II?
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 1944 in the Philippines)
The Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Coral Sea
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The Navajo Code Talkers primarily used which language to create an unbroken code in the Pacific?
Navajo (their code remained unbroken throughout the war)
Cherokee
Mohawk
Sioux
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Who was the chief designer behind Germany's V-2 ballistic missile program?
Albert Speer
Heinrich Himmler
Wernher von Braun (led development at Peenemünde)
Hermann Oberth
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Which series of assaults ultimately broke the German Gustav Line in Italy in 1944?
The invasion of Sicily
The Salerno landings
The capture of Anzio
The battles of Monte Cassino (four battles culminating in May 1944)
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The Bataan Death March took place in which country following the 1942 surrender of Allied forces?
Guam
The Philippines (forcible transfer of POWs by the Japanese)
Malaya
Burma
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What were the Einsatzgruppen in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe?
Mobile killing units that carried out mass shootings (especially of Jews and others)
Partisan resistance groups
Frontline medical teams
Elite panzer divisions
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Which high-level meeting in January 1942 coordinated aspects of the Nazi 'Final Solution' and was chaired by whom?
The Munich Conference, chaired by Neville Chamberlain
The Casablanca Conference, chaired by Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Potsdam Conference, chaired by Joseph Stalin
The Wannsee Conference, chaired by Reinhard Heydrich (organized implementation)
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The Warsaw Uprising began in August 1944 and was led by which group?
The Polish People's Army (Ludowe Wojsko Polskie)
The Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) against German occupation
The Soviet Red Army
The Warsaw Ghetto Council
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Study Outcomes

  1. Analyze Major WWII Battles -

    Examine the strategic significance of key engagements like Midway and Stalingrad to understand how they shaped the war's outcome.

  2. Evaluate Influential Wartime Decisions -

    Assess the impact of pivotal policies such as the Lend-Lease Act and the Manhattan Project on the Allied victory.

  3. Identify Key Historical Figures -

    Recognize the roles of major leaders and personalities, from Churchill and Roosevelt to Eisenhower and Patton.

  4. Recall Critical Events and Dates -

    Memorize significant milestones and the chronological order of events to bolster your WWII timeline knowledge.

  5. Connect Strategic Outcomes -

    Link military tactics and political choices to their broader effects on the course of World War II.

  6. Assess Historical Impacts -

    Interpret the long-term consequences of WWII decisions on post-war geopolitics and modern history.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Lend-Lease Act's Strategic Impact -

    The 1941 Lend-Lease Act authorized over $50 billion in military aid to Allies, effectively boosting British and Soviet resistance against Axis powers (National WWII Museum). Remember "5-0 Lend" to recall the $50 billion figure. This support reshaped logistics by bypassing cash payments and cemented U.S. involvement before Pearl Harbor.

  2. Pearl Harbor Attack and U.S. Entry -

    On December 7, 1941, Japanese carrier aircraft struck Pearl Harbor, sinking or damaging 19 U.S. ships and prompting Congress to declare war (U.S. National Archives). Use the mnemonic "A Day to live in Infamy" to lock in the date. This event transformed isolationist policy into full-scale mobilization for the U.S.

  3. Battle of Stalingrad Turning Point -

    Fought from August 23, 1942, to February 2, 1943, the Battle of Stalingrad marked the first major German defeat on the Eastern Front, with over 1 million total casualties (Oxford University Press). Recall "9-23 to 2-2" as a shorthand for its dates. The Soviet encirclement strategy halted Germany's advance, shifting momentum westward.

  4. D-Day Normandy Invasion (Operation Overlord) -

    On June 6, 1944, Allied forces launched the largest amphibious assault in history, landing 156,000 troops on five beachheads (Imperial War Museums). Memorize "6.6.44" as a simple date code for D-Day. This pivotal operation opened a Western front that hastened Nazi Germany's collapse.

  5. Pacific Island-Hopping Campaign -

    The U.S. strategy of "island-hopping" targeted specific Japanese-held islands such as Tarawa and Kwajalein to establish airfields and naval bases (Naval History & Heritage Command). Think "T-K ladder" to sequence Tarawa, Kwajalein, and onward. Skipping fortified islands saved resources and accelerated the push toward Japan.

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