thumbnail

World War II Multiple Choice

Can you answer these multiple choice questions about WWII?
Quiz by Quizmaster
Rate:
Last updated: February 1, 2019
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedJanuary 25, 2019
Times taken89,197
Average score66.7%
Rating4.34
4:00
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
1. Did the Germans ever capture Moscow?
Yes
No
2. How did Hitler die?
Hanged after the trials of Nuremberg
Shot by the Russians
Suicide
No one knows
3. Which of these countries did NOT fight in WWII?
Finland
Greece
Ireland
Italy
4. What was the name of the American effort to build an atomic bomb?
The Baltimore Project
The Chicago Project
The Manhattan Project
The Philadelphia Project
5. About 70 million people died as a result of WWII. What percent of these people were from the United States?
0.6%
5.6%
15.6%
30.6%
The Soviet Union, Germany, China, and Poland lost the most people
6. What was the role of Joseph Goebbels in the Nazi government?
Head of the Air Force
Head of the Navy
Minister of Propaganda
Minister of War Production
7. What was the code name of the German invasion of the Soviet Union?
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Overlord
Operation Sea Lion
Operation Torch
8. What machine did the Germans use to (unsuccessfully) encrypt their messages?
Boltzmann machine
Enigma machine
Göring machine
Haber machine
9. What city's fall to the Japanese in 1942 caused 80,000 British and allied troops to be taken prisoner?
Bangkok
Mumbai
Shanghai
Singapore
It was the largest surrender of British troops in history
10. What country signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in August, 1939?
Finland
Soviet Union
United Kingdom
Yugoslavia
The Soviet Union invaded Poland a couple weeks after Germany did
11. Prior to the Nazi takeover, the German government was known as the Weimar Republic. Who or what is Weimar?
An adjective meaning "peaceful"
A city
A person
A treaty
12. How many aircraft carriers did the Japanese destroy during their attack on Pearl Harbor?
None
1
4
10
There were no American aircraft carriers in Pearl Harbor during the attack
13. Who was the commander of Germany's Afrika Korps?
Albert Kesselring
Erich Ludendorff
Erich von Manstein
Erwin Rommel
14. Which of the following is NOT a Winston Churchill speech?
I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat
This was their finest hour
We have nothing to fear but fear itself
We shall fight on the beaches
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself" was Frankin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression
15. When Japan surrendered in 1945, which of these cities were still under its control?
Beijing
Seoul
Taipei
All of the above
70 Comments
+54
Level 65
Jan 26, 2019
I await the comments from those who saw Hitler flipping burgers in Argentina.
+20
Level 83
Jan 26, 2019
Adolfs bar n grill, Buenos Aires
+3
Level 81
Jun 6, 2021
I ate once at a restaurant called Te Nazi in Pristina. They actually had pretty good doner there.
+3
Level 36
Feb 2, 2019
^ Before my time, so I couldn't have seen him, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised. After reading his biography, my take on him is that he was too much of a coward to kill himself; so either one of his minions did him the favor, or he did indeed flee to SA with those of his cabal who managed to do so.
+17
Level 54
Jul 29, 2020
Rather odd to find myself in the position of defending Hitler, but his service in WW1 and the events of the Munich putsch don't suggest he was a physical coward.
+3
Level 45
Jun 9, 2021
Yea I'm not sure what he did to suggest he was a coward. He was a sadistic ruthless maniac, but cowardly? I don't think you get to where Hitler was by being a coward. All the gambles he took over the course of his life took some serious balls in my opinion... like just choosing to invade the USSR my god, the risk associated with that.

Too bad he wasn't a coward, world probably would have been better if he had been.

+8
Level 55
Jan 26, 2019
Disagree with the addition of 'cynical' into the question about the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Seems like unnecessary editorialisation to me.
+2
Level 73
Jan 31, 2019
Agree with Tom, primarily because it's just incorrect. The Soviets signed the nonagression pact in order to carve up Poland, without interference from Germany. Germany signed in order to focus on other fronts, with the full intention of attacking the Soviets later. The latter is cynical, the former is not.
+9
Level ∞
Feb 1, 2019
That's a good point @redsplat. I removed that word. The motivations of the Soviet Union were entirely evil, but not cynical as they were foolish enough to actually trust the Nazis.
+4
Level 78
Jun 7, 2021
Seems like this is oversimplifying a very complex issue. I don't think I'd say that the primary reason Russia allied with Germany was to carve up Poland. If this were the case, it seems unlikely that the Soviets would spend so much time negotiating an alliance with Britain and France (which, of course, failed). And I certainly wouldn't characterize Stalin's opinion of Hitler as "trusting".
+2
Level 45
Jun 9, 2021
Huh, and scheming to conquer and carve up a sovereign nation (Poland) isn't cynical? Don't really understand why you wouldn't think that... that part of the agreement was hidden for a reason.
+4
Level 63
Jan 27, 2019
I'm glad for the selection of questions from a variety of fronts and events. 15/15
+18
Level 78
Feb 2, 2019
Educational quiz (that's code for I didn't do very well in it). Thank you.
+16
Level 83
Mar 14, 2019
[Pedantry alert!] I would just add that the Enigma WAS successful in encrypting the German messages; they just didn't prevent the Allies from decrypting them. The messages weren't sent in the clear, they were actually encrypted.
+8
Level 87
Mar 27, 2019
I'm pretty sure if the Germans had known the messages were being decrypted by the Allies, they wouldn't have felt it was "successful."
+1
Level 41
May 15, 2020
It's funny because it's true.
+11
Level 65
Mar 27, 2019
I agree. The encryption was very successful for most of the war, until it wasn't.

I'd remove the (unsuccessfully) remark

+2
Level 81
Mar 27, 2019
I only missed one. I thought it was a trick question but I was wrong.
+1
Level 45
Mar 27, 2019
Lucky, I got three worng
+14
Level 65
Mar 27, 2019
On these multiple choice quizzes, I think it would be better to show the percentage of people who guessed each answer, not just the correct one. That info is already provided in the bar graph on the bottom. Plus, it would be interesting to see if there was a misleading answer that tripped people up.
+7
Level 58
Mar 27, 2019
Not saying Hitler made it to Argentina or that any of the conspiracy theories are definitely true, BUT...I think nobody knows is still the correct answer. Was anyone in the room with him? Do we have a body?
+2
Level 67
Mar 27, 2019
*Somebody* knows.
+1
Level 66
Mar 27, 2019
Hitler is doing a talk show. He's a big fan of Christian Slater.
+17
Level 81
Mar 27, 2019
Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide shortly before the fall of Berlin. He gave orders that he and his new wife's bodies were to be burned after their deaths. The Soviet army found two charred corpses thought to be the couple and retained custody of them throughout the Cold War. Decades later Russia allowed Western scientists to inspect parts of the remains who confirmed that they did in fact belong to Hitler (using dental records), and that it was likely he died of cyanide poisoning (or poisoning followed by gunshot as is believed). Personal accounts from several people who handled or saw the remains in the interim have been recorded, and no other sightings or alternative/conspiracy theories have ever been corroborated.
+3
Level 69
Jun 10, 2021
So, to sum up: people were in the room with him, and we do have a body. Next question!
+2
Level 63
Mar 27, 2019
Very easy but also fun! 15/15 with 3:10 remaining.
+8
Level 58
Mar 28, 2019
"What machine did the Germans use to (unsuccessfully) encrypt their messages? " Well they certainly successfully encrypted their messages. Whether the messages were successfully decrypted by the Allies or not is another matter... There was also more than one machine that the Germans used to encrypt their messages: Enigma is one, but there was also the Lorenz machine (also eventually cracked at Bletchley Park).
+1
Level 45
Jun 9, 2021
The point of encryption is to hide the message from other people... and to that point, it failed unquestionably. Being a little nit picky aren't we?
+2
Level 68
Oct 20, 2021
That would be funny if the messages kept coming out as the originals after going through that complicated machine.

"Dammit, it encrypted back to itself again!"

+4
Level 43
Mar 28, 2019
Hitler played on the Argentinian national soccer team
+11
Level 23
Mar 29, 2019
''Diego Maradona passes to Senor Hilterinho, nice dribbling by the 105-year-old, how has he not retired yet I have no idea, Hilterinho shoots! OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A GOAL!! ARGENTINA LEAD 1-0 IN THE 1994 WORLD CUP QUARTER FINALS AGAINST ROMANIA!!!! Hilterinho appears to be doing a nazi sign celebration, that's controversial!''
+4
Level 75
Apr 19, 2020
'Hitlerinho' would be Brazilian :-p
+2
Level 74
Jun 6, 2021
He was pretending to be Brazilian-Argentinian to explain his accent
+5
Level 72
Jul 16, 2019
The messages WERE encrypted. Just because the code was cracked at one point does not mean it was not encryted in the first place..
+1
Level 79
Oct 10, 2019
Yes.
+1
Level 79
Oct 10, 2019
Could you change 'Mumbai' to 'Bombay' in question #9 as that is what it was called?
+1
Level 41
May 15, 2020
I agree. Apart from this, I'd like to request a complete change in the option. JetPunk does not have people stupid enough to even guess Bombay. Unless we're being run by a flat-earther.
+1
Level 64
Oct 10, 2019
If you add Hong Kong as one of the answers in question 9, it could cause some doubt.
+1
Level 69
Oct 10, 2019
9/15
+1
Level 69
Oct 10, 2019
Lower than my apparent high score of 10
+1
Level 69
Oct 10, 2019
Kinda messed up on Hitler's cause of death cuz of all that conspiracy stuff
+1
Level 69
Oct 10, 2019
Got it the previous time tho lol
+2
Level 46
Dec 8, 2019
Enigma was extremely succesful, all encryptions are eventually broken.

Also be defintion no one knows how Hitler died (No I dont think he ever left the bunker), suicide is the obvious derivation, although this is a nitpick.

+2
Level ∞
Feb 11, 2020
Enigma was not extremely successful as many of the messages sent using it were cracked. There was a much simpler and relatively foolproof technology that the Allies used:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-time_pad

+1
Level 68
Mar 6, 2022
In what capacity did the Allies use a pad cipher in the war?
+3
Level ∞
Feb 11, 2020
Also, read the comment above from Kalbahamut regarding the death of Hitler.
+1
Level 45
Jun 9, 2021
Saying we don't know how he died is super conspiratorial. We almost certainly know how he died, despite unsubstantiated claims of him living in SA.
+1
Level 70
Feb 25, 2020
Hitler's blood was found in the bunker where he and his family supposedly commited suicide, but his body was never found. The likeliest explanation is suicide, but the answer here is "nobody knows"
+6
Level 75
Apr 19, 2020
Look it up m8y.
+1
Level 28
Dec 7, 2022
yeah ik. I'm from Germany and we learned that he commited "sudoku", but some quotes of veterans say, that he was killed by bolshevik troops. A reason for that believe is, because they also stole things from the bunker, that were pretty important for him.
+1
Level 78
Jun 23, 2023
I mean, if a person is going to go kaput in the Fuhrer bunker, I suppose a Japanese number-puzzle wouldn't be the worst last thing to do.
+1
Level 54
Mar 31, 2020
13/15
+3
Level 44
May 8, 2020
Whoever shot Hitler was a great guy...
+2
Level 17
Apr 27, 2021
Interesting comment
+1
Level 59
May 8, 2020
Only got the american percentage wrong, thought it would be 5 percent because of pacific theater and europe...
+2
Level 48
Sep 28, 2020
I am... Very surprised that so many people got the Pearl Harbor question wrong. I know not everybody is American, but I feel like thats one of the easier questions. I thought that was just sort of one of those "common knowledge" history questions? I guess I find it interesting so many more people know who Goebbels was and what Operation Barbarossa was but didn't know that no carriers were at Pearl Harbor. Maybe its an American thing though, because thats sort of one of the main points when we get taught about Pearl Harbor.
+5
Level 68
Nov 16, 2020
I would say it's just an American thing. I got 12 / 15 and missed the Pearl harbor question, Churchill and the Japanese cities. In school here (Germany) the fighting outside of Europe didn't get as much attention in high school I would say.
+1
Level 78
Jun 6, 2021
Must be an American thing, I only knew that one from Jetpunk. Or maybe it's a German thing to find Goebbels and Barbarossa much easier.
+3
Level 66
Jun 6, 2021
WW2 is still a massive topic in European schools. As Nicolas states, it often focuses on the things that happened on European soil, because the traces are still visible in many locations (former concentration camps, remembrance stones, cemeteries, monuments) Most Europeans will know details about Pearl Harbor rather because of the movie than from history classes.
+1
Level 83
Apr 26, 2024
We did a whole term on WW2 one year, and a single lesson was devoted to the Pacific Theatre. All I really remember of it was a friend from China becoming a little too morbidly excited to learn about Japan's defeat.
+1
Level 78
Jun 9, 2021
I teach 20th century history and am not American. I always point out that there were no carriers in port at Pearl Harbor because it is important to understand why the attack did not really affect America's Pacific naval capabilities.
+2
Level 46
Jun 6, 2021
moment of silence for those who chose the goring code
+1
Level 67
Jun 6, 2021
i am suprised the question about what country was neutral got so low correct answers. ireland was the easy option. who thought italy, finland or greece were neutral? all their battles are pretty famous.

we have a lot of historylets here it seems.

+3
Level 67
Jun 6, 2021
Ireland wasn't exactly "neutral" and the question doesn't ask that. It asks which country didn't fight. Ireland certainly didn't fight, and although their stated position was neutrality, they helped the Allies where they could do so without drawing too much attention from the Nazis. For example, Ireland provided the Allies with the weather report that helped the Allies decide to proceed with the D-Day invasion. Less honorably, Ireland dismissed in disgrace several thousand Irish soldiers who took it upon themselves to join the British army and fight the Nazis. Irish leadership was probably more upset that they joined the British army (as Britain was still seen as an occupying force in Northern Ireland and the Easter Rising was fresh on everyone's mind) than that they fought, but either way, the soldiers were branded "deserters" and treated accordingly on their return. It was only about ten years ago that the Irish government finally pardoned those who chose to join the fight.
+1
Level 62
Jun 6, 2021
damn, i thought i would've done better since i play hoi4. now i shall cry myself to sleep
+1
Level 66
Jun 6, 2021
Highly recommended to visit the city of Weimar! It breathes so much history, from Goethe to Bach, Liszt and to Hitler. Combined with a visit to the Buchenwald memorial it is very much worth your time.
+1
Level 63
Jun 7, 2021
You are so right, Erik! Not a place to forget, particularly Buchenwald.
+2
Level 69
Jun 10, 2021
Weimar is absolutely beautiful, and they did a decent job a rebuilding the Anna-Amalia-library, which sadly burned in 2004 due to some faulty electric wire. Many irreplaceable books were lost, but the library itself is standing once again!

You can also visit Goethe's house, which is now a museum.

+1
Level 63
Jun 10, 2021
Yeah, I missed Goethe's house, came there when they were already closing. Pech gehabt!
+1
Level 64
Jun 11, 2021
Insert Hitler didn’t commit suicide quote here