World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and

Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century

B The Second World War (1939-1945)

Questions

(1) Truth or Fraud: Put  for true statements and  for false statements.

1. The Germans resented the Treaty of Versailles because the terms of the treaty were
very harsh on Germany. ( )

2. Since Italy was defeated in the First World War, it failed to get what it wanted at
the Paris Peace Conference. ( )

3. In the 1920s, the United States was the largest creditor in the world. ( )

4. Owing to the Great Depression, the stock market in Wall Street, New York,
crashed in October 1929. ( )

5. Germany, Italy, Japan and the Soviet Union were all totalitarian states before the
Second World War. ( )

6. Mussolini was the dictator of Italy. ( )

7. Mussolini formed the Nazi Party in 1921. ( )

8. Hitler led a march to Rome to seize power in 1922. ( )

9. The Germans blamed their republican government for being unable to solve the
economic problems, and this helped Adolf Hitler rise to power. ( )

10. The symbol of the Nazi Party was a fasces. ( )

11. After Hitler took over the positions of chancellor and president, he became the
Führer of Germany. ( )

12. Hitler’s autobiography was called Mein Kampf, which outlined the policies of the
Nazi Party. ( )

13. Both Hitler and Mussolini fought in the First World War. ( )

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

14. The Gestapo was the secret police set up by the Fascist Party. ( )

15. The war broke out in 1937 between China and Japan was the first war between the
two countries in modern history. ( )

16. Japanese militarists suggested building a Japanese empire in the Pacific region.
( )

17. Japan established Manzhouguo in China in 1932. ( )

18. Germany annexed the Sudetenland in March 1936. ( )

19. Germany, Italy and Japan were known as the Axis Powers during the Second
World War. ( )

20. By adopting the appeasement policy, Britain and the U.S. tried to meet the
demands of the Axis Powers in order to prevent war. ( )

21. The Munich Agreement in 1938 encouraged Germany to annex Austria. ( )

22. Daladier, Prime Minister of France, represented France to sign the Munich
Agreement. ( )

23. Under the Munich Agreement, Poland was forced to cede the Sudetenland to
Germany. ( )

24. Germany’s invasion of Poland in September 1939 marked the beginning of the
Second World War. ( )

25. The Soviet Union was a member of the Axis Powers during the Second World
War. ( )

26. The U.S. joined the Second World War on the side of the Allies after Japan
suddenly attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941. ( )

27. The Normandy landing in June 1944 was a turning point of the Second World
War. ( )

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

28. Two Japanese cities, Nagasaki and Tokyo, were destroyed by atomic bombs
during the Second World War. ( )

29. Germany was the last Axis Power to surrender in the Second World War. ( )

30. After the Second World War, Germany was divided into four zones, each ruled by
the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. ( )

31. A peace treaty was signed between Italy and the Allied Powers in 1951. ( )

32. In February 1945, the United States, Britain and China participated in the Yalta
Conference. ( )

33. In July 1945, President Roosevelt of the U.S., Prime Minister Churchill of Britain
and General Secretary Stalin of the Soviet Union met at the Potsdam Conference
to discuss the post-war settlements. ( )

34. The Soviet Union suffered the heaviest casualties in the Second World War.
( )

35. The Nazis had already found the ‘Final Solution’ to the Jewish problem before the
outbreak of the Second World War. ( )

36. Atomic bombs were widely used during the Second World War. ( )

37. After the Second World War, the French Indochina was broken up into three
independent countries: Vietnam, Burma and Cambodia. ( )

38. The Cold War between the capitalist bloc and the communist bloc began shortly
after the Second World War. ( )

39. The idea of setting up the United Nations was put forward after the Second World
War. ( )

40. The headquarters of the United Nations are in Geneva, Switzerland. ( )

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(2) Matching: Match the following columns together.

1. The Nazi Party ‧ ‧ Hitler was its leader.

The Fascist Party ‧ ‧ Mussolini was its leader.
‧ Its ruling period was from 1933 to 1945.
‧ Its rule lasted from 1922 to 1943.
‧ It originated in Italy.
‧ It originated in Germany.
‧ It aimed at restoring the glory of ancient
Rome.
‧ It believed in racial supremacy and
thought that the Germans were superior
to other races.

2. The Axis Powers ‧ ‧ Germany, Italy, Japan

The Allied Powers ‧ ‧ Britain, the United States, the Soviet
Union
‧ Hungary, Romania, Finland
‧ China, Holland, Australia
‧ Egypt, South Africa, Canada

3. Hitler ‧ ‧ He formed the Fascist Party.

Mussolini ‧ ‧ He was the Führer of Germany during the
Second World War.
Chamberlain ‧ ‧ He was the Prime Minister of Britain during
the Second World War.
Churchill ‧ ‧ He was the leader of the Soviet Union during
the Second World War.
Truman ‧ ‧ He was the representative of the United States
in the Potsdam Conference.
Stalin ‧ ‧ He was the representative of Britain in the
Munich Conference.

4. Italy ‧ ‧ Communism
Germany ‧ ‧ Fascism
Japan ‧ ‧ Militarism
The Soviet Union ‧ ‧ Isolationism
The United States ‧ ‧ Nazism

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

5. 1922 ‧ ‧ Formation of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis

1934 ‧ ‧ Signing of the Munich Agreement
1937 ‧ ‧ Mussolini’s seizure of power
1938 ‧ ‧ Signing of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
1939 ‧ ‧ Hitler becoming the Führer

6. Germany ‧ ‧ It joined the Second World War after the

Japanese attacked its naval base at Pearl
Harbor.
Italy ‧ ‧ It invaded Abyssinia in 1935.
Japan ‧ ‧ It was invaded by Japan in 1937.
The United States ‧ ‧ It signed the Non-Aggression Pact with
the Soviet Union.
China ‧ ‧ It founded Manzhouguo in Northeast
China.

7. 1931 ‧ ‧ German troops marched into the demilitarised

Rhineland.
1935 ‧ ‧ Germany annexed Austria.
1936 ‧ ‧ Italy invaded Abyssinia.
1938 ‧ ‧ The Shenyang Incident occurred.
1939 ‧ ‧ The Second World War began when Germany
invaded Poland.

8. Italy ‧ ‧ It was the last Axis Power to surrender in

the Second World War.
Germany ‧ ‧ It dropped two atomic bombs on Japan.
Japan ‧ ‧ It surrendered in 1943.
The United States ‧ ‧ It surrendered in May 1945.
France ‧ ‧ It was occupied by Germany in 1940.

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(3) Time Sense: Arrange the following in chronological order.

1. (a) German invasion of Poland; (b) Hitler becoming the Führer; (c) Signing of
the Treaty of Versailles
_________________________________________________________________

2. (a) Mussolini’s seizure of power; (b) Formation of the Fascist Party; (c) Invasion
of Abyssinia
_________________________________________________________________

3. (a) Wall Street Crash; (b) Munich Conference; (c) Great Depression
_________________________________________________________________

4. (a) Hitler became the Chancellor; (b) Hitler became the President; (c) Hitler
became the leader of the Nazi Party
_________________________________________________________________

5. (a) Shenyang Incident; (b) Pearl Harbor Attack; (c) Lugouqiao Incident
_________________________________________________________________

6. (a) Italian invasion of Abyssinia; (b) Italian invasion of Albania; (c) Mussolini’s
seizure of power
________________________________________________________________

7. (a) Germany invaded the Sudetenland; (b) Germany annexed Austria; (c)
Germany invaded Poland
_________________________________________________________________

8. (a) Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union; (b) Germany’s invasion of Poland;
(c) Germany’s invasion of Czechoslovakia
_________________________________________________________________

9. (a) Signing of the Munich Agreement; (b) Formation of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo

Axis; (c) Beginning of the Great Depression
_________________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

10. (a) Formation of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis; (b) German invasion of Poland;
(c) Shenyang Incident
_________________________________________________________________

11. (a) The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was signed; (b) Germany invaded the
Soviet Union; (c) Germany re-militarised the Rhineland
_________________________________________________________________

12. (a) The Allies occupied Berlin; (b) Germany invaded the Soviet Union; (c)
Germany occupied Paris
_________________________________________________________________

13. (a) Japan attacked Pearl Harbor; (b) The U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on
Japan; (c) Japan occupied Hong Kong
_________________________________________________________________

14. (a) Signing of the Munich Agreement; (b) Setting up of the League of Nations;
(c) Setting up of the United Nations
_________________________________________________________________

15. (a)The U.S. occupation of Japan; (b) Surrender of Japan; (c) Surrender of
Germany
_________________________________________________________________

16. (a) Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany; (b) Germany was divided into
East Germany and West Germany; (c) The Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis was formed
_________________________________________________________________

17. (a) Wall Street Crash; (b) German invasion of Poland; (c) Italian invasion of
Albania
_________________________________________________________________

18. (a) The U.S. entry into the Second World War; (b) The Great Depression; (c)
Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor
_________________________________________________________________

19. (a) Italy surrendered; (b) The Allies took back Paris; (c) Germany surrendered
_________________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

20. (a) Britain and France declared war on Germany; (b) Germany invaded Poland;
(c) Germany conquered Holland
______________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(4) Multiple Choice: Choose the correct answers and put them in the boxes below.

1. Which of the following was not the legacy of the First World War?
A. Some victorious nations did not get what they expected for their war efforts.
B. Post-war political instability was common.
C. Some nations, such as Japan, were eager to expand.
D. The Germans were resentful about the harsh terms of the Treaty of
Versailles. □

2. Why were the Italians discontented with the Paris Peace Settlements?
A. The terms of the treaty signed at the Paris Peace Conference were harsh on
Italy.
B. Italy had to bear the responsibility for the War.
C. Italy did not get what it wanted at the Paris Peace Conference.
D. Italy was not invited to attend the Paris Peace Conference. □

3. Which country was the largest producer and creditor in the world after the First
World War?
A. The United States B. France
C. Germany D. China □

4. Where did the Great Depression (1929-1933) start?

A. Chicago B. New York
C. San Francisco D. Boston □

5. Which of the following descriptions about the Great Depression was incorrect?
A. The impact of the Great Depression was worldwide.
B. The Great Depression led to the Wall Street Crash.
C. The Great Depression helped the rise of totalitarianism in Germany and
Japan.
D. The Great Depression badly hit the economies of Britain and France. □

6. Which of the following was not a reason for Mussolini to rise to power in Italy?
A. People were disappointed with their democratic government.
B. People wanted a strong leader.
C. People resented the defeat in the First World War.
D. People were unhappy with the Paris Peace Settlements. □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

7. The man shown in the following picture was the leader of the ___________.

A. Fascist Party B. Nazi Party

C. Communist Party D. Conservative Party □

8. Which of the following countries was not a totalitarian state during the inter-war
period?
A. The Soviet Union B. Germany
C. Italy D. France □

9. Which of the following descriptions about Hitler was incorrect?

A. He broke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
B. He adopted a genocide policy towards the Jews.
C. He followed an expansionist foreign policy.
D. He promoted the ideas of communism. □

10. The picture below shows the symbol of the ____________.

A. Fascist Party B. Nazi Party

C. Communist Party D. Conservative Party □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

11. Which of the following is not a feature of totalitarianism?

A. One-party dictatorship
B. Foreign expansion
C. Practice of democracy
D. Control of the common people □

12. What features of the Nazi Party were shown in the following poster?

* The words in the poster read: ‘One Race, One Empire, One Leader’.

(1) State supremacy

(2) Racial superiority
(3) Leader worship
(4) Anti-communism
A. (1), (3) B. (2), (3)
C. (1), (2), (3) D. (1), (2), (3), (4) □

13. Which Axis Power was the first to adopt an aggressive foreign policy?
A. Japan
B. Germany
C. Austria
D. Italy □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

14. The Japanese occupied areas in Asia between 1911 and 1937 included:
(1) Manzhouguo
(2) Korea
(3) Taiwan
(4) Nanjing
A. (1), (4) B. (1), (2), (4)
C. (1), (3), (4) D. (1), (2), (3), (4) □

15. Which of the following countries was not invaded/annexed by Germany in the
1930s?
A. Austria
B. The Soviet Union
C. Czechoslovakia
D. Poland □

16. Which of the following was not under the influence of Germany on the eve of the
Second World War?
A. The Sudetenland
B. The Rhineland
C. Czechoslovakia
D. Holland □

17. Which of the following countries was invaded by Italy during the inter-war
period?
A. Abyssinia B. Tunisia
C. Egypt D. Morocco □

18. Which of the following countries was not a member of the Axis Powers?
A. Japan B. Germany
C. Austria D. Italy □

19. Which two countries adopted an appeasement policy on the eve of the Second
World War?
A. Britain and France
B. Britain and the Soviet Union
C. France and the Soviet Union
D. The Soviet Union and the United States □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

20. Which of the following was not the common reason for Britain and France to
adopt the appeasement policy towards the Axis Powers in the 1930s?
A. They tried to protect their existing interests.
B. They felt bad for the Germans who were treated harshly at the Paris Peace
Conference.
C. They feared war.
D. They tried to make use of Germany to check the Soviet Union. □

21. Which of the following events proved the failure of the appeasement policy?
A. Germany, Italy and Japan became the Axis Powers.
B. Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Non-Aggression Pact.
C. Germany occupied the Sudetenland.
D. Germany invaded Poland in 1939. □

22. Which of the following was not a cause of the Second World War?
A. Legacy of the First World War
B. Aggression of Germany, Italy and Japan
C. Failure of the appeasement policy
D. Formation of the Allied Powers □

23. In August 1939, Germany and ____________ signed the Non-Aggression Pact.
A. Britain B. France
C. Poland D. the Soviet Union □

24. Which event marked the beginning of the Second World War?
A. German occupation of Czechoslovakia
B. German invasion of Poland
C. German bombing of Britain
D. German occupation of Paris □

25. The U.S. joined the Second World War after ___________.
A. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
B. Germany invaded Poland
C. Japan occupied Nanjing
D. Germany occupied Paris □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

26. Which incident was shown in the following picture?

A. German invasion of the Soviet Union

B. German occupation of Paris
C. Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
D. Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor □

27. Which of the following countries were members of the Allied Powers?
(1) The United States
(2) Germany
(3) Japan
(4) China
A. (1), (2) B. (1), (4)
C. (2), (3) D. (2), (4) □

28. The members of the Axis Powers included:

(1) Britain
(2) Germany
(3) Italy
(4) The Soviet Union
A. (1), (2) B. (1), (4)
C. (2), (3) D. (2), (4) □

29. The last Axis Power to surrender in the Second World War was ____________.
A. Japan B. Germany
C. Austria D. Italy □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

30. Whereabouts in Japan did the Americans drop the atomic bombs in August 1945?
A. Tokyo and Hiroshima
B. Tokyo and Nagasaki
C. Kyoto and Hiroshima
D. Nagasaki and Hiroshima □

31. When did the Second World War end?

A. 1943 B. 1944
C. 1945 D. 1946 □

32. Which countries were occupied by the Allies after the Second World War?
(1) Italy
(2) Germany
(3) China
(4) Japan
A. (1), (2) B. (2), (4)
C. (1), (2), (4) D. (1), (2), (3), (4) □

33. Germany was divided into four zones after the Second World War. Each zone
was occupied by:
(1) Britain
(2) China
(3) The Soviet Union
(4) The United States
(5) France
(6) Poland
A. (1), (2), (3), (4) B. (1), (2), (4), (6)
C. (1), (3), (4), (5) D. (2), (3), (5), (6) □

34. The peace treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers was signed in ________.
A. 1945 B. 1946
C. 1950 D. 1951 □

35. Which country suffered the highest number of casualties in the Second World
War?
A. The United States B. Britain
C. The Soviet Union D. China □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

36. Which two countries rose as superpowers after the Second World War?
A. The United States and China
B. The United States and Britain
C. The United States and the Soviet Union
D. The United States and Japan □

37. Which of the following was not an impact of the Second World War?
A. German resentment against the Allies
B. Formation of the United Nations
C. Rise of two superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union
D. Breaking up of colonial empires □

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(5) Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the following blanks with the correct answers.

1. After the First World War, the resentment of the Germans and the discontent of
the____________ created an opportunity for the rise of such ideologies as
____________ and extreme nationalism.

2. After the First World War, _____________ became the largest producer and
_____________ in the world. It played a leading role in the economic
development of the world.

3. The crash of the _______________ stock market in October 1929 brought about
a worldwide economic crisis. It marked the beginning of the _______________.

4. In 1919, Mussolini formed a political party called the _____________. His

political ideas became known as _____________.

5. In October 1922, Mussolini seized power and later declared himself

_____________ of Italy.

6. Once in power, Mussolini adopted an expansionist foreign policy. For example,

Italy invaded _____________ and _____________ in 1935 and 1939
respectively.

7. The Germans’ discontent with their government helped _____________ rise to

power. In 1921, he became the leader of the _____________, and his political
ideas became known as _____________.

8. In 1933, Hitler became the _____________ of Germany. In 1934, he even took

the position of _____________ and became the _____________ of Germany.

9. Hitler followed an expansionist foreign policy. For example, the German troops
marched into the demilitarised _____________ in 1936. In March 1938,
Germany annexed _____________.

10. To suppress opposition, the Nazi Party set up a secret police - the
_____________, which could arrest and kill anyone they wanted. People who
opposed the government would be sent to _____________.

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

11. In the early 1930, Japanese _____________ gained wide support from the
people. They made plans to invade _____________ and build a Japanese empire
in the _____________ region.

12. In 1931, the _____________ took place. Japanese troops invaded the Northeast
Provinces of China, and founded _____________ next year.

13. After the _____________ on 7 July 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of
China. A war between China and Japan that was to last for eight years began.

14. In 1937, Germany, Italy and Japan formed a military alliance called the
_____________.

15. When Germany occupied the _____________, a part of Czechoslovakia, Britain

and France reached the _____________ with Germany and gave that area to
Germany.

16. During the inter-war period, the United States adopted _____________ to avoid
getting involved in the European affairs.

17. In August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the _____________. By
signing the pact, the two countries promised not to attack each other within ten
years. They also agreed to divide _____________ between themselves.

18. In response to the aggression of the Axis Powers, Britain and France adopted the
_______________ policy. However, when Hitler invaded _______________ in
September 1939, they finally gave up the policy and declared war on
_______________. The Second World War began.

19. The Second World War was fought between the _____________ (Germany, Italy
and Japan) and the _____________ (Britain, France, the United States and their
supporting countries).

20. In December 1941, Japan suddenly attacked the American naval base at
_____________. Then, the _____________ War broke out.

21. In order to end the war, the United States dropped two _______________ bombs
on Japan in August 1945. _______________ and Nagasaki were in total ruins

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

after the explosions.

22. Japan was occupied by _____________ after the Second World War. A peace
treaty between Japan and the _____________ was signed in 1951.

23. The colonial empires of many Western powers began to break up after the
Second World War. This was known as _____________.

24. After the Second World War, the _____________ powers were no longer the
leaders of the world. In their places came two superpowers: _____________ and
_____________.

25. After the Second World War, most nations in the world were gradually divided
into two blocs: the _____________ bloc and the _____________ bloc. The
_____________ between these two blocs began.

26. Once the War was over, the _____________ was set up to maintain world peace
and promote international co-operation.

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(6) Sorting: Distinguish the odd item from each question and write it on the line
provided.

1. France; Germany; Japan

_________________________________________________________________

2. Britain; The United States; Italy

_________________________________________________________________

3. Hitler; Mussolini; Chamberlain

_________________________________________________________________

4. The Sudetenland; Austria; Abyssinia

_________________________________________________________________

5. Abyssinia; Albania; Libya

_________________________________________________________________

6. Genocide policy; One-party dictatorship; Isolationism

_________________________________________________________________

7. Germany occupied Paris; Japan attacked Pearl Harbor; The Allies landed at
Normandy
_________________________________________________________________

8. Stalin; Truman; Mussolini

_________________________________________________________________

9. Tokyo; Hiroshima; Nagasaki

_________________________________________________________________

10. Breaking up of colonial empires; The Great Depression; Beginning of the nuclear
age
_________________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(7) Vocabulary: Define the following historical terms with simple words.

1. Second World War

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

2. Wall Street Crash

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

3. Great Depression
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

4. Totalitarianism
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

5. Gestapo
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

6. Militarism
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

7. Shenyang Incident
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

8. Lugouqiao Incident
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

9. Axis Powers
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

10. Appeasement policy

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

11. Munich Agreement

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

12. Isolationism
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

13. Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

14. Pearl Harbor Attack

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

15. Atomic bomb

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

16. Cold War

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

17. United Nations

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(8) Short Questions: Give short answers to the following questions.

1. Why did the Germans resent the Treaty of Versailles?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

2. Why were the Italians discontented with the Paris Peace Settlements?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

3. What policies did Hitler carry out after he rose to power?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

4. What suggestions did the Japanese militarists make after the Great Depression?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

5. List the foreign expansion of Italy before the Second World War.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

6. List the foreign expansion of Germany before the Second World War.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

7. Why did Britain and France adopt an appeasement policy in the 1930s?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

8. Did the Munich Agreement bring peace to Europe? Why?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

9. Why did the United States adopt isolationism after the First World War?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

10. How did the Nazi Soviet Non-Aggression Pact make Germany more aggressive?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

11. Briefly introduce the battlefields of the Second World War.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

12. Name three members of the Axis Powers and three members of the Allied
Powers.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

13. Why did the Nazis adopt a policy of genocide towards the Jews during the
Second World War?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

14. Why were the European powers no longer the leaders of the world after the
Second World War?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

15. What is the significance of the use of atomic bomb?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 24

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(9) Long Questions: Give detailed answers to the following questions.

1. Which causes of the Second World War were related to the First World War?
Which were related to the international situation of the 1930s?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

2. How did the Wall Street Crash of 1929 lead to the outbreak of the Second World
War?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

3. Account for the rise of Fascism in Italy.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

4. Account for the rise of Nazism in Germany.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

5. List two similarities and two differences between Nazism in Germany and
Fascism in Italy.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

6. How did Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union respond to the
aggression of the Axis Powers in the 1930s?
_________________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 25

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

7. How did the Second World War lead to the formation of the United Nations?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 26

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(10) Data-Based Questions: Study the sources provided and answer the following
questions.

1. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The cartoon below, published in 1919, is about the Paris Peace Conference. The
four men on the right were the leaders of the victorious powers of the First World
War, while the child on the left was a German.

(1) Did the cartoonist of source A think that Germany was treated fairly at
the Paris Peace Conference? Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 27

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(2) What, according to the cartoonist, would the German child do in

response to his treatment at the Paris Peace Conference? Explain your
answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) ‘The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 sowed the seeds of the Second
World War.’ Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer with
reference to source A, and using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 28

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

2. Study the sources below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The following statement was made by Clemenceau when the terms of a peace
treaty were published in May 1919.

Eat, bird* or die - sign you. Boches**, or we’ll advance.

* Bird: worthless or unacceptable

** Boches: an offensive terms used by the British for German soldiers during the First World War

Source B
The following is a German cartoon published in 1919 that reflected the situation
of Germany at that time.

The mother said to her

starving child, ‘When we
have paid up a hundred
billion marks, I can give
you something to eat.’

Source C
The following passage is adapted from My Struggle, the autobiography of Hitler.
Each point of that Treaty could have been engraved on the minds and hearts of
the German people and burnt into them until sixty million men and women
would find their souls aflame with a feeling of rage and shame; and a torrent
of fire would burst forth as from a furnace, and one common will would be
forged from it, like a sword of steel. Then, the people would join in the
common cry: ‘To arms again!’

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 29

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(1) Identify the treaty referred to in source A.

__________________________________________________________

(2) Was Clemenceau’s attitude towards Germany good? Explain your

answer with reference to source A.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) According to source B, what negative impacts did that treaty have on the
German people?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(4) What, according to Hitler, did ‘To arms again!’ (source C) mean?
Explain your answer with reference to the policies of the Nazi Party.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(5) Why did Hitler think that the Germans had ‘to arms again’? Explain your
answer with reference to sources A, B and C.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 30

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

3. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
A German cartoon, published in 1919, shows Italy’s treatment at the Paris Peace
Conference.

The Betrayed Betrayer

(1) Why was Italy described by the German cartoonist as a ‘betrayer’?

Explain your answer with reference to Italy’s action during the First
World War.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) Why was Italy described as ‘the betrayed betrayer’? Explain your answer
with reference to Italy’s treatment at the Paris Peace Conference.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(3) Was Italy willing to be ‘betrayed’, as reflected in source A? What was its
impact on the development of Italy before the Second World War?
Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

4. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The cartoons below show an event happened in the United States in October
1929.

(1) Compare the two pictures above. Write down the change in appearance
and manner of the American businessman and the stock investor.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) Refer to Q1, what brought about this change? Cite two clues from the
source to support your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(3) What was the impact of this change on the world? Explain your answer
using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 34

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

5. Study the sources below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The passage below shows the totalitarian rule of Mussolini in the 1930s.
In 1930, Italy suffered heavily from the Great Depression. Mussolini saw the
hosting of the World Cup as an opportunity to show the so-called unity and
power of ancient Rome and the invincibility of Fascism...
Four years later, the Italian national football team changed its traditional
image of ‘Gli Azzurri’ (The Blues) in the World Cup of France. The football
players wore black shirts to show their respect for Benito Mussolini, the
leader of the Fascist Party. Not being the host of the World Cup this time,
Mussolini restrained himself a bit from interfering in the football matches.
However, many still remembered his famous telegram to the national team,
‘Win or die’.

Source B
A cartoon depicting Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935

(1) Why did Mussolini want to host the World Cup of 1934, as reflected in
source A?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(2) Source B shows Italian invasion of Abyssinia. Why did Mussolini do so?
Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Identify the features of Fascism with reference to sources A and B.

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 36

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

6. Study the sources below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The picture below, taken in 1923, shows some German children playing with
worthless money.

Source B
Number of unemployed people in Germany between 1932 and 1938
Number of unemployed people
Year
(in million)
1932 5.6

1933 4.8

1934 2.6

1935 2.1

1936 1.6

1937 0.9

1938 0.4

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 37

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(1) Did Germany face serious economic problems in the 1920s, as reflected
in source A? Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) Identify the trend of unemployment in Germany in the 1930s, as

reflected in source B. Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Account for the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany during the 1930s with
reference to sources A and B, and using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 38

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

7. Study the sources below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The table below shows the number of seats of the Nazi Party in the Reichstag
(German parliament) between 1928 and 1933. In 1933, Adolf Hitler, the leader of
the Nazi Party, became the Chancellor of Germany.

Year Number of seats of the Nazi Party in the Reichstag

1928 12 (The smallest party in the Reichstag)

1930 107 (The second largest party in the Reichstag)

July 1932 230 (The largest party in the Reichstag)

March 1933 288 (The second largest party in the Reichstag)

Source B
The graph below shows the number of unemployed people in Germany between
1928 and November 1932.

Number of people
(in million)
7

0
1928 1930 July 1932 November 1932

©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 39

World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

Source C
The passage below shows the impacts of the Wall Street Crash on the German
economy.
On 24 October 1929, there was a panic crash in the stock market in Wall
Street, the United States. Since the American banks nearly went bankrupt, they
stopped lending money to Germany, and even pressed Germany for the
repayment of loans. As a result, many factories in Germany shut down. The
German economy collapsed like a dying patient.

(1) Identify the trend of the number of seats of the Nazi Party in the
Reichstag, as reflected in source A.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) Identify the trend of unemployment in Germany, as reflected in source

B.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Explain the trend of unemployment in Germany mentioned in Q2 with

reference to source C.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(4) ‘The Wall Street Crash of 1929 helped the Nazi Party rise to power in
Germany.’ Support this point of view with evidence from sources A, B
and C, and using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

8. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The cartoon below shows the changes of a European country between 1918 and
1939.

(1) Which country does the map show?

__________________________________________________________

(2) List four differences of this country between 1918 and 1939.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(3) ‘The year 1933 was a turning point in the history of this country.’ Do
you agree with this statement? Explain your answer using your own
knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

9. Study the maps below carefully and answer the following questions.

Source A

Europe in 1914

Source B

Germany's Sphere of Influence, 1935-1939

Mar. 1938
Mar. 1935 Sept. 1938
Mar. 1936 Mar. 1939

Germany’s sphere of influence between 1935 and 1939

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(1) A comparison of the German territory:

1914:　　　□　smaller　　　　　□　bigger
1935:　　　□　smaller　　　　　□　bigger
Why was there such a change?
__________________________________________________________

(2) How did Germany’s sphere of influence in the following years compare
to that in 1914?
1935: 　　　□　smaller　　□　nearly the same　　□　bigger
March 1936:　　□　smaller　　□　nearly the same　　□　bigger
March 1939:　　□　smaller　　□　nearly the same　　□　bigger
Conclusion: Between 1935 and 1939, ____________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) How did the Western powers react to this change of Germany? What was
the result? Explain your answer using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(4) Do you think the Western powers should bear all the responsibility for
the result above? Why?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

10. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The cartoon below is related to Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935.

The Awful Warning

France and England (together?): ‘We don’t want you to
fight, but, by jingo, if you do, we shall probably issue a
joint memorandum suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’

(1) Identify the man wearing military uniform on the right.

__________________________________________________________

(2) Did the cartoonist think that the warning of Britain and France to the
man was effective? Explain your answer with reference to the language
of the cartoon and the attitude of the man in military uniform.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(3) Did the result of Italian invasion of Abyssinia prove the cartoonist’s
view? Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

11. Study the sources below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The picture below was taken on a British street in 1935.

Source B
The picture below was taken at a conference in 1938. The conference was held
by Britain, France, Germany and Italy to discuss the issue of Czechoslovakia.

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(1) Was the British economy good at that time, as reflected in source A? Cite
one clue from the source to support your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) What caused such situation of the British economy? Explain your
answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) What agreement was reached by the participating countries at the

conference shown in source B? What was the main content of that
agreement?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(4) Why did Britain agree with that agreement? Explain your answer with
reference to source A, and using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

12. The sources below are abstracts of speeches given by Chamberlain and Churchill
in 1938. Study them and answer the following questions.

Source A
It’s unbelievable that the British have to dig trenches, put on masks and risk
our lives again just because of a quarrel in a faraway country… that we know
nothing of. I shall not give up any hope of seeking a peaceful solution… We
can’t, in all situations, involve the whole British Empire in war simply on our
account.
Chamberlain, September 1938

Source B
We are suffering a total defeat… Soon, you will find it annexed by the Nazi
Empire. Our history has already come to a horrible era.
Churchill, October 1938

(1) Which country do the passages above refer to?

□ Britain　　　　□ Czechoslovakia

(2) What policy did Chamberlain adopt, as reflected in source A? How did
he achieve his peace-seeking goal? Explain your answer using your own
knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Why did Chamberlain adopt such a policy? Explain your answer with
reference to source A, and using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(4) Did Churchill (source B) agree with Chamberlain (source A)? Explain
your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

13. The picture below is a British cartoon in 1939. Study it and answer the following
questions.

Source A

(1) Who were the two people in the cartoon? Which historical event does it
show?
__________________________________________________________

(2) Why do you think the two men became close to each other?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) How did the cartoonist describe their relationship? Do you agree with his
view? Why?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(4) Briefly state the historical significance of the event in Q1.

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

14. Study the sources below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The propaganda poster below was published by the Nazi Party in 1941. The
Russian words in the poster read: ‘Drive the Jews out of Europe’.

Source B
The passage below is adapted from Hitler’s autobiography, My Struggle, which
outlined the policies of the Nazi Party.
The boundaries of the year 1914 mean nothing at all for the German future.
Neither did they provide a defence of the past, nor would they contain any
strength for the future.
... we National Socialists (the Nazi Party) must hold firmly to our aim in
foreign policy, namely, to secure for the German people the land and soil to
which they are entitled on this earth. ... It can and will achieve meaning only
if it offers the rear cover for an enlargement of our people’s living space in
Europe.

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(1) What, according to source A, was the attitude of the Nazi Party towards
the Jews? Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) Did Hitler think that the German territory was enough, as reflected in
source B? Cite two clues from the source to support your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Identify two policies of the Nazi Party with reference to sources A and B.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(4) How did the Nazi Party carry out these two policies during the Second
World War? Explain your answer using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

15. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The following is a British cartoon published in 1938.

(1) Identify Santa Claus in the cartoon.

__________________________________________________________

(2) What prediction did the cartoonist make about the European situation
after 1938, as reflected in source A?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Did his prediction come true? Explain your answer with relevant
historical facts.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

16. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The U.S. cartoon below was published in 1941. It is about German sudden attack
at the Soviet Union.

(1) Identify the man who pulled the bear in the cartoon.
__________________________________________________________

(2) What was the cartoonist’s view on the German attack at the Soviet
Union? Explain your answer with reference to source A.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Was the cartoonist’s view correct? Explain your answer with reference to
the situation of Germany during the period 1941-1945.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

17. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The cartoon below was published on 8 December 1941. It shows an event
happened in the United States at that time.

(1) Which country does the eagle in the cartoon represent? Cite evidence
from the source to support your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) Identify the event referred to in the source.

__________________________________________________________

(3) What change did this event make on the diplomatic policy of the country

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

mentioned in Q1? How did this change affect the development of the
Second World War? Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

18. The map below shows how the Second World War was fought in the Pacific.
Study it carefully and answer the following questions.

Source A

Japan
China


  Pacific
Ocean

 


Australia 

(1) Which areas did Japan occupy during the Second World War, as reflected
in source A?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) What does ‘the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere’ mean? Explain
your answer with reference to the map above. (Hint: Pay attention to the
area in circle.)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Which nation would Japan face after crossing the Pacific Ocean? What
action did Japan take to gain advantage of that nation? Explain your
answer using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

__________________________________________________________

(4) What method did the nation mentioned in Q3 use to make Japan
surrender? What was the historical significance of its action? Explain
your answer using your own knowledge.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

19. Study the sources below and answer the following questions.

Source A

Pearl Harbor Attack in 1941

Source B

Bombing on Hiroshima in 1945

(1) What is the relationship between the two events shown in the sources
above?
__________________________________________________________

(2) Which two countries were involved in both of the events?

__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(3) Briefly describe the historical significance of the Pearl Harbor Attack on
the Second World War.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

20. Study the source below and answer the following questions.

Source A
The picture below was taken at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945.

(1) Name the three men in source A and the countries they represented.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(2) What did they discuss at the conference?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

(3) Did they maintain their co-operation after the Second World War?
Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

21. The picture below shows the situation of Indonesia during the Second World
War. Study it and answer the following questions.

Source A
A Dutch poster published during the Second World War, urging the Indonesians
to liberate themselves from Japan through war.

(1) Which two countries ruled Indonesia before and during the Second
World War?
__________________________________________________________

(2) What, according to source A, did the Dutch suggest the Indonesians to do
during the Second World War?
__________________________________________________________

(3) Why did the Dutch make such a suggestion?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(4) What was the result of Indonesia after the Second World War? List two
other Southeast Asian countries that had the same result as Indonesia
after the Second World War.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

Answers

(1) Truth or Fraud

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

18. 

19. 

20. 

21. 

22. 

23. 

24. 

25. 

26. 

27. 

28. 

29. 

30. 

31. 

32. 

33. 

34. 

35. 

36. 

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

37. 

38. 

39. 

40. 

(2) Matching

1. The Nazi Party - Hitler was its leader. / Its ruling period was from 1933 to 1945. /
It originated in Germany. / It believed in racial supremacy and thought that the
Germans were superior to other races.
The Fascist Party - Mussolini was its leader. / Its rule lasted from 1922 to 1943. /
It originated in Italy. / It aimed at restoring the glory of ancient Rome.

2. The Axis Powers - Germany, Italy, Japan; Hungary, Romania, Finland

The Allied Powers - Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union; China, Holland,
Australia; Egypt, South Africa, Canada

3. Hitler - He was the Führer of Germany during the Second World War.
Mussolini - He formed the Fascist Party.
Chamberlain - He was the representative of Britain in the Munich Conference.
Churchill - He was the Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War.
Truman - He was the representative of the United States in the Potsdam
Conference.
Stalin - He was the leader of the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

4. Italy - Fascism
Germany - Nazism
Japan - Militarism
The Soviet Union - Communism
The United States - Isolationism

5. 1922 - Mussolini’s seizure of power

1934 - Hitler becoming the Führer
1937 - Formation of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

1938 - Signing of the Munich Agreement

1939 - Signing of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

6. Germany - It signed the Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union.

Italy - It invaded Abyssinia in 1935.
Japan - It founded Manzhouguo in Northeast China.
The United States - It joined the Second World War after the Japanese attacked its
naval base at Pearl Harbor.
China - It was invaded by Japan in 1937.

7. 1931 - The Shenyang Incident occurred.

1935 - Italy invaded Abyssinia.
1936 - German troops marched into the demilitarised Rhineland.
1938 - Germany annexed Austria.
1939 - The Second World War began when Germany invaded Poland.

8. Italy - It surrendered in 1943.

Germany - It surrendered in May 1945.
Japan - It was the last Axis Power to surrender in the Second World War.
The United States - It dropped two atomic bombs on Japan.
France - It was occupied by Germany in 1940.

(3) Time Sense

1. (c) Signing of the Treaty of Versailles; (b) Hitler becoming the Führer; (a)
German invasion of Poland

2. (b) Formation of the Fascist Party; (a) Mussolini’s seizure of power; (c) Invasion
of Abyssinia

3. (a) Wall Street Crash; (c) Great Depression; (b) Munich Conference

4. (c) Hitler became the leader of the Nazi Party; (a) Hitler became the Chancellor;
(b) Hitler became the President

5. (a) Shenyang Incident; (c) Lugouqiao Incident; (b) Pearl Harbor Attack

6. (c) Mussolini’s seizure of power; (a) Italian invasion of Abyssinia; (b) Italian

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

invasion of Albania

7. (b) Germany annexed Austria; (a) Germany invaded the Sudetenland; (c)
Germany invaded Poland

8. (c) Germany’s invasion of Czechoslovakia; (b) Germany’s invasion of Poland;

(a) Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union

9. (c) Beginning of the Great Depression; (b) Formation of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo

Axis; (a) Signing of the Munich Agreement

10. (c) Shenyang Incident; (a) Formation of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis; (b)
German invasion of Poland

11. (c) Germany re-militarised the Rhineland; (a) The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression
Pact was signed; (b) Germany invaded the Soviet Union

12. (c) Germany occupied Paris; (b) Germany invaded the Soviet Union; (a) The
Allies occupied Berlin

13. (a) Japan attacked Pearl Harbor; (c) Japan occupied Hong Kong; (b) The U.S.
dropped two atomic bombs on Japan

14. (b) Setting up of the League of Nations; (a) Signing of the Munich Agreement;
(c) Setting up of the United Nations

15. (c) Surrender of Germany; (b) Surrender of Japan; (a) The U.S. occupation of
Japan

16. (a) Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany; (c) The Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis
was formed; (b) Germany was divided into East Germany and West Germany

17. (a) Wall Street Crash; (c) Italian invasion of Albania; (b) German invasion of
Poland

18. (b) The Great Depression; (c) Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor; (a) The U.S. entry
into the Second World War

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

19. (a) Italy surrendered; (b) The Allies took back Paris; (c) Germany surrendered

20. (b) Germany invaded Poland; (a) Britain and France declared war on Germany;
(c) Germany conquered Holland

(4) Multiple Choice

1. C

2. C

3. A

4. B

5. B

6. C

7. B

8. D

9. D

10. A

11. C

12. C

13. A

14. D

15. B

16. D

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

17. A

18. C

19. A

20. B

21. D

22. D

23. D

24. B

25. A

26. D

27. B

28. C

29. A

30. D

31. C

32. B

33. C

34. D

35. C

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

36. C

37. A

(5) Fill in the Blanks

1. Italy; totalitarianism

2. the United States; creditor

3. Wall Street; Great Depression

4. Fascist Party; Fascism

5. Il Duce

6. Abyssinia; Albania

7. Adolf Hitler; Nazi Party; Nazism

8. Chancellor; president; Führer

9. the Rhineland; Austria

10. Gestapo; concentration camps

11. militarists; China; Pacific

12. Shenyang Incident; Manzhouguo

13. Lugouqiao Incident

14. Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis

15. Sudetenland; Munich Agreement

16. isolationism

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

17. Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact; Poland

18. appeasement; Poland; Germany

19. Axis Powers; Allied Powers

20. Pearl Harbor; Pacific

21. atomic; Hiroshima

22. the United States; Allied Powers

23. decolonisation

24. European; the United States; the Soviet Union

25. capitalist; communist; Cold War

26. United Nations

(6) Sorting

1. France (It was not a member of the Axis Powers.)

2. Italy (It was not a member of the Allied Powers in the Second World War.)

3. Chamberlain (He was not a leader of the Axis Powers.)

4. Abyssinia (It was not an area invaded by Germany.)

5. Libya (It was not an area invaded by Italy during the 1930s.)

6. Isolationism (It was not a feature of the Nazi Party.)

7. Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (It did not occur in the European battlefields.)

8. Mussolini (He did not attend the Potsdam Conference.)

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

9. Tokyo (It was not destroyed by the atomic bombs during the Second World War.)

10. The Great Depression (It was not an impact of the Second World War.)

(7) Vocabulary

1. The Second World War was the second large-scale war that involved almost the
whole world. It broke out twenty years after the end of the First World War and
lasted six years. The Second World War covered a much larger area than the First
World War. Battles were fought throughout the world, including Europe, North
Africa, Asia and the Pacific region.

2. In late October 1929, there were rumours that the United States would soon be in
a recession. Many people then sold their shares, and stock prices in the United
States fell sharply. The stock market in Wall Street, New York, crashed, and this
touched off a serious financial crisis.

3. After the Wall Street Crash, the United States began to impose high tariffs on all
foreign goods in order to protect its local industries. Other European countries
followed. Free trade stopped. The Great Depression spread across the world.
During the Great Depression, the U.S. dollar and many European currencies
were devalued. Factories shut down, banks closed, and millions of people were
out of work. Moreover, inflation was serious.

4. Totalitarianism is a political system under which a dictator or a political party

rules the state with absolute power; the state has total control over most aspects
of people’s lives; the state suppresses all opposition; and the state follows an
expansionist foreign policy.

5. The Gestapo was a secret police set up by the Nazi Party to suppress opposition
and control the common people. The Gestapo could arrest and kill anyone they
wanted.

6. Militarism is the desire to strengthen and use the armed forces of one’s country
to make it more powerful.

7. On 18 September 1931, Japanese troops invaded the Northeast Provinces of

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

China. This was known as the Shenyang Incident. Japan founded Manzhouguo in
Northeast China in the following year.

8. On 7 July 1937, Japanese troops invaded Beijing. This was known as the
Lugouqiao Incident. China’s War of Resistance Against Japan, which was to last
for eight years, broke out.

9. In November 1937, Germany, Italy and Japan formed a military alliance called
the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis. From then on, they became known as the Axis
Powers.

10. Appeasement is giving someone what he wants in order to satisfy him and
prevent him from doing something else. By adopting the appeasement policy,
Britain and France tried to meet the demands of the Axis Powers in order to
prevent war.

11. In 1938, Germany threatened to take the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia

where a lot of Germans lived. Britain and France reached the Munich Agreement
with Germany and gave the Sudetenland to it because they hoped this could
bring peace to Europe.

12. Isolationism is a policy of national isolation by not getting involved in

international affairs in order to protect self-interest and avoid international
conflicts. For example, the United States adopted isolationism after the First
World War to avoid getting involved in European affairs.

13. In August 1939, the Soviet Union signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
with Germany. By signing the pact, Germany and the Soviet Union promised not
to attack each other within ten years. They also agreed to divide Poland between
themselves. The signing of the pact encouraged Germany to march its troops into
Poland, and this started the Second World War.

14. On 7 December 1941, Japan suddenly attacked the American naval base at Pearl
Harbor. Then, the United States formally joined the Second World War and the
Pacific War broke out.

15. Atomic bombs are weapons of mass destruction invented by the United States
during the Second World War. After the United States dropped the atomic bombs

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, these two Japanese cities were totally destroyed.
The Allied Powers were then able to force Japan to surrender. The use of atomic
bomb started the nuclear age.

16. The Cold War refers to the confrontation between the capitalist bloc (led by the
U.S.) and the communist bloc (led by the Soviet Union) from 1946 to 1991. At
first, the term ‘Cold War’ was used to describe international conflicts that do not
involve fighting. However, its meaning later extended to include local military
conflicts as well.

17. During the Second World War, Britain, China, the United States and the Soviet
Union had already started to plan for a new peacekeeping body to replace the
League. Once the War was over, they set up the United Nations. The United
Nations has done much to maintain world peace and promote international co-
operation.

(8) Short Questions

1. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles were very harsh on Germany, which had to
pay a huge indemnity and give up many territories. The German economy was
badly affected. Besides, Germany had to bear the sole responsibility for the War.
It was even forbidden to station troops in certain areas within its own national
borders. All these angered the Germans, and they resented the Treaty of
Versailles.

2. Italy joined the Allied Powers in the First World War because they promised to
give it some land. However, Italy failed to get what it wanted at the Paris Peace
Conference. Therefore, although Italy was a victorious power, it was unhappy
with the Paris Peace Settlements.

3. Once in power, Hitler turned Germany into a totalitarian state. He banned all
other political parties except the Nazi Party. He ignored the League of Nations
and broke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. He also followed an expansionist
foreign policy.

4. The Japanese militarists suggested that Japan should set up a military

dictatorship and expand abroad in order to save the economy. They made plans to
invade first the Northeast Provinces of China and then the whole country, and to

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Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

build a Japanese empire in the Pacific region.

5. In October 1935, Italian troops invaded Abyssinia, and conquered it in May

1936. In April 1939, Italy invaded Albania.

6. In 1936, German troops marched into the demilitarised Rhineland. In March

1938, Germany annexed Austria. In September, German troops entered the
Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, Germany invaded further into
Czechoslovakia. In September, Germany invaded Poland. This marked the
beginning of the Second World War.

7. During the 1930s, Britain and France were trying hard to recover their
economies. They had no time to check the aggression of the Axis Powers.
Besides, they wanted to make use of Nazi Germany to check Communist Soviet
Union. Thus, they adopted an appeasement policy.

8. No. The signing of the Munich Agreement only made Germany more aggressive.
It soon occupied the whole of Czechoslovakia. Then, it attacked Poland, and the
Second World War began. It can be seen that the Munich Agreement failed to
bring peace to Europe.

9. During the 1930s, the United States mainly focused on solving the problems
brought about by the Great Depression. Therefore, the United States adopted
isolationism after the First World War to avoid getting involved in European
affairs.

10. By signing the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Germany and the Soviet
Union promised not to attack each other within ten years. They also agreed to
divide Poland between themselves. The signing of the pact encouraged Germany
to march its troops into Poland, and this started the Second World War.

11. During the Second World War, major battles were fought in Europe and Asia. In
the European battlefields, Germany and Italy fought against the Allies, such as
the United States, Britain and France. In the Asian battlefields, Japan fought
against the Allies, such as China and the United States.

12. The Axis Powers: Germany, Italy and Japan. The Allied Powers: the United
States, Britain and the Soviet Union. (Suggested answer only)

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B The Second World War (1939-1945)

13. The Nazis believed in racial supremacy. They thought the Germans were
superior to other races in terms of physical strength, intelligence and cultural
achievement. On the contrary, the Jews were the most inferior race. Therefore,
the Nazis adopted a genocide policy towards the Jews during the Second World
War.

14. The Second World War greatly weakened the European powers. Germany and
Italy were defeated in the War and became much weaker afterwards. Although
Britain and France won the war, their economies were heavily damaged. As a
result, the European powers were no longer the leaders of the world.

15. The use of atomic bomb started the nuclear age. From then on, the power of a
country depended on whether or not it had nuclear weapons and, if so, how
many it had. Since their use could bring disastrous effects, nuclear weapons
posed a serious threat to people’s life.

(9) Long Questions

1. Germany’s resentment at the Treaty of Versailles and Italy’s dissatisfaction with

its war gains were related to the First World War. Other factors, such as the Great
Depression, the appeasement policy and the aggression of the Axis Powers, were
related to the international situation of the 1930s.

2. After the First World War, the United States became the largest producer and
creditor in the world. It played a leading role in the economic development of the
world. After the Wall Street Crash, the United States began to impose high tariffs
on all foreign goods in order to protect its local industries. Other European
countries followed. Free trade stopped. The Great Depression spread across the
world. Worldwide economic depression helped the rise and growth of
totalitarianism in certain countries, such as Germany and Japan. Totalitarianism
threatened world peace. However, Britain and France were trying hard to recover
their economies during the 1930s. Since they had no time to check the aggression
of the Axis Powers, they adopted the appeasement policy. This made the Axis
Power more aggressive. As a result, the Second World War broke out when
Germany invaded Poland.

3. Italy was unhappy with the Paris Peace Settlements. It also faced serious

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

economic problems after the First World War. Inflation was high and
unemployment was serious. However, the democratic government was unable to
solve these problems. People wanted a strong leader who could provide them
with what they needed. This created an opportunity for Benito Mussolini and the
Fascist Party to rise to power.

4. Germany faced more serious problems than Italy after the First World War. By
signing the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to give up all its overseas colonies
and part of its territories in Europe. It also had to pay a huge indemnity, and this
badly affected the German economy. The United States once lent money to
Germany, but stopped doing so after the Great Depression had begun.
Meanwhile, Britain and France kept demanding Germany to pay its indemnity.
As a result, the German economy collapsed. Under these circumstances, people
blamed their republican government for having signed the Treaty of Versailles
and being unable to solve the economic problems. The Germans’ discontent with
their government helped Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rise to power.

5. Both Nazism in Germany and Fascism in Italy adopted one-party dictatorship.

They also followed an expansionist foreign policy. However, Nazism and
Fascism had different origins. Nazism originated in Germany, while Fascism
originated in Italy. Besides, Nazi Germany adopted a policy of genocide towards
the Jews. Fascism did not adopt such an extreme racial policy as Nazism did.

6. During the 1930s, Britain and France were trying hard to recover their
economies. They had no time to check the aggression of the Axis Powers. Thus,
they adopted an appeasement policy in order to prevent war. During the 1930s,
the United States mainly focused on solving the problems brought about by the
Great Depression. Therefore, the United States adopted isolationism to avoid
getting involved in the European affairs. In the 1930s, the Soviet Union tried to
co-operate with Britain and France to check Nazi Germany, but failed. Then, in
August 1939, it changed sides and signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
with Germany.

7. The outbreak of the Second World War marked the failure of the League of
Nations. During the War, Britain, China, the United States and the Soviet Union
had already started to plan for a new peacekeeping body to replace the League.
Once the War was over, they set up the United Nations to maintain world peace
and promote international co-operation.

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(10) Data-Based Questions

1. (1) No. The German child in the cartoon was weeping, meaning that the
treatment of Germany at the Paris Peace Conference was unfair and this
upset the Germans.
(2) The words ‘Class of 1940’ was written above the German child. This
means that the German child would join the army in 1940 when it grew up.
He wanted to take revenge on the victorious powers of the First World
War by starting a war against them.
(3) Yes. As reflected in source A, the victorious powers treated the German
child (representing Germany) unfairly at the Paris Peace Conference.
Therefore, Germany determined to take revenge on the victorious powers
by waging another war. Besides, the terms of the treaty were very harsh on
Germany, which had to pay a huge indemnity and give up many territories.
It also had to totally disarm and bear the sole responsibility for the War.
All these angered the Germans. They blamed their republican government
for having signed the Treaty of Versailles. This helped Adolf Hitler and
the Nazi Party rise to power. In addition, the Italians were also
discontented with the Paris Peace Settlements. This created an opportunity
for Benito Mussolini and the Fascist Party to rise to power. The rise of
totalitarianism threatened world peace and eventually led to the outbreak
of the Second World War.

2. (1) The Treaty of Versailles.

(2) No. As reflected in source A, Clemenceau disdained the Germans, adopted
a firm approach towards them and forced them to sign the treaty. His
attitude towards Germany was harsh and hostile.
(3) The mother in source B said that she could not give the child anything to
eat because she had to pay the indemnity required in the Treaty of
Versailles. This reflects that the Germans led a hard life because of the
treaty.
(4) ‘To arms again!’ meant to destroy the Treaty of Versailles and take
revenge. Hitler broke the terms of the treaty by rearming Germany and
remilitarising the Rhineland. He also refused to pay the indemnity and
followed an expansionist foreign policy.
(5) According to source A, Hitler thought that since Germany was forced to
sign the Treaty of Versailles, it should destroy the treaty. As reflected in

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Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

source B, the Germans led a hard life because of the huge indemnity
required in the Treaty of Versailles. Thus, they should refuse to pay it.
Besides, since all German people had ‘a feeling of rage and shame’ (source
C) towards the Treaty of Versailles, they should arm themselves in order to
take revenge on the victorious powers of the First World War.

3. (1) Italy was initially a member of the Triple Alliance, but it joined the Allied
Powers and declared war on Germany during the First World War.
Therefore, the German cartoonist described Italy as a betrayer.
(2) Italy joined the Allied Powers during the First World War in the hope that
it would get some land after the victory. However, Italy failed to get what
it wanted at the Paris Peace Conference. Therefore, Italy became the
‘betrayed betrayer’.
(3) No. Since the man representing Italy was crying and looked discontented,
it can be seen that Italy was not willing to be ‘betrayed’. Since the Italians
were unhappy with the Paris Peace Settlements, they wanted a strong
leader who could provide them with what they needed. This created an
opportunity for Mussolini and the Fascist Party to rise to power. Once in
power, Mussolini turned Italy into a totalitarian state. He also followed an
expansionist foreign policy. It invaded Abyssinia and Albania
subsequently. Finally, Italy became one of the Axis Powers in the Second
World War.

4. (1) The American businessman changed from a fat and happy man to a skinny
and sad person. The stock investor who had been happy and hopeful
became depressed and disappointed.
(2) The Wall Street Crash in the U.S. The pictures imparted such information
as ‘America’, ‘stock market’, ‘stock investor’, and ‘October 1929’, which
were all connected with the Wall Street Crash.
(3) The crash of the Wall Street stock market marked the beginning of the
Great Depression (1929-1933). The U.S. was the largest producer and
creditor in the world after the First World War. It lent money to Britain and
France to help them recover their economies, and to Germany to help it
pay the war indemnity. In addition, many other countries depended on the
U.S. as a major market for their products. When the stock market in Wall
Street crashed, a financial crisis was touched off and this soon turned into
the Great Depression that spread across the world. The economies of many
countries were badly affected.

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B The Second World War (1939-1945)

5. (1) It was because Mussolini saw the hosting of the World Cup as an
opportunity to promote Fascism and show the unity and power of Italy.
(2) It was because he wanted to restore the national glory of ancient Rome by
following an expansionist foreign policy.
(3) As reflected in source A, the Italian football players had to wear black
shirts in order to show their respect for Mussolini. Besides, Mussolini sent
a telegram to the national team, ordering them to win or die. This shows
that Fascism emphasised the supreme power and status of the dictator in
the state. Source B shows Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia. This shows that
the Fascists followed an expansionist foreign expansion.

6. (1) Yes. As reflected in source A, the children were playing with worthless
money. This shows that inflation was very serious in Germany at that time.
The German economy collapsed.
(2) The number of unemployed people in Germany dropped from 5.6 million
in 1932 to 0.4 million in 1938.
(3) According to source A, Germany faced serious inflation during the 1920s.
By signing the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to give up all its
overseas colonies and part of its territories in Europe. It also had to pay a
huge indemnity, and this badly affected the German economy. Therefore,
the Germans resented the treaty and supported the Nazi Party which
advocated to take revenge. According to source B, there was a large
number of unemployed people in Germany before the Nazi Party came to
power. However, the number of unemployed people dropped continuously
under Nazi rule. Therefore, the German people believed that only the Nazi
Party could save the country. Besides, the German economy was badly hit
as a result of the Great Depression during the 1930s, but the republican
government was unable to solve the economic problems. Therefore, the
Germans turned to support the Nazi Party.

7. (1) The number of seats of the Nazi Party in the Reichstag kept increasing. It
rose from 12 in 1928 to 288 in 1933. The Nazi Party became the largest
party in the Reichstag.
(2) The number of unemployed people in Germany increased greatly. It rose
from 1.2 million in 1928 to about 6 million in November 1932.
(3) As reflected in source C, since the stock market in Wall Street crashed in
1929 and the American banks stopped lending money to Germany, the

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Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

German industries were badly affected and many factories shut down. As a
result, the number of unemployed people in Germany increased greatly
after 1929.
(4) According to source A, the Nazi Party rose to power after 1928. It was the
smallest party in the Reichstag in 1928, but it became the second largest
party in 1930 and finally the largest party in 1932. According to source C,
the Wall Street Crash touched off the Great Depression that spread across
the world. Since the German economy was badly affected, the number of
unemployed people in Germany increased greatly (source B). It can be
seen that the Wall Street Crash of 1929 badly hit the German economy, and
thus the Germans led a hard life. They turned to support the Nazi Party.
Besides, people blamed their republican government for being unable to
solve the economic problems. The Germans’ discontent with the
government helped the Nazi Party rise to power.

8. (1) Germany.
(2) Firstly, the Rhineland was re-militarised. Secondly, the Jews no longer
owned most of the German properties. Moreover, the influence of the Nazi
Party spread across the country. Furthermore, Germany’s military power
became strong.
(3) Yes. Before 1933, Germany was ruled by a republican government, which
abided by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. However, when Hitler
became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Germany came under Nazi
rule. Hitler turned Germany into a totalitarian state. He banned all other
political parties except the Nazi Party. He ignored the League of Nations
and broke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. He also followed an
expansionist foreign policy. Therefore, the year 1933 was a turning point
in German history.

9. (1) 1914:　　　　smaller　　　　　　bigger
1935:　　　　smaller　　　　　　bigger
After its defeat in the First World War, Germany signed the Treaty of
Versailles, by which it had to cede parts of its territory.
(2) 1935: 　　　　smaller　　　nearly the same　　　bigger
March 1936:　　　smaller　　　nearly the same　　　bigger
March 1939:　　　smaller　　　nearly the same　　　bigger
Conclusion: Between 1935 and 1939, Germany’s sphere of influence was
expanding.

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

(3) They adopted the appeasement policy in response to the German

expansion, leading to the outbreak of the Second World War in the end.
(4) There were many reasons for the outbreak of the Second World War. The
appeasement policy was only one of them. Other reasons included the
Great Depression and the legacy of the First World War. Thus, it is not fair
to put all the responsibility on the Western powers. (Suggested answer
only)

10. (1) Mussolini.

(2) No. The cartoon is entitled ‘The Awful Warning’, but Britain and France
only issued a ‘joint memorandum’ and suggested a ‘mild disapproval’ of
Mussolini for Italian invasion of Abyssinia. The cartoonist satirised that
the so-call ‘warning’ of Britain and France was not awful. Besides,
Mussolini treated Britain and France with disdain and ignored their
warning. Therefore, the cartoonist thought that the warning of Britain and
France was not effective.
(3) Yes. In October 1935, Italian troops invaded Abyssinia and conquered it in
May 1936. However, Britain and France did nothing to stop Italy’s
invasion. This proved that the warning of Britain and France was not
effective in stopping Mussolini’s action.

11. (1) No. The man in the picture knew three trades and spoke three languages,
but he had been unemployed for three months. It can be seen that the
British economy was bad at that time.
(2) The Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 turned into the Great
Depression that spread across the world. During the Great Depression, the
U.S. dollar and many European currencies were devalued. Factories shut
down, banks closed, and millions of people were out of work. Moreover,
inflation was serious.
(3) The Munich Agreement. Under the Munich Agreement, Czechoslovakia
was forced to cede the Sudetenland to Germany.
(4) It was because the British economy was badly affected by the Great
Depression. As reflected in source A, Britain had serious unemployment
problem at that time. Since Britain was trying hard to recover its economy
during the 1930s, it had no time to check the aggression of the Axis
Powers. Therefore, it adopted an appeasement policy towards Germany.
Besides, Britain wanted to make use of Nazi Germany to check

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

Communist Soviet Union. Therefore, it reached the Munich Agreement

with Germany in the hope that this would bring peace to Europe.

12. (1) □ Britain　　　　 Czechoslovakia

(2) The appeasement policy. He reached the Munich Agreement with Hitler
and forced Czechoslovakia to cede the Sudetenland to Germany.
(3) Britain was unwilling to get involved in another war. Besides, it wanted to
make use of Nazi Germany to check Communist Soviet Union.
(4) No. Churchill thought that the appeasement policy would not bring peace
to Europe. On the contrary, it made Germany more aggressive and soon
the whole of Czechoslovakia would be annexed by Germany.

13. (1) Hitler and Stalin. The signing of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact.
(2) They want to expand their territories and divide Poland between
themselves.
(3) There was mutual distrust between them as each of them was holding a
gun at the back. I agree with this point of view because Germany did
invade the Soviet Union later. (Suggested answer only)
(4) After signing the Non-Aggression Pact with Stalin, Hitler invaded Poland.
This marked the beginning of the Second World War.

14. (1) The Nazi Party was hostile to the Jews. In the poster, the Germans stabbed
the Jews with bayonets. Besides, the words in the poster read ‘Drive the
Jews out of Europe’.
(2) No. Firstly, Hitler pointed out that the boundaries of the year 1914 could
not provide a defence of the past. Besides, he said that the German people
should get the land to which they were entitled.
(3) Source A shows that the Nazi policy adopted a genocide policy towards the
Jews, while source B shows that the Nazi party followed an expansionist
foreign policy.
(4) Since the Nazis adopted a genocide policy towards the Jews, they locked
up a lot of Jews in the concentration camps, and killed Jews cruelly
throughout Europe during the Second World War. To expand overseas,
Germany invaded many European countries during the Second World
War, such as Poland, Holland, Belgium, France and the Soviet Union.

15. (1) Hitler.

(2) The cartoonist predicted that after annexing Austria, Hitler would invade

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

other Southern and Eastern European countries progressively.

(3) Yes. After annexing Austria, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland in
1939, and this started the Second World War. During the period 1939-1942,
he occupied countries, such as Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria and
Greece, etc.

16. (1) Hitler.

(2) The cartoonist thought that Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union would
not succeed easily, or it would even end in failure. The areas that Hitler
occupied in the past were all small nations (the animal heads shown in the
cartoon were all small and tame animals, such as deer and goats).
However, Hitler wanted to invade the Soviet Union, which was depicted as
a giant and fierce bear. He even pulled the bear with difficulty. Therefore,
the cartoonist thought that Hitler could not cope with the Soviet Union.
(3) Yes. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Germany had an
advantage over the Soviet Union. However, the Soviet Union counter-
attacked in the winter of 1942, and Germany had to face a two-front war. In
May 1945, the Allies attacked Berlin from the east and west, and Germany
surrendered. It can be seen that the cartoonist correctly predicted that
Germany could not cope with the Soviet Union.

17. (1) The United States. The word ‘isolationism’ is written on the body of the
eagle. Therefore, the eagle represents the United States, which adopted
isolationism after the First World War.
(2) Japan suddenly attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor.
(3) After the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. gave up its policy of
isolationism. It joined the Allies and declared war on the Axis Powers. The
U.S. troops were sent to the European and Asian battlefields to help the
Allies counter-attack. The U.S. entry into the War helped the Allies win the
final victory in the Second World War.

18. (1) Northeast China, the coastal area of China, Southeast Asian countries and
the West Pacific islands.
(2) It refers to the Japanese sphere of influence in East Asia. It has Japan as its
center and is formed for the sake of ‘co-prosperity’.
(3) The United States. Japan suddenly attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii.
(4) To force Japan to surrender, the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on

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World History Express 3 Topic One International conflicts and
Question Bank (Revised Edition) threats to peace in the 20th century
B The Second World War (1939-1945)

Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This led to the end of the Second World War.
Besides, the use of atomic bomb marked the beginning of the nuclear age.

19. (1) A cause and effect relationship.

(2) The United States and Japan.
(3) The Pearl Harbor Attack spread the Second World War to the Pacific. It
also led to the U.S. participation in the War. This helped the Allies win the
final victory in the War.

20. (1) Churchill (Britain), Truman (the United States) and Stalin (the Soviet
Union).
(2) They discussed the post-war settlements.
(3) No. Shortly after the Second World War, most nations in the world were
divided into two blocs. The United States and Britain belonged to the
capitalist bloc, while the Soviet Union belonged to the communist bloc. The
Cold War between these two blocs began.

21. (1) Holland ruled Indonesia before the Second World War, while Japan ruled
Indonesia during the Second World War.
(2) The Dutch suggested the Indonesians to fight against the Japanese in order
to liberate themselves.
(3) During the Second World War, Holland was captured by Germany. Since
the Dutch was unable to send troops to Indonesia to fight against the
Japanese, they encouraged the Indonesians to fight instead.
(4) Indonesia became independent.
Malaya and Vietnam. (Suggested answer only)

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