World War II in Europe and the Pacific

Grade 11 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Card A, a map in words, "Japan's attacks, December 7 and 8, 1941" (not to scale)

   Japan attacks Oahu, in Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. It attacks Wake Island, Guam and the Philippines, held by the United States, and Hong Kong and Malaya, held by Britain, on December 8, 1941. The International Date Line, where the calendar date changes by one day, runs between Oahu and the other five places. The attacks came at almost the same moment. On December 8 the United States and Great Britain declared war on Japan. Card B, Franklin D. Roosevelt, message to Congress, December 8, 1941 (primary source; Department of State Bulletin, December 13, 1941, p. 474), to report the attack and ask for a declaration of war: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy [public shame]—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Card C, the Joint Resolution of Congress, approved December 8, 1941 (primary source; 55 Stat. 795; Department of State Bulletin, December 13, 1941, p. 475), to put the country formally in a state of war: "That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared…" Card D, a summary in our words, written today: The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and makes the president the commander in chief of the armed forces.

2. 1.

   Card B is Roosevelt's message of December 8, 1941. Which question is it best evidence for, Ari asks?

   • How ready the commanders in Hawaii were on the morning of December 7, since the message calls the attack sudden
   • How the president presented the attack to Congress when he asked it to act
   • Which Japanese leaders ordered the attack, since the message names the Empire of Japan as its source
   • What happened at Pearl Harbor, told without any aim, since a message to Congress simply lists facts
3. 2.

   Card B says "Yesterday, December 7"; card A dates attacks on Wake Island, Guam and the Philippines December 8. A student says one card is wrong. What do the cards support, Jun asks?

   • Card B is wrong for Guam and the Philippines but right for Oahu, so the two cards disagree
   • The dates differ because Roosevelt used Washington's calendar and card A uses Tokyo's calendar
   • Both are right, which shows Japan planned its attacks for two separate days
   • Neither is wrong; the date line separates Oahu from those places, so one moment has two dates

4. Use this

   Cards E to H. Card E, a summary in our words, written today (National Archives): Early in the war Roosevelt and Churchill agreed that Germany had to be stopped first if the Pacific war was to be won. Stalin pressed them to open a second front in Europe. In 1942 the United States had too few soldiers in England for a landing across the English Channel, so in July 1942 the two leaders chose North Africa as a first step. Landings at Casablanca, Oran and Algiers in November 1942 began that plan, and Sicily and Italy followed in 1943. The main landing in France came in 1944. Card F, A map in words, "Allied landings, 1942 to 1944" (not to scale): Allied landings from the sea reach Morocco and Algeria on November 8, 1942; Sicily on July 10, 1943; Salerno, in Italy, on September 9, 1943; and Normandy, in France, on June 6, 1944. Germany, the country the Allies agreed to defeat first, surrendered on May 8, 1945. Card G, a summary in our words, written today (National Archives): More than 4,000 Allied ships and more than 1,200 planes were ready for the Normandy landings of June 6, 1944. By the end of that day about 155,000 Allied troops were ashore and held about 80 square miles of the French coast. The National Archives calls D-Day a military success that opened Europe to the Allies, followed by Germany's surrender in under a year. Card H, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Order of the Day to the Allied Expeditionary Force, June 6, 1944 (primary source; printed single sheet), to give the troops confidence and a purpose before the landings: "In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world."

5. 3.

   A student says card E means the United States left the Pacific alone until Germany was beaten. What does card E support, Kira asks?

   • Card E puts Germany first to win the Pacific war; it does not say what happened there meanwhile
   • The student is wrong, because the card shows the leaders put the Pacific first and Germany second
   • The student is right, since card F shows no landing in the Pacific before Germany's surrender
   • The student is right, since a first priority means nothing else is attempted until it is done

6. Card A, a map in words, "Japan's attacks, December 7 and 8, 1941" (not to scale)

   Japan attacks Oahu, in Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. It attacks Wake Island, Guam and the Philippines, held by the United States, and Hong Kong and Malaya, held by Britain, on December 8, 1941. The International Date Line, where the calendar date changes by one day, runs between Oahu and the other five places. The attacks came at almost the same moment. On December 8 the United States and Great Britain declared war on Japan. Card B, Franklin D. Roosevelt, message to Congress, December 8, 1941 (primary source; Department of State Bulletin, December 13, 1941, p. 474), to report the attack and ask for a declaration of war: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy [public shame]—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Card C, the Joint Resolution of Congress, approved December 8, 1941 (primary source; 55 Stat. 795; Department of State Bulletin, December 13, 1941, p. 475), to put the country formally in a state of war: "That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared…" Card D, a summary in our words, written today: The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and makes the president the commander in chief of the armed forces.

7. 4.

   A student says card D means the president had no part in taking the country to war. What does card D support, Luz asks?

   • Congress has the larger part, since the resolution on card C is what put the country at war and card D gives the president no role
   • Congress holds the power to declare war, so the president could not ask it to, and card B went too far
   • Congress declares war and the president commands the forces, so each has a part, as cards B and C show
   • The president's part ended once Congress passed the resolution on December 8, since the act was done
8. 5.

   Cards B and C are the president's message and the joint resolution of December 8. Which statement do they support together, Milo asks?

   • Congress passed the resolution without opposition, since the message and the resolution are dated the same day
   • Congress declared the state of war first, and the president's message then asked it to confirm the act
   • Congress had no choice but to act, since the president's message left the decision to him alone
   • The president reported the attack and asked for action, and Congress then made the formal declaration

9. Use this

   Cards E to H. Card E, a summary in our words, written today (National Archives): Early in the war Roosevelt and Churchill agreed that Germany had to be stopped first if the Pacific war was to be won. Stalin pressed them to open a second front in Europe. In 1942 the United States had too few soldiers in England for a landing across the English Channel, so in July 1942 the two leaders chose North Africa as a first step. Landings at Casablanca, Oran and Algiers in November 1942 began that plan, and Sicily and Italy followed in 1943. The main landing in France came in 1944. Card F, A map in words, "Allied landings, 1942 to 1944" (not to scale): Allied landings from the sea reach Morocco and Algeria on November 8, 1942; Sicily on July 10, 1943; Salerno, in Italy, on September 9, 1943; and Normandy, in France, on June 6, 1944. Germany, the country the Allies agreed to defeat first, surrendered on May 8, 1945. Card G, a summary in our words, written today (National Archives): More than 4,000 Allied ships and more than 1,200 planes were ready for the Normandy landings of June 6, 1944. By the end of that day about 155,000 Allied troops were ashore and held about 80 square miles of the French coast. The National Archives calls D-Day a military success that opened Europe to the Allies, followed by Germany's surrender in under a year. Card H, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Order of the Day to the Allied Expeditionary Force, June 6, 1944 (primary source; printed single sheet), to give the troops confidence and a purpose before the landings: "In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world."

10. 6.

    Cards E and F are the Germany-first plan and the list of landings. Which statement do they support together, Noah asks?

    • Landings in Italy had to come before France, since Normandy came after Sicily and Salerno
    • The Allies chose North Africa because Germany had few forces there, which made it a safe first step
    • The Allies began in North Africa in 1942 and reached France in 1944, after Sicily and Italy
    • The landings in Italy in 1943 were the first step of the plan, with North Africa added later
11. 7.

    Cards G and H are the D-Day numbers and Eisenhower's Order of the Day. Which statement do they support together, Pia asks?

    • The order caused the surrender within a year, since it set the aim and the surrender followed
    • The 155,000 troops ashore met the aim of card H by the end of June 6, since the order names no larger goal
    • Both cards report what happened on June 6, one in words and one in numbers
    • Card H states the aim given the troops; card G reports a landing in force and surrender within a year
12. 8.

    Card G gives about 155,000 troops holding about 80 square miles by the end of June 6, about 1,900 per square mile. What does that rate show, Ren asks?

    • How crowded the Allied troops were in the area held, with nothing about the German forces
    • How far inland the troops had pushed by evening, since the area held shows the depth reached
    • How many troops each ship carried, since card G also gives more than 4,000 ships in the force
    • Allied strength against the German defenders, since a high rate means the Allies outnumbered them
13. 9.

    Card F dates the first landing November 8, 1942, and Normandy June 6, 1944, about 19 months apart. A student says the gap shows hesitation. What does it support, Tala asks?

    • The Allies hesitated out of fear of Germany, since a gap of 19 months shows leaders held back
    • The wait was about 9 months, counted from Salerno, so the gap is too short to need an explanation
    • The gap shows timing; card E explains the 1942 choice of North Africa, not the wait for France
    • The shortage of soldiers in England alone explains why France waited until 1944
14. 10.

    Card F dates Normandy June 6, 1944, and Germany's surrender May 8, 1945, about 11 months apart. A student says Normandy ended the war there. What do the dates support, Zee asks?

    • Germany had too few defenders to hold the coast, since card G counts 155,000 troops ashore
    • The surrender was certain on June 6, 1944, since card G calls the landing a military success
    • Normandy ended the war in Europe by itself, because the surrender came within a year of the landing
    • Normandy opened Europe and surrender followed in 11 months; the dates do not show it ended the war