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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Guderian removed from his command by von Kluge?

2. Hitler's arrival in what Austrian city affected him deeply?

3. What caused problems in the repair and maintenance of tanks in 1943?

4. Why did Guderian believe the French wanted to avoid real fighting?

5. What Russian city did the German Army General Staff still hope that Guderian could take as late as November of 1941?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Guderian's mission in the invasion of Poland.

2. What post did Hitler want to promote Guderian to; why was Guderian hesitant, and what was the outcome of the offer?

3. How did Hitler gain diplomatic approval for the occupation of the Sudetenland?

4. What happened to the rest of Czechoslovakia after Germany occupied the Sudetenland?

5. What factors made tank production and maintenance more difficult in 1942?

6. What happened in Linz during the German march on Austria?

7. What did Guderian do while on inactive service?

8. Why did the German forces face difficulties during the first winter of the Russian campaign.

9. When and by whom were tanks first introduced?

10. Why did Hitler forbid ground units to attack the routed English army at Dunkirk?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After dealing with France, Hitler turned his attention to Russia. He devised another daring plan for quickly annexing an entire nation through a focus on mobile warfare and rapid advances. The initial attacks took the Russian completely by surprise and resulted in huge territorial gains by the Germans. However, the Russians quickly reorganized and began to push the German army back.

1) Explain Hitler's plan for attack against Russia. What were the major strategic goals of the plan? How did Hitler intend to overcome the massive Russian advantage in manpower? What were to be the final goals of the invasion?

2) Summarize the course of the invasion of Russia.

3) Discuss the important strategic decision whether to attack Moscow or Kiev first. What has Hitler's final decision, and what motivated it?

4) Discuss the impact of the T34 tank on the war. How did the Germans respond to this threat?

5) Explain some of the major factors that led to the turn-around of Germany's success in Russia.

Essay Topic 2

As the war wound down and allied forces converged on the heart of Germany, Hitler and his top advisers refused to admit defeat and repeatedly neglected to agree to armistices. This refusal cost the lives of a huge number of soldiers and civilians.

1) Explain the opportunities Hitler had to surrender to the allies on reasonable terms. Include examples of suggestions made by both the allies and by other German leaders.

2) Discuss the reasons Hitler and his advisers refused to surrender until the war was completely and hopelessly lost.

3) Explain some of the consequences of this refusal, including the loss of life and the increasingly desperate situation for German civilians.

Essay Topic 3

The July 20th assassination plot against Hitler ended with the killing of several top German military leaders, the light wounding of the Fuhrer, and the execution of most of the conspirators. The German officers who carried out the assassination attempt believed they could end the war by killing Hitler, but Guderian expressed doubt that Hitler's death would mean anything for Germany.

1) Explain the July 20th plot, including the people involved, the plan for the assassination, how the attack was carried out, and how successful the plan was.

2) Discuss the motivations of the conspirators and explain what they hoped to achieve through their actions.

3) Describe Guderian's attitude towards the assassination attempt, including a discussion of his criticisms of the methods used by the conspirators and their morals.

(see the answer keys)

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