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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. Guderian's concept of the "panzer division" had what distinction?

2. When planning the crossing of the Dnieper river, what did Guderian believe to be the only way to prevent the Russians from establishing a new defensive line?

3. What command was Guderian given in the preparation for the invasion of Poland?

4. When did the "Breakthrough to the Channel" begin?

5. What type of vehicle was the Tiger?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe some of the advantages of tanks over other military units and formations.

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

3. Why was Guderian not satisfied after the armistice with France?

4. Why did von Kluge threaten to court-martial Guderian and Hoth?

5. What was Guderian's military service before World War I?

6. Describe the Schlieffen Plan for the invasion of France.

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

8. How did Germany prepare to counter the T34 tank?

9. When and by whom were tanks first introduced?

10. Why did Guderian believe France wanted to avoid real fighting?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

The allied landing at Normandy was the largest amphibious invasion in history. The allies took great care to conceal the final location of their attack and to prepare the French coastline for their invasion. For their part, the Germans made many mistakes in assessing the allied invasion and suffered serious setbacks when the allies achieved air superiority.

1) Describe the German plan for the defense of occupied France. Who was in charge of this defense? Was this general well-suited for his task? What special preparations did he make?

2) Explain how allied air superiority affected the German plans for defense of the coastline.

3) Discuss the German response to the invasion. What mistakes were made in this response? Why did Rommel believe the real attack would come elsewhere? Why were German armored units unable to respond and attack the allied beachhead?

Essay Topic 3

In general, Hitler executed brilliant strategies for the invasion of multiple nations in Europe and achieved military successes almost unrivaled in history. However, he eventually became a victim of his own ambition and failed to adapt to a changing environment in the war. His unrealistic strategic goals in Russia led to the defeat of the German army and the eventual collapse of the Third Reich.

1) Describe the strategic goals in the invasion of Poland and the tactical means employed in order to accomplish them.

2) Explain the final plan that was developed for the invasion of France. Discuss how the channel ports were seized and why they were important strategic goals as well as explaining how the French army was encircled and defeated.

3) Discuss Hitler's plan for the invasion of Russia and list and explain the specific strategic goals of the invasion. Discuss the importance of the decision to attack Kiev instead of Moscow.

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