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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. What did General von Kleist order, causing Guderian to threaten to resign?

2. When was the Sudetenland incorporated into Germany?

3. How many Panzer divisions were formed by 1935?

4. What company worked hard to produce huge and unusual tank designs?

5. What was Guderian's strategic goal in the invasion of Poland?

Short Essay Questions

1. What difficulties did Guderian face in the march on Austria?

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

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

4. What was the impact of the T34 tank on the German military?

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

6. What tactical considerations did Guderian insist on in the planning of the invasion of France?

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

8. What was the significance of Kuln to Guderian?

9. In 1933, how did the various leaders of the German military feel about tanks?

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

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

After breaking through Belgium and Luxembourg, the German forces routed French and allied divisions, sending them fleeing North to the channel and south to the heart of France. The English expeditionary force was badly disorganized and compacted into a small area at Dunkirk, where they were slowly evacuated. Many military leaders wanted to launch a massive ground attack against these forces, but Hitler indulged Goering's desire to demonstrate the power of the German Luftwaffe by destroying the English from the air. This proved more difficult than planned, and most of the English army escaped.

1) Discuss the events that caused the English army to be cornered at Dunkirk.

2) Explain the opinions of Guderian and other military leaders about what should have been done to wipe out the English army.

3) Explain the reasons that caused Hitler to send only the Luftwaffe to attack this vulnerable position.

4) Summarize the Luftwaffe's attempts to wipe out the English.

5) Using information from the book and Guderian's personal insights, speculate how the war could have gone differently had ground forces been allowed to attack Dunkirk en masse.

Essay Topic 3

As the situation worsened for Germany, Hitler became increasingly distrustful of his generals and began to chastise them for minor acts of disobedience. This trend began soon after the close of the Polish campaign and increased in severity until the end of the war.

1) Discuss the beginnings of Hitler's distrust for his generals. Cite Guderian's first hints Hitler was unsatisfied with his generals.

2) Explain some of the issues Hitler disagreed with his generals on, including defensive positions, strategic goals, and tactical withdrawals.

3) Describe some of the consequences of Hitler's distrust for his generals, including but not limited to the diminishing effectiveness of the German war-machine, the promotion of incompetent generals, and the assassination attempts against Hitler himself.

(see the answer keys)

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