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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. According to the author, what belief is typical of younger soldiers and not of older soldiers?

2. What conditions caused servicemen to set aside the preoccupation with women as objects of sexualized desire?

3. The frequency of prostitution and ephemeral romantic relationships would best be described as which of the following?

4. According to the author, before the outbreak of war, what did Americans expect their military performance to be like?

5. One rumor suggested that German sympathizers used what animal to convey intelligence to the enemy?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did many soldiers require an anodyne?

2. What qualities epitomized the American forces prior to their entry into WWII?

3. What did Americans expect their participation in WWII to be like?

4. What beliefs did American have about the Japanese going into the war, and how did those beliefs change?

5. Once they were in the war, how did Americans believe they could win it?

6. What drinks were preferred by men from different nations in the war?

7. What does the term "chickenshit" mean?

8. How did contemporaneous war histories depict military blunders?

9. What problems did American arms and armaments suffer from in the early parts of WWII?

10. What sort of information is regularly denied to the common soldier?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nations on all sides recruited soldiers around the age of 18, since young men were considered to be ideal soldiers. For better or worse, young men fought and won the war.

1) Explain why young men were considered to be ideal candidates for training as soldiers.

2) Why is it important for soldiers to exhibit aggression? Explain why young men around the age of 18 are prime candidates in this regard.

2) Discuss why military leaders believed young men to be easier to lead and less likely to question the purpose of the war. Was this supposition valid?

3) Discuss the use of very young soldiers by the axis powers late in the war. Was this type of recruitment immoral, or supportable given their circumstances?

Essay Topic 2

High-mindedness dominated thought and writing about the war during its later years. Although not unique to World War II, the author asserts that it reaching its peak during this conflict. American citizens and soldiers had markedly different reactions to this approach.

1) Explain what the author means by "high mindedness."

2) Discuss why high-minded thinking about the war came to dominate in the media. What purpose did this serve?

3) Explain how the American public reacted to the increasing high-mindedness presented to them.

4) Describe the reaction of American soldiers to this increasingly abstract explanation for the war. Why couldn't they relate to these concepts, and what affect did this high-mindedness have on them?

5) Assess overall whether or not an emphasis on high-minded ideal was good or bad for the nation during the war.

Essay Topic 3

Drunkenness was rampant in the ranks of the enlisted men. The author states that heavy drinking usually began early in stateside training, and stopped (temporarily) only when alcohol was not available.

1) Explain why so many soldiers turned to drinking throughout the war.

2) Discuss the prevalence of drunkenness and alcoholism in the ranks of the enlisted men.

3) Describe some of the problems brought on by this tendency. What did the American public think about their soldiers and what health problems and other dangers did these soldiers face?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 798 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample