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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. Soldiers in their thirties were often called what?

2. What drink did American troops generally prefer?

3. According to a common stereotype, Chinese troops were consider to be what?

4. How were military blunders usually treated in official reports?

5. American's believed that what typically American resource would allow them to win the war?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was military jargon and vocabulary used to demean enlisted men?

2. How and when was alcohol used as an anodyne?

3. What does the term "chickenshit" mean?

4. What beliefs do younger soldiers typically have that older soldiers do not?

5. According to the author, why does the human mind crave narrative order?

6. Why have nearly all nations historically favored younger soldiers?

7. Why is purpose difficult to see or non-existent in war?

8. How did the American military cause reports of military blunders to be underplayed?

9. How and why did military and public authorities react to stereotyping of enemy forces?

10. What are recognition errors, and how are they caused?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The nature of warfare, especially in World War II, made mistakes commonplace and almost unavoidable. The military and media handled these sometimes deadly mistakes in a way that might be considered disingenuous or immoral.

1) Discuss the factors that contribute to blunders being made in warfare. Explain why warfare is more prone to these mistakes than other ventures, and why the combat in World War II was especially so.

2) Explain some of the major types of military blunders that occurred in World War II, including recognition error and friendly fire.

3) Describe the ways that the military and media reacted to military blunders.

Essay Topic 3

During the war, advertisers took advantage of the prevailing patriotic spirit to help sell their products.

1) Discuss how and why advertisers were able to take advantage of the war.

2) Explain why consumers were particularly susceptible to encouragements to support the war effort. What did the "one voice" movement have to do with this phenomenon?

3) Assess how acceptable the practices that advertisers used during this time were. Did these campaigns constitute war profiteering, or were they valid business models? Use information from the book to support your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

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