History Quiz

What was the primary design consideration behind the Japanese battleship Yamato and her sister ship, Musashi?

Can you identify this World War II-era submachine gun?

What was the name of the U.S. destroyer that was torpedoed by a German U-boat in October 1941, before the U.S. entered World War II, sparking an international incident named after the ship?

It’s no surprise that Germany had built the most submarines during World War II. But do you know which nation had the second largest submarine fleet? (Photo does not necessarily depict a submarine of the correct nation.)

The Italian air force launched a small-scale bombing raid over the Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain and the city of Dhahran on October 19, 1940. What was the main goal of the raid?

What was the central idea of the Shōwa Restoration, a political movement named after the Emperor Shōwa (i.e. Hirohito) in the 1930s?

Why did John Paul Jones, the 18th century “Father of the U.S. Navy,” get in trouble with the law early in his career?

The Iberian Pact was signed between Spain and another country in March 1939, just before the end of the Spanish Civil War. What was the other signatory country?

Manchuria (Manchukuo in Japanese) was a Japanese puppet state in Northeast China before and during World War II. Mengjiang (also known as Mengkukuo) was another Japanese puppet state in Asia. Where was it?

On October 19, 1939, a month and a half after World War II began, Britain and France signed a treaty of mutual assistance with a country. The two powers promised to aid the country if it came under attack, and the country promised to fight on Britain’s and France’s side if the war spread to the Mediterranean. Which country was it?