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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 Guderian, why was the German military unable to oppose Hitler?

2. Guderian described Hitler as being brave in what situations?

3. Guderian estimated the war could only continue for a few more weeks if what critical area was taken?

4. Which of the following best describes the relationship that existed between the German General Staff and the Weimar Republic?

5. During Germany's final collapse, Guderian sought an audience with Hitler and what other major leader?

Short Essay Questions

1. What problems did the German General Staff face in the inter-war period?

2. What defensive mistake did Rommel make in dealing with the allied landings at Normandy?

3. What faults did Guderian credit for Hitler's declining capabilities?

4. What special authority did Guderian seek from general Schmundt?

5. What was the result of the July 20th plot?

6. What war did the tradition of the German General Staff date back to?

7. Summarize Guderian's opinion of Hitler's overall strategic mistakes.

8. What happened when the Russians invaded German-allied Romania?

9. How well did Himmler fare as the leader of Army Group Vistula?

10. What kind of audience did Guderian seek in Chapter 12?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

After dealing with France, Hitler turned his attention to Russia. He devised another daring plan for quickly annexing an entire nation through a focus on mobile warfare and rapid advances. The initial attacks took the Russian completely by surprise and resulted in huge territorial gains by the Germans. However, the Russians quickly reorganized and began to push the German army back.

1) Explain Hitler's plan for attack against Russia. What were the major strategic goals of the plan? How did Hitler intend to overcome the massive Russian advantage in manpower? What were to be the final goals of the invasion?

2) Summarize the course of the invasion of Russia.

3) Discuss the important strategic decision whether to attack Moscow or Kiev first. What has Hitler's final decision, and what motivated it?

4) Discuss the impact of the T34 tank on the war. How did the Germans respond to this threat?

5) Explain some of the major factors that led to the turn-around of Germany's success in Russia.

Essay Topic 3

Just before launching his attack against Poland, Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with Russia that, in theory, guaranteed peace between these nations for the immediate future. This agreement allowed Hitler to safely and quickly invade Poland with little concern for a Russian attack on his rapidly-advancing and disorganized troops.

1) Explain why Hitler sought and signed the non-aggression pact with Russia. What major strategic advantages did this pact provide for Germany?

2) Discuss the agreement between Germany and Russia to split Poland's territory and explain how this agreement enticed Russia to agree to the deal arrangement and to avoid attacking Germany.

3) Explain how Hitler took advantage of the period of relative peace that the non-aggression pact provided him following the conclusion of the Polish campaign.

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