SAT II World History : Japan in World War II

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : East And Southeast Asia

Which of the following individuals is the Japanese Prime Minister who led Japan during World War Two and authorized the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?

Possible Answers:

Isoroku Yamamoto

Tamon Yamaguchi

Takano Sadayoshi

Hideki Tojo

Hirohito

Correct answer:

Hideki Tojo

Explanation:

Hideki Tojo led Japan during the Second World War as Prime Minister. He authorized the attacks on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States of America into the Pacific and Atlantic theatres of World War Two.

Example Question #1 : Japan In World War Ii

Who was the Japanese Emperor during World War Two? 

Possible Answers:

Hirohito

Chiang Kai-Shek

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Sejong the Great

Meji

Correct answer:

Hirohito

Explanation:

The Japanese Emperor during the Second World War was Emperor Hirohito. He encouraged Japanese militarism and argued that he was divinely ordained to rule the nation. Following Japanese surrender, Hirohito renounced his divinity and agreed to constitutional rule.

Example Question #1 : East And Southeast Asia

Japan began its invasion of mainland Asia in 1931 by attacking __________.

Possible Answers:

Manchuria 

South Korea

Hong Kong 

Cambodia 

Australia

Correct answer:

Manchuria 

Explanation:

The Japanese invasion of mainland Asia began in 1931 with the Japanese invasion and conquest of Manchuria. The occupation of Manchuria, which was re-named Manchukuo, lasted until the Japanese defeat at the end of World War Two.

Example Question #3 : Japan In World War Ii

Which of these is an island that makes up part of the country of Japan?

Possible Answers:

Seoul

Hong Kong 

Honshu 

Tahiti 

Osaka 

Correct answer:

Honshu 

Explanation:

The only one of these answers that is an island that makes up part of the country of Japan is Honshu. The four main islands that make up the nation of Japan are Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Honshu is the primary island that contains most of the nation’s largest cities, such as Tokyo. Seoul is the capital of South Korea, Osaka is a city in Japan, Hong Kong is an island off the coast of China, and Tahiti is an island nation in the South Pacific.

Example Question #5 : Japan In World War Ii

In 1931 the Japanese army invaded __________.

Possible Answers:

New Zealand 

Siberia 

Singapore 

Manchuria 

Hong Kong 

Correct answer:

Manchuria 

Explanation:

1931 could reasonably be seen as the beginning of World War Two in East Asia. This was the year when Japan invaded mainland China, occupying the territory of Manchuria and insituting a puppet-government that lasted until the end of the war in 1945. 

Example Question #6 : Japan In World War Ii

Which of these battles is considered the largest naval battle of World War Two? 

Possible Answers:

The Battle of Iwo Jima

The Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle of Midway

The Battle of Omaha

The Battle of Bataan

Correct answer:

The Battle of Leyte Gulf

Explanation:

The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of the Second World War. It was fought between the combined Allied forces, led by America and Australia, and the Japanese Imperial Navy. The battle resulted in an overwhelming defeat for the Japanese Imperial Navy, which was never again able to engage the Allied powers in large numbers.

Example Question #2 : Japan In World War Ii

The Bataan Death March was a World War Two atrocity committed by the __________ against __________ soldiers.

Possible Answers:

Japanese . . . American and Filipino 

Chinese . . . Japanese and Korean 

Japanese . . . British and French 

Chinese . . . American and Japanese 

Japanese . . . Chinese and Filipino 

Correct answer:

Japanese . . . American and Filipino 

Explanation:

The Bataan Death March happened in 1942 after the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines. It involved the forced transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war by the Japanese Imperial army, in which several thousand American and Filipino soldiers perished. It was later deemed a war crime by the Allied military commission. 

Example Question #2 : East And Southeast Asia

Japanese Admiral Isokoru Yamamoto is famous for all of the following EXCEPT __________.

Possible Answers:

developing pioneering naval aviation

personally surrendering the American forces at the end of World War Two

He is famous for all of these.

leading the Japanese at the Battle of Midway 

leading the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor 

Correct answer:

personally surrendering the American forces at the end of World War Two

Explanation:

Admiral Isokoru Yamamoto is one of the most famous military commanders of World War Two. He led the Japanese fleet in the attack on Pearl Harbor and coordinated the fleet at the Battle of Midway. He is also widely remembered for the pioneering developments in aviation that he fostered in the Japanese navy, namely the use of aircraft carriers and small planes used as the primary weapons of naval engagements. He is not, however, remembered for personally surrendering to the American forces at the end of World War Two, as his plane was shot down by an American pilot in 1943.

Example Question #3 : East And Southeast Asia

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, signed in 1947, __________.

Possible Answers:

provided relief and support for victims of American bombing attacks towards the end of World War Two

stipulates that the Japanese government is subject to the support of and is accountable to the American government

limits the size of the Japanese bureaucracy to less than one percent of the population

declares that the Japanese military is now under the direct, and permanent, control of the United States of America

permanently renounces Japan's sovereign right to use war as means of settling international disputes

Correct answer:

permanently renounces Japan's sovereign right to use war as means of settling international disputes

Explanation:

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is particularly important for understanding Japanese-American relations and Japanese-Chinese relations. The Article officially and permanently renounces Japan’s right to maintain an armed force for the purpose of using war to settle international disputes. According to the Article, Japan is effectively forbidden, in its constitution, from engaging in aggressive war and can only defend itself.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors