NewsTracker Answers for week of May 13, 2024

Q: A series of violent attacks on German officials and politicians are raising concerns about extreme polarization as the country faces critical elections this year, including in three states where a far-right party could make significant gains. Where is Germany?

Circle the area on this map

Q: Political violence in Germany doubled from 2019 to 2023, and attacks on politicians have increased more this year. After recent separate attacks sent two politicians to the hospital, thousands protested against the violence in Germany’s capital ...

A. Berlin

B. Bielefeld

C. Bonn

D. Bremen

A. Berlin is Germany’s largest city in both area and population, with more than 3.8 million people. It became the capital of the German Empire in 1871. During the divisions of the Cold War, Bonn served as the capital of West Germany. A reunified Berlin became the capital of a reunified Germany in 1991.

Q: Most of the attack victims have been liberal members of Germany’s governing coalition, but the right-wing AfD party also was hit by vandals. The former East Germany has become much more conservative over the years. Which of the World War II victors occupied the area that became East Germany?

A. Britain

B. France

C. Soviet Union

D. United States

C. After the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, the forces of Britain, France and the United States occupied the western sectors of both the country and the city of Berlin. Soviet forces occupied the eastern sectors. After the former allies parted ways, the Soviet sector became East Germany and the rest became West Germany.

Q: World War II in Europe, which led to the division of Germany, started when Nazis invaded which neighbor to the east?

A. Austria

B. Czechoslovakia

C. France

D. Poland

D. Nazi troops occupied all of their neighbors except Switzerland during the war, but it was Germany’s invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, that started the war. Germany invaded after making a deal with the Soviet Union which invaded Poland from the east. The deal ended when the Nazis attacked the Soviets in 1941.

Q: World War II was the deadliest war in history. Which combatant nation suffered the most deaths because of the war?

A. China

B. Germany

C. Japan

D. Soviet Union

D. The Soviet Union lost 20 miilion to 27 million of its people in World War II. China lost 15 million to 20 million, and Germany about 7 million people. Japan lost 2.5 million to 3.1 million. Poland lost the largest share of population at 17% – about 6 million people. By comparison, U.S. deaths were 419,400, or 0.32% of the population,