Export your learner materials as an interactive game, a webpage, or FAQ style cheatsheet.
Unsaved Work Found!
It looks like you have unsaved work from a previous session. Would you like to restore it?
Total Categories: 6
Edward Donald Slovik was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1920.
Answer: True
Edward Donald Slovik was born on February 18, 1920, in Detroit, Michigan.
Eddie Slovik had no prior criminal record before his military service, making his desertion an isolated incident.
Answer: False
Eddie Slovik had a significant criminal record from his youth, including multiple arrests for theft and breaking and entering, which led to prison time before his military service.
Slovik's criminal record initially classified him as 4-F, rendering him morally unfit for duty in the U.S. military.
Answer: True
Due to his criminal record, Eddie Slovik was initially classified as 4-F, signifying he was considered morally unfit for military service.
Eddie Slovik met his wife, Antoinette Wisniewski, while working at a factory in Detroit after being paroled.
Answer: False
Eddie Slovik met Antoinette Wisniewski while working at Montella Plumbing and Heating in Dearborn, Michigan, not a factory in Detroit.
Eddie Slovik was drafted into the Army in late 1942, shortly after his marriage.
Answer: False
Eddie Slovik was drafted on January 3, 1944, more than a year after his marriage on November 7, 1942.
In which U.S. state was Edward Donald Slovik born?
Answer: Michigan
Edward Donald Slovik was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 18, 1920.
What was Slovik's initial military service classification due to his criminal record prior to being drafted?
Answer: 4-F, morally unfit for duty
Due to his criminal record, Eddie Slovik was initially classified as 4-F, indicating he was considered morally unfit for duty in the U.S. military.
When did Eddie Slovik and Antoinette Wisniewski get married?
Answer: November 7, 1942
Eddie Slovik and Antoinette Wisniewski were married on November 7, 1942.
Upon his dispatch to France in August 1944, Slovik was immediately assigned to the 28th Infantry Division.
Answer: False
Upon dispatch to France in August 1944, Slovik was initially assigned to the 3rd Replacement Depot before being assigned to the 28th Infantry Division on August 24.
The 28th Infantry Division was preparing for combat in the Ardennes Forest when Slovik was court-martialed.
Answer: False
When Slovik was court-martialed, the 28th Infantry Division was preparing for an attack in the Hürtgen Forest, not the Ardennes Forest.
To which division was Eddie Slovik assigned after being dispatched to France in August 1944?
Answer: The 28th Infantry Division
After being dispatched to France in August 1944, Eddie Slovik was assigned to the 3rd Replacement Depot, and then on August 24, to the 28th Infantry Division.
What was the 28th Infantry Division preparing for when Slovik was court-martialed?
Answer: An attack in the Hürtgen Forest, known for grueling combat and high casualties.
The 28th Infantry Division was scheduled to begin an attack in the Hürtgen Forest, an area known for exceptionally difficult and prolonged combat with high expected casualty rates.
Private Slovik and Private John Tankey intentionally deserted their unit together near Elbeuf, France.
Answer: False
Slovik and Tankey became separated from their unit inadvertently during an artillery attack, not through intentional desertion at that point.
Slovik's written note, presented to a cook, explicitly confessed his desertion and stated his intent to run away again if forced back to the front.
Answer: True
Slovik's note explicitly stated, 'I, Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik, 36896415, confess to the desertion of the United States Army,' and included his intention to 'run away again AND I'LL RUN AWAY AGAIN IF I HAVE TO GO OUT THEIR [sic; THERE].'
Slovik was given multiple opportunities by various officers to retract his desertion confession and avoid charges.
Answer: True
Slovik was given multiple opportunities by a cook, a military policeman, his company commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Ross Henbest to retract his confession, and later by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Sommer to rejoin his unit without charges.
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Sommer offered Slovik a transfer to a different infantry regiment within the division to avoid a court-martial.
Answer: True
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Sommer offered Slovik a final opportunity to rejoin his unit with charges dropped and a transfer to a different infantry regiment within the division.
How did Private Slovik and Private John Tankey become separated from their unit near Elbeuf, France?
Answer: They took cover during an artillery attack and their unit inadvertently moved on.
Slovik and Tankey became separated from their unit when they took cover during an artillery attack, and their unit inadvertently moved on without them.
What was Captain Ralph Grotte's response to Slovik's request for reassignment to a rear area?
Answer: He refused the request and warned that running away would constitute desertion and a court-martial.
Captain Grotte refused Slovik's request for reassignment, explicitly warning him that running away would be considered desertion and would lead to a court-martial.
What was a key element of the note Eddie Slovik presented to the cook on October 9, 1944?
Answer: A confession of desertion and a statement of intent to run away again if forced to the front.
Slovik's note explicitly confessed his desertion and stated his clear intention to 'run away again' if forced back to the front lines.
Who offered Slovik a final chance to avoid a court-martial by rejoining his unit and transferring to a different regiment?
Answer: Lieutenant Colonel Henry Sommer
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Sommer, the division's judge advocate, offered Slovik a third and final opportunity to rejoin his unit with charges dropped and a transfer to a different infantry regiment.
Why did Slovik refuse all offers to avoid a court-martial?
Answer: He was convinced he would only face jail time, which he considered preferable to combat.
Slovik refused all offers because he believed he would only receive a jail sentence, which he found more tolerable than combat, and he expected military prison terms to be commuted after the war.
Eddie Slovik fully expected to receive a death sentence for his act of desertion.
Answer: False
Eddie Slovik expected a dishonorable discharge and a prison term, not a death sentence, which came as a shock to him.
Slovik's court-martial tribunal was composed of officers from his own 28th Infantry Division.
Answer: False
Slovik's court-martial tribunal was composed of staff officers from *other* U.S. Army divisions because all combat officers from the 28th Infantry Division were actively fighting on the front lines.
Major General Norman Cota approved Slovik's death sentence primarily to maintain discipline among the troops during a critical period.
Answer: True
Major General Norman Cota approved the death sentence, stating it was his duty to maintain discipline and to be able to 'look a good soldier in the face' given the severe combat situation.
Eddie Slovik appealed for clemency directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt after his death sentence.
Answer: False
Eddie Slovik appealed for clemency to the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, not directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Battle of the Bulge began before Slovik's clemency appeal was reviewed, influencing the decision to deny it.
Answer: False
Slovik submitted his clemency appeal on December 9, 1944. The Battle of the Bulge began on December 16, 1944, which was *during* the review process and significantly influenced the decision to deny clemency, not before the appeal was reviewed.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower confirmed Slovik's execution order, noting its necessity to discourage further desertions.
Answer: True
General Dwight D. Eisenhower confirmed the execution order on December 23, 1944, specifically stating its necessity to discourage further desertions among the troops.
What was the specific charge for which Eddie Slovik was tried by court-martial?
Answer: Desertion to avoid hazardous duty.
Eddie Slovik was tried by court-martial on November 11, 1944, on the charge of desertion to avoid hazardous duty.
Why was Slovik's court-martial tribunal composed of officers from *other* U.S. Army divisions?
Answer: All combat officers from the 28th Infantry Division were actively engaged on the front lines.
Slovik's court-martial tribunal was composed of staff officers from other U.S. Army divisions because all combat officers from the 28th Infantry Division were actively fighting on the front lines.
Who was the division commander who approved Slovik's death sentence, stating it was his duty to maintain discipline?
Answer: Major General Norman Cota
Major General Norman Cota, the division commander, approved Slovik's death sentence, emphasizing his duty to maintain discipline during a critical period.
To whom did Eddie Slovik appeal for clemency after his death sentence?
Answer: Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
On December 9, 1944, Eddie Slovik wrote a letter appealing for clemency to the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
What major German offensive began shortly after Slovik's clemency appeal, likely influencing the decision to deny it?
Answer: The Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, a surprise German offensive, began on December 16, 1944, shortly after Slovik's clemency appeal was submitted, and significantly influenced the decision to deny it.
What was Maj. Frederick J. Bertolet's recommendation regarding clemency for Slovik?
Answer: To deny clemency, arguing that confinement was not a deterrent for Slovik.
Maj. Frederick J. Bertolet recommended denying clemency, reasoning that confinement would not deter Slovik, who sought it over combat, and that a firm response was necessary for army discipline.
What was Brigadier General E. C. McNeil's notable observation about Slovik's death sentence?
Answer: He noted it was likely the first death sentence of its kind in the American army for over eighty years.
Brigadier General E. C. McNeil, the senior Army lawyer in the European Theater, noted that Slovik's death sentence was likely the first of its kind in the American army for over eighty years.
William Bradford Huie's book, 'The Execution of Private Slovik,' which brought the case to public attention, was published in the 1970s.
Answer: False
William Bradford Huie's book, 'The Execution of Private Slovik,' was published in 1954, not the 1970s. The 1974 NBC television movie adaptation was released in the 1970s.
Eddie Slovik was executed by hanging for his desertion.
Answer: False
Eddie Slovik was executed by firing squad, not by hanging.
Seven U.S. presidents granted a posthumous pardon for Eddie Slovik after his execution.
Answer: False
Antoinette Slovik and others petitioned seven U.S. presidents for a posthumous pardon for Eddie Slovik, but none was ever granted.
Which book first brought Eddie Slovik's case to public attention?
Answer: The Execution of Private Slovik by William Bradford Huie
William Bradford Huie's 1954 book, 'The Execution of Private Slovik,' was the first publication to bring Eddie Slovik's case to widespread public attention.
When was Eddie Slovik's execution carried out?
Answer: January 31, 1945
Eddie Slovik's execution by firing squad was carried out on January 31, 1945.
What defiant statement did Eddie Slovik make just before his execution?
Answer: They're not shooting me for deserting, but for being an ex-con from my youth.
Just before his execution, Eddie Slovik stated, 'They're not shooting me for deserting the United States Army, thousands of guys have done that. They just need to make an example out of somebody and I'm it because I'm an ex-con. I used to steal things when I was a kid, and that's what they are shooting me for. They're shooting me for the bread and chewing gum I stole when I was 12 years old.'
What were Eddie Slovik's last words, spoken to the attending chaplain?
Answer: Okay, Father. I'll pray that you don't follow me too soon.
Eddie Slovik's last words, spoken to the attending chaplain, Father Carl Patrick Cummings, were: 'Okay, Father. I'll pray that you don't follow me too soon.'
Edward Donald Slovik was the only U.S. serviceman executed for desertion in any war since the American Civil War.
Answer: False
While Edward Donald Slovik was the only U.S. serviceman executed for desertion during World War II, the source clarifies that two American soldiers were executed for 'desertion to the enemy' during the American-Philippine War in 1902, making the broader statement false.
During World War II, Eddie Slovik's death sentence for desertion was one of several that were actually carried out.
Answer: False
Of the 49 death sentences for desertion issued during World War II, Eddie Slovik's was the only one that was actually carried out.
Most courts-martial conducted in the U.S. military during World War II resulted in severe sentences, reflecting the strict wartime discipline.
Answer: False
The majority of the 1.7 million courts-martial held during World War II were for minor offenses and typically resulted in light sentences, not severe ones.
A clemency board appointed in 1945 significantly reduced or remitted sentences in a large majority of the serious courts-martial it reviewed.
Answer: True
A clemency board appointed in 1945 reviewed 27,000 serious courts-martial cases and remitted or reduced sentences in 85 percent of them.
The death penalty was commonly imposed by the U.S. military during World War II for purely military offenses such as desertion.
Answer: False
The death penalty was rarely imposed by the U.S. military during World War II and was typically reserved for offenses such as rape or murder, not commonly for purely military offenses like desertion.
What was Edward Donald Slovik's unique historical distinction during World War II?
Answer: He was the first and only U.S. serviceman executed for desertion since the American Civil War.
Edward Donald Slovik holds the unique distinction of being the first and only U.S. serviceman executed for desertion since the American Civil War, though two others were executed for 'desertion to the enemy' in 1902.
How many death sentences for desertion were actually carried out during World War II?
Answer: 1
Of the 49 death sentences for desertion issued during World War II, only one, Eddie Slovik's, was actually carried out.
What percentage of serious court-martial cases had their sentences remitted or reduced by the clemency board in 1945?
Answer: 85 percent
A clemency board appointed in 1945 reviewed 27,000 serious courts-martial cases and remitted or reduced the sentences in 85 percent of them.
For what types of offenses was the death penalty *typically* imposed in the U.S. military during World War II?
Answer: Rape or murder
During World War II, the death penalty in the U.S. military was rarely imposed and typically reserved for severe offenses such as rape or murder.