World History Multiple Choice Quiz Questions (MCQs) on Ancient World History, Medieval World History and Modern World History for various UPSC, PCS and other Competitive Examinations.
1. Which was the first country in Asia to have large scale industrialization?
[A] Japan
[B] China
[C] India
[D] Iran
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Japan ]
Notes:
Japan was the first country in Asia to industrialize on a large scale. Industrialization began in Japan after the fall of the Tokugawa government in 1868. Japan industrialized faster than many European countries.
Japan’s industrialization was prompted by the need to improve the nation’s defenses against foreign threats. Local clans developed industrialization by copying Western examples and using traditional craft skills. Japan’s production included steel, machinery, metal goods, and chemicals, which were produced in quantities large enough for export.
Other Asian countries that have industrialized include: South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong.
2. The Bermuda Conference which was held on April 19, 1943 was an international conference between which of the following ?
[A] United Kingdom and the United States
[B] United Kingdom and Germany
[C] Soviet Union and the United States
[D] India & UK
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Correct Answer: A [United Kingdom and the United States]
Notes:
The Bermuda Conference, also known as the Bermuda Conference on the Problems of War and Peace, was a conference held in 1943 in Bermuda to discuss issues related to the ongoing World War II. The conference was attended by high-level officials from the United States and the United Kingdom, and focused on a range of issues related to the war, including the fate of Jewish refugees and the possibility of negotiating a peace settlement with the Axis powers. The conference ultimately failed to produce any significant agreements or resolutions.
3. Which among the following accord is known to led the formation of Palestinian Authority?
[A] Oslo Accords
[B] Camp David Accord
[C] Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum
[D] London Agreement
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Correct Answer: A [Oslo Accords]
Notes:
Oslo Accords or Oslo Process refers to two agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. First is the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington in 1993 and second is Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba, Egypt in 1995. It resulted in recognition of Israel by the PLO and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and as a partner in bilateral negotiations.
4. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on which date during World War-II?
[A] January 7, 1941
[B] December 20, 1941
[C] March 7, 1941
[D] December 7, 1941
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Correct Answer: D [December 7, 1941]
Notes:
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by by Japan on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu on December 7, 1941. Till that date, United States was neutral but entered into Second World War after this.
5. Which one of the following was used as a chemical weapon in the First World War?
[A] Carbon monoxide
[B] Hydrogen cyanide
[C] Mustard gas
[D] Water gas
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Correct Answer: C [Mustard gas]
Notes:
Although the Germans were the first to use phosgene on the battlefield, it became the primary chemical weapon of the Allies. Phosgene was responsible for 85% of chemical-weapons fatalities during World War I. Mustard gas, a potent blistering agent, was dubbed King of the Battle Gases.
6. The “Kuomintang’s” were the political group of which nation?
[A] People’s Republic of China
[B] Socialist Republic of Vietnam
[C] Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
[D] Republic of Korea
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Correct Answer: A [People’s Republic of China]
Notes:
Kuomintang’s were in political power in mainland China from 1912 to 1949. Sun Yat-Sen was its founder President. Kuomintang’s lost to the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949. Kuomintang’s lost the control of mainland China and they retreated themselves to Taiwan and formed “Republic of China”. Communist Party of China instead took control of mainland China and proclaimed the establishment of the People ‘s Republic of China in 1949.
7. Ancient Mesopotamia was located in which of the following present day counties?
[A] Turkey
[B] Israel
[C] Iraq
[D] Iran
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Correct Answer: C [Iraq]
Notes:
Mesopotamian civilizations formed on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the modern day Iraq and Kuwait. Some of the major Mesopotamian civilizations are: Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations.
8. Which of the following civilizations invented Tea?
[A] Greek
[B] Chinese
[C] English
[D] French
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Correct Answer: B [Chinese]
Notes:
According to Chinese legend, the history of tea began in 2737 B.C.E. The Emperor Shen Nong accidentally discovered Tea when a leaf from an overhanging wild tea tree drifted into his pot of boiling water.
9. Which of the following is NOT a Greek deity?
[A] Zeus
[B] Apollo
[C] Athena
[D] Olympus
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Correct Answer: D [Olympus]
Notes:
The Greeks worshipped a number of deities like Zeus, Apollo, Athena etc. Their religion was a sort of contact between the man and the God. In Greek mythology, Mount Olympus is the home of the Greek gods.
10. How many expeditions did Columbus make to the Americas?
[A] 2
[B] 3
[C] 4
[D] 5
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [4]
Notes:
The explorer Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who discovered the Americas and whose journeys marked the beginning of centuries of transatlantic colonization. He made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502.