World History MCQs
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. 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
Show Answer
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.
2. Which of the following conflicts was put to an end by Dayton Agreement?
[A] Algerian War
[B] Vietnam War
[C] Bosnian War
[D] Chinese Civil War
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bosnian War]
Notes:
Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) ended the Bosnian War, which was part of the Yugoslav Wars. The DPA was signed on December 1995 after months of negotiations. The war lasted three and a half years and was known for its violence and atrocities. The war resulted in about 100,000 deaths and displaced two million people. The DPA also outlined a constitutional framework for peace in Bosnia. The DPA was reached by the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. The agreement was brokered by American diplomat Richard Holbrooke. The negotiations began in the Balkans and ended in Dayton, Ohio.
3. Which of the following Prime Minister is known for his “Iron Curtain Speech”?
[A] Clement Attlee
[B] Neville Chamberlain
[C] Winston Churchill
[D] Herbert Morrison
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Winston Churchill]
Notes:
One of the most famous speeches of the Cold War period in which former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill condemns the Soviet Union’s policies in Europe is also called as Iron Curtain Speech.
4. With which of the following countries Black Power movement is related to ?
[A] United States
[B] Germany
[C] UK
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [United States]
Notes:
Black Power movement was a political and social movement in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. The movement emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment, and the creation of political and cultural institutions. The movement’s advocates believed in racial pride, self-sufficiency, and equality for all people of Black and African descent. The Black Power movement was a branch of the civil rights movement and was motivated by a desire for safety and self-sufficiency. The Black Power movement began in 1966 and ended in 1975. Critics viewed Black Power organizations as separatist groups or street gangs. These critics ignored the movement’s political activism, cultural innovations, and social programs. The Black Power movement was a militant movement that advocated violence in the United States.
5. 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
Show Answer
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.
6. Which war in the African continent is known as the “Great War of Africa”?
[A] Sudan-South Sudan Border War of 2012
[B] Uganda-Tanzania War
[C] Second Congo War
[D] Central African Republic Civil War
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Second Congo War]
Notes:
Second Congo War which happened between 1998 and 2003 was known as the Great War of Africa or the Great African War. This war was started as a result of the expulsion of Rwandan and Ugandan army forces from the land of Congo. This war resulted in a military stalemate in which all Rwandan forces were asked to withdraw from the land of Congo through the Pretoria Accord.
7. The “Cuban Thaw” was the normalisation and restoration of friendly relations between the governments of Cuba and which other nation?
[A] United Kingdom
[B] United States of America
[C] Russia
[D] Germany
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [United States of America]
Notes:
The “Cuban Thaw” was the term used to manifest the normalisation and restoration of friendly relations between the governments of Cuba and the United States of America. This peaceful gesture ended a 54-year stretch of hostility between two nations. This happened on 20 July 2015 and Barack Obama became the first USA president to visit Cuba since 1928. It was mediated by the Pope Francis of the Holy See and the Government of Canada. This restored the diplomatic relations between the two governments.
8. The “Prague Spring” was a period of introduction of decentralisation, political liberalisation and democratisation measures happened in which nation/s?
[A] Italy
[B] Austria-Hungary
[C] Czech Republic-Slovakia
[D] Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Czech Republic-Slovakia]
Notes:
From the late 9th century to the early 11th century the Dutchy of Bohemia (present-day the Czech Republic) were under the control of Great Moravian Empire. In 1198, the Holy Roman Empire undertook the control and established the Kingdom of Bohemia with Prague as its capital. In 1526, through Battle of Mohacs, it got annexed to Habsburg Monarchy under the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806, following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the Bohemian Czech got annexed into the Austrian Empire. In 1918, the First Czechoslovak Republic got established following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War II. It became the only democracy in Central Europe during the interwar period. And, from 1938 till the end of World War II, Nazi Germany annexed Czechoslovakia. After World War II, Germans got expelled and established Communist Party of Czechslovakia under Soviet influence. They unleashed a one-party Communist state through a coup in 1948 and ruled with lots of restrictions, dissatisfaction and curbs on basic freedoms. This lead to the Prague Spring of 1968, a movement to enforce and introduce basic reforms of decentralisation and democratization. This attracted the ire of the Soviet Union and they invaded Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia remained controlled by the Soviet Union until the 1989 Velvet Revolution for Gentle Revolution. The Velvet Revolution of 1989 was a non-violent peaceful transition of power which ended the Communist Rule and re-established democratic-capitalist state which finally culminated in the partition or dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993 into two independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This dissolution or self-determined split is informally known as the Violet Divorce.
9. The “Velvet Revolution”, also known as the “Gentle Revolution”, happened in which nation/s?
[A] Italy
[B] Austria-Hungary
[C] Czech Republic-Slovakia
[D] Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Czech Republic-Slovakia]
Notes:
The Velvet Revolution was a series of peaceful protests and political changes that took place in Czechoslovakia in 1989. It began with a student demonstration in Prague on November 17th and quickly spread throughout the country, leading to the downfall of the communist government and the transition to a democratic, multiparty political system. The name “Velvet Revolution” comes from the non-violent nature of the protests, which were marked by a lack of bloodshed and violence. This peaceful transition of power is widely seen as one of the most successful examples of nonviolent resistance in history.
10. Who said “Egypt is the gift of Nile”?
[A] Herodotus
[B] Sallust
[C] Aristotle
[D] Arrian
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Herodotus]
Notes:
Herodotus had said that “Egypt is the gift of the Nile.” The Egyptian Civilization began to flourish almost about 10,000 B.C. in the fertile valley of river Nile. The Egyptians worshiped Nile as God.