World History MCQs

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Treaty of Portsmouth ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. The treaty was signed on September 5, 1905 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. The treaty was signed by Japanese and Russian diplomats after negotiations from August 6 to August 30. The treaty ended the war that began in 1904. The war was caused by Russian and Japanese expansionism in the Far East. The war contributed to domestic unrest in both countries, which led to the Russian revolution of 1905. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was instrumental in the negotiations and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

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Gold Coast was a region in West Africa that is now known as the country Ghana. The region was named the Gold Coast because of its large supplies of gold and the market for it during the transatlantic slave trade. The Gold Coast was also a trade hub for slaves.
The Portuguese named the area Mina, which means “mine”, after finding so much gold between the Ankobra and Volta rivers in the 15th century. The English colonists later adopted the name Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast was a British colony. In 1957, the Gold Coast gained independence from Britain and became the country Ghana. Kwame Nkrumah led the independence movement and became Ghana’s first prime minister and president.

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Umkhonto meaning “Spear of the Nation” was the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC), co-founded by Nelson Mandela in the wake of the Sharpeville massacre.

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The Democratic Republic of Congo gained its independence from Belgium in 1960. Belgian expedition under Sir Henry Morton Stanley received patronage from King Leopold II of Belgium to explore and administer Congo from 1870s. Belgians forced the local population of Congo to produce rubber and unleashed abuses through exploitation and diseases. In 1908, Belgian parliament annexed Congo as Belgian colony from King Leopold II of Belgium. In 1960, Mouvement National Congolais under Patrice Lumumba started the nationalist movement and won Parliamentary election. And in June 1960, Congo achieved independence and established as a republic of Congo or Congo-Leopoldville.

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Mesopotamian Civilization flourished around 4000 BC to 6th Cen. BC, Egyptain Civilization 3400 BC -to 1000 BC, Harappan Civilization 2500 BC – 1750 BC and Chinese Civilization 1765 BC to 250 BC.

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Tiglath Pilesar III laid the foundation of the Assyrian Empire and ascended to the throne in 745 B.C. He introduced advanced civil, military, and political systems into the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

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The Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty. They ruled China from 206 BCE to 220 AD. The Han dynasty was known as a golden age in Chinese history.

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Rome’s first written laws were called Twelve Tables. The Romans codified their laws in 450 B.C. on twelve bronze tablets. These codified laws helped and protected the common people.

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Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea. He served under Emperor Tiberius. Jerusalem Pontius Pilate awarded capital punishment to Jesus. Jesus was crucified on Calvary hill.

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Under the feudal system of Europe land was the chief source of wealth and power in the Middle Age. Social organization was according to a man’s – relation to land. Social status was determined by the conditions in which man held his land and by the extent of that land.