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. 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.
2. Which among the following is a correct statement about the French Revolution?
[A] It gave women the right to vote
[B] It gave France a permanent republican government
[C] It continued for 5 years
[D] It awakened the republican goals among the French commoners
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [It awakened the republican goals among the French commoners]
Notes:
The correct statement is that the French Revolution awakened republican goals among the French commoners. The revolution, which began in 1789, aimed to dismantle the monarchy and establish a republic, importantly influencing the political landscape. While it did lead to temporary republican governments, it did not establish a permanent republic until the Third Republic in 1870. Women did not gain the right to vote until 1944 in France, and the revolution lasted more than 5 years, officially ending in 1799 with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
3. Who among the following was the President of United States of America, at the time of famous “Camp David Accords“?
[A] Gerald Ford
[B] Jimmy Carter
[C] Ronald Reagan
[D] Richard M Nixon
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Jimmy Carter]
Notes:
The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978. It was following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retreat of the President of the United States in Maryland under the President Jimmy Carter.
4. The term “two-state solution", sometimes seen in news, would settle dispute between:
[A] India and Pakistan
[B] Israel and Palestine
[C] China and Taiwan
[D] Ukraine and Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Israel and Palestine]
Notes:
The two-state solution refers to a solution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict which calls for “two states for two groups of people.” The two-state solution envisages independent State of Palestine as a single democratic country alongside the State of Israel.
5. Which of the following refers to the North-South dialogue? (UPSC Prelims 1983)
[A] For reorganization of States between North India and South India
[B] For sharing economic resources between rich countries of the North and poor countries of the South
[C] Between countries of North America and South America for economic cooperation
[D] Between U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. in the field of space research
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [For sharing economic resources between rich countries of the North and poor countries of the South]
Notes:
The North-South Dialogue refers to the process through which the developing and newly independent nations of the “third world,” predominantly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, engaged the industrialized countries of North America and Western Europe in negotiations over changes to the international economic system.
6. From which nation Algeria got its independence in 1962?
[A] Portugal
[B] Great Britain
[C] France
[D] Italy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [France]
Notes:
France conquered Algeria in 1830. The modern borders of Algeria were established by the French during their colonization. The French in Algeria is known as Colons or Peds Noirs. From 1954 to 1962, Algeria was engaged in a bloody and long fight with France, which lead to its independence from France.
7. 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.
8. Egyptian Civilization flourished around which of the following rivers?
[A] Congo river
[B] Nile river
[C] Niger river
[D] Zambezi river
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Nile river]
Notes:
The Egyptian Civilization began to flourish almost about 10,000 B.C. around the fertile valley of river Nile. The Nile river acted as the principal source of life and prosperity of the civilization.
9. Which of the following empire stretched from Egypt and Cyprus in the west to the borders of Persia—modern-day Iran—in the east?
[A] Akkadian Empire
[B] Assyrian Empire
[C] Sumerian
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Assyrian Empire]
Notes:
The Assyrian Empire of the Mesopotamia stretched from Egypt and Cyprus in the west to the borders of Persia—modern-day Iran—in the east. Assyria is named for its original capital, the ancient city of Asur.
10. Age of Pericles is regarded as the ‘Golden Age’ in the history of which of the following?
[A] Chinese
[B] Greeks
[C] Mesopotamians
[D] Romans
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Greeks]
Notes:
Age of Pericles is regarded as the ‘Golden Age’ in Greek history. The period was as remarkable as the Augustan Age in Rome, Elizabethan Age in England, Gupta Age in India or Meiji Age in Japan.
