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. During the World War -II which among the following was not a major Axis Power?
[A] Germany
[B] Japan
[C] Hungary
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [France]
Notes:
The Axis powers during the World War-II included Italy, Germany and Japan. They were also known collectively as “Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis”. These three nations fought the WW-II against the allies but without any strong coordination between three of them. The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. Thus, France was an allied power and not axis power.
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. Which one of the following is the underground army of the African National Congress? (UPSC Prelims 1993)
[A] Unkhonto
[B] Kwazulu
[C] Xhosa
[D] Ulundi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Unkhonto]
Notes:
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.
5. Who among the following wrote “The Communist Manifesto” along with Karl Marx? (UPSC Prelims 2006)
[A] Emile Durkheim
[B] Friedrich Engeles
[C] Robert Owen
[D] Max Weber
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Friedrich Engeles]
Notes:
On February 21, 1848, The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx with the assistance of Friedrich Engels, is published in London by a group of German-born revolutionary socialists known as the Communist League.
6. The “Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict” is a territorial dispute between which among the following nations?
[A] Armenia and Russia
[B] Armenia and Azerbaijan
[C] Azerbaijan and Russia
[D] Azerbaijan and Iran
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Armenia and Azerbaijan]
Notes:
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict is a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This region is legally recognized under the control of Azerbaijan. The conflict further leads to a full-scale war between 1988 and 1994.
7. Which two nations were involved in “Ping-pong Diplomacy”?
[A] China and North Korea
[B] North Korea and United States of America
[C] China and United States of America
[D] Japan and United States of America
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [China and United States of America]
Notes:
The diplomatic relations between China and the United States of America of the early 1970s were known as “Ping-pong Diplomacy”. Ping-pong is the Chinese word of Table Tennis. It involves the exchange of table tennis players between the United States of America and China in the early 1970s. This particular gesture boosted the Sino-American Relations with the visit of President Richard Nixon to Beijing in 1972.
8. Which of the following was the major invention of the Sumerians which had a large impact on the forming of the first civilization?
[A] Writing
[B] Ziggurat
[C] Iron
[D] Chariot
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Writing ]
Notes:
The Sumerians made many inventions. They invented the following: the first form of writing, a number system, the first wheeled vehicles, sun-dried bricks, and irrigation for farming.
9. Which of the following reasons helped the victory of the Assyrians over Babylon?
1) Their weapons were made of iron.
2) They used horses and chariots in the war.
3) They were superior warriors, more skilled in warfare.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 & 2
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2 & 3]
Notes:
The Assyrians owed their success to three primary factors:
1) Their weapons were made of iron.
2) They used horses and chariots in the war.
3) They were superior warriors, more skilled in warfare.
10. The Qin dynasty ruled during which of the following period?
[A] 206 BCE-220 AD
[B] 386-589 AD
[C] 221-206 BC
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [221-206 BC]
Notes:
The Qin dynasty was the first dynasty of Imperial China which ruled China from 221 to 206 BC. It marked the beginning of the Chinese Empire. During the reign of this dynasty, China was greatly expanded to cover the Ye lands of Hunan and Guangdong.
