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.
21. Which of the following was the result of the Great Depression?
[A] A stable exchange rate system.
[B] Increased trade barriers and devalued currencies.
[C] Free international capital flows.
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Increased trade barriers and devalued currencies.]
Notes:
Every country which was involved in the Great Depression believed that by increasing trade barriers and devaluating their currencies it could manage to keep its economy afloat. But after the Great Depression, it was demonstrated that this won’t work.
22. Which of the following created the Soviet Union from the Russian Empire?
[A] Bolsheviks
[B] Mensheviks
[C] Communists
[D] Jadidists
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Bolsheviks]
Notes:
Bolsheviks created the Soviet Union from the Russian Empire. The Russian Revolution took place in 1917, during the final phase of World War I. Russia was removed from the war which brought about the transformation of the Russian Empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), replacing Russia’s traditional monarchy with the world’s first Communist state.
23. Who was the leader of Russia during the March Revolution?
[A] Joseph Stalin
[B] Czar Nicholas
[C] Vladimir Lenin
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Vladimir Lenin]
Notes:
Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia in 1917, while Bolshevik Vladmir Lenin lived in exile. However by October, the revolution had reversed their roles, leaving the former tsar a prisoner and Lenin holding all the power.
24. What is “Finlandization”?
[A] A model of social development to be a happy country like Finland.
[B] A general term to denote the foreign subjugation of a smaller country by a powerful country.
[C] An economic development model to sustainably harness the nuclear energy.
[D] A social welfare model of poverty alleviation.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [A general term to denote the foreign subjugation of a smaller country by a powerful country.]
Notes:
Finlandization is a general term used to denote the foreign subjugation of a smaller country by another powerful country. It is a process by which one powerful country makes a smaller neighboring country abide by the farmer’s foreign policy rules while allowing it to keep its nominal independence and its own political system. The term means “to become like Finland”, referring to the influence of the Soviet Union on Finland’s policies during the Cold War.
25. Which country’s human civil rights document is the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”?
[A] United States of America
[B] United Kingdom
[C] France
[D] Canada
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [France]
Notes:
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, set by France’s National Constituent Assembly in 1789, is a human civil rights document from and inspired by the French Revolution. The Declaration was drafted by the Abbe Sieyes and the Marquis de Lafayette, in consultation with Thomas Jefferson. Influenced by the doctrine of “natural right”, the rights of man are to be held to be universal: valid at all times and in every place.
26. Which two countries fought the “War of 1870”?
[A] United Kingdom and France
[B] Portugal and Spain
[C] France and Germany
[D] Turkey and Greece
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [France and Germany]
Notes:
The War of 1870, also known as the Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, was a conflict between the Second French Empire (and later, the Third French Republic) and the German states of the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871, the conflict was caused primarily by France’s determination to restore its dominant position in continental Europe, which it had lost following Prussia’s crushing victory over Austria in 1866.
27. Which country was the location of the “Potsdam Conference”?
[A] Russia
[B] Poland
[C] Germany
[D] Denmark
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Germany]
Notes:
The Potsdam Conference was held in Potsdam, Germany, from July 17 to August 2, 1945. The participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, represented respectively by Premier Joseph Stalin, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, and President Harry S. Truman. They gathered to decide how to administer Germany, which had agreed to unconditional surrender nine weeks earlier on the 8th of May (Victory in Europe Day). The goals of the conference also included the establishment of the postwar order, peace treaty issues, and countering the effects of the war.
28. Which three countries assisted the Greeks in the Greek War of Independence/Greek Revolution?
[A] Great Britain, France and Russia
[B] Great Britain, France and Italy
[C] United States of America, Great Britain and France
[D] United States of America, Great Britain and Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Great Britain, France and Russia]
Notes:
Great Britain, France and Russia assisted the Greeks in the Greek War of Independence/Greek Revolution. The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution, was a successful war of independence waged by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1830. The Greeks were later assisted by Great Britain, France and Russia, while the Ottomans were aided by their North African vassals, particularly the eyalet of Egypt. The war led to the formation of modern Greece. The revolution is celebrated by Greeks around the world as independence day on 25 March.
29. Which two countries invaded Greece in the “Battle of Greece/Operation Marita”?
[A] Italy and Germany
[B] Turkey and Egypt
[C] Austria and Hungary
[D] France and Italy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Italy and Germany]
Notes:
The Battle of Greece (also known as Operation Marita) is the common name for the invasion of Allied Greece by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in April 1941 during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasion in April 1941. German landings on the island of Crete (May 1941) came after Allied forces had been defeated in mainland Greece. These battles were part of the greater Balkan Campaign of Germany.
30. Which country was the location of the event “30 September Movement”?
[A] Cambodia
[B] Philippines
[C] Malaysia
[D] Indonesia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Indonesia]
Notes:
Indonesia was the location of the event “30 September Movement”. The Thirtieth of September Movement was a self-proclaimed organization of Indonesian National Armed Forces members who, in the early hours of 1 October 1965, assassinated six Indonesian Army generals in an abortive coup d’etat. Later that morning, the organisation declared that it was in control of media and communication outlets and had taken President Sukarno under its protection. By the end of the day, the coup attempt had failed in Jakarta. Meanwhile, in central Java, there was an attempt to take control of an army division and several cities. By the time this rebellion was put down, two more senior officers were dead.