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. Red Terror was a response to which of the following events?
[A] A terrorist bombing in Petrograd
[B] An assassination attempt on Lenin
[C] The beginning of the Civil War
[D] The entry to British troops in Russia
[B] An assassination attempt on Lenin
[C] The beginning of the Civil War
[D] The entry to British troops in Russia
Correct Answer: B [An assassination attempt on Lenin]
Notes:
Red Terror was a response to an assassination attempt on Lenin. The Red Terror was a period of political repression and mass killings that was carried out by Bolsheviks after the beginning of the Russian Civil War in 1918.
Red Terror was a response to an assassination attempt on Lenin. The Red Terror was a period of political repression and mass killings that was carried out by Bolsheviks after the beginning of the Russian Civil War in 1918.
22. Who commanded Operation Overlord?
[A] Churchill
[B] Stalin
[C] De Gaulle
[D] Eisenhower
[B] Stalin
[C] De Gaulle
[D] Eisenhower
Correct Answer: D [Eisenhower ]
Notes:
World War II which was fought from 1939 to 1945 also called the Battle of Normandy, lasted from June 1944 to August 1944. It resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. The allied forces were led by General Dwight Eisenhower.
World War II which was fought from 1939 to 1945 also called the Battle of Normandy, lasted from June 1944 to August 1944. It resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. The allied forces were led by General Dwight Eisenhower.
23. Which of the following was the last battle of World War II?
[A] Battle of North Borneo
[B] Battle of Okinawa
[C] Battle of the Atlantic
[D] None of these
[B] Battle of Okinawa
[C] Battle of the Atlantic
[D] None of these
Correct Answer: B [Battle of Okinawa]
Notes:
The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of World War II, and it one of the bloodiest battle fought. The Navy’s Fifth Fleet and more than 180,000 U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps troops descended on the Pacific island of Okinawa for a final push towards Japan on April 1, 1945.
The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of World War II, and it one of the bloodiest battle fought. The Navy’s Fifth Fleet and more than 180,000 U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps troops descended on the Pacific island of Okinawa for a final push towards Japan on April 1, 1945.
24. Which three countries invaded Egypt in the Suez Crisis of 1956?
[A] Israel, United Kingdom and France
[B] Israel, United Kingdom and United States of America
[C] Israel, United Kingdom and Germany
[D] Israel, United States of America and Canada
[B] Israel, United Kingdom and United States of America
[C] Israel, United Kingdom and Germany
[D] Israel, United States of America and Canada
Correct Answer: A [Israel, United Kingdom and France]
Notes:
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the tripartite aggression in the Arab world and Sinai War in Israel, was an invasion of Egypt in late 1956 by Israel, followed by the United Kingdom and France. The aims were to regain Western control of the Suez Canal and to remove Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who had just nationalised the canal. After the fighting had started, political pressure from the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Nations, led to a withdrawal by the three invaders. The episode humiliated the United Kingdom and France and strengthened Nasser. This war resulted in:- Anglo-French withdrawal following international pressure (December 1956), the Israeli occupation of Sinai (until March 1957), UNEF deployment in Sinai, Straits of Tiran re-opened to Israeli shipping, Resignation of Anthony Eden as British Prime Minister, end of Britain’s role as a superpower and
Guy Mollet’s position as French Prime Minister heavily damaged.
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the tripartite aggression in the Arab world and Sinai War in Israel, was an invasion of Egypt in late 1956 by Israel, followed by the United Kingdom and France. The aims were to regain Western control of the Suez Canal and to remove Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who had just nationalised the canal. After the fighting had started, political pressure from the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Nations, led to a withdrawal by the three invaders. The episode humiliated the United Kingdom and France and strengthened Nasser. This war resulted in:- Anglo-French withdrawal following international pressure (December 1956), the Israeli occupation of Sinai (until March 1957), UNEF deployment in Sinai, Straits of Tiran re-opened to Israeli shipping, Resignation of Anthony Eden as British Prime Minister, end of Britain’s role as a superpower and
Guy Mollet’s position as French Prime Minister heavily damaged.
25. Which countries struggle for independence from the Soviet Union was the “Singing Revolution”?
[A] Albania, Macedonia and Serbia
[B] Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
[C] Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
[D] Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria
[B] Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
[C] Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
[D] Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria
Correct Answer: C [Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania]
Notes:
In its early period, Estonia was under the colonial subjugation of Germans, Danes, Swedes, Poles and Russians. In 19th and early 20th centuries, Estonia witnessed a movement promoting and propagating “Estonian National Awakening” in which Estonians started acknowledging themselves as a nation deserving the right to govern themselves. This lead to the Estonian War of Independence from 1918 to 1920 which lead to the Estonian victory and the signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty, finally proclaiming the independence of Estonia from Russia. After independence, initially, Estonia followed a democratic political system which got culminated into an authoritarian rule post-Great Depression period from 1934 to 1940. This period was known as the Era of Silence. During World War II from 1939 to 1945, Estonia was under German and Soviet Union occupation, which finally ended with Soviet Union subjugation of Estonia through a puppet government, so as to continue the de jure status of Estonia. Annoyed with the subjugation of Soviet Rule, Estonians started “Singing Revolution” from 1987 to 1991 seeking the restoration of independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from Soviet Rule. This lead to the formal restoration of independence of Estonia from the Soviet Union in 1991.
In its early period, Estonia was under the colonial subjugation of Germans, Danes, Swedes, Poles and Russians. In 19th and early 20th centuries, Estonia witnessed a movement promoting and propagating “Estonian National Awakening” in which Estonians started acknowledging themselves as a nation deserving the right to govern themselves. This lead to the Estonian War of Independence from 1918 to 1920 which lead to the Estonian victory and the signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty, finally proclaiming the independence of Estonia from Russia. After independence, initially, Estonia followed a democratic political system which got culminated into an authoritarian rule post-Great Depression period from 1934 to 1940. This period was known as the Era of Silence. During World War II from 1939 to 1945, Estonia was under German and Soviet Union occupation, which finally ended with Soviet Union subjugation of Estonia through a puppet government, so as to continue the de jure status of Estonia. Annoyed with the subjugation of Soviet Rule, Estonians started “Singing Revolution” from 1987 to 1991 seeking the restoration of independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from Soviet Rule. This lead to the formal restoration of independence of Estonia from the Soviet Union in 1991.
26. Which are the countries involved in the “Triple Entente”?
[A] Russia, France, Great Britain
[B] Italy, Austria-Hungary, Germany
[C] United States of America, Canada, Great Britain
[D] Russia, Italy, Germany
[B] Italy, Austria-Hungary, Germany
[C] United States of America, Canada, Great Britain
[D] Russia, Italy, Germany
Correct Answer: A [Russia, France, Great Britain ]
Notes:
The Triple Entente describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic and Great Britain. It built upon the Franco-Russian Alliance of 1894, the Entente Cordiale of 1904 between Paris and London, and the Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907. It formed a powerful counterweight to the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Entente, unlike the Triple Alliance or the Franco-Russian Alliance itself, was not an alliance of mutual defence.
The Triple Entente describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic and Great Britain. It built upon the Franco-Russian Alliance of 1894, the Entente Cordiale of 1904 between Paris and London, and the Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907. It formed a powerful counterweight to the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Entente, unlike the Triple Alliance or the Franco-Russian Alliance itself, was not an alliance of mutual defence.
27. Which ruler got finally defeated in the “Battle of Waterloo”?
[A] Adolf Hitler
[B] Otto von Bismarck
[C] Napoleon Bonaparte
[D] Benito Mussolini
[B] Otto von Bismarck
[C] Napoleon Bonaparte
[D] Benito Mussolini
Correct Answer: C [Napoleon Bonaparte]
Notes:
Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in Belgium, part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands at the time. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition: A British-led coalition consisting of units from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick, and Nassau, under the command of the Duke of Wellington; and a Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal von Blucher. This battle marked the final defeat of Napoleon and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The defeat at Waterloo ended Napoleon’s rule as Emperor of France and ended his First French Empire.
Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in Belgium, part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands at the time. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition: A British-led coalition consisting of units from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick, and Nassau, under the command of the Duke of Wellington; and a Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal von Blucher. This battle marked the final defeat of Napoleon and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The defeat at Waterloo ended Napoleon’s rule as Emperor of France and ended his First French Empire.
28. Which revolution was the theme for the famous painting “Liberty Leading the People”?
[A] Russian Revolution, 1917
[B] French Revolution, 1789
[C] French Revolution, 1830
[D] American Revolution, 1783
[B] French Revolution, 1789
[C] French Revolution, 1830
[D] American Revolution, 1783
Correct Answer: C [French Revolution, 1830]
Notes:
Liberty Leading the People is a painting by Eugene Delacroix commemorating the French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled King Charles X of France. A woman of the people with a Phrygian cap personifying the concept of Liberty leads a varied group of people forward over a barricade and the bodies of the fallen, holding the flag of the French Revolution – the tricolour, which again became France’s national flag after these events – in one hand and brandishing a bayonetted musket with the other. The figure of Liberty is also viewed as a symbol of France and the French Republic known as Marianne.
Liberty Leading the People is a painting by Eugene Delacroix commemorating the French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled King Charles X of France. A woman of the people with a Phrygian cap personifying the concept of Liberty leads a varied group of people forward over a barricade and the bodies of the fallen, holding the flag of the French Revolution – the tricolour, which again became France’s national flag after these events – in one hand and brandishing a bayonetted musket with the other. The figure of Liberty is also viewed as a symbol of France and the French Republic known as Marianne.
29. Which country’s political party was the “Nazi Party”?
[A] France
[B] Germany
[C] Italy
[D] Russia
[B] Germany
[C] Italy
[D] Russia
Correct Answer: B [Germany]
Notes:
The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), commonly referred as the Nazi Party, was a far-right political party in Germany that was active between 1920 and 1945, that created and supported the ideology of National Socialism. The Nazi Party emerged from the German nationalist, racist and populist Freikorps paramilitary culture, which fought against the communist uprisings in post-World War I Germany. The party was created to draw workers away from communism and into nationalism. Initially, Nazi political strategy focused on anti-big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalist rhetoric, although this was later downplayed to gain the support of business leaders, and in the 1930s the party’s main focus shifted to antisemitic and anti-Marxist themes.
The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), commonly referred as the Nazi Party, was a far-right political party in Germany that was active between 1920 and 1945, that created and supported the ideology of National Socialism. The Nazi Party emerged from the German nationalist, racist and populist Freikorps paramilitary culture, which fought against the communist uprisings in post-World War I Germany. The party was created to draw workers away from communism and into nationalism. Initially, Nazi political strategy focused on anti-big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalist rhetoric, although this was later downplayed to gain the support of business leaders, and in the 1930s the party’s main focus shifted to antisemitic and anti-Marxist themes.
30. Which were the participant countries of the “Potsdam Conference”?
[A] Germany, Italy, Japan
[B] United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union
[C] United Kingdom, the United States, France
[D] France, Netherlands, Belgium
[B] United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union
[C] United Kingdom, the United States, France
[D] France, Netherlands, Belgium
Correct Answer: B [United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union]
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.
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.