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 are the two countries involved in the “Entente Cordiale”?
[A] United Kingdom and France
[B] Germany and Italy
[C] Portugal and Spain
[D] France and Russia
[B] Germany and Italy
[C] Portugal and Spain
[D] France and Russia
Correct Answer: A [United Kingdom and France]
Notes:
The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a thousand years of intermittent conflict between the two states and their predecessors and replaced the modus vivendi that had existed since the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 with a more formal agreement. The Entente Cordiale was the culmination of the policy of Théophile Delcassé, France’s foreign minister from 1898, who believed that a Franco-British understanding would give France some security against any German system of alliances in Western Europe. Credit for the success of the negotiation belongs chiefly to Paul Cambon, France’s ambassador, and to the British foreign secretary Lord Lansdowne.
The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a thousand years of intermittent conflict between the two states and their predecessors and replaced the modus vivendi that had existed since the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 with a more formal agreement. The Entente Cordiale was the culmination of the policy of Théophile Delcassé, France’s foreign minister from 1898, who believed that a Franco-British understanding would give France some security against any German system of alliances in Western Europe. Credit for the success of the negotiation belongs chiefly to Paul Cambon, France’s ambassador, and to the British foreign secretary Lord Lansdowne.
22. 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.
23. Which country was the location of the military attack “Occupation of the Ruhr”?
[A] France
[B] Denmark
[C] Germany
[D] Poland
[B] Denmark
[C] Germany
[D] Poland
Correct Answer: C [Germany]
Notes:
Germany was the location of the military attack “Occupation of the Ruhr”. The Occupation of the Ruhr happened as part of the Aftermath of World War I and political violence in Germany (1918–33), was a period of military occupation of the Ruhr region of Germany by France and Belgium between 11 January 1923 and 25 August 1925. France and Belgium occupied the heavily industrialized Ruhr Valley in response to Germany defaulting on reparation payments dictated by the victorious powers after World War I in the Treaty of Versailles. Occupation of the Ruhr worsened the economic crisis in Germany, and German civilians engaged in acts of passive resistance and civil disobedience, during which 130 were killed. France and Belgium, facing economic and international pressure, accepted the Dawes Plan to restructure Germany’s payment of war reparations in 1924 and withdrew their troops from the Ruhr by August 1925. The Occupation of the Ruhr contributed to German re-armament and the growth of radical right-wing movements in Germany.
Germany was the location of the military attack “Occupation of the Ruhr”. The Occupation of the Ruhr happened as part of the Aftermath of World War I and political violence in Germany (1918–33), was a period of military occupation of the Ruhr region of Germany by France and Belgium between 11 January 1923 and 25 August 1925. France and Belgium occupied the heavily industrialized Ruhr Valley in response to Germany defaulting on reparation payments dictated by the victorious powers after World War I in the Treaty of Versailles. Occupation of the Ruhr worsened the economic crisis in Germany, and German civilians engaged in acts of passive resistance and civil disobedience, during which 130 were killed. France and Belgium, facing economic and international pressure, accepted the Dawes Plan to restructure Germany’s payment of war reparations in 1924 and withdrew their troops from the Ruhr by August 1925. The Occupation of the Ruhr contributed to German re-armament and the growth of radical right-wing movements in Germany.
24. Which country was the location of the “Peaceful Revolution”?
[A] France
[B] Denmark
[C] Germany
[D] Netherlands
[B] Denmark
[C] Germany
[D] Netherlands
Correct Answer: C [Germany]
Notes:
Germany was the location of the “Peaceful Revolution”. The Peaceful Revolution was the process of sociopolitical change that led to the opening of East Germany’s borders with the west, the end of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the transition to a parliamentary democracy, which enabled the reunification of Germany in October 1990. This happened through non-violent initiatives and demonstrations. These events were closely linked to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s decision to abandon Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe as well as the reformist movements that spread through Eastern Bloc countries.
Germany was the location of the “Peaceful Revolution”. The Peaceful Revolution was the process of sociopolitical change that led to the opening of East Germany’s borders with the west, the end of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the transition to a parliamentary democracy, which enabled the reunification of Germany in October 1990. This happened through non-violent initiatives and demonstrations. These events were closely linked to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s decision to abandon Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe as well as the reformist movements that spread through Eastern Bloc countries.
25. Which country’s political history is connected to “Schicksalstag” events?
[A] Austria
[B] Germany
[C] Czech Republic
[D] Italy
[B] Germany
[C] Czech Republic
[D] Italy
Correct Answer: B [Germany]
Notes:
Germany’s political history is connected to “Schicksalstag” events. November 9 has been the date of several important events in German history. The term Schicksalstag or the Day of Fate has been occasionally used by historians and journalists since shortly after World War II, but its current widespread use started with the events of 1989 when virtually all German media picked up the term. There are six notable events in German history that are connected to 9 November: the execution of Robert Blum, the leader of the Vienna Revolts, in 1848; the end of the monarchies through the November Revolution in 1918; the naming of Albert Einstein as the winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics “for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect”; Hitler putsch attempt in 1923 which marked an early emergence and provisional downfall of the Nazi Party as an important player on Germany’s political landscape; the Nazi antisemitic pogroms in 1938 known in Germany as the Reichspogromnacht (Kristallnacht) and the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 which ended German separation and started a series of events that ultimately led to German reunification.
Germany’s political history is connected to “Schicksalstag” events. November 9 has been the date of several important events in German history. The term Schicksalstag or the Day of Fate has been occasionally used by historians and journalists since shortly after World War II, but its current widespread use started with the events of 1989 when virtually all German media picked up the term. There are six notable events in German history that are connected to 9 November: the execution of Robert Blum, the leader of the Vienna Revolts, in 1848; the end of the monarchies through the November Revolution in 1918; the naming of Albert Einstein as the winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics “for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect”; Hitler putsch attempt in 1923 which marked an early emergence and provisional downfall of the Nazi Party as an important player on Germany’s political landscape; the Nazi antisemitic pogroms in 1938 known in Germany as the Reichspogromnacht (Kristallnacht) and the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 which ended German separation and started a series of events that ultimately led to German reunification.
26. Which of the following was the period of the event “Haitian Revolution”?
[A] 1791 – 1804
[B] 1791 – 1805
[C] 1791 – 1806
[D] 1791 – 1807
[B] 1791 – 1805
[C] 1791 – 1806
[D] 1791 – 1807
Correct Answer: A [1791 – 1804]
Notes:
1791 – 1804 was the period of the event “Haitian Revolution”. The Haitian Revolution was a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt began on 22 August 1791 and ended in 1804 with the former colony’s independence.
1791 – 1804 was the period of the event “Haitian Revolution”. The Haitian Revolution was a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt began on 22 August 1791 and ended in 1804 with the former colony’s independence.
27. Which of the following were the belligerents of the “Battle of Vertieres, 1803”?
[A] Haitian Rebels and France
[B] Haitian Rebels and Spain
[C] Haitian Rebels and Portugal
[D] Haitian Rebels and United Kingdom
[B] Haitian Rebels and Spain
[C] Haitian Rebels and Portugal
[D] Haitian Rebels and United Kingdom
Correct Answer: A [Haitian Rebels and France]
Notes:
Haitian Rebels and France were the belligerents of the “Battle of Vertieres, 1803”. The Battle of Vertieres was the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution, and the final part of the Haitian Revolution under Jean Jacques Dessalines. It was fought on 18 November 1803 between Haitian indigenous army, and Napoleon’s French expeditionary forces, who were openly committed to re-enslave the former enslaved people and regain control of the island.
Haitian Rebels and France were the belligerents of the “Battle of Vertieres, 1803”. The Battle of Vertieres was the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution, and the final part of the Haitian Revolution under Jean Jacques Dessalines. It was fought on 18 November 1803 between Haitian indigenous army, and Napoleon’s French expeditionary forces, who were openly committed to re-enslave the former enslaved people and regain control of the island.
28. Which of the following are the participants of the “Reykjavik Summit, 1986”?
[A] Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev
[B] George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev
[C] Ronald Reagan and Boris Yeltsin
[D] Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin
[B] George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev
[C] Ronald Reagan and Boris Yeltsin
[D] Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin
Correct Answer: A [Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev]
Notes:
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev are the participants of the “Reykjavik Summit, 1986”. The Reykjavik Summit was a summit meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, held in Reykjavik, Iceland, on 11–12 October 1986. The talks collapsed at the last minute, but the progress that had been achieved eventually resulted in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev are the participants of the “Reykjavik Summit, 1986”. The Reykjavik Summit was a summit meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, held in Reykjavik, Iceland, on 11–12 October 1986. The talks collapsed at the last minute, but the progress that had been achieved eventually resulted in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.
29. Which country’s ruling regime collapse was the “Fall of Suharto”?
[A] Vietnam
[B] Indonesia
[C] Philippines
[D] Cambodia
[B] Indonesia
[C] Philippines
[D] Cambodia
Correct Answer: B [Indonesia]
Notes:
Indonesia’s ruling regime collapse was the “Fall of Suharto”. Suharto resigned as president of Indonesia on 21 May 1998 following the collapse of support for his three-decade-long presidency. The resignation followed severe economic and political crises over the previous six to twelve months.
Indonesia’s ruling regime collapse was the “Fall of Suharto”. Suharto resigned as president of Indonesia on 21 May 1998 following the collapse of support for his three-decade-long presidency. The resignation followed severe economic and political crises over the previous six to twelve months.
30. Which is also known as the “Azerbaijan Crisis”?
[A] Iran crisis of 1926
[B] Iran crisis of 1936
[C] Iran crisis of 1946
[D] Iran crisis of 1956
[B] Iran crisis of 1936
[C] Iran crisis of 1946
[D] Iran crisis of 1956
Correct Answer: C [Iran crisis of 1946]
Notes:
Iran crisis of 1946 is also known as the “Azerbaijan Crisis”. The Iran crisis of 1946, also known as the Azerbaijan Crisis, was one of the first crises of the Cold War, sparked by the refusal of Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union to relinquish occupied Iranian territory, despite repeated assurances. The end of World War II should have resulted at the end of the Allied joint occupation of Iran. Instead, Pro-Soviet Iranians proclaimed the separatist Azerbaijan People’s Government[5] and the Kurdish separatist Republic of Mahabad. The United States pressure on the Soviet Union to withdraw is the earliest evidence of success with the new strategy of Truman Doctrine and containment.
Iran crisis of 1946 is also known as the “Azerbaijan Crisis”. The Iran crisis of 1946, also known as the Azerbaijan Crisis, was one of the first crises of the Cold War, sparked by the refusal of Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union to relinquish occupied Iranian territory, despite repeated assurances. The end of World War II should have resulted at the end of the Allied joint occupation of Iran. Instead, Pro-Soviet Iranians proclaimed the separatist Azerbaijan People’s Government[5] and the Kurdish separatist Republic of Mahabad. The United States pressure on the Soviet Union to withdraw is the earliest evidence of success with the new strategy of Truman Doctrine and containment.