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 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.
22. Which of the following is known as the Third Arab-Israeli War?
[A] Six-Day War
[B] Yom Kippur War
[C] War of Attrition
[D] Gulf War
[B] Yom Kippur War
[C] War of Attrition
[D] Gulf War
Correct Answer: A [Six-Day War]
Notes:
The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War, or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between 5 and 10 June 1967 by Israel and the neighbouring states of Jordan and Egypt and Syria (known at the time as the United Arab Republic). The Six-Day War was a brief but bloody conflict fought in June 1967 between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Following years of diplomatic friction and skirmishes between Israel and its neighbours, Israel Defense Forces launched preemptive air strikes that crippled the air forces of Egypt and its allies. Israel then staged a successful ground offensive and seized the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The brief war ended with a U.N.-brokered ceasefire, but it significantly altered the map of the Mideast and gave rise to lingering geopolitical friction. The war resulted in Israeli victory and Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and the Golan Heights.
The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War, or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between 5 and 10 June 1967 by Israel and the neighbouring states of Jordan and Egypt and Syria (known at the time as the United Arab Republic). The Six-Day War was a brief but bloody conflict fought in June 1967 between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Following years of diplomatic friction and skirmishes between Israel and its neighbours, Israel Defense Forces launched preemptive air strikes that crippled the air forces of Egypt and its allies. Israel then staged a successful ground offensive and seized the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The brief war ended with a U.N.-brokered ceasefire, but it significantly altered the map of the Mideast and gave rise to lingering geopolitical friction. The war resulted in Israeli victory and Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and the Golan Heights.
23. Which of the following was the period of the “French Revolution”?
[A] 1784-1789
[B] 1789-1794
[C] 1779-1789
[D] 1789-1799
[B] 1789-1794
[C] 1779-1789
[D] 1789-1799
Correct Answer: D [1789-1799]
Notes:
The French Revolution was a period of social and political upheaval in France and its colonies beginning in 1789 and ending in 1799. The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon, who brought many of the revolution’s principles to areas he conquered in Western Europe and beyond. Inspired by liberal and radical ideas such as equality before the law, the Revolution influenced the decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies.
The French Revolution was a period of social and political upheaval in France and its colonies beginning in 1789 and ending in 1799. The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon, who brought many of the revolution’s principles to areas he conquered in Western Europe and beyond. Inspired by liberal and radical ideas such as equality before the law, the Revolution influenced the decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies.
24. Which country’s independence got formalized through the “Evian Accords”?
[A] Mexico
[B] Algeria
[C] Sudan
[D] Zimbabwe
[B] Algeria
[C] Sudan
[D] Zimbabwe
Correct Answer: B [Algeria]
Notes:
The Evian Accords was a treaty signed on 18 March 1962 in France, by France and the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic, which sought Algeria’s independence from France. This Accords ended the 1954-1962 Algerian War and formalized the idea of a cooperative exchange between the two countries, as well as the full independence of Algeria from France.
The Evian Accords was a treaty signed on 18 March 1962 in France, by France and the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic, which sought Algeria’s independence from France. This Accords ended the 1954-1962 Algerian War and formalized the idea of a cooperative exchange between the two countries, as well as the full independence of Algeria from France.
25. Which of the following was the subject-matter/agenda of “Potsdam Conference”?
[A] Administration of Italy, post World War II
[B] Administration of Germany, post World War II
[C] Administration of France, post World War II
[D] Administration of Poland, post World War II
[B] Administration of Germany, post World War II
[C] Administration of France, post World War II
[D] Administration of Poland, post World War II
Correct Answer: B [Administration of Germany, post World War II]
Notes:
Administration of Germany, post World War II, was the subject-matter/agenda of “Potsdam Conference”. 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.
Administration of Germany, post World War II, was the subject-matter/agenda of “Potsdam Conference”. 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.
26. 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.
27. What was the main context that leads to the development of the event “National Schism”?
[A] Decision whether Greece should enter World War I or not.
[B] Decision whether Greece should grant independence to Macedonia or not.
[C] Decision whether Greece should enter World War II or not.
[D] Decision whether Greece should grant independence to Cyprus or not.
[B] Decision whether Greece should grant independence to Macedonia or not.
[C] Decision whether Greece should enter World War II or not.
[D] Decision whether Greece should grant independence to Cyprus or not.
Correct Answer: A [Decision whether Greece should enter World War I or not.]
Notes:
The National Schism, sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos regarding the foreign policy of Greece in the period of 1910–1922 of which the tipping point was whether Greece should enter World War I. Venizelos was in support of the Allies and wanted Greece to join the war on their side, while the pro-German King wanted Greece to remain neutral, which would favour the plans of the Central Powers.
The National Schism, sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos regarding the foreign policy of Greece in the period of 1910–1922 of which the tipping point was whether Greece should enter World War I. Venizelos was in support of the Allies and wanted Greece to join the war on their side, while the pro-German King wanted Greece to remain neutral, which would favour the plans of the Central Powers.
28. Which of the following was the period of the event “Guinea-Bissau War of Independence”?
[A] 1963 – 1971
[B] 1963 – 1972
[C] 1963 – 1973
[D] 1963 – 1974
[B] 1963 – 1972
[C] 1963 – 1973
[D] 1963 – 1974
Correct Answer: D [1963 – 1974]
Notes:
The Guinea-Bissau War of Independence was an armed Independence conflict that took place in Portuguese Guinea between 1963 and 1974. Fought between Portugal and the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, an armed independence movement backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union, the war is commonly referred to as “Portugal’s Vietnam” due to the large numbers of men and amounts of material expended in a long, mostly guerrilla war and the internal political turmoil it created in Portugal. The war ended when Portugal, after the Carnation Revolution of 1974, granted independence to Guinea-Bissau, followed by Cape Verde a year later.
The Guinea-Bissau War of Independence was an armed Independence conflict that took place in Portuguese Guinea between 1963 and 1974. Fought between Portugal and the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, an armed independence movement backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union, the war is commonly referred to as “Portugal’s Vietnam” due to the large numbers of men and amounts of material expended in a long, mostly guerrilla war and the internal political turmoil it created in Portugal. The war ended when Portugal, after the Carnation Revolution of 1974, granted independence to Guinea-Bissau, followed by Cape Verde a year later.
29. In 1918, with which country Iceland signed an agreement to recognize Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state?
[A] United Kingdom
[B] Denmark
[C] Norway
[D] Germany
[B] Denmark
[C] Norway
[D] Germany
Correct Answer: B [Denmark]
Notes:
In 1918, Iceland signed an agreement with Denmark to recognize Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state. The Danish–Icelandic Act of Union, a December 1, 1918 agreement signed by Iceland and Denmark, recognized Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state – the Kingdom of Iceland – freely associated with Denmark in a personal union with the Danish king.
In 1918, Iceland signed an agreement with Denmark to recognize Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state. The Danish–Icelandic Act of Union, a December 1, 1918 agreement signed by Iceland and Denmark, recognized Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state – the Kingdom of Iceland – freely associated with Denmark in a personal union with the Danish king.
30. Which two countries are the parties involved in the “Algiers Accords”?
[A] Iran and United States of America
[B] Iran and United Kingdom
[C] Iran and Russia
[D] Iran and Saudi Arabia
[B] Iran and United Kingdom
[C] Iran and Russia
[D] Iran and Saudi Arabia
Correct Answer: A [Iran and United States of America]
Notes:
Iran and the United States of America are the two countries that are the parties involved in the “Algiers Accords”. The Algiers Accords of January 19, 1981, was a set of agreements between the United States and Iran to resolve the Iran hostage crisis, brokered by the Algerian government and signed in Algiers on January 19, 1981. The crisis arose from the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, and the taking hostage of the American staff there. By this accord, the 52 American citizens were set free and able to leave Iran.
Iran and the United States of America are the two countries that are the parties involved in the “Algiers Accords”. The Algiers Accords of January 19, 1981, was a set of agreements between the United States and Iran to resolve the Iran hostage crisis, brokered by the Algerian government and signed in Algiers on January 19, 1981. The crisis arose from the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, and the taking hostage of the American staff there. By this accord, the 52 American citizens were set free and able to leave Iran.