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 is / are correct statements regarding the ‘Washington Consensus’?
- The consensus in Washington about matters of foreign policy.
- The ten-point guideline to liberal economic reform for development around the world
- The ten-point guideline for economic growth in Europe
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] Only 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 2 & 3]
Notes:
The term ‘Washington consensus’ originally referred to a set of policy advice on liberal economic reform being addressed by the Washington-based institutions to Latin America. Nowadays is often used interchangeably with the phrase American ‘neo-liberal policies’.
22. Bretton Woods Conference of July 1944, established which of the following institutions?
1) IBRD
2) IMF
3) WTO
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 2
[D] Only 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 1 & 2]
Notes:
The Bretton Woods Conference of July 1944, taking the assumption that no peace could last if economic and financial chaos prevailed, established two important financial institutions:
1) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development [IBRD]
2) The International Monetary Fund [IMF].
23. Which of the following formed an anti-communist front known as, the Rome-Berlin- Tokyo Axis?
[A] Germany
[B] Italy
[C] Japan
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [All of the above]
Notes:
An anti-communist front known as, the Rome-Berlin- Tokyo Axis. was formed by Germany, Italy and Japan. They were known as the Axis Powers. It was a military alliance that fought in World War II against the Allies.
24. The First Arab-Israeli War happened in which year?
[A] 1947
[B] 1948
[C] 1949
[D] 1950
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [1948]
Notes:
The “1948 (or First) Arab–Israeli War” was the second and final stage of the 1947–49 Palestine war. The Middle East region has probably suffered more rivalry and conflict than any other part of the world. The 1948 Arab-Israeli war was the first instance of a bloody and hostile battle, triggered by the declaration of Israel’s independence on 14 May 1948. The 1948 war was caused by a number of ‘international and intraregional factors’ intertwining to create a complex situation and catalyst for war. The war resulted in Israel’s victory, yet had significant consequences on not only regional politics of this area, but also international relations, which are still visible today. This war resulted in – Israeli victory, Jordanian partial victory, Palestinian Arab defeat, Egyptian defeat, Arab League strategic failure, 1949 Armistice Agreements; Israel keeps the area allotted to it by the Partition Plan and captures ~60% of the area allotted to Arab state; Jordanian rule of West Bank, Egyptian occupation of the Gaza Strip.
25. 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
Show Answer
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.
26. The “Algerian War (1954 to 1962)” was fought to gain the independence of Algeria from which country?
[A] United Kingdom
[B] Portugal
[C] France
[D] Spain
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [France ]
Notes:
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian War of Independence or the Algerian Revolution or the War of 1 November, was fought between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria winning its independence from France. It was an important decolonization war, it was a complex conflict characterized by guerrilla warfare, maquis fighting, and the use of torture. The conflict also became a civil war between the different communities and within the communities. The war took place mainly on the territory of Algeria, with repercussions in metropolitan France.
27. Which country was the location of “Battle of Dien Bien Phu”?
[A] Cambodia
[B] Laos
[C] Vietnam
[D] Philippines
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Vietnam]
Notes:
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was fought from 13 March to 7 May 1954 in Dien Bien Phu, a city of Vietnam in the then French Indochina region. It was a climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War which was fought between the French Unions French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. This war leads to the decisive Viet Minh victory.
28. Which country was the location of the event “Storming of the Bastille”?
[A] Canada
[B] Russia
[C] Germany
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [France]
Notes:
“Storming of the Bastille” event was the major turning point of the French Revolution, which happened on 14 July 1789 in Paris, the capital city of France. Bastille was a medieval armory, fortress, and political prison which represented royal authority and a symbol of the French monarchy’s abuse of power. Revolutionaries saw the fall of the Bastille as a flashing point of the French Revolution. France celebrates every year on 14 July as the Bastille Day, which is their national day. The French National Day is the anniversary of the Storming of Bastille (Bastille Day) on 14 July 1789.
29. Which leader’s autobiography is “Mein Kampf”?
[A] Joseph Stalin
[B] Adolf Hitler
[C] Benito Mussolini
[D] Ernesto”Che”Guevara
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Adolf Hitler]
Notes:
Mein Kampf, also known as My Struggle or My Fight, is a 1925 autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The work describes the process by which Hitler became antisemitic and outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926. The book was edited first by Emil Maurice, then by Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess. Hitler began Mein Kampf while imprisoned for what he considered to be “political crimes” following his failed Putsch in Munich in November 1923.
30. 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
Show Answer
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.