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.
31. What was “Toussaint Louverture” famous for?
[A] As the most prominent leader of the Guinean Revolution.
[B] As the most prominent leader of the Jamaican Revolution.
[C] As the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution.
[D] As the most prominent leader of the Bahamian Revolution.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [As the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution.]
Notes:
Toussaint Louverture was a Haitian general and the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution. During his life, Louverture first fought against the French, then for them, and then finally against France again for the cause of Haitian independence. As a revolutionary leader, Louverture’s military and political acumen helped transform the fledgeling slave rebellion into a revolutionary movement. Louverture is now known as the “Father of Haiti”.
32. What was “Jean-Pierre Boyer” famous for?
[A] As one of the leaders of the Dominican Revolution
[B] As one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution
[C] As one of the leaders of the Bahamian Revolution
[D] As one of the leaders of the Jamaican Revolution
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [As one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution]
Notes:
Jean-Pierre Boyer was one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He reunited the north and south of the country into the Republic of Haiti in 1820 and also annexed the newly independent Spanish Haiti (Santo Domingo), which brought all of Hispaniola under one Haitian government by 1822. Boyer managed to rule for the longest period of time of any of the revolutionary leaders of his generation.
33. 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
Show Answer
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.
34. Which of the following countries was fighting against South Korea in the Korean War?
[A] Japan
[B] North Korea
[C] Belgium
[D] South Africa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [North Korea]
Notes:
The Korean was started in 1950 between the two Korean (North and South) countries. The war was ended in 1953.
35. Consider the following statements:
- Socialist Revolutionary Party was divided into the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
- Bolsheviks wanted that the party membership should be open to all.
Which of the above is / are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 and 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Neither 1 nor 2 ]
Notes:
The Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was founded in 1898 by socialists who respected Marx’s ideas.Some Russian socialists felt that the Russian peasant custom of dividing land periodically made them natural socialists. So peasants, not workers, would be the main force of the revolution, and Russia could become socialist more quickly than other countries. They formed the Socialist Revolutionary Party in 1900. This party struggled for peasants’ rights and demanded that land belonging to nobles be transferred to peasants. The Social Democratic Workers Party disagreed with the Socialist Revolutionary Party about peasants. Lenin, a leader of the Social Democratic Workers Party, felt that peasants were not one united group. The Social Democratic Workers Party was also divided over the strategy of organisation. Vladimir Lenin (who led the Bolshevik group) thought that in a repressive society like Tsarist Russia the party should be disciplined and should control the number and quality of its members. So, statement 1 is incorrect. Others (Mensheviks) thought that the party should be open to all (as in Germany). Thus, statement 2 is incorrect.
36. For which of the following reasons did the cultivation expand rapidly in India during the colonial period:
- British directly encouraged the production of commercial crops.
- The colonial state thought that the forests were unproductive.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 and 2
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Both 1 and 2]
Notes:
In 1600, approximately one-sixth of India’s land-mass was under cultivation. Now, that figure has gone up to about half. In the colonial period, cultivation expanded rapidly for a variety of reasons. First, the British directly encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. The demand for these crops increased in nineteenth-century Europe where foodgrains were needed to feed the growing urban population and raw materials were required for industrial production. So, statement 1 is correct. Second, in the early nineteenth century, the colonial state thought that forests were unproductive. They were considered to be wilderness that had to be brought under cultivation so that the land could yield agricultural products and revenue, and enhance the income of the state. So between 1880 and 1920, cultivated area rose by 6.7 million hectares. So, statement 2 is also correct.
37. Which of the following areas was/were under the French colonial control?
- Vietnam
- Ceylon
- Malay Peninsula
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 and 2
[C] Only 1 and 3
[D] Only 2 and 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Only 1]
Notes:
The area in the south-east Asia was once called Indo-china. It consists of modern day Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In a series of planned steps which included threats of war, France became the master of Indo-China by the end of 19th century and the separate states were grouped together under a French governor-general. Ceylon, modern day Sri Lanka, was first conquered by the Portuguese, who lost it to the Dutch and eventually British became the masters of Ceylon. Similarly, Malay Peninsula along with the spice islands of Indonesia were once under the control of Dutch. Eventually, British captured the Malay Peninsula along with the Singapore.
38. Consider the following statements with respect to the events in the aftermath of surrender of France in the WWII:
- The part of France that had not been occupied by Germany was called the ‘Vichy France’.
- Under Charles de Gaulle, the ‘Free France Movement’ was organised from Britain.
Which of the above is / are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 and 2
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Both 1 and 2]
Notes:
In June 1940, France surrendered in the WWII. While the northern France was occupied by the German troops, a French government was allowed to retain control over about half of France. This government moved to Vichy, hence it was called the Vichy government and the area under its control was called the ‘Vichy France’. The Vichy France collaborated with the Nazi Germany and in turn, it was allowed to maintain control over its colonies. So, statement 1 is correct. Charles de Gaulle, who had been a colonel in the French army at the time of the German invasion of France, had escaped to Britain after the surrender by the French government. Under the leadership of de Gaulle, now General de Gaulle, the Free France movement was started and a French army was organised in Britain to fight against the Nazi Germany. Charles de Gaulle later went on to become the President of France. So, statement 2 is correct.
39. Which country emerged as the biggest colonial power at the end of the nineteenth century?
[A] France
[B] Spain
[C] Britain
[D] Germany
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Britain]
Notes:
Britain emerged as the biggest colonial power at the end of the nineteenth century.
40. Which one of the following countries was first to establish a modern democracy?
[A] France
[B] England
[C] America
[D] India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [America]
Notes:
The Constitution of the United States of America, adopted in 1788, provides the world’s first formal blueprint for a modern democracy. It provided for an elected government and protected civil rights and liberties for some. It led to representative democracy that is considered as an essential ingredient of any democracy. The achievement of white male suffrage in the early 19th century has earned the United States the title of “world’s first democracy”. It marked the first time that a large proportion of a national population could elect its representatives.