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. Who was Karl Marx?
[A] A French Philosopher
[B] An English Philosopher
[C] A Polish Philosopher
[D] A German Philosopher
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [A German Philosopher]
Notes:
Karl Heinrich Marx (5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary. Born in Trier, Germany, Marx studied law and philosophy at university. He married Jenny von Westphalen in 1843. Due to his political publications, Marx became stateless and lived in exile with his wife and children in London for decades, where he continued to develop his thought in collaboration with German thinker Friedrich Engels and publish his writings, researching in the reading room of the British Museum. His best-known titles are the 1848 pamphlet The Communist Manifesto and the three-volume Das Kapital (1867–1883). Marx’s political and philosophical thought had enormous influence on subsequent intellectual, economic and political history. His name has been used as an adjective, a noun and a school of social theory.
32. Which of the following was the period of the Battle of Greece?
[A] 1938-1939
[B] 1940-1941
[C] 1942-1943
[D] 1944-1945
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [1940-1941]
Notes:
1940-1941 was the period of the Battle of Greece. The Battle of Greece (also known as Operation Marita) is the common name for the invasion of Allied Greece by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in April 1941 during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasion in April 1941. German landings on the island of Crete (May 1941) came after Allied forces had been defeated in mainland Greece. These battles were part of the greater Balkan Campaign of Germany.
33. Which of the following is also known as the “28 Mordad coup d’etat”?
[A] 1952 Iranian coup d’etat
[B] 1953 Iranian coup d’etat
[C] 1954 Iranian coup d’etat
[D] 1955 Iranian coup d’etat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [1953 Iranian coup d’etat]
Notes:
The 1953 Iranian coup d’etat is also known as the “28 Mordad coup d’etat”. The 1953 Iranian coup d’etat, known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup d’etat, was the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favour of strengthening the monarchical rule of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi on 19 August 1953. It was orchestrated by the United States (under the name TPAJAX Project or “Operation Ajax”) and the United Kingdom (under the name “Operation Boot”).
34. What was “Ruhollah Khomeini” famous for?
[A] First Supreme Leader of Iraq
[B] First Supreme Leader of Iran
[C] First Supreme Leader of Turkey
[D] First Supreme Leader of Afghanistan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [First Supreme Leader of Iran]
Notes:
“Ruhollah Khomeini” was famous as the First Supreme Leader of Iran. Ruhollah Khomeini, also known as Ayatollah Khomeini, was an Iranian politician, revolutionary, and cleric. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which saw the overthrow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Following the revolution, Khomeini became the country’s Supreme Leader, a position created in the constitution of the Islamic Republic as the highest-ranking political and religious authority of the nation, which he held until his death. Most of his reign was taken up by the Iran–Iraq War of 1980–1988. He was succeeded by Ali Khamenei on 4 June 1989.
35. Which of the following, were the two cities of Japan, faced attacks of nuclear bomb in 1945?
[A] Tokyo and Osaka
[B] Osaka and Hiroshima
[C] Hiroshima and Tokyo
[D] Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Hiroshima and Nagasaki]
Notes:
Hiroshima and Nagasaki the two cities of japan faced attacks of nuclear bomb in 1945.
36. 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.
37. Consider the following statements with respect to the National Assembly:
- It was created in the meeting of the Estate General by a unanimous voting.
- It converted France into a constitutional monarchy.
- It created a constitution which provided for universal adult male franchise.
Which of the above is / are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Only 3
[D] Only 1 and 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2]
Notes:
In the past, voting in the Estates General had been conducted according to the principle that each estate had one vote. Louis XVI was determined to continue the same practice. But members of the third estate demanded that voting now be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote. When the king rejected this proposal, members of the third estate walked out of the assembly in protest. On 20 June, 1789, they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles. They declared themselves a National Assembly and swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch. So, statement 1 is incorrect. The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791. Its main object was to limit the powers of the monarch. These powers instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person, were now separated and assigned to different institutions – the legislature, executive and judiciary. This made France a constitutional monarchy. So, statement 2 is correct. The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. That is, citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly. Not all citizens, however, had the right to vote. Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a laborer’s wage were given the status of active citizens, that is, they were entitled to vote. The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens. So, statement 3 is incorrect.
38. 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.
39. Consider the following statements with respect to the Russian revolution:
- It took place in two stages.
- Bolshevik faction, led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, emerged victorious in the Russian revolution.
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:
Russian revolution took place in two stages. The first stage occurred in the month of February in 1917. Hence, it is called the ‘February Revolution’. During this stage, the Czar was overthrown and a provisional government was formed under the leadership of middle class leaders like Kerensky. During the 2nd stage, called the October Revolution, Bolsheviks took over and Russia officially became Soviet Russia after this point. So, statement 1 is correct. Lenin was in exile in Switzerland at the time of February Revolution. Under his leadership, the Bolshevik Party took over the command of communist movement and overthrew the provisional government in a planned coup. So, statement 2 is also correct.
40. 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.