World History MCQs

Notes:
In 1497, John Cabot was sent by Henry VII of England to explore the seas. He discovered the Newfoundland. In his next expedition, he reached North America and explored it.

Notes:
The immediate cause was the assassination of Arch Duke Francis Ferdinand who was heir to the Austrian throne. Arch Duke Francis Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by Serbians in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo when they paid a visit to this city on 28th June 1914. The news of this murder shocked many countries. Austria-Hungary was already sick of Serbia and she decided to take advantage of the new situation to crush her. The murder of their crown prince and his wife resulted in an ultimatum being sent to Serbia for immediate compliance of certain terms. Serbia’s reply did not pacify Austria-Hungary. Hence, Austria-Hungary backed by Germany declared war on Serbia. Russia mobilised her forces in favour of Serbia.

Notes:
Russia’s first major battle in the Great War was a disaster. In the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg, over 120,000 Russian troops were killed, wounded, or captured, while Germany suffered only 20,000 casualties. Whatever nationalistic or patriotic support the Russian government had gained in the early stages of the war had been lost.

Notes:
On 12th March, 1917 the capital city of Petersburg (renamed Petrograd and now Leningrad) fell into the hands of the revolutionaries. Soon the revolutionaries took Moscow, the Tsar Nicholas II gave up his throne and the first provisional Government was formed on 15 March.

Notes:
In the first party convention of Milan, Mussolini announced the programmes and Charter of demands of the party. They were:

• Nationalisation of factories
• Confiscation of surplus money from the capitalists
• Universal Franchise
• Forfeiture of the Church property
• Eight hours work in factories
• Framing of a new constitution.

These demands of the Fascist Party soon achieved popularity in Italy.

Notes:
In October 1936, On the basis of an agreement Germany approved Italian control over Abyssinia and Italy granted permission to Hitler to annex Austria with Germany. Hitler was antagonistic towards Russian Communism. Therefore Hitler in November 1936, signed an Anti-Commintern Pact with Japan, another enemy of Russia. In November 1937, Italy was admitted into the alliance. This Anti Commintern pact was otherwise called as Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis. This Axis was formed against England, France and Russia. This was the beginning of Second World War.

Notes:
The inter-war period witnessed the rise of dictatorships in Europe. The inter-war period is otherwise called the period of dictators. Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan witnessed the rise of dictators. In Germany, the Weimar Republic was weak. Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party took full advantage of the weakness of the Republican Government and brought the government under his control. He started aggression. He captured Austria and Czechoslovakia. At last he attacked Poland and World War II started.

Notes:
Japan followed a policy of militarism and imperialism. Japan defeated China in 1894-95. Subsequently, it defeated the biggest European country Russia in 1904-05. During the First World War Japan captured the Chinese territory of Shantung which was leased to Germany. It also imposed the 21 Demands on China.

Notes:
Cold War was extended to Vietnam also. The fall of Dien Bien Phu on 7th May 1954 brought the final collapse of France in Indo-China. By Geneva Agreement, Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. A conflict developed between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The U.S.A. entered the war supporting South Vietnam. Further, in order to contain Communism in South East Asia, the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was formed in 1954.

Notes:
All these reforms led to revolutionary changes in the U.S.S.R. On 8th December 1991, the leaders of the Russian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian republics issued a declaration that the Soviet Union was dissolved and replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).