World History MCQs

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On 4th July 1776, the American Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. It was prepared by a committee of five led by Thomas Jefferson who included the ideals of human freedom in it.

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The French Revolution opened a new chapter in the history of Europe. It marked a turning point in the history of humankind. The French Revolution put an end to the age old absolute monarchy, feudal laws and social inequality. It introduced for the first time the idea of republicanism based on “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity”. These ideas had influenced the entire continent of Europe and also the world.

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In the 16th and 17th centuries, the practice of enclosure was denounced by the Church, and legislation was drawn up against it. However, the mechanization of agriculture during the 18th century required large, enclosed fields. This led to a series of government acts, culminating finally in the General Enclosure Act of 1801. By the end of the 19th century the process of enclosure was largely complete.

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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.

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Russia was a big and powerful country. Even Napoleon Bonaparte could not conquer Russia in 1812. However, during the beginning of the 20th Century Russia was no longer a powerful country. During this time Russia was ruled by the Romanov dynasty. Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia at the time of the Revolution.

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By the middle of 1918, banks and insurance companies, large industries, mines, water transport and railways were nationalised. Foreign debts were refused and foreign investments were confiscated. A Declaration of the Rights of Peoples was issued conferring the right of self-determination upon all nationalities. A new government, called the Council of People’s Commissars, headed by Lenin was founded. These first acts of the new government began the era of socialism.

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The Treaty of Versailles provided a Covenant for the establishment of an international organisation to maintain peace and security in the world. The founder of this organization was President Woodrow Wilson of USA. It was his idea to create a world organization to maintain peace and prevent future wars. President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points underline the creation of a general association of nations. It was Woodrow Wilson who worked hard during Paris negotiations to bring about the birth of the League of Nations.

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In 1894-1895 a war broke out between China and Japan. This is known as the First Sino-Japanese War. The war was fought for the control of Korea. China was defeated in this war. This led to a Chinese revolt known as the Boxer Rebellion against the foreign domination of China. This rebellion was also suppressed with the help of the western countries.

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The U.S.A., Canada, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium and Luxemburg, Portugal, Denmark, Italy and Norway became NATO’s members. They had agreed to mutually extend military help in case of an attack on any one of them. It was formed against the Soviet Union.

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With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe occurred. The bipolar world became unipolar world. On 31st July 1991, American President George Bush and Soviet leader Michael Gorbachev signed the ‘historic’ START – I Treaty in the Moscow Summit. This marks the end of the Era of Cold War.