World History MCQs

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The American colonists decided to unite in their fight against the British. In September 1774, the first Continental Congress was held at Philadelphia.

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In 1776 the British forces led by Sir William Howe defeated Washington in the battle of Long Island. However, the army of American colonies commanded by General Gates defeated British troops at Saratoga in October, 1777. The victory at Saratoga marked a turning point in the war. The French troops under Lafayette came to the help of the American colonies.

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The American War of Independence was also called the American Revolution because it inspired the French Revolution. It was not only a war against England but against aristocracy and reactionary elements. It was also a fight against colonial domination.

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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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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.

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The financial crisis in Germany forced the Weimar Republic to make an appeal to the allies for the reduction of the amount of reparation. As a result a committee consisting of ten members was formed under the chairmanship of Dawes, an eminent finance specialist of U.S.A. The committee made some amendments to the provision of the Treaty of Versailles. This known as Dawes Plan. The financial burden of Germany was reduced to certain level.

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After the end of the First World War, Palestine had been handed over to Great Britain under the mandate system. But the struggle arose between the Arabs and the Jews which created disturbance and tension in Palestine. After the Second World War U.N.O. appointed a special committee to study the problem of Palestine. The Committee recommended immediate partition of Palestine into three parts – an Arab State, a Jewish State and the City of Jerusalem which was to be governed by the Trusteeship Council of the U.N.O. Thus, an independent state of Israel was established for the Jews in 1948.

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Between 1955 and 1958, West Asia remained the centre of the Cold War. In the series of western military pacts, the Baghdad Pact was concluded in 1955, later known as Central Treaty Organization (CENTO).

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The Proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, signified the Philippines’ emergence as the first country in Southeast Asia to break free from colonial domination. This historic achievement marked a key milestone in the regional struggle for self-determination and national identity.

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In September 1939, Poland was invaded first by Nazi Germany from the west and then by the Soviet Union from the east, leading to its occupation and division under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. This event marked the beginning of Poland’s struggle and immense suffering during World War II.