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.
41. Of the following, in which did Napoleonic France suffer final defeat?
[A] Battle of Trafalgar
[B] Battle of Wagram
[C] Battle of Pyramids
[D] Battle of Austerlitz
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Battle of Trafalgar]
Notes:
Battles of Wagram, Pyramids and Austerlitz resulted in decisive victories for Napoleon. The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815). The battle was the most decisive British naval victory of the war.
42. 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.
43. Who discovered and named Pacific Ocean?
[A] Christopher Columbus
[B] Vasco da Gama
[C] Amerigo Vespucci
[D] Ferdinand Magellan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Ferdinand Magellan]
Notes:
The fleet of Ferdinand Magellan in 1519 crossed an arduous 373-mile long passage on the southern end of South America. This strait is now named the Strait of Magellan. Then he entered an ocean which was calmer than the Atlantic. Therefore, he named it the Pacific Ocean.
44. The Molasses Act levied upon the import of:
[A] Wheat
[B] Sugar
[C] Corn
[D] Cattles
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sugar]
Notes:
A series of Navigation Acts were passed by the British Parliament to control the trade of the American colonies. These Acts insisted that all the goods of both exports and imports should be carried in ships owned by England. Custom collectors were appointed in the colonies to implement the Navigation Acts. But, the American colonies considered these Acts as infringement of their rights. The Molasses Act levied heavy duties on sugar and molasses imported into the American colonies.
45. Which was the earliest industry to invent machinery revolution?
[A] Iron and Steel
[B] Transport
[C] Publishing
[D] Textile
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Textile]
Notes:
The primary cause of the Industrial Revolution was the scientific inventions. The earliest mechanical inventions came in the textile industry.
46. Which American ship was drowned by a German submarine in World War I?
[A] Posidon
[B] Britannic
[C] Carpathia
[D] Lusitania
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Lusitania]
Notes:
The Lusitania ship was drowned by a German submarine and consequently many Americans lost their lives. This resulted in the declaration of war against Germany by the U.S.A. In spite of best efforts, Germany could not stand and ultimately she surrendered in November 1919.
47. Formation of First International was a highlight of the year in:
[A] 1864
[B] 1894
[C] 1865
[D] 1856
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [1864]
Notes:
One of the most important events in the history of socialist movement was the formation in 1864 of the International Working Men’s Association or the First International. During the short period of its existence, the International exercised a tremendous influence on workers’ movements in Europe.
48. The first provisional Government in Russia was formed in:
[A] 14 March 1917
[B] 25 March 1917
[C] 10 March 1917
[D] 15 March 1917
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [15 March 1917]
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.
49. What is the reduction of tension between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. known as?
[A] Era of revolt
[B] Era of détente
[C] Era of Cold war
[D] Era of purgatory
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Era of détente]
Notes:
After the 1970s, the friction between the Soviet Union and Communist China led to Sino-Soviet rift. The People’s Republic of China was admitted into the UN. President Nixon of U.S.A. visited Moscow in May 1972 and concluded the SALT -I Treaty (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty). In June 1973, Brezhnev paid a nine-day visit to the United States and further progress was made in the direction of strategic arms limitation. This reduction of tension between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. is known as era of détente.
50. On 1991, the plead of replacing Soviet Union with _____ was declared:
[A] Individual Provinces
[B] Commonwealth of Independent States
[C] Independent States and Provinces
[D] Commonwealth Nation
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Commonwealth of Independent States]
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).