World History MCQs

Notes:
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris, France on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution. The storming of the Bastille and the subsequent Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was the third event of this opening stage of the revolution. The first had been the revolt of the nobility, refusing to aid King Louis XVI through the payment of taxes. The second had been the formation of the National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath.

Notes:
Italy is considered the birth place of the Renaissance for several reasons. Some of them were:

• Italy was the seat of ancient civilization and the Latin language.
• The rich city states in Italy like Florence and Venice patronized art and literature. For example, the Medici family of Florence had patronized many scholars.
• Dante’s work of art Divine Comedy triggered the Renaissance and made it spread to other parts of Europe and reach its peak in the sixteenth century.

Notes:
A large number of soldiers were brought to Versailles and Paris. Necker, the popular minister was also dismissed. On hearing this, the mob of Paris became violent. They attacked the State prison called the Bastille, murdered the guards and freed the prisoners. The fall of the Bastille was regarded in France as a triumph of liberty. The nobles voluntarily surrendered their feudal rights and the privileges on 4th August 1789. Feudalism and serfdom were abolished. The principle of equality was established.

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.

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:
The Second World War was over. At the end of the war, some 13 million Europeans were killed and 17 million civilians had died as a result of the fighting. All major cities were in ruins. Agriculture was ruined. People of the entire world had to face untold miseries, directly or indirectly. Results of the Second World War:

• In this war, about 15 Million soldiers and 10 million civilians lost their lives.
• An important result of the Second World War was that it brought to an end the colonial Empire of the European countries in Asia and Africa.
• Multi-polar world became bi-polar world.
• The USA and USSR emerged as Super Powers.
• Cold War started as an ideological war between USA and USSR.

Notes:
China imported large quantities of opium. Opium-eating became a national vice. Therefore, the Chinese government imposed rules to prohibit opium trade. The action of Commissioner Lin Tse hsu led to First Opium War (1839-1842) in which England defeated China. The war came to an end with the Treaty of Nanking.

Notes:
At the end of the First World War Japan emerged as a superior military power. Hence, in order to control Japan’s Navy the Washington Naval Conference was held in 1921-22. But this was only a temporary measure.

Notes:
After 1960, the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. had developed equality in nuclear weapons. Thus any nuclear war would lead to co-destruction. This awareness led both the super powers to believe in the inevitability of peaceful co-existence. They were, therefore, prompted to conclude the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963. This treaty was followed by a ‘Hot Line Agreement’ between Washington and Kremlin.

Notes:
The PNG attained independence from Australia on 16 september , 1975. It remained under Australia from 1906 as a British Possession until 1975. Britain, Australia , Germany occupied PNG until 1975.