World History MCQs

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In January 1776, Thomas Paine came to America from England and issued a pamphlet “Common Sense”. It attacked the idea of hereditary monarchy and advocated democratic government. More than one lakh copies of this 50 page booklet were distributed throughout the thirteen colonies. It inculcated the fighting spirit among the Americans.

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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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Rousseau was the author of the famous book, Social Contract, which was considered the Bible of the French Revolution. He said that the real sovereignty rests with the people. His famous statement, “Man is born free and is everywhere in chains” kindled the revolutionary spirit of the masses.

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After the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly, the National Convention met in 1792. It abolished monarchy and declared France as a republic. The king Louis XVI after a summary trail was found guilty of treason was guillotined (head cut off) on Sunday, 21st January 1793. Three days later the queen Maire Antoinette was also guillotined.

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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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Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on 3 March 1918 between Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire). It ended Russia’s participation in World War I.

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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.

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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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Seven rounds of negotiations occurred under the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). The eighth round – known as the Uruguay Round — which began in 1986 and concluded in 1995 established the WTO. The main aim of World Trade Organization is to increase international trade by promoting lower trade barriers and providing a platform for the negotiation of trade.

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The Portuguese were the first Europeans in the slave trade, completing their initial transatlantic voyage to Brazil in 1526. They primarily sourced slaves for labor on plantations in Atlantic Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean, with a smaller number sent to Europe. The transatlantic slave trade, active from the 16th to 19th centuries, involved trading slaves among Europe, Africa, and the Americas, forming a triangular trade system.