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. Who among the following played a prominent role during the “Reign of Terror” in France?
[A] Voltaire
[B] Marat
[C] Robespierre
[D] Montesquieu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Robespierre]
Notes:
The Reign of Terror (5 September 1793 – 28 July 1794) was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of “enemies of the revolution.” Robespierre, a French lawyer and politician, was an important figure during the Reign of Terror, which ended a few months after his arrest and execution in July 1794.
42. The Declaration of the Rights of Man is related with:
[A] The Russian Revolution
[B] The French Revolution
[C] The American War of Independence
[D] The Glorious Revolution of England
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [The French Revolution]
Notes:
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, passed by France’s National Constituent Assembly in August 1789, is a fundamental document of the French Revolution. It defines the individual and collective rights of all the estates of the realm as universal.
43. Cold War refers to:
[A] tension between East and West
[B] ideological rivalry between Capitalist and Communist world
[C] tension between Superpowers
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [tension between East and West]
Notes:
The Cold War, often dated from 1947 to 1991, was a sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc, dominated by the United States with NATO among its allies and powers in the Eastern Block, dominated by the Soviet Union along with Warsaw Pact.
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 French scholar used the term ‘Industrial Revolution’ for the first time?
[A] Humphrey Davis
[B] Georges Michelet
[C] Pierre Bretherie
[D] Gabrielle Berton
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Georges Michelet]
Notes:
The term ‘Industrial Revolution’ was used by European scholars – Georges Michelet in France and Friedrich Engels in Germany.
46. 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.
47. The seat of the Kerensky Government, which fell in October, was known as:
[A] The Parliament
[B] Winter Palace
[C] King Castle
[D] The Eastern Wing
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Winter Palace]
Notes:
The unpopularity of the Kerensky’s government led to its collapse on 7th November 1917, when a group of soldiers occupied the Winter Palace, the seat of the Kerensky Government. An All-Russian Congress of Soviets met on the same day and assumed full political power. This event which took place on 7 November is known as the October Revolution because of the corresponding date of the old Russian calendar, 25 October.
48. Mao established which of these in 1966?
[A] Agricultural Revolution
[B] Revolt to Power
[C] Human Right Actions for China
[D] Cultural Revolution
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Cultural Revolution]
Notes:
Mao Tse Tung introduced the economic reform known as the Great Leap Forward. In 1966, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution. During the Cultural Revolution those who were against Mao were removed from the Communist Party and imprisoned.
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. What political system was established in Poland after World War II?
[A] Democracy
[B] Monarchy
[C] Communist state
[D] Federal republic
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Communist state]
Notes:
Following World War II, Poland found itself within the Soviet sphere of influence, leading to the establishment of a communist state. This period, lasting until 1989, was characterized by Soviet dominance in Polish political affairs, shaping the country’s governance and international relations during the Cold War era.