World History
Results
#1. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 led to the rapid modernisation of:
The Meiji Restoration restored imperial rule and modernised Japan. It transformed Japan into an industrial power.
#2. The country formerly known as Siam is:
Siam was renamed Thailand in 1939. It was never formally colonised by a European power.
#3. The Soviet-led military alliance formed in response to NATO was the:
The Warsaw Pact was formed in 1955 among Soviet-aligned states. It dissolved in 1991.
#4. Napoleon was decisively defeated in 1815 at the Battle of:
Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The battle ended his rule.
#5. The European federation established by treaty in the late twentieth century is the:
The European Union developed from earlier European communities. The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 formally established it.
#6. The Egyptian president who nationalised the Suez Canal was:
Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal in 1956. He was a prominent figure in Arab nationalism.
#7. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in the independence of:
The dissolution produced fifteen independent republics. Russia was the largest successor state.
#8. The country formed in 1922 from the territories of the former Russian Empire was the:
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed in 1922. It dissolved in 1991.
#9. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in the city of:
The assassination took place in Sarajevo in 1914. The assassin was a Bosnian Serb nationalist.
#10. The first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule, in 1957, was:
Ghana became independent in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah. It was the first sub-Saharan colony to do so.
#11. The event commonly cited as the immediate trigger of the First World War was the assassination of:
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 triggered the war. It set off a chain of alliance obligations.
#12. The leader associated with India’s non-violent independence movement was:
Mahatma Gandhi led the non-violent independence movement in India. His method was known as satyagraha.
#13. The Enlightenment thinker associated with the social contract and popular sovereignty was:
Rousseau developed ideas of the social contract and popular sovereignty. His work influenced the French Revolution.
#14. The founder of Pakistan was:
Muhammad Ali Jinnah founded Pakistan and became its first Governor-General. He is titled Quaid-e-Azam.
#15. The ancient Chinese philosopher who founded a major ethical system was:
Confucius developed an influential system of ethics and social philosophy. His teachings shaped Chinese civilisation.
#16. The storming of which fortress in 1789 symbolised the start of the French Revolution?
The storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 symbolised the revolution’s start. The date is now the French national day.
#17. The ancient city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE was:
Pompeii was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. Its preserved remains provide insight into Roman life.
#18. The Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 is known as:
The Normandy landings of June 1944 are known as D-Day. They opened a Western Front against Germany.
#19. The Inca Empire was centred in the:
The Inca Empire was centred in the Andes, with its capital at Cusco. Machu Picchu is a famous Inca site.
#20. The leader of the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution was:
Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks to power in 1917. He became the first head of the Soviet state.
#21. The Second World War in Europe ended with the surrender of Germany in:
Germany surrendered in May 1945, marked as Victory in Europe Day. The war in the Pacific continued until August.
#22. The military alliance formed by Western nations in 1949 was:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949. It was a collective defence alliance of Western states.
#23. The unification of Italy in the nineteenth century is associated with:
Giuseppe Garibaldi was a leading figure in Italian unification. The process is known as the Risorgimento.
#24. The British Prime Minister for most of the Second World War was:
Winston Churchill led Britain through most of the Second World War. He was known for his wartime speeches.
#25. The unification of Germany in 1871 was led by the Prussian statesman:
Otto von Bismarck engineered German unification in 1871. He became the first chancellor of the German Empire.
#26. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was a confrontation between the United States and the:
The Cuban Missile Crisis brought the United States and Soviet Union close to nuclear war. It was resolved through negotiation.
#27. The Great Wall of China was built primarily for:
The Great Wall was built to defend against northern nomadic incursions. It was constructed over many centuries.
#28. The earliest known system of writing, cuneiform, was developed by the:
The Sumerians of Mesopotamia developed cuneiform writing. It was inscribed on clay tablets.
#29. Napoleon was finally exiled to the island of:
Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in the South Atlantic after Waterloo. He had earlier been exiled to Elba.
#30. The Indus Valley Civilisation is associated with cities including Harappa and:
Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were principal cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Both feature planned urban layouts.
#31. The period in European history following the fall of Rome is often called the:
The Middle Ages followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It lasted roughly a thousand years.
#32. Julius Caesar was assassinated in:
Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE. His death contributed to the end of the Roman Republic.
#33. The wars between Rome and Carthage are known as the:
The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage. Rome’s victory established its dominance in the Mediterranean.
#34. The Korean War of 1950 to 1953 ended with:
The Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953. Korea remained divided along the demilitarised zone.
#35. The Renaissance began in which country?
The Renaissance began in Italy in the fourteenth century. It later spread across Europe.
#36. The Greek city-state associated with the origins of democracy was:
Athens is associated with the early development of democracy. Sparta was known for its military society.
#37. Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in:
Columbus reached the Americas in 1492 while seeking a westward route to Asia. His voyage was sponsored by Spain.
#38. The Roman emperor who legalised Christianity was:
Constantine legalised Christianity through the Edict of Milan. He also founded Constantinople.
#39. The American Civil War was fought principally over:
The American Civil War of 1861 to 1865 centred on slavery and the preservation of the union. The Union victory ended slavery.
#40. The country formerly known as Persia is:
Persia was officially renamed Iran in 1935. It has an ancient imperial history.
#41. The Treaty of Versailles is often criticised for imposing harsh terms on:
The Treaty of Versailles imposed reparations and territorial losses on Germany. Its severity is often linked to later instability.
#42. The Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest legal codes, originated in:
The Code of Hammurabi was issued by a Babylonian king. It is among the earliest known written legal codes.
#43. The independence leader who became the first Prime Minister of independent India was:
Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first Prime Minister in 1947. He served until his death in 1964.
#44. India gained independence from British rule in:
India gained independence in 1947. The subcontinent was partitioned into India and Pakistan.
#45. The intellectual movement of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries emphasising reason was the:
The Enlightenment emphasised reason, science and individual rights. It influenced revolutions in America and France.
#46. Apartheid in South Africa was formally dismantled in the:
Apartheid was dismantled in the early 1990s. Multiracial elections were held in 1994.
#47. The second atomic bomb of the Second World War was dropped on:
The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered shortly afterwards.
#48. Martin Luther’s document challenging Church practices was the:
The Ninety-Five Theses criticised the sale of indulgences. Their publication is regarded as the start of the Reformation.
#49. The country formerly known as Burma is:
Burma was renamed Myanmar in 1989. It gained independence from Britain in 1948.
#50. A principal weakness of the League of Nations was the absence of:
The United States never joined the League despite President Wilson’s advocacy. This weakened the organisation.
#51. The Magna Carta, sealed in 1215, is significant for limiting the power of the:
The Magna Carta limited the power of the English king. It is regarded as a foundational document of constitutional government.
#52. The Berlin Wall fell in:
The Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Its fall preceded German reunification and the end of the Cold War.
#53. The Hanging Gardens, one of the ancient wonders, were associated with:
The Hanging Gardens were traditionally attributed to Babylon. Their existence remains debated among historians.
#54. Alexander the Great was a ruler of:
Alexander was king of Macedonia. He created one of the largest empires of the ancient world.
#55. The leader of Ghana’s independence movement was:
Kwame Nkrumah led Ghana to independence and became its first leader. He was a proponent of pan-Africanism.
#56. The Second World War ended in:
The Second World War ended in 1945. Germany surrendered in May and Japan in August.
#57. The Mohenjo-daro site is located in present-day:
Mohenjo-daro lies in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
#58. The Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949 was led by:
Mao Zedong led the Communist Revolution and founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The nationalists retreated to Taiwan.
#59. Yugoslavia broke apart in the 1990s into several states through a series of:
Yugoslavia dissolved through a series of conflicts in the 1990s. Several independent states emerged.
#60. The Suez Crisis of 1956 involved the nationalisation of the Suez Canal by:
Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal in 1956 under President Nasser. This precipitated an international crisis.
#61. The first President of the United States was:
George Washington was the first President of the United States. He had earlier led the Continental Army.
#62. The Central Powers in the First World War included Germany, Austria-Hungary and the:
The Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. They were defeated in 1918.
#63. The cultural movement marking the transition from the medieval to the modern era in Europe was the:
The Renaissance was a revival of art and learning beginning in Italy. It marked the transition to the modern era.
#64. The international organisation established after the First World War to preserve peace was the:
The League of Nations was established in 1920. It was the forerunner of the United Nations.
#65. The Japanese attack that brought the United States into the Second World War was on:
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought the United States into the war. It targeted the US Pacific Fleet.
#66. The period of European overseas exploration beginning in the fifteenth century is called the:
The Age of Discovery saw European maritime exploration of the wider world. It reshaped global trade and colonisation.
#67. The abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire was achieved in the early:
Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807 and slavery itself in 1833. The movement was led by abolitionists including William Wilberforce.
#68. The system of government in which a single ruler holds absolute power is called:
Autocratic monarchy concentrates power in a single ruler. It contrasts with democratic and republican systems.
#69. The Russian Revolution that brought the Bolsheviks to power occurred in:
The Bolshevik Revolution occurred in 1917. It led to the establishment of a communist state.
#70. The rallying slogan of the French Revolution was:
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite became the motto of the French Revolution. It remains a national motto of France.
#71. The anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first Black president was:
Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first Black president in 1994. He had spent twenty-seven years in prison.
#72. The treaty that formally ended the First World War was the Treaty of:
The Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919. It imposed heavy terms on Germany.
#73. The Phoenicians are credited with developing an early:
The Phoenicians developed an early alphabetic writing system. It influenced later Greek and Latin alphabets.
#74. The American Declaration of Independence was adopted in:
The American Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. It proclaimed the thirteen colonies independent of Britain.
#75. The Vietnam War ended in 1975 with the:
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 with the fall of Saigon. Vietnam was reunified under the north.
#76. The reunification of Vietnam, the independence of African states and the end of apartheid are all examples of:
These are examples of twentieth-century self-determination and decolonisation. They reshaped the global political map.
#77. The country formerly known as Rhodesia is:
Rhodesia became Zimbabwe on gaining majority rule in 1980. It had been under British influence.
#78. The Non-Aligned Movement’s founding leaders included Nehru, Nasser, Tito and:
The founding figures included Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno and Nkrumah. They sought an independent course in the Cold War.
#79. The invention that greatly accelerated the spread of ideas during the Renaissance was the:
The printing press, developed by Gutenberg, allowed the mass production of books. It accelerated the spread of ideas.
#80. The ancient city of Carthage was located in present-day:
Carthage was located in present-day Tunisia. It was a rival of Rome in the Punic Wars.
#81. The civilisation that developed along the Nile is the:
Ancient Egyptian civilisation developed along the Nile. The river’s annual flooding supported agriculture.
#82. The People’s Republic of China was proclaimed in:
The People’s Republic of China was proclaimed in 1949. It followed the communist victory in the civil war.
#83. Ancient Greek civilisation is credited with early developments in:
Ancient Greece contributed foundational ideas in democracy and philosophy. Athens is associated with early democratic practice.
#84. The Commonwealth is an association consisting largely of:
The Commonwealth is an association of states, most of them former British territories. It is a voluntary grouping.
#85. The explorer who completed the first sea route from Europe to India was:
Vasco da Gama reached India by sea in 1498. He rounded the southern tip of Africa.
#86. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb for the pharaoh:
The Great Pyramid was built for the pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops. It is the largest of the Giza pyramids.
#87. The Industrial Revolution was characterised by a shift from:
The Industrial Revolution shifted economies from agriculture to industry. It brought urbanisation and factory labour.
#88. The Chinese nationalist forces that retreated after 1949 established themselves on:
The nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan. The island developed separately from the mainland.
#89. The American president during the Civil War who issued the Emancipation Proclamation was:
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He led the Union through the Civil War.
#90. The French military and political leader who rose to power after the revolution was:
Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in the aftermath of the revolution. He crowned himself emperor in 1804.
#91. The German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 was code-named:
Operation Barbarossa was the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It ultimately failed with heavy losses.
#92. The invention central to the Industrial Revolution, improved by James Watt, was the:
James Watt’s improvements to the steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution. It enabled mechanised production and transport.
#93. The Roman Republic was replaced by the Roman Empire under:
Augustus became the first Roman emperor. Julius Caesar’s assassination preceded the transition.
#94. The ancient Mesoamerican civilisation known for pyramids and a calendar was the:
The Maya are known for their pyramids, writing and calendar. Their civilisation flourished in Mesoamerica.
#95. The systematic genocide of Jews and others by Nazi Germany is known as the:
The Holocaust was the systematic murder of millions, including six million Jews. It is among the gravest atrocities in history.
#96. The prolonged battle on the Eastern Front regarded as a turning point of the war was at:
The Battle of Stalingrad marked a turning point on the Eastern Front. The German defeat there was decisive.
#97. The civilisation that arose between the Tigris and Euphrates is:
Mesopotamian civilisation arose between the Tigris and Euphrates. The region is often called the cradle of civilisation.
#98. Indonesia gained independence from which colonial power?
Indonesia gained independence from the Netherlands, declared in 1945 and recognised in 1949. Sukarno was its first president.
#99. The Nuremberg Trials after the Second World War prosecuted:
The Nuremberg Trials prosecuted leading Nazi figures for war crimes. They established important precedents in international law.
#100. The printing press with movable type in Europe is attributed to:
Johannes Gutenberg developed the movable-type printing press around 1440. The Gutenberg Bible was among its first products.
#101. The first atomic bomb used in war was dropped on the Japanese city of:
The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945. A second was dropped on Nagasaki days later.
#102. The Soviet Union was dissolved in:
The Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991. This is generally taken to mark the end of the Cold War.
#103. German reunification took place in:
Germany was reunified in 1990. It followed the fall of the Berlin Wall the previous year.
#104. The term Iron Curtain describing the Cold War division of Europe was popularised by:
Winston Churchill popularised the term Iron Curtain in a 1946 speech. It described the division of Europe.
#105. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving wonder of the:
The Great Pyramid is the sole surviving structure of the ancient Seven Wonders. The others have been destroyed.
#106. The partition of British India in 1947 created India and:
The partition created the two independent states of India and Pakistan. Bangladesh emerged later from East Pakistan.
#107. Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance is known as:
Satyagraha was Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent civil resistance. It influenced later civil rights movements.
#108. The Olympic Games originated in ancient:
The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece. They were held at Olympia in honour of Zeus.
#109. The barrier dividing a German city during the Cold War was the:
The Berlin Wall divided East and West Berlin from 1961. It became a symbol of the Cold War.
#110. The two principal alliance systems in the First World War were the Allied Powers and the:
The war was fought between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. The Central Powers included Germany and Austria-Hungary.
#111. The Protestant Reformation was initiated in 1517 by:
Martin Luther initiated the Reformation with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. It challenged the authority of the Catholic Church.
#112. The system of institutionalised racial segregation in South Africa was called:
Apartheid was the system of racial segregation in South Africa. It was dismantled in the early 1990s.
#113. The international organisation established in 1945 to replace the League of Nations was the:
The United Nations was established in 1945. It succeeded the League of Nations.
#114. The country that emerged from East Pakistan in 1971 was:
Bangladesh became independent in 1971. It had previously been East Pakistan.
#115. The Industrial Revolution began in the eighteenth century in:
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain. It transformed manufacturing through mechanisation.
#116. The First World War ended in:
The First World War ended in 1918 with an armistice. The peace was formalised the following year.
#117. Decolonisation refers to the process by which:
Decolonisation was the process by which colonies achieved independence. It accelerated after the Second World War.
#118. The first expedition to circumnavigate the globe was led by:
Magellan’s expedition first circumnavigated the globe, though he died en route. The voyage was completed by his crew.
#119. The Rosetta Stone was significant because it enabled the decipherment of:
The Rosetta Stone carried the same text in three scripts. This allowed scholars to decode hieroglyphics.
#120. The Axis Powers in the Second World War were principally Germany, Italy and:
The principal Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan. They were opposed by the Allied Powers.
#121. The wave of independence across African nations occurred principally during the:
Most African nations gained independence in the 1950s and 1960s. 1960 is sometimes called the Year of Africa.
#122. The Aztec Empire was centred in present-day:
The Aztec Empire was centred in central Mexico. Its capital Tenochtitlan lay on the site of modern Mexico City.
#123. The First World War began in:
The First World War began in 1914. It lasted until 1918.
#124. The Enlightenment thinker associated with the theory of the separation of powers was:
Montesquieu developed the theory of the separation of powers. It influenced modern constitutional design.
#125. The ancient Persian Empire was founded by:
Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire. It became one of the largest empires of antiquity.
#126. The political philosophy set out in the Communist Manifesto was authored by Karl Marx and:
Marx and Engels co-authored the Communist Manifesto in 1848. It set out their theory of class struggle.
#127. The ancient Egyptian system of writing using pictorial symbols is called:
Egyptian hieroglyphics used pictorial and phonetic symbols. The Rosetta Stone enabled their decipherment.
#128. The Vietnamese struggle against French and later American involvement is associated with the leader:
Ho Chi Minh led the Vietnamese independence and unification movement. Vietnam was reunified in 1975.
#129. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were philosophers of ancient:
These three were foundational philosophers of ancient Greece. Their work shaped Western philosophy.
#130. The Western Roman Empire is generally considered to have fallen in:
The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE. The eastern empire continued as Byzantium.
#131. The philosopher who taught Alexander the Great was:
Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great. He had himself studied under Plato.
#132. The movement of newly independent states avoiding alignment with either Cold War bloc was the:
The Non-Aligned Movement grouped states avoiding alignment with either superpower bloc. It was formally established in 1961.
#133. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 was a protest against:
The Boston Tea Party protested British taxation of the American colonies. It contributed to the American Revolution.
#134. The Second World War began in 1939 with the German invasion of:
The Second World War began with Germany’s invasion of Poland in September 1939. Britain and France then declared war.
#135. The principal author of the American Declaration of Independence was:
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration. He later became the third president.
#136. The country formerly known as Ceylon is:
Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka in 1972. It gained independence from Britain in 1948.
#137. The French Revolution began in:
The French Revolution began in 1789 with the storming of the Bastille. It overthrew the monarchy.
#138. The period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after 1945 is called the:
The Cold War was a prolonged rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. It shaped global politics for decades.
#139. The German leader during the Second World War was:
Adolf Hitler led Nazi Germany during the Second World War. His policies precipitated the conflict.
#140. The Eastern Roman Empire is also known as the:
The Eastern Roman Empire is called the Byzantine Empire. Its capital was Constantinople.