World History GK Questions, Multiple Choice Quiz Questions (MCQs) on Ancient World History, Medieval World History and Modern World History for various UPSC, PCS and other Competitive Examinations.
1. Egyptian Civilization flourished around which of the following rivers?
[A] Congo river
[B] Nile river
[C] Niger river
[D] Zambezi river
Answer: B [Nile river]
Notes:
The Egyptian Civilization began to flourish almost about 10,000 B.C. around the fertile valley of river Nile. The Nile river acted as the principal source of life and prosperity of the civilization.
2 .Which Pharaoh of Egypt is credited with construction of Great Pyramid of Giza?
[A] Unas
[B] Khufu
[C] Khafre
[D] Sahure
Answer: B [Khufu]
Notes:
Pyramids were royal tombs with four triangle-shaped sides that meet in a point on top. The largest Pyramid was constructed for Pharaoh Khufu at Gizeh which is 481 feet in height and made of 23,00,000 blocks of limestone.
3. Which of the following river is also called as the sorrow of China?
[A] Tsang po
[B] Yang-tse-kiang
[C] Yellow River
[D] None of the above
Answer: C [Yellow River]
Notes:
The Yellow River or Huang He is the second-longest river in China. The ‘Yellow River’ passed through rich yellow soil and made the land very fertile. The river is sometimes called “Sorrow of China” because of the devastating floods.
4. Which of the following were the first inventors of the Mariner’s compass?
[A] Spainish
[B] Greek
[C] Chinese
[D] Persian
Answer: C [Chinese]
Notes:
The Chinese were the first inventors of the Mariner’s compass. It was invented in China during the rule of the Han Dynasty between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD.
5. Which of the following was also known as Mycenaean civilization?
[A] Mesopotamian
[B] Greek
[C] Chinese
[D] Harappan
Answer: B [Greek]
Notes:
Greek civilization was named after the legendary king Minos of Crete (Minoan Civilization). Sometimes it was referred to as Mycenaean civilization, after a city called Mycenae, which the Cretans had built.
6. Which of the following compiled ‘Encyclopedia of Astronomy’?
[A] Cloudius Ptolemy
[B] Galen
[C] Celsus
[D] Pliny
Answer: A [Cloudius Ptolemy ]
Notes:
Cloudius Ptolemy who was an astronomer was the author of ‘Encyclopedia of Astronomy’. He also displayed his knowledge in geography and was the first map-maker of the world.
7. The process of Renaissance started at which of the following places?
[A] France
[B] Germany
[C] Britain
[D] Italy
Answer: D [Italy]
Notes:
The word ‘Renaissance’ literally means ‘rebirth’ of learning. In the 14th century the process of ‘Renaissance’ started in Italy – a literary movement – and it spread fast throughout the Europe.
8. Who recorded his scientific theory in his book ‘Principia’?
[A] Galileo
[B] Harvey
[C] Newton
[D] Copernicus
Answer: C [Newton]
Notes:
Newton recorded his scientific theory in his book ‘Principia’. In this book he formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation. These laws formed the dominant scientific viewpoint until it was superseded by the theory of relativity.
9. Which of the following is the work of Thomas More?
[A] The Histories
[B] Of Mice and Men
[C] Mona Lisa
[D] Utopia
Answer: D [Utopia]
Notes:
Utopia is the work of Thomas More. It is a work of fiction and socio-political satire written in Latin language and was published in 1516.
10. Which of the following was the central theme of most Renaissance art and literature?
[A] People
[B] God
[C] Jesus
[D] None of the above
Answer: A [People]
Notes:
The central theme of most Renaissance art and literature was the ‘Person’. The new Renaissance person was viewed as the maker of his own destiny rather than being a helpless plaything in the hands of supernatural forces.
World History GK Questions
11. Which of the following Apostles did not know Jesus during his ministry and before his Crucifixion?
[A] Paul
[B] Andrew
[C] Peter
[D] Matthew
Answer: A [Paul]
Notes:
Paul also called Saint pauls is generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age. He did not know Jesus during his ministry and before his Crucifixion.
12. The western European societies were influenced most by which of the following during the early middle ages?
[A] The Byzantine empire
[B] Elected Parliaments
[C] The Roman Catholic Church
[D] National Monarchies
Answer: C [The Roman Catholic Church]
Notes:
The western European societies were influenced most the Roman Catholic Church during the early middle ages. Religious life assumed new forms or reformed established ones during that time. Missionaries expanded the geographic boundaries of the faith.
13. Which of the following were the harbingers of renaissance?
1. Peter Abelard
2. Roger Bacon
3. Dante
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Answer: D [1, 2 & 3]
Notes:
Peter Abelard, Roger Bacon and Dante were the harbingers of renaissance. The book ‘The Divine Comedy’ of Dante was based on patriotism and love for humanity.
14. Which of the following is the work of Thomas More?
[A] The Histories
[B] Of Mice and Men
[C] Mona Lisa
[D] Utopia
Answer: D [Utopia]
Notes:
Utopia is the work of Thomas More. It is a work of fiction and socio-political satire written in Latin language and was published in 1516.
15. Which of the following figure of the Renaissance is most associated with the humanist movement?
[A] Luther
[B] Petrarch
[C] More
[D] Da Vinci
Answer: B [Petrarch]
Notes:
Petrarch of the Renaissance is most associated with the humanist movement. He is traditionally called the “Father of Humanism”. He is considered by many to more generally be the “Father of the Renaissance.”
16. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of which of the following?
[A] Greek empire
[B] Roman empire
[C] Byzantine empire
[D] None of the above
Answer: C [Byzantine empire ]
Notes:
Constantinople fell in 1453. It marked the end of the Byzantine empire. The city ceased to be a Centre of Christian faith and learning. Many Greek scholars and intellectuals began to travel westwards with all their precious manuscripts and writings.
17. In what country was Christopher Columbus born?
[A] Spain
[B] Portugal
[C] France
[D] Italy
Answer: D [Italy]
Notes:
Christopher Columbus who was born in 1451 was an Italian explorer and navigator who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. He opened the way for European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
18. Which of the following was the first industrialized city of England?
[A] London
[B] Manchester
[C] Liverpool
[D] None of the above
Answer: B [Manchester]
Notes:
Manchester’s unplanned urbanization was brought on by a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, which resulted in it becoming the world’s first industrialized city in 1853.
19. Who started the mode of building ‘macadamized’ roads?
[A] Humphry Davy
[B] John Macadam
[C] Sir George Stephenson
[D] Samuel Morse
Answer: B [John Macadam ]
Notes:
John Macadam, a British engineer, started the mode of building ‘macadamized’ roads. In this single-sized crushed stone layers of small angular stones are placed in shallow lifts and compacted thoroughly.
20. Who invented Electric telegraph?
[A] Samuel Morse
[B] Graham Bell
[C] Thomas Alva Edison
[D] None of the above
Answer: A [Samuel Morse ]
Notes:
Telegraph was invented in 1835. Electric telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse in 1840. The invention of telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication. Telegraph worked by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between stations
World History GK Questions
21. When did the storming of Bastille took place?
[A] 14th July, 1789
[B] 14th July, 1798
[C] 14th June, 1789
[D] 14th June, 1798
Answer: A [14th July, 1789]
Notes:
Bastille in Paris was stormed on the afternoon of 14th July, 1789. The medieval armory, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille represented royal authority and despotic rule of the King, in the centre of Paris.
22. Who became the emperor of Germany in 1871?
[A] Otto Von Bismarck
[B] Count Cavour
[C] Kaiser William I of Prussia
[D] Victor Emmanuel II
Answer: C [Kaiser William I of Prussia]
Notes:
William I or Wilhelm I of the House of Hohenzollern or Kaiser William I of Prussia was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861. He became the first German Emperor from 18 January 1871 to his death.
23. In which of the following years US entered World War I?
[A] 1915
[B] 1916
[C] 1917
[D] 1918
Answer: C [1917]
Notes:
US entered World War I in 1917. In 1917, Germany, determined to win its war of attrition against the Allies and it announced the resumption of unrestricted warfare in war-zone waters. The United States broke diplomatic relations with Germany three days later, and just hours after that the American liner Housatonic was sunk by a German U-boat.
24. Which of the following countries was not a member of the Allies?
[A] China
[B] Britain
[C] Japan
[D] None of the above
Answer: C [Japan ]
Notes:
World War II was fought between 1939 to 1945. It was fought between the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria) versus Allies (U.S., Britain, France, China, USSR, Australia, Poland, South Africa, etc).
25. Which of the following was the leader of the Soviet Union during World War II?
[A] Franklin Roosevelt
[B] Nikita Khrushchev
[C] Joseph Stalin
[D] None of the above
Answer: C [Joseph Stalin]
Notes:
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet politician. He was the leader of the Soviet Union during World War II. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower.
26. Bretton Woods Conference was held in which of the following year?
[A] 1942
[B] 1943
[C] 1944
[D] 1945
Answer: C [1944]
Notes:
The Bretton Woods Conference which is officially known as the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, was a gathering of delegates from 44 nations that met from July 1, 1944, to July 22, 1944 in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
27. The Bolshevik group in Russian Revolution was led by which of the following?
[A] Stalin
[B] Karl Mark
[C] Vladimir Lenin
[D] Tsar
Answer: C [Vladimir Lenin ]
Notes:
The Bolshevik group in Russian Revolution was led by Vladimir Lenin. Vladimir Lenin was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He is known to have developed a variant of Marxism known as Leninism.
28. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
A (Thinker) – B (Work)
- John Locke- Two Treatises of Government
- Rousseau- Social Contract
- Montesquieu- The Spirit of the Law
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 and 2
[B] Only 1 and 3
[C] Only 2 and 3
[D] All of the above
Answer: D [All of the above ]
Notes:
The ideas envisaging a society based on freedom.and equal laws and opportunities for all, were put forward by philosophers such as John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau during the 18th century. In his Two Treatises of Government, John Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch. Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives. In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. This model of government was put into force in the USA, after the thirteen colonies declared their independence from Britain.
29. Which of the following individuals can be counted among the socialist thinkers?
- Friedrich Engels
- Robert Owen
- Louis Blanc
- Immanuel Kant
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 and 2
[B] Only 1 and 3
[C] Only 1, 2, and 3
[D] All of the above
Answer: C [Only 1, 2, and 3]
Notes:
By the mid-nineteenth century in Europe, socialism was a well-known body of ideas that attracted widespread attention. Socialists were against private property, and saw it as the root of all social ills of the time. Socialists had different visions of the future. Some believed in the idea of cooperatives. Robert Owen (1771-1858), a leading English manufacturer, sought to build a cooperative community called New Harmony in Indiana (USA). In France, for instance, Louis Blanc (1813-1882) wanted the government to encourage cooperatives and replace capitalist enterprises. Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) added other ideas to this body of arguments. Immanuel Kant was a German enlightenment thinker of the previous century.
30. From which of the following countries did Hitler wrest Sudentenland?
[A] Czechoslovakia
[B] Austria
[C] Poland
[D] France
Answer: A [Czechoslovakia]
Notes:
In his foreign policy, Hitler acquired quick successes. He pulled out of the League of Nations in 1933, reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936, and integrated Austria and Germany in 1938 under the slogan, ‘One people, One empire, and One leader’. He then went on to wrest German-speaking Sudentenland from Czechoslovakia, and gobbled up the entire country later under the Munich Pact. In all of this he had the unspoken support of England, which had considered the Versailles verdict too harsh. So, option ‘a’ is the correct answer.
World History GK Questions
31. Which of the following agencies were created by the League of Nations?
- Permanent Court of International Justice
- International Labour Organisation
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 and 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C [Both 1 and 2]
Notes:
League of Nations had three constitutional organs- the Assembly, the Council and the Secretariat. But, it proved to be totally ineffective in maintaining peace and taking any effective steps against the aggressor countries that led the world towards WWII. Also, there could no progress towards the reduction of armaments. But, the two agencies created by the League did useful work. These were the Permanent Court of International Justice (popularly known as the World Court) and the International Labour Organisation. Both these bodies were later incorporated into the UNO system. So, option ‘c’ is the correct answer.
32. Which of the following states emerged as an independent state in the aftermath of WWI:
- Latvia
- Poland
- Czechoslovakia
- Serbia
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 and 2
[C] Only 1, 2, and 3
[D] All of the above
Answer: C [Only 1, 2, and 3]
Notes:
The end of the First World War, as already mentioned, was accompanied by the emergence of a number of European nations as independent states. These included Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland and Czechoslovakia by merging new territories with an already existing state. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland were created out of the territory annexed by Germany from Russia. Poland was created out of German and Russian territories. Czechoslovakia was carved out of Austria-Hungary. Serbia had already existed before the WWI. In fact, WWI started with the attack of Austria-Hungary on Serbia.
33. The term ‘D Day’ refers to which of the following events during the WWII?
[A] Pearl harbor attack by Japanese
[B] Nuclear attack on Hiroshima
[C] The opening of second front in Western Europe
[D] Surrender of Nazi Germany
Answer: C [The opening of second front in Western Europe]
Notes:
Even though the Soviet Union- which was already directly fighting the Nazi Germany across Eastern Europe- had been demanding opening of a second front against the Nazi Germany in the Western Europe, allied powers did not agree to it for a few years. Eventually, in June 1944, the Allied troops opened the ‘Second Front’ in Western Europe. On 6th June 1944, known as the ‘D Day’, the first allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, on the north coast of France. By the end of June, the number of the Allied troops which had landed in France had gone up to 1600000. So, option c is the correct answer.
34. The ideas of the ‘Survival of the Fittest’ and ‘Natural Selection’ emerged from the writings of which of the following?
[A] Charles Darwin
[B] Charles Fourier
[C] Voltaire
[D] Emmanuel Kant
Answer: A [Charles Darwin]
Notes:
In the 1850s, Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, presented a theory to explain organic evolution by natural selection. In a nutshell, his proposition implied that the species mutated randomly. Among these mutations, successful once survived and continued to live and reproduce. This idea was called the ‘Survival of the Fittest.’ According to Darwin, nature selects the successful variations which are allowed to propagate. This was term as a process of ‘natural selection.’ So, option ‘a’ is the correct answer.
35. Who was the most notable Greek poet in Florence?
[A] Manuel Chrysolores
[B] Irich
[C] Bracciolini
[D] Livy
Answer: A [Manuel Chrysolores]
Notes:
Many Greek scholars who came from Constantinople spread the ancient Greek literature in Florence. The most notable among them was Manuel Chrysolores.
36. Who is the author of The Prince?
[A] Boccaccio
[B] Chaucer
[C] Dante
[D] Machiavelli
Answer: D [Machiavelli]
Notes:
Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales in English. Boccaccio was the author of the Deccameron, a collection of fables. Machiavelli, who lived in Florence, wrote his eight- volume History of Florence. His most famous work was The Prince, a book on political science.
37. Which era denotes the beginning of Renaissance in England?
[A] Victorian Era
[B] Carolean Age
[C] Elizabethan Era
[D] Georgian Era
Answer: C [Elizabethan Era]
Notes:
The Elizabethan era marked the beginning of the English Renaissance. It saw dramatists like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Charles Webster; poets like Edmund Spenser, Sydney and Ben Johnson.
38. Papal Bull was issued in which year?
[A] 1491
[B] 1492
[C] 1493
[D] 1494
Answer: C [1493]
Notes:
In 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued a Bull in order to prevent any dispute between Spain and Portugal in exploring new sea routes and new lands. It is popularly called the Papal Bull (order of Pope).
39. In which year, the Boston Massacre took place?
[A] 1769
[B] 1770
[C] 1771
[D] 1772
Answer: B [1770]
Notes:
On 5th March 1770, five Americans were killed by the British soldiers at Boston during the protest. It was known as the Boston Massacre. After this event, the Townshend laws were repealed.
40. Boston Tea Party held in:
[A] 1772
[B] 1773
[C] 1774
[D] 1775
Answer: B [1773]
Notes:
In 1773, a new Tea Act was passed imposing a tax on import of tea. It was a symbol to show that the British Parliament had the right to tax the colonies. But Americans showed their protest. A group of Americans dressed as Red Indians, climbed on the ships and threw away the tea bundles into the sea at the Boston harbour. This event took place on 16th December 1773 and it was known as the Boston Tea Party. The offenders were punished. In 1774, the British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts against the Americans in order to prevent such protests.
World History GK Questions
41. In which year, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles?
[A] 1918
[B] 1919
[C] 1920
[D] 1921
Answer: B [1919]
Notes:
Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles on 28th June 1919. It was a dictated peace and Germany had by then become even too weak to protest. They lost everything. Germany and its allies suffered most since they had to pay heavy sums to the victorious allies as reparation debts.
42. Which is a step taken by the Prime Minister Mussolini?
[A] The taxes are increased
[B] More focus was shifted on making ammunition
[C] Citizens were forced to join the armies
[D] Faithful members only are appointed as ministers
Answer: D [Faithful members only are appointed as ministers]
Notes:
Mussolini was an action oriented Prime Minister. He took the following steps for the reorganization of administration.
The dacoits living in the interiors of Naples and Sicily were crushed. The economic and social conditions of the labourers were improved. Trade Unions were abolished. The entire powers of the Parliament were snatched. Members faithful to the leader alone were appointed as ministers and officers.
43. Who led the first revolt in March 1920?
[A] Ludendorff
[B] Mark Schulze
[C] Dr. Kapp
[D] Paire Joanaskov
Answer: C [Dr. Kapp]
Notes:
In March 1920, the royalists under the leadership of Dr. Kapp revolted. But he failed and surrendered before the republican government. The second such revolt was led by Ludendorff. He was assisted by Hitler.
44. Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis was formed against which of these countries?
[A] England
[B] France
[C] Russia
[D] All of the above
Answer: D [All of the above ]
Notes:
In October 1936, On the basis of an agreement Germany approved Italian control over Abyssinia and Italy granted permission to Hitler to annex Austria with Germany. Hitler was antagonistic towards Russian Communism. Therefore Hitler in November 1936, signed an Anti-Commintern Pact with Japan, another enemy of Russia. In November 1937, Italy was admitted into the alliance. This Anti Commintern pact was otherwise called as Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis. This Axis was formed against England, France and Russia. This was the beginning of Second World War.
45. Who emerged as the Il Duce or supreme commander?
[A] Mussolini
[B] Hitler
[C] Putin
[D] William II
Answer: A [Mussolini ]
Notes:
On becoming Germany’s Chancellor in 1933, Hitler undertook a rearmament programme. His aggressive foreign policy led to the Second World War. Similarly, Mussolini organized the Fascist movement in Italy. He believed in dictatorship, aggressive foreign policy and colonial policy. Thus, he emerged as the Il Duce or supreme commander. The emergence of dictatorship in Europe paved the way for Second World War.
46. Which was the following country Hitler captured just before WWII started?
[A] Portugal
[B] Brazil
[C] Czechoslovakia
[D] Moscow
Answer: C [Czechoslovakia]
Notes:
The inter-war period witnessed the rise of dictatorships in Europe. The inter-war period is otherwise called the period of dictators. Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan witnessed the rise of dictators. In Germany, the Weimar Republic was weak. Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party took full advantage of the weakness of the Republican Government and brought the government under his control. He started aggression. He captured Austria and Czechoslovakia. At last he attacked Poland and World War II started.
47. In April 1940, Germany captured:
[A] Romania
[B] Hungary
[C] Spain
[D] Denmark
Answer: D [Denmark ]
Notes:
In April 1940, Germany captured Denmark and Norway. In May 1940, Holland and Belgium were conquered. Germany attacked France and captured it in June 1940. Italy fought against the British forces in North Africa. Mussolini attacked Greece and captured it with German support. Yugoslavia and Crete were occupied by the Germans.
48. Dr. Sun Yat Sen started which of these parties?
[A] Man-Hong Succession Party
[B] Langtung Party
[C] Kuomintang Party
[D] None of the above
Answer: C [Kuomintang Party]
Notes:
When the May Fourth Movement started in China, Dr. Sun Yat Sen assumed control of China. Hestarted the Kuomintang Party. With the Russian help he wanted to introduce reforms in China.
49. What is Berlin Blockade?
- [A] Russia capturing Berlin and preventing USA troops to enter Germany
[B] Russia blocking all the perimeter of Berlin with their soldiers - [C] Russia locking down entire Berlin and slowly capturing the rest of Germany
- [D] Russia blocking all roads to the west-occupied zones in Berlin
Answer: D [Russia blocking all roads to the west-occupied zones in Berlin]
Notes:
Even before the end of the Second World War the Soviet Union had imposed Communist regimes in the East European countries of Poland, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary and Yugoslavia. Immediately after the War the Soviet Union brought East Germany under her influence. West Germany came under the influence of the U.S.A. The Soviet Union blocked all roads to the west-occupied zones in Berlin. This is known as Berlin Blockade. Thus, a tense situation developed between the two blocs of the Cold War groups.
