About this quiz
World History II: Russian Revolution, First and Second World Wars and Indian Independence Movement
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: General Knowledge · For: Kharidar · Level: Medium). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
The October Revolution of 1917 took place in:
- A) France
- B) Russia ✔
- C) China
- D) Germany
Why: The October Revolution of 1917 took place in Russia. The Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd.
Who led the Bolsheviks in 1917?
- A) Stalin
- B) Lenin ✔
- C) Trotsky
- D) Marx
Why: Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks in the 1917 October Revolution and headed the new Soviet government.
The last Tsar of Russia was:
- A) Nicholas II ✔
- B) Peter the Great
- C) Alexander III
- D) Ivan IV
Why: Nicholas II was the last Tsar. He gave up the throne in the February Revolution of 1917.
The USSR was formed in:
- A) 1917
- B) 1919
- C) 1922 ✔
- D) 1945
Why: The USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was formed in December 1922.
The immediate cause of the First World War was the assassination of:
- A) Hitler
- B) Archduke Franz Ferdinand ✔
- C) Tsar Nicholas
- D) Lenin
Why: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo in June 1914 triggered the First World War.
The First World War ended in:
- A) 1914
- B) 1918 ✔
- C) 1919
- D) 1939
Why: The First World War ended with the armistice on 11 November 1918.
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was signed with:
- A) Japan
- B) Germany ✔
- C) Russia
- D) Italy
Why: The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was signed with Germany, which had to accept war guilt, lose land and pay reparations.
The League of Nations was formed after the:
- A) First World War ✔
- B) Second World War
- C) French Revolution
- D) Cold War
Why: The League of Nations was formed after the First World War to keep peace, but it failed to prevent the Second World War.
The Second World War began when Germany invaded:
- A) France
- B) Poland ✔
- C) Russia
- D) Britain
Why: The Second World War began when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939; Britain and France then declared war.
Which group of countries formed the Axis Powers?
- A) Britain, France, USA
- B) Germany, Italy, Japan ✔
- C) USSR, China, USA
- D) Germany, Russia, Turkey
Why: The Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.
The USA joined the Second World War after the attack on:
- A) Hiroshima
- B) Pearl Harbor ✔
- C) London
- D) Normandy
Why: The USA joined the war after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941.
The first atomic bomb was dropped on:
- A) Nagasaki
- B) Tokyo
- C) Hiroshima ✔
- D) Berlin
Why: The first atomic bomb used in war was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on 6 August 1945.
The United Nations was founded on:
- A) 24 October 1945 ✔
- B) 1 September 1939
- C) 11 November 1918
- D) 15 August 1947
Why: The United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945, when its Charter came into force.
The Quit India Movement was launched in:
- A) 1920
- B) 1930
- C) 1942 ✔
- D) 1947
Why: Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement in August 1942, demanding an end to British rule.
India became independent on:
- A) 26 January 1950
- B) 15 August 1947 ✔
- C) 2 October 1947
- D) 14 July 1947
Why: India became independent on 15 August 1947.
The February Revolution of 1917 ended the rule of:
- A) The Tsar ✔
- B) Lenin
- C) Stalin
- D) Kerensky
Why: The February Revolution of 1917 ended the rule of the Tsar, and a Provisional Government took over.
The slogan of the Bolsheviks was:
- A) Peace, Land and Bread ✔
- B) Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
- C) Do or die
- D) No taxation without representation
Why: The Bolsheviks' slogan was 'Peace, Land and Bread', promising an end to war, land for peasants and food.
After Lenin, the USSR was led by:
- A) Joseph Stalin ✔
- B) Trotsky
- C) Gorbachev
- D) Khrushchev
Why: Joseph Stalin led the USSR after Lenin died in 1924, until his own death in 1953.
The USSR was dissolved in:
- A) 1991 ✔
- B) 1989
- C) 1985
- D) 1995
Why: The USSR was dissolved in December 1991 into 15 independent countries.
The last leader of the USSR was:
- A) Mikhail Gorbachev ✔
- B) Boris Yeltsin
- C) Brezhnev
- D) Andropov
Why: Mikhail Gorbachev was the last Soviet leader. His reforms were glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring).
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in:
- A) Sarajevo ✔
- B) Vienna
- C) Berlin
- D) Paris
Why: Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo (Bosnia) on 28 June 1914 by Gavrilo Princip.
The First World War began in:
- A) 1914 ✔
- B) 1918
- C) 1939
- D) 1905
Why: The First World War began in 1914 and lasted until 1918.
Which countries formed the Allies in WWI?
- A) Britain, France, Russia ✔
- B) Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman
- C) Japan, Italy, Germany
- D) USA, Japan, China
Why: The main Allies in WWI were Britain, France and Russia, later joined by Italy and the USA.
The Central Powers in WWI were led by:
- A) Germany and Austria-Hungary ✔
- B) Britain and France
- C) Russia and Japan
- D) USA and Italy
Why: The Central Powers were led by Germany and Austria-Hungary, with the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.
The League of Nations was founded in:
- A) 1920 ✔
- B) 1945
- C) 1919 only as treaty
- D) 1914
Why: The League of Nations was founded in 1920.
The League of Nations had its headquarters in:
- A) Geneva ✔
- B) New York
- C) Paris
- D) London
Why: The League of Nations was based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Second World War began in:
- A) 1939 ✔
- B) 1914
- C) 1941
- D) 1945
Why: The Second World War began in 1939.
Germany invaded which country to start WWII?
- A) Poland ✔
- B) France
- C) Russia
- D) Belgium
Why: Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939.
The Axis powers were:
- A) Germany, Italy, Japan ✔
- B) Britain, France, USA
- C) Russia, China, India
- D) Spain, Portugal, Greece
Why: The Axis powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.
Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan in:
- A) December 1941 ✔
- B) 1939
- C) 1945
- D) 1914
Why: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on:
- A) 6 August 1945 ✔
- B) 9 August 1945
- C) 15 August 1947
- D) 1 September 1939
Why: The bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.
The second atomic bomb was dropped on:
- A) Nagasaki ✔
- B) Tokyo
- C) Kyoto
- D) Osaka
Why: The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. Japan surrendered soon after.
The Second World War ended in:
- A) 1945 ✔
- B) 1944
- C) 1947
- D) 1950
Why: The Second World War ended in 1945: in Europe in May and in Asia in September.
Germany's leader during WWII was:
- A) Adolf Hitler ✔
- B) Mussolini
- C) Bismarck
- D) Kaiser Wilhelm
Why: Adolf Hitler led Nazi Germany during WWII.
Italy's fascist leader in WWII was:
- A) Benito Mussolini ✔
- B) Franco
- C) Hitler
- D) Tojo
Why: Benito Mussolini was Italy's fascist dictator.
British Prime Minister during most of WWII was:
- A) Winston Churchill ✔
- B) Neville Chamberlain
- C) Clement Attlee
- D) Lloyd George
Why: Winston Churchill was Britain's Prime Minister for most of the war (1940–1945).
US President who led most of WWII was:
- A) Franklin D. Roosevelt ✔
- B) Truman
- C) Eisenhower
- D) Wilson
Why: Franklin D. Roosevelt was US President for most of the war, until his death in April 1945.
The UN Charter was signed in:
- A) San Francisco, 1945 ✔
- B) Geneva, 1920
- C) New York, 1948
- D) Paris, 1919
Why: The UN Charter was signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945.
United Nations Day is on:
- A) 24 October ✔
- B) 10 December
- C) 1 May
- D) 5 June
Why: United Nations Day is 24 October, the day the UN Charter came into force in 1945.
Gandhi's Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) was in:
- A) 1930 ✔
- B) 1942
- C) 1920
- D) 1947
Why: Gandhi's Dandi March in 1930 protested the British salt tax.
The Non-cooperation Movement was launched in:
- A) 1920 ✔
- B) 1930
- C) 1942
- D) 1919
Why: Gandhi launched the Non-cooperation Movement in 1920.
The Quit India Movement slogan was:
- A) Do or die ✔
- B) Swaraj is my birthright
- C) Inquilab Zindabad
- D) Jai Hind
Why: Gandhi's slogan for Quit India was 'Do or die'.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in:
- A) 1919 ✔
- B) 1920
- C) 1930
- D) 1942
Why: The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in Amritsar in 1919, when British troops fired on an unarmed crowd.
The Indian National Congress was founded in:
- A) 1885 ✔
- B) 1905
- C) 1919
- D) 1947
Why: The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885, with A. O. Hume among its founders.
India's first Prime Minister was:
- A) Jawaharlal Nehru ✔
- B) Mahatma Gandhi
- C) Sardar Patel
- D) Rajendra Prasad
Why: Jawaharlal Nehru was India's first Prime Minister (1947–1964).
Pakistan was created in:
- A) 1947 ✔
- B) 1950
- C) 1971
- D) 1948
Why: Pakistan was created in August 1947 by the partition of British India.
Bangladesh became independent in:
- A) 1971 ✔
- B) 1947
- C) 1965
- D) 1975
Why: Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) became independent in 1971 after its liberation war.
The Cold War was mainly between:
- A) USA and USSR ✔
- B) Britain and France
- C) China and Japan
- D) India and Pakistan
Why: The Cold War (about 1947–1991) was a rivalry between the USA and the USSR, without direct war between them.
The Berlin Wall fell in:
- A) 1989 ✔
- B) 1991
- C) 1961
- D) 1945
Why: The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, leading to German reunification in 1990.
The Bolshevik Revolution is also called the:
- A) October Revolution ✔
- B) February Revolution
- C) Glorious Revolution
- D) Velvet Revolution
Why: October 1917 (Julian calendar).