Ch. 28-29 MCQs
Answer the following questions using the documents and your knowledge of world history.
Group 1
Questions 1-3 refer to the passage below
“Under the present circumstances, if we were to find ourselves in a war with France, it will be a people’s war that cannot be won in one decisive battle but will turn into a long and deadly struggle with a country that will not give up before the strength of its entire people has been broken. Our own people, too, will be utterly broken and exhausted, even if we emerge victorious at the end.”
Helmuth von Moltke, German general, letter to the German emperor Wilhelm II, 1905.
“The integrity of what remains of the Ottoman Empire is one of the principles upon which the world’s balance of power is based. Therefore, I reject the idea that it is in our national interest to shatter one of the cornerstones of the international order. What if, after we have attacked Libya* and destabilized the Ottoman Empire, the Balkans begin to stir? And what if a Balkan war provokes a clash between the two power blocs and a European war? Italy must not be the country that bears the responsibility of putting a match to the powder keg.”
*Italy wanted to colonize Libya, which at the time was a province of the Ottoman Empire.
Giovanni Giolitti, prime minister of Italy, speech before the Italian parliament as it debated whether to attack Ottoman Libya, 1911.
Question 1a
Moltke’s prediction in Source 1 about the consequences of a potential war between Germany and France is most directly explained by the fact that
France’s recent industrialization made it militarily superior to Germany
France had a much larger population than Germany
previous conflicts had stirred intense nationalism in France and Germany
fascists within Germany sought to use a potential war with France as an excuse to establish a dictatorship
Question 1b
Giolitti’s concerns in Source 2 about the potential consequences of conflict in the Balkans are most directly explained by which of the following developments in Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?
Ethnic and religious diversity in European states ensured that ethnic tensions in one region would quickly spread across Europe and spark civil wars.
European states entered into military alliances with each other that forced them to come to their allies’ aid in the event of conflict with a non-allied state.
Military experts feared that future wars between European states would likely be far deadlier than past wars, because of the recent development of more advanced weapons.
Conflict between European rivals had already led to the dissolution of imperial states such as the Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Question 1c
In addition to the potential destabilization of the Ottoman Empire, Giolitti’s argument in Source 2 regarding Italy’s ambitions in Libya is likely explained by the concern that any attempt by a European state to acquire colonies in Africa could
lead African states to unite with each other against European powers
greatly endanger the spread of Catholicism and enable the spread of Islam
encourage Japan to take advantage of the situation and conquer Italian colonies in Asia
dangerously intensify rivalries between European states seeking to acquire territories and resources
Group 2
Questions 4-6 refer to the passage below
“The peace conditions imposed upon Germany are so hard, so humiliating, that those who had even the tiniest hope for a ‘just peace’ are bound to be deeply disappointed. Our condemnation of the lust of power and conquest that Germany displayed during the war is strong and unwavering. But a condemnation of wartime actions must not amount to a lasting condemnation of an entire nation.
The question is not whether the Germans have been led astray by their leaders, or whether they have been willing accomplices in the misdeeds of those leaders—the question is, whether it is in the interest of mankind to punish the German people as the Entente governments seem to have decided to do.
The Entente evidently desires the complete annihilation of Germany. Not only will its whole commercial fleet be confiscated, but its shipbuilding yards will be obliged to work for the foreigner for some time to come. Whole regions of Germany will be entirely deprived of their liberty; they will be under a committee of foreign domination, without adequate representation. The financial burden is so heavy that it is no exaggeration to say that Germany is reduced to economic bondage. The Germans will have to work hard and incessantly for foreign masters, without any chance of personal gain, or any prospect of regaining liberty or economic independence.
This ‘peace’ offered to Germany is a mockery of President Wilson’s principles. Trusting in these, Germany surrendered and accepted peace. That confidence has been betrayed in such a manner that all Germans must now feel that they wish to shake off the heavy yoke imposed on them by the cajoling Entente. And we fear very much that they will soon find the opportunity to do so. Chained and enslaved, Germany will always remain a menace to Europe.”
Algemeen Handelsblad, Dutch liberal newspaper, editorial on the Treaty of Versailles, June 1919.
Question 2a
The mention of “President Wilson’s principles” is most directly significant to understanding the editorial’s point of view about the Treaty of Versailles because of the United States president’s commitment to
establish an international organization to prevent future conflicts
work to create nation-states for ethnic minorities that had been under imperial control
broker a peace agreement on liberal principles that would not be motivated by revenge
resist the spread of Bolshevism following the Russian Revolution
Question 2b
Which of the following accurately explains the historical significance of the harsh conditions imposed on Germany that the editorial describes?
They led to a successful communist revolution in Germany.
They triggered a massive wave of emigration from Germany.
They resulted in the virtual deindustrialization of Germany.
They encouraged the rise of political extremism in Germany.
Question 2c
Which of the following true statements about the Netherlands best explains how the newspaper’s national origin likely influenced the view of Germany expressed in the editorial?
The Netherlands, by remaining neutral during the war, profited significantly from helping Germany evade the Entente’s naval blockade.
The Netherlands, like Germany before the war, had a significant overseas empire.
The Netherlands, like Germany, had a large merchant fleet.
The Netherlands, like Germany until 1918, was a constitutional monarchy, although the Dutch monarchs had less effective power than the German Kaiser.
Group 3
Questions 7-9 refer to the passage below
“Are we prepared for so stubborn a fight as a future war involving the great powers of Europe will undoubtedly become? The answer, we must say without evasion, is no. In addition to the military considerations, there is also the political angle. It should not be forgotten that Russia and Germany are representatives of the conservative principle in the civilized world, as opposed to the democratic principle represented by England and France. From this point of view, a war between Russia and Germany, regardless of the specific issues over which it is fought, is profoundly undesirable to both sides. Such a conflict, however it ends, would entail the weakening of the conservative principle of which the two powers are the only reliable bulwarks. Moreover, one must realize that, under the precarious conditions that now exist, a general European war is mortally dangerous to both Russia and Germany, no matter who wins.
It is my firm conviction, based on long and careful study of the multitude of subversive tendencies and movements that we are presently facing, that there must inevitably break out in the defeated country a social revolution that, by the very nature of these things, will inevitably spread to the country of the victor. In our country today, there are countless agitators telling the peasant that he should demand a gratuitous share of somebody else’s land, or the worker that he should be getting hold of the entire capital and profits of the manufacturer. War with Germany will create exceptionally favorable conditions for such agitations.”
Pyotr Durnovo, Russian Minister of the Interior, memorandum to Tsar Nicholas II, February 1914.
Question 3a
The memorandum is best explained in the context of which of the following developments in the early twentieth century?
The decline of the Western-dominated global order
The emergence of external and internal challenges that threatened the stability of imperial states
The emergence of new nation-states based on the principle of ethnic self-determination
The use of government propaganda to mobilize national populations for conflict with rival states
Question 3b
Durnovo’s argument in the second paragraph regarding the effect of war between Germany and Russia on the two countries would prove to be
inaccurate in its prediction that war between Germany and Russia would lead to “social revolution”
accurate in its prediction that both Germany and Russia would succumb to revolution regardless of which side won the war
inaccurate in its prediction that revolution would break out first in the defeated country
accurate in its prediction that a war with Germany would create the circumstances for a revolution in Russia
Question 3c
Which development during the first decade of the twentieth century can best be explained in the context of the “weakening of the conservative principle” mentioned in the first paragraph of the passage?
The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as socialists in the Balkans led revolutions that greatly weakened the Habsburg monarchy
The Mexican Revolution, as middle classes and peasants united to oust longtime dictator Porfirio Díaz and establish a more equitable society
The Boer War, in which Dutch-speaking white settlers inflicted several military defeats on British colonial armies in southern Africa
The formation of the Triple Entente alliance, in which Great Britain, France, and Russia pledged to work together to check the rise of Germany
Group 4
Questions 10-12 refer to the passage below
“When the proposal to proclaim the equality of races was rejected by the Peace Conference at Versailles, Viscount Makino, the Japanese representative, made it known that Japan would reintroduce the proposal. Obviously, Japan feels that this issue is momentous for the sake of humanity and the peace of the world.
Of the non-white countries, Japan has taken the lead in adopting the best parts of European civilization. Japan codified her laws, and reformed her police and judicial systems, her military and naval forces, thus placing herself almost on an equal footing with that of the European countries.
Some whites regard the development of Japan as an unjustifiable encroachment upon their own rights. It is, of course, true that there are still peoples in this world who are so backward in civilization that they cannot at once be admitted into the international family on an equal footing. What they need is proper guidance and direction. When they have reached a certain stage of civilization, they should be given an equal place and rank in the family of nations. Although most Asiatic nations are fully peers of European nations, yet they are discriminated against because of the color of the skin. The root of this discrimination lies in the perverted feeling of racial superiority entertained by the whites. If the present situation continues, there is every likelihood that the peace of the world will be endangered.”
Okuma Shigenobu, Japanese member of parliament and former prime minister, “Illusions of the White Race,” article published in a Japanese journal, Tokyo, 1921.
Question 4a
Shigenobu’s point of view regarding Western attitudes toward Japan as expressed in the passage is significant in that similar ideas were used by members of the Japanese government during the period between the First and the Second World Wars to justify
engaging in war with Russia over influence in Manchuria
militarizing the Japanese state and expanding its territories in Asia
overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate and establishing the Meiji dynasty
introducing reforms that industrialized Japan’s economy
Question 4b
Shigenobu’s criticism of European race-based discrimination against Japanese people is significant mostly because it shows that advocates of Japanese imperialism
shared European Enlightenment views about representative government and natural rights
accepted Western racial hierarchies and the place that those hierarchies assigned to Asian peoples
adopted the European attitudes about a “civilizing mission” and used those attitudes to justify Japan’s own imperial policies
vigorously opposed European and United States’ restrictions on Japanese immigration to the United States and Europe or European colonies
Question 4c
12. Asian reactions to Western claims of racial and cultural superiority, such as the reaction by Shigenobu in the passage, were also instrumental in the period 1918–1945 in the
intensification of anti-imperial resistance activities and independence movements
growing number of conversions to Christianity among Asian peoples
growing popularity of laissez-faire economic policies in Asian states
establishment of European immigrant enclaves in many parts of South and East Asia
Group 5
Questions 13-15 refer to the passage below
“German wartime propaganda [during the First World War] has been criticized on many different grounds, but its success in blaming the war on Russia was a masterstroke, mobilizing widespread Russophobia in the working classes, the people most opposed to armed conflict, and playing on the threat of invasion. As [a daily newspaper in Berlin] told its readers, ‘the German people may honestly say once more in this hour that it did not want this war. . . . But it will not allow the soil of the Fatherland to be overrun and devastated by Russian regiments.’ The brief occupation of East Prussian territory by Russian units at the end of August fanned fears of the so-called ‘blood Tsar’ and his ‘Cossack hordes’ further. Exaggerated atrocity stories appeared in the press and were given credibility by the letters of men serving [at the front].
Under such circumstances, it was hardly surprising that men of all classes decided that it was their patriotic duty to fight. . . . [I]n Germany, surrounded on all sides by enemies, the rush to volunteer was immediate and spontaneous. With no official encouragement, 260,672 enlistment requests were received in Prussia alone during the first week of mobilization. . . . Moreover, contrary to the usual claim [made by historians] that volunteers were ‘war-enthused’ students or schoolchildren, examination of muster rolls [lists of new recruits] and letters demonstrates that a broad cross-section of urban society enlisted, mainly for reasons of patriotic self-defense.”
Alexander Watson, British historian, Enduring the Great War, 2008.
“In Britain, the interpretation of what constituted sensitive military news and should therefore be suppressed was broad, but censorship was handled far less obtrusively [than in Germany]. Essentially, the British system consisted of a close control of news at the source by military authorities, combined with a tight-knit group of ‘press lords’ who . . . decided what was ‘good for the country to know.’ Important losses or battles often went completely unmentioned. When the [British] battleship Audacious was sunk by a mine on 27 October 1914 off the Irish coast, the loss was simply never announced. When the Battle of Jutland [a major naval engagement between British and German fleets] was under way, not one civilian knew about it.
[Even when official censorship sometimes foundered], the press willingly censored itself. Why did British journalists cooperate so willingly in suppressing important news? The obvious answer is that they all belonged to the same club, whose membership also included the most powerful politicians. Publishing a casualty list (or a letter from a wounded corporal about military bungling) would have meant expulsion from the club; social ostracism apparently meant more to the newsmen than their professional duty to inform the public. The government also possessed positive incentives. In addition to breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, and golf weekends in the company of the powerful, knighthoods and lordships were generously distributed among the press and, finally, prestigious posts in government itself.
Alice Goldfarb Marquis, United States historian, “Words as Weapons: Propaganda in Britain and Germany during the First World War,” article published in an academic journal, 1978.
Question 5a
Watson, in the first paragraph of Source 1, uses the newspaper quote to support the claim that
Russian troops committed atrocities against German civilians
German propaganda portrayed the conflict with Russia as a defensive war
parts of eastern Germany were occupied by Russian troops in the early stages of the war
ordinary Germans were not genuinely afraid of the effects of a possible Russian invasion
Question 5b
Which of the following types of evidence does Watson (Source 1) cite to support his claim that early German support for the war was not limited to the young?
Muster rolls and letters
Newspaper articles
Propaganda ministry records
The works of other historians of the war
Question 5c
Goldfarb, in Source 2, most directly supports her claim that the British press during the First World War routinely suppressed important war news by citing
letters by soldiers complaining of the incompetence of their leaders
rewards given to journalists by the British government
the more obtrusive press censorship of German authorities
the case of the sinking of a battleship and the Battle of Jutland
Group 6
Questions 16-18 refer to the passage below
“The way in which the nuclear weapons that we are now developing are first used will be of fateful importance. Our primary objective once the war is over should be to reach an international agreement on the total prevention of nuclear warfare. From this perspective, using nuclear weapons against Japan may easily destroy all our chances of success.
A demonstration of the new weapon might best be made, before the eyes of representatives of all nations, in a desert or on a barren island. Then America could argue, ‘We are ready to renounce the use of these weapons in the future if other nations join us in this renunciation and agree to the establishment of an efficient system of international control.’
If an international agreement is not concluded immediately after the first use of nuclear weapons, this will mean a flying start toward an unlimited armaments race. However, once an international peace agreement is achieved, then the technology and materials accumulated in the process of developing the weapon can be used for important peacetime developments, including power generation and mass production of radioactive materials. In this way, the money spent on wartime development of nuclear technology may benefit the peacetime development of the national economy.”
James Franck, German-born scientist developing nuclear weapons technology for the United States, report to the United States government, 1945.
Question 6a
Which of the following developments during the Second World War would Franck most likely have cited as evidence to support his arguments in the passage?
Nazi scientists were working frantically to develop nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction that could save the Nazi regime from defeat.
Allied firebombing in Germany and Japan had caused massive devastation and civilian casualties, and atomic weapons were vastly more powerful than those used in firebombing.
German scientists such as Franck were critical to helping the United States develop nuclear weapons, and some of those scientists wanted the weapons used on Germany rather than Japan.
Some United States allies were largely unaware of the United States attempt to develop nuclear weapons.
Question 6b
Which of the following arguments would a supporter of using nuclear weapons against Japan have most likely cited to explain the limitations of Franck’s arguments in the first and second paragraphs?
The United States use of nuclear weapons against Japan might provoke the Soviet Union into becoming Japan’s ally.
Japanese government propaganda instilled fierce, suicidal nationalism in the Japanese population, making Japan unlikely to surrender unconditionally without experiencing the effects of nuclear weapons.
The United States use of nuclear weapons against Japan would likely force the United States into a prolonged occupation of Japan in order to ensure the economic redevelopment of the country.
Japanese military actions in the Pacific, though often brutal, did not justify the use of nuclear weapons against Japanese cities with large civilian populations.
Question 6c
Contemporaries who agreed with Franck’s argument in the second and third paragraphs regarding the need for an international agreement would most likely have made which of the following arguments to support their position?
New international organizations could have only a limited effect in restraining the actions of the great powers.
The peace agreements should ensure that Germany could never threaten the stability of Europe again.
The end of the war would probably lead to a new rivalry between the victorious states.
Mass atrocities committed during the war required that states possess sufficient armaments to defend themselves in future conflicts.
Group 7
Questions 19-21 refer to the painting below
The painting shows the author, who was forced to work in a unit of inmates responsible for disposing of the bodies of those killed in Auschwitz, rummaging through the food left behind by the dead. To the left of the author, smoke emanates from a chimney in a crematorium that connects to a gas chamber.
Question 7a
The implementation of the policies of extermination shown in the image is most directly explained by which of the following aspects of Nazi ideology?
The idea that Germans descended from a master “Aryan” race
The idea that some minority populations could eventually be Germanized
The idea that minority populations within Germany were somehow responsible for its defeat during the First World War
The idea that Germany needed to expand its postwar borders in order to provide “living space” for its people
Question 7b
The image can best help explain which of the following differences between the Nazi program of genocide and other acts of genocide in the early twentieth century?
The Nazis persecuted specific ethnic and religious groups because they viewed them as threats to the state.
The Nazis industrialized the killing process, allowing them to commit murder on a massive scale.
The Nazis attempted to conceal their atrocities from the larger international community.
The Nazis committed their crimes during the course of a major international conflict.
Question 7c
Which of the following most directly explains the Nazis’ ability to carry out the policies of extermination shown in the image?
Jews in many regions of Europe had been restricted to certain occupations and had to live in ghettos until the nineteenth century.
Many European Jews emigrated to Palestine after the First World War following the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the region.
Local populations collaborated with the regime either out of racial prejudice, fear, or hopes for material gain.
Nazi officials used propaganda to convince local populations that German occupation would benefit and liberate them.
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