20th century final multiple choice

"I shall not live to see the Great Wear, but you will see it, and it will start in the east. - Otto von Bismarck

When he made the above prediction, German chancellor Otto von Bismarck was most likely referring to

Nationalist and ethnic tensions in the Balkans

How was imperialism a cause of World War I?

Rivalry over overseas territories increased tensions in Europe

What is the one way in which militarism influenced the nations of Europe prior to World War I?

Militarism contributed to a European arms race

How did French nationalism increase tensions in Europe?

France wanted Alsace and Lorraine, under German control, to be returned to France

The Balkans were a "power keg" because of

Disputes over land gained from Turkey

Why was the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand important?

It caused Austria-Hungary to declare was on Serbia

A consequence of Germany promising Austria a "blank check" was that

Austria sent Serbia an ultimatum to end all anti-Austrian agitation

Germany, France, and Russia were drawn into the war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia as a result of the

Alliance system

The goal of the Schlieffen Plan was to

Prevent a two-front war

Britain entered the war because of

Belgian neutrality

Which of the following examples is a characteristic of total war?

The press is censored to control public opinion

What role did women play in the war effort during WWI

They worked in war industries, manufacturing weapons and supplies

What event in 1917 most benefited the Allies

The United States declared war against Germany

The United States entered the war in 1917 due to

Unrestricted submarine warfare

Which of the following was a violation of Wilson's fourteen points

Establishment of the mandate system

Why did Germany ask the Allies for an armistice in November 1918

Germany was exhausted and could not hold out against fresh troops from the Uite States

One impact of the war was

Collapse of governments

One of the main problems facing authors of the Treaty of Versailles was the isue of

Self-determination

How did the Treaty of Versailles create a climate that might cause another war in Europe?

Germany was forced to accept harsh treaty terms and might use force to undo the treaty or seek revenge

Why was the League of Nations significant?

It was the first attempt to create an organization where nations worked together for peace

The final defeat of the Nazis was due to

Ability of Allied forces to surround Germany

Which of the following is a significant reason why the Allies were able to defeat the Axis in Europe?

The United States outproduced Germany in war production

The United States declared war on Japan in 1941. Why did it take until 1945 to defeat Japan?

The Allies had agreed to concentrate first on the war in Europe

Why was the Allied advance into Japan so difficult?

Japan controlled most Pacific islands scattered over a wide area

How did the new technology of splitting the atom end World War II?

U.S. scientists created a new bomb that was used against Japan

What was the purpose of the declaration issued by the Allies at Potsdam?

The Allies warned Japan to surrender or face complete destruction and utter devastation

What was the purpose of the war crimes trials?

To hold Axis leaders accountable for their wartime actions

What were the main goals of the Allies' post-war policies towards the defeated Axis countries?

Encourage democratic governments, protect basic rights, punish war criminals

The United Nations was primarily formed to

Prevent future wars

Why has the United Nations sometimes proved ineffective?

It is composed of many independent nations who often disagree on goals and policies.

Which of the following factors was a cause of Russia's March Revolution?

Russia experienced food and fuel shortages and huge causalities in World War I

Lenin believed that a socialist revolution could succeed in Russia if

A small group of dedicated revolutionaries controlled the government

Mensheviks believed

In the socialism of the West

How did the Russian provisional government contribute to the outbreak of the October Revolution?

By keeping Russia in World War I

What was the result of the Allies' intervention in Russia's civil war?

The Reds appealed to nationalism and urged Russians to drive out the foreigners

After the Communists won the civil war, they decided to

Allow the Communist party to rule as a dictatorship

Which of the following weakened the Weimar Republic?

The Weimar government tried to help workers by printing more money, which caused the German mark to lose value

Why did support for Hitler increase in the early 1930s?

Germans wanted a strong leader to end economic woes

The Beer Hall Putsch is important because it

Led to Hitler's writing of Mein Kampf

Which of the following statements best describes Nazi ideology?

Germans come from a superior race and need to destroy their enemies

How did Hitler establish a totalitarian state in Germany?

He disbanded other political parties and made Germany a one-party state

Which action of Hitler was a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles?

He built up the German military

The Nuremburg Laws

Restricted the rights of German Jews

What method did Germany's totalitarian government use to spread Hitler's beliefs?

Schoolbooks were rewritten to reflect the racial views of the Nazi Party

Which of the following contributed to the rise of authoritarian rule in Eastern Europe?

Ethnic rivalries caused unrest within independent nations

Like Hitler, how were new dictators in Eastern Europe able to gain power?

They promised order and stability at a time of economic unrest

Despite the "balance of terror," why did people still fear nuclear war?

The superpowers continued to develop new nuclear weapons.

Which of the following is an example of the policy of containment?

The United States supporting Greeks fighting communism.

The ultimate goal of the Marshall Plan was to

Prevent Communism

The United States first become concerned about Cuba because

Fidel Castro led a revolution to turn Cuba communist

The U.S. economy is different from the former Soviet Union's economy because in the United States

There is more economic freedom.

What types of local conflicts became Cold War conflicts?

Conflicts where the United States and the Soviet Union had competing interests.

One way the Warsaw Pact enforced its authority was by

Intervening in revolts.

The Soviet Union damaged the economies of eastern European countries by

Moving factories and resources to Russia.

The Eastern bloc became dominated by the Soviets

When the Red Army supported the local Communist parties.

How did America respond to the threat of communism at home and overseas?

The United States sought to remove communist influences at home and contain communism abroad.

Which of the following statements represents an example of silent Jewish resistance?

Jewish people meeting in secret to celebrate their religion and culture.

Which of the following is a reason why Western countries refused to accept more Jewish refugees in the late 1930s?

Western countries were burdened with the effects of the Great Depression.

Which was a cornerstone of Hitler's anti-Semitic policies?

He falsely blamed Jews for Germany's defeat in World War I.

What is the primary reason that concentration camps were originally created in 1933?

They were used as detention centers for political prisoners.

Which of the following statements correctly describes the goal of Hitler's "Final Solution"?

To murder all European Jews

Which action best represents the policy of appeasement followed by Britain and France prior to the start of World War II?

Allowing Hitler to annex the Sudetenland as part of the Munich Agreement

How did World War I contribute to the events leading up to World War II?

Germans hated the Versailles Treaty and supported Hitler's actions to defy it.

Which of the following was a result of Germany's involvement in the Spanish Civil War?

Germany was able to test out the capabilities of its weapons.

How did the Munich Pact affect Europe?

It further encouraged Hitler's aggressive policies.

Why did Britain and France declare war on Germany after the invasion of Poland?

They realized the policy of appeasement failed.

Germany's rapid success in the first months of the war was largely due to the

Use of the blitzkrieg, which caught countries unprepared.

What was one result of Operation Barbarossa?

The Nazi-Soviet pact was broken.

Which of the following was an effect of British resistance to Germany?

It saved Britain from a German invasion.

What was an immediate effect of the Lend-Lease Act?

The United States provided critical aid to Great Britain and the Soviet Union.

Why did Japan attack the United States?

The United States was interfering with Japan's plan to expand its empire.

Which of the following factors helped the Allies win World War II?

Controlling wartime production goals at home

What was the main goal of the D-Day invasion?

to force Germany to fight on two fronts

How did the collaboration of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin help end World War II?

They adopted a unified strategy to defeat the Axis powers in Europe.

Rationing and war bond drives were two ways that the Allies

made sure they had the resources needed to support the war effort

Why were aircraft carriers important to winning the war in the Pacific?

They had the ability to launch aircraft from their decks

Trench warfare led to a stalemate on the Western Front because

It was difficult for either side to launch a successful offensive.

What is one way Russia's lack of industrialization impacted the war?

Russia lost battles because it was not able to supply its troops effectively.

How did the entrance of the Ottoman empire on the side of the Central Powers affect the war?

The Allies lost a valuable supply line to Russia.

How did new military technology influence the fighting in World War I?

It increased the number of casualties.

How were European colonies involved in the war?

They provided the European powers with manpower and materials.

The Kellogg-Briand Pact was designed to

End wars between countries

What 1929 event helped spark the Great Depression?

The U.S. stock market crashed

Following World War I, western art generally became

More abstract

How did Einstein's theories challenge accepted views of the universe?

He proposed that measurements of time and space were relative rather than fixed

Which statement best describes Western countries' attempts to end the Great Depression?

They developed programs that lessened suffering but did not solve all the problems

Which of the following best describes the conditions in Italy after World War I that helped Mussolini come to power?

Italians tired of social unrest and economic instability

One appeal of Fascism to Italians was its promise of

Stable government

Under Mussolini, Italy became a

Fascist dictatorship

Which statement best describes a similarity between fascist and communist governments?

They both used terror and indoctrination to keep power

Which of the following is a characteristic of a totalitarian government?

Extreme nationalism

What policy did Stalin follow to bring agriculture under state control?

Forced collectivization

Stalin used the Great Purge and "show trials" to eliminate

Anyone he saw as a threat to his power

Why did Stalin target the Russian Orthodox Church?

He saw the Church as a threat to his power

How did Stalin's five-year plans affect industry and agriculture?

They decreased the output for agriculture but improved industry

Stalin promoted socialist realism in order to

Show Soviet life positively and promote hope in a Communist future

Which factor was a cause of BOTH revolutions in Russia in 1917?

Russia's involvement in World War I

How was Lenin's "war communism" similar to tsarism?

Both relied on secret police, terror, and autocratic rule

Why were political reforms ineffective under Lenin's government?

The party held all of the real power

In contrast to Lenin's "war communism," his New Economic Policy of 1921

Allowed small businesses to reopen for private profit