The World at War (1914–1991)

• Phrasing 1: When did the First World War start and what is its time period?
• Phrasing 2: In which year did WWI begin and end?

Ans: The First World War started in 1914 and lasted until 1918 (period 1914–1918).

• Phrasing 1: What event initiated the dispute that led to the First World War?
• Phrasing 2: What sparked WWI?
• Phrasing 3: How did the First World War begin?

Ans: WWI was sparked by the killing (assassination) of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, by a Serbian nationalist in 1914.

• Phrasing 1: Who was Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
• Phrasing 2: Whose assassination sparked the First World War?

Ans: Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austrian throne and supreme commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army; his assassination in 1914 sparked WWI.

Ans: The dispute was between Austro-Hungary and Serbia.

• Phrasing 1: Which was the first country to declare war in WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Who urged Austro-Hungary to fight Serbia?

Ans: Germany was the first country to declare war, as it urged Austro-Hungary to fight with Serbia.

Ans: The regional dispute between Austro-Hungary and Serbia turned into an international conflict — ‘The First World War’ — as it pulled in many countries of Europe, Russia, the USA, and even the Middle East.

• Phrasing 1: Which countries formed the Central Powers in WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Name the Central Powers of the First World War.

Ans: The Central Powers were Germany, Austro-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.

• Phrasing 1: Which countries formed the Allies in WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Name the Allied powers of the First World War.

Ans: The Allies were Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, and — from 1917 onwards — the United States of America.

Ans: The USA joined the Allies from 1917 onwards.

Ans: The Ottoman Empire was one of the Central Powers.

Ans: In the First World War, Italy was one of the Allies.

Ans: WWI involved many countries in Europe, Russia, the United States of America, and even the Middle East.

Ans: A Serbian nationalist.

Ans: He was the supreme commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army.

• Phrasing 1: What does the acronym MAIN stand for regarding WWI?
• Phrasing 2: What are the four main causes of the First World War?

Ans: MAIN describes the four main causes of WWI: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.

Ans: The Industrial Revolution caused rivalry between European countries like France, Britain, and Germany to gain control of foreign markets for their goods.

Ans: France, Britain, and Germany.

• Phrasing 1: What is Militarism as a cause of WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Explain how militarism led to the First World War.

Ans: Militarism means European countries, feeling threatened by growing tensions, increased the size of their military forces and equipped them with war weapons; special factories were built across Europe to manufacture high-quality combat equipment for a likely future war.

Ans: To manufacture high-quality combat equipment in preparation for a war that was likely to occur in the future.

• Phrasing 1: What is meant by Alliances as a cause of WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Why did countries make alliances before the war?

Ans: Countries made alliances so that if one was attacked, its allied countries would come to its defence.

• Phrasing 1: Name the alliances that already existed before WWI.
• Phrasing 2: List the pre-war alliances of the First World War.

Ans: Russia and Serbia; Germany and Austro-Hungary; France and Russia; Britain, France, and Belgium; and Japan and Britain.

Ans: When Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia got involved to defend Serbia; Germany then declared war on Russia; France was drawn in against Germany and Austro-Hungary; and Germany attacked France by marching through Belgium, thus pulling Britain into the war.

Ans: Germany attacked France by marching through Belgium, which pulled Britain into the war.

• Phrasing 1: What is Imperialism as a cause of WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Explain imperialism as a cause of the First World War.

Ans: Before WWI many European countries colonised foreign territories in Africa and Asia to amass power and wealth; competition over colonies and the exploitation of raw materials became a primary reason for conflict, increasing confrontation and pushing the world into war.

• Phrasing 1: What is Nationalism as a cause of WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Explain nationalism as a cause of the First World War.

Ans: The French Revolution and Napoleon’s conquests spread ideas of nationalism and democracy in Europe; during the 19th and early 20th centuries many people became nationalists, believing that those who shared the same race, language, and political ideas had the right to form an independent political state.

Ans: Ideas of nationalism and democracy.

• Phrasing 1: Who were the Tsars?
• Phrasing 2: What were the monarchs of Russia called?

Ans: The Tsars were the monarchs (rulers) of Russia.

• Phrasing 1: When and by whom was the Russian Revolution started?
• Phrasing 2: Who started the Russian Revolution?

Ans: The Russian Revolution started in 1917, led by peasants, labourers, and Bolsheviks against Tsarist rule.

• Phrasing 1: What happened to the last Tsar of Russia?
• Phrasing 2: Who was Nicholas-II and what was his fate?

Ans: The last Tsar, Nicholas-II, and his family were murdered in July 1918, after which a socialist government was formed in Russia.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916?
• Phrasing 2: What was designed by the Sykes-Picot agreement?

Ans: The Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 was designed to establish a mandate system of British and French control, sanctioned by the newly formed League of Nations.

Ans: The Industrial Revolution.

Ans: Sharing the same race, language, and political ideas.

Ans: A socialist government.

• Phrasing 1: How did the First World War affect the Middle East?
• Phrasing 2: What were the effects of WWI on the Middle East?

Ans: After the European colonisation of the Ottoman Empire, the modern regions of Arabia, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria fell under European control; at the onset of the war, both Britain and France sent forces to consolidate territories and bring them under their rule.

Ans: Arabia, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.

Ans: The British gained influence over what is now Palestine and the three provinces that make up modern-day Iraq.

Ans: The French took control over Syria and Lebanon.

Ans: It created the modern-day boundaries of the region, which eventually gained independence after Arab resistance movements challenged both European colonising forces.

Ans: Arab resistance movements.

• Phrasing 1: What role did Indians play in the First World War?
• Phrasing 2: Describe the contribution of Indians to the British in WWI.

Ans: More than a million Indians were enlisted in the British army and thousands lost their lives fighting in Europe and Mesopotamia; according to the British, Indian support was a significant factor in their victory.

Ans: More than a million (one million) Indians.

Ans: In Europe and Mesopotamia.

Ans: Indians also contributed animals, tonnes of supplies, and a large loan (equivalent to 2 billion pounds today) to the British government.

• Phrasing 1: How did WWI help the national cause of Indians?
• Phrasing 2: Why did Indians see WWI as an opportunity?

Ans: Indians saw WWI as an opportunity to negotiate with the British for self-government, since up till 1914 the British had failed to satisfactorily give Indians their rights.

Ans: It was a British policy of repressing discontent through aggressive means; it brought the two leading parties — the Congress and the Muslim League — closer together.

Ans: The Congress and the Muslim League.

Ans: They proposed concessions supported by both the League and the Congress; both parties realised the need to work together to gain more concessions.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Lucknow Pact of 1916 and why is it important?
• Phrasing 2: Explain the significance of the Lucknow Pact of 1916.

Ans: The Lucknow Pact of 1916 signified a high point of Indian nationalism; through a joint demand for reforms, the Congress recognised the authority of the Muslim League for the first time in history, marking the peak of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Ans: For the first time, the Congress recognised the authority of the Muslim League.

Ans: It was a significant factor contributing to their victory.

• Phrasing 1: What new methods and technology were introduced in WWI?
• Phrasing 2: How did WWI change warfare?

Ans: WWI introduced new methods, machinery, and technology; modern guns made warfare far more dangerous than older wars, where soldiers rode horses and carried swords.

• Phrasing 1: What was trench warfare?
• Phrasing 2: Explain trench warfare in the First World War.

Ans: In trench warfare, men stayed in trenches to avoid enemy bullets, but when bombs hit the trenches the whole platoon perished.

• Phrasing 1: When and how did chemical warfare begin in WWI?
• Phrasing 2: Which gas did the Germans use in 1915?

Ans: WWI marked the beginning of chemical warfare — in 1915 the Germans released a cloud of poisonous chlorine gas on Allied troops in France, terrorising and killing many people.

Ans: The British invented the tank.

Ans: The use of radio and telephones made warfare more complex.

Ans: Aircraft and submarines were also used to make the war more destructive.

• Phrasing 1: When did the First World War end?
• Phrasing 2: On what date did WWI end?

Ans: WWI ended on 11 November 1918, when the Central Powers were defeated by the Allied forces.

• Phrasing 1: How many people were killed in WWI?
• Phrasing 2: What was the human cost of the First World War?

Ans: During the four years of war, around eight million soldiers and millions of civilians were killed.

Ans: Great imperial dynasties like Germany, Russia, Austro-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire came to an end.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Treaty of Versailles?
• Phrasing 2: Which treaty ended the First World War?

Ans: The Treaty of Versailles was a ceasefire treaty signed between the Allied powers and Germany at Versailles, France in 1919; it brought WWI to an end.

• Phrasing 1: Why were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles harsh on Germany?
• Phrasing 2: How did the Treaty of Versailles punish Germany?

Ans: Germany was forced to accept responsibility for the war and to pay the bulk of the damages to other countries as compensation for the destruction caused.

Ans: In older wars, soldiers rode on horses carrying swords.

Ans: On the Allied troops in France.

• Phrasing 1: What was the League of Nations?
• Phrasing 2: Define the League of Nations.

Ans: The League of Nations was an international political organisation established after WWI to prevent future war and to resolve conflicts between nations at a diplomatic level.

Ans: To promote international peace and harmony through mutual cooperation and to avoid the destruction caused by armed conflict.

Ans: All member countries were ‘self-governing’, but an exception was made for Colonial India on account of its enormous contribution to the Allied forces during WWI.

• Phrasing 1: What was the USA’s policy in WWI, and how did it change?
• Phrasing 2: Describe the role of the USA in the First World War.

Ans: The USA initially adopted a policy of neutrality but eventually entered the conflict on the side of the Allies in 1917; it played a vital role by providing substantial economic and military support and in the post-war negotiations.

Ans: In 1917, on the side of the Allies.

• Phrasing 1: What successes did the League of Nations achieve?
• Phrasing 2: What were the achievements of the League of Nations?

Ans: By 1920, the League expanded and became the centre of international diplomatic activity; besides territorial disputes, it tackled problems such as fighting the smuggling of opium, slavery, and the dilemma of refugees.

• Phrasing 1: Why did the League of Nations fail?
• Phrasing 2: What were the reasons for the failure of the League of Nations?

Ans: The League failed in its main aim of avoiding war, as Europe was speedily heading towards another World War; it was finally dissolved in 1946.

Ans: The League of Nations was dissolved in 1946.

• Phrasing 1: Were the efforts of the League of Nations completely futile?
• Phrasing 2: What was the lasting achievement of the League of Nations?

Ans: No — its efforts were not completely futile, as they led to the creation of the United Nations Organisation, which continues to play a role as a mediator in global conflicts to date.

Ans: By 1920.

Ans: An international political organisation.

• Phrasing 1: What is the time period of the Second World War?
• Phrasing 2: When did WWII begin and end?

Ans: The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945 (six years).

• Phrasing 1: What triggered the Second World War?
• Phrasing 2: What were the main causes behind WWII?

Ans: WWII was triggered mostly by the unresolved issues left in the aftermath of WWI; it was the biggest and deadliest war in the history of mankind, involving more than thirty countries.

Ans: More than thirty countries.

• Phrasing 1: Which countries formed the Axis powers in WWII?
• Phrasing 2: Name the Axis powers of the Second World War.

Ans: The Axis powers were Germany, Italy, and Japan.

• Phrasing 1: Which countries formed the Allies in WWII?
• Phrasing 2: Name the Allied powers of the Second World War.

Ans: The Allies were France, Great Britain, the United States of America, the Soviet Union, and China.

Ans: The Allies defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945, after six years of war.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Rise of Fascism as a cause of WWII?
• Phrasing 2: Explain fascism as a cause of the Second World War.

Ans: After WWI many fascist governments formed in Europe that wanted to restore their countries’ former glories; in Italy, Mussolini’s fascist government wanted to conquer new lands to expand Italian territory.

Ans: Mussolini; his fascist government wanted to conquer new lands to expand Italian territory.

Ans: In Germany, Adolf Hitler, and in Spain, General Franco, became heads of state.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Great Depression?
• Phrasing 2: When did the Great Depression occur and where did it originate?

Ans: The Great Depression (1929–1939) was a time of great economic suffering in Europe; it originated in the USA due to a stock market crash, severely impacting all European industries and leaving people struggling with unemployment and poverty.

Ans: A stock market crash in the USA.

• Phrasing 1: What was the policy of Appeasement?
• Phrasing 2: Explain appeasement as a cause of WWII.

Ans: After WWI, Britain and France hoped to maintain peace through ‘appeasement’ — trying to keep Hitler happy rather than resisting his military build-up.

Ans: It backfired because it made Hitler bolder and gave him time to heavily reinforce Germany’s armed forces.

Ans: They began invading other lands to expand their territories and wealth, creating great unrest; after the German invasion of Poland, France and Britain declared war on Germany.

Ans: The German invasion of Poland.

• Phrasing 1: What was the attack on Pearl Harbour?
• Phrasing 2: When and by whom was Pearl Harbour attacked?

Ans: Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour (USA) on 7 December 1941 led the USA to join WWII; following the attack the USA declared war on Japan, and in retaliation Japan’s allies Italy and Germany declared war on the USA.

Ans: It brought the USA into the Second World War; the USA declared war on Japan, and Italy and Germany then declared war on the USA.

Ans: The Second World War.

Ans: 7 December 1941.

Ans: Their countries’ former glories.

• Phrasing 1: How did WWII end in Europe?
• Phrasing 2: Who announced the end of the war in Europe and when?

Ans: WWII ended with the absolute surrender of the Axis forces; the Germans surrendered after Hitler’s death, and on 8 May 1945 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced the end of the war in Europe.

• Phrasing 1: How did the USA force Japan to surrender?
• Phrasing 2: What did the USA drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Ans: The USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the sixth and ninth of August 1945, completely destroying both cities.

Ans: On Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on the 6th and 9th of August 1945.

• Phrasing 1: When did the Japanese Emperor surrender?
• Phrasing 2: When did WWII officially end?

Ans: The Japanese Emperor surrendered on 2 September 1945, which officially marked the end of the Second World War.

• Phrasing 1: How was Germany divided after WWII?
• Phrasing 2: What happened to Germany at the end of WWII?

Ans: Germany was divided into Eastern and Western Germany; the Eastern part was controlled by the USSR (Russia) and the Western part by the Allies.

Ans: The USSR took control of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Hungary, among others.

Ans: The Allies occupied Japan, and the Allies and the USSR divided Korea into North and South Korea.

Ans: A civil war continued between the communists and the nationalists, eventually leading to the creation of Hong Kong and Communist China.

Ans: After Adolf Hitler’s death.

Ans: The Allies controlled Western Germany; the USSR (Russia) controlled Eastern Germany.

• Phrasing 1: Why is the region of Palestine significant?
• Phrasing 2: For which religions is Palestine important?

Ans: The region of Palestine has a long history, making it a significant place for Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

Ans: What is now the state of Israel was initially part of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region between 1517 and 1917.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Balfour Declaration?
• Phrasing 2: Who supported a separate Jewish state in 1917?

Ans: In 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour supported the establishment of a separate Jewish state in modern-day Palestine in a letter of intent known as the ‘Balfour Declaration’.

Ans: He was the British Foreign Secretary who, in 1917, supported a separate Jewish state (the Balfour Declaration).

Ans: They were approved by the League of Nations in 1922, though the British stayed in control of the region until the end of WWII.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Holocaust?
• Phrasing 2: Define the Holocaust.

Ans: The Holocaust was the mass killing of Jewish populations by the German Nazis during the Second World War.

Ans: After the Holocaust, the Zionist movement strove to create a separate independent (Jewish) state, which was contested by Arab nationalism.

• Phrasing 1: What did the United Nations approve in 1947 regarding Palestine?
• Phrasing 2: What was the UN Partition Plan of 1947?

Ans: In 1947 the UN approved a proposal to partition Palestine between Israel and the Arabs — without the consent of the native Palestinians, the actual inhabitants of Palestine.

• Phrasing 1: When did Israel declare independence and who recognised it?
• Phrasing 2: When was the state of Israel created?

Ans: In May 1948, Israel declared independence and was recognised as a separate state by President Truman of the USA, accelerating a conflict with the Arabs that still lasts today.

Ans: 135 UN member nations recognise the separate Arab state of Palestine, although Israel refuses to.

• Phrasing 1: What was Pakistan’s stance on Israel?
• Phrasing 2: Why did Pakistan not recognise Israel?

Ans: Quaid-e-Azam opposed the creation of Israel, calling it a harsh injustice and forecasting grave conflict; in 1947 Pakistan voted against the UN Partition Plan, and as a result Pakistan has not recognised Israel and the two countries have no formal diplomatic relations.

Ans: Until the end of the Second World War.

Ans: President Truman of the United States of America.

• Phrasing 1: What is the United Nations?
• Phrasing 2: When and where was the UN formed?

Ans: The United Nations is an international organisation formed by fifty-one countries on 24 October 1945 in San Francisco (USA) to mediate and resolve international conflicts through bilateral and multilateral negotiations and diplomatic dialogue.

Ans: Fifty-one countries founded the UN on 24 October 1945.

Ans: The UN has 193 member countries, all with equal representation in the UN General Assembly.

• Phrasing 1: What are the four main purposes of the UN Charter?
• Phrasing 2: List the purposes of the UN Charter.

Ans: To maintain worldwide peace and security; foster good relations among countries; encourage cooperation to solve economic, social, cultural, humanitarian, and international issues; and provide a forum for bringing countries together for the betterment of the international community.

• Phrasing 1: How many major organs does the UN have, and name them.
• Phrasing 2: List the organs of the United Nations.

Ans: Six major organs: the General Assembly, Security Council, Trusteeship Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.

• Phrasing 1: What is the General Assembly?
• Phrasing 2: Describe the UN General Assembly.

Ans: The General Assembly is the only organ in which all member nations have equal opportunity to be represented; it has six main committees, the Human Rights Council, the UN Secretariat, and additional bodies.

• Phrasing 1: What is the role of the Security Council?
• Phrasing 2: Describe the UN Security Council.

Ans: The Security Council maintains international peace and security; its permanent members with veto power are the USA, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China.

Ans: The USA, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China (with veto power).

Ans: It was set up for the international supervision of eleven Non-Self-Governing Territories administered by seven Member States; a trusteeship is a situation in which one administers a Trust Territory.

Ans: It helps the General Assembly promote international economic and social cooperation and development; it has fifty-four members.

Ans: It is the principal judicial organ of the UN; it settles legal disputes between nations according to international law and is presided over by fifteen judges elected for nine-year terms.

Ans: The Secretariat is made up of international staff at UN Headquarters in New York (with offices in Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, and elsewhere) who carry out the day-to-day work of the organisation.

Ans: In New York (with additional offices in Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, and other locations).

Ans: In San Francisco, in the United States of America.

Ans: Fifteen judges, elected for nine-year terms.

Ans: Fifty-four members.

Ans: Eleven, administered by seven Member States.

• Phrasing 1: What was the Cold War?
• Phrasing 2: Between whom and when was the Cold War fought?

Ans: The Cold War (1946–1991) was a geopolitical, ideological, scientific, and economic struggle for supremacy between two superpowers — the USA and the USSR — that started just after WWII.

• Phrasing 1: Why was it called the ‘Cold War’?
• Phrasing 2: Why is the Cold War not considered a conventional war?

Ans: It was called the ‘Cold War’ because it was not a conventional war; instead of direct fighting, it was a geopolitical, ideological, scientific, and economic struggle for supremacy between the USA and the USSR.

• Phrasing 1: Who initiated the Cold War and through which doctrine?
• Phrasing 2: What was the Truman Doctrine?

Ans: Harry Truman, the first American President to initiate the Cold War, drafted the Truman Doctrine, under which monetary and military support was extended to countries threatened by the spread of communism.

Ans: The Western group (led by the USA, democratic countries), the Eastern group (led by the USSR, communist countries), and the non-aligned group (countries allied to neither side).

Ans: The USA headed the Western (democratic) group and the USSR led the Eastern (communist) group.

Ans: Countries that did not want to be allied to either the West or the East group.

Ans: A complex web of economic, political, and ideological factors; US hostility grew after Soviet leaders removed Russia from WWI, and the two never reconciled due to their opposing ideologies of capitalism and communism.

Ans: Capitalist and communist ideologies were promoted through many violent proxy wars in newly-decolonised countries; there was a great increase in technological innovation; and advanced nuclear and space-exploration capabilities were developed in both countries.

Ans: Violent wars in which the USA and USSR both tried to install capitalist and communist regimes respectively in newly-decolonised countries around the world.

Ans: A great increase in technological innovation, with advanced nuclear and space-exploration capabilities developed in both countries.

• Phrasing 1: How did the Cold War end?
• Phrasing 2: What events led to the end of the Cold War?

Ans: In the late 80s and early 90s many Communist countries in Europe rebelled for independence; between 1989 and 1990 the Berlin Wall was demolished and East–West German borders opened; Communist regimes were removed in Eastern Europe; and in 1991 the USSR broke up into many small independent republics.

Ans: Between 1989 and 1990, when the borders between East and West Germany were opened.

Ans: In 1991 the USSR broke up into many small independent republics.

• Phrasing 1: What is Capitalism?
• Phrasing 2: Define capitalism.

Ans: Capitalism is an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

• Phrasing 1: What is Communism?
• Phrasing 2: Define communism.

Ans: Communism is a social and political way of governance in which all assets are owned by the government, and wealth is distributed according to ability and need.

• Phrasing 1: What is Dictatorship?
• Phrasing 2: Define dictatorship.

Ans: Dictatorship is a form of government where there is one head of state (usually a military leader) whose government makes all decisions without consulting the executive, judicial, and legislative bodies.

Ans: Capitalism — a system dictated by private ownership for profit.

Ans: Communism — a system of community-owned property, where each individual receives based on skills and need.

Ans: Harry Truman.