European History Past Exam Questions PDF

HISTORY EXAM QUESTIONS (not my solutions!!!!) 1. 19th century Europe was characterized by unprecedented numbers of migration. Below you find some statements about patterns of mass migration in 19th-century Europe. Select the two false statements. a) The poorest of the poor where not typically the f...

HISTORY EXAM QUESTIONS (not my solutions!!!!) 1. 19th century Europe was characterized by unprecedented numbers of migration. Below you find some statements about patterns of mass migration in 19th-century Europe. Select the two false statements. a) The poorest of the poor where not typically the first to migrate b) Many migrants eventually returned to the countryside c) Money sent home by migrants discouraged family members from migrating themselves d) During the final decades of the 19th century, levels of migration went down e) Emigration rates were always highest for the poorest European countries 2. The three estates were the defining characteristics of pre-revolutionary France. Select two false statements about the three estates. a) b) c) d) The first estate owned up to 10% pf the land in France The second estate was exempted from taxes and paid only a marginal amount The third estate was composed homogenously of farmers and peasants The three estates completely overlapped with the economic classes as we know them today e) The structures of the three estates did not allow for social mobility between the estates 3. Which of the following statements are true with regard to the “differentiation thesis” (also known as the privatization thesis) on secularism? Select the two correct segments. a. The religious practiced faded away in the public sphere of the Europeans b. Europeans replaced all religious doctrines with scientific evolution an discovery c. There was not a decline religion but rather the social importance of religion decreased d. The political and economic systems of the state became hostile to religion e. Decrees were signed to ban religion from being manifested in public life across Europe 4. The 1929 crash of Wall street had particularly dramatic impact on Germany? Why was that? Select the two false statements. a. To cover their own losses, American banks began to call back their international loans to Germany b. Germany’s high trade tariffs kept out the cheap foreign import of foods c. To increase employment rates and improve citizens’ purchasing power after the first world war, Germany had invested a lot of public means into large-scale infrastructural works d. In the 1930s, German cuts in public spending increased the scale of the depression e. Germany had to pay high war reparations to other European countries and its economy had insufficiently recovered from the first world war 5. The French revolution Is explained in four stages: the moderate stage; the radical stage; the directorate; and the Napoleonic age. Select the two false statements about these stages. a. The main impact of the moderate stage (1780-1792) is the restructuring of the relations between the state and the church b. The Girondins and the Montagnard’s stormed the Bastille together c. The radical stage (1793 – 1794) is associated with the de-Christianization campaign and the killing of the royalists. d. The directory period (1795-1799) expanded the voting rights of the Frenchmen e. The radical stage is also know as the Reign of Terror due to excessive use of violence 6. Why was the League of Nations not effective? Select the two correct statements. a. President Wilson feared that an international organization would undermine the sovereign powers of the USA b. The politics of Great Britain was too isolationist c. The League of Nations was seen as an instrument to promote the status quo in favour of Britain and France d. Germany never ratified the Treaty of Versailles e. The League of Nations did not have a standing army 7. The compromise of 1867 between Austria and Hungary greatly affected the mutual relations between the two countries. Which of the following statements are true about the 1867 compromise? Select the two correct statements. The compromise of 1867: a. Declared that emperor Franz Joseph would abdicate the Austrian throne b. United Austria and Hungary as one political entity but with each having a separate ministry and parliament c. Reduced Hungary to the same status as the empire’s other nations d. Made each one an independent state e. Created a common customs union and postal service 8. In 1971, Wilbur Zelinski, an American cultural geographer, stated that 19th century Europe was marked by a mobility transition. His account was later criticized by historians. Which of the following statement correctly reflect historians’ critiques of Zelinski’s work? Select the two correct statements. a. b. c. d. e. He wrongly believed that migration peaked during the 1st half of the 19th century He underestimated the level of mobility in pre-industrialized societies He overestimated the level of return migration His dataset did not include countries outside of continental Europe, like Britain His account was too narrowly focused on macro-level explanations 9. Nationalism surged in 19th century Europe. Which of the following statements are not considered crucial factors that led to the development of nationalism in 19th-century Europe? Select the two false statements. a. b. c. d. e. Philosophical works of the 18th century Print technology and national consciousness Napoleonic expansion led to anti-French intellectual fervour in the early 1800s The revolt of colonial subjects in Asia and Africa The abolition of voting rights for all European nationals 10. What caused the United States to join the Allied Forces in fighting World War I? select the two correct statements. a. The Americans feared the combined power of Austria and Hungary b. The German embargo on gasoline c. An intercepted telegram to Mexico d. The sinking of the MS Mercy ship e. Germany’s unrestricted use of submarine welfare 11. Which of the following did the Tennis Court Oath not do? Select the two false statements about the Tennis Court Oath. a. b. c. d. e. Declared itself a Nationalist Assembly of the People Vowed to assemble until the constitution of a new parliament is established Vowed to leave the premises only by the will of people Vowed to execute the king Pledged to take the royal guard hostage 12. Which of the following statements are false about the alliances that fought one another during the First World War? Select the two false statements. a. At the start of the war, Italy adopted a neutral position b. The Allied Powers were centred on a pre-war Triple Entente between Russia, Great Britain and France c. Serbia remained neutral throughout the conflict d. The Ottoman Empire sided with the Allied Powers because it hoped to break free from its heavy debts to Germany e. The Russians surrendered and withdrew from the war 13. Below you find some statements that describe 19th century processes of secularization. Select the two false statements. a. At the end of the 19th century, religions had lost much of their influence on society b. The late 19th century was characterized by the development of religious tourism c. At the end of the 19th century, all European states rejected official religions d. Throughout the 19th century, Europeans became less religious e. Throughout the 19th century, individuals became less willing to accept arguments that invoked forces from outside of the world 14. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) effectively put an end to World War I ad for many, it was considered a harsh punishment for Germany. Select the two correct statements regarding the harsh punishment argument. a. b. c. d. Germany paid its war reparations to the European countries in full The Treaty obliged Germany to disarm most of its army, air force and submarine Germany retained only the less developed colonies The territorial losses of Germany included territories in Belgium, Poland, Denmark and France e. The sanctions prevented the economic rising of Germany 15. In the Congo Free State (CFS), the quest for maximal profit led to a banalization of violence. Select the two false statements in relation to the “banalization of violence” in the Congo Free State. a. There was a practice of cutting off of hands of local Congolese as tokens of the “proper use” of bullets and trophies b. The use of forced labour, kidnapping and looting by soldiers took place under the orders of European supervisors c. Congolese subjects could not sue Europeans at local courts d. The torture and killing of local Congolese were regulated by law e. Violence was so rampant that it shocked European and international public opinion 16. European societies were greatly affected by industrialization. Below you find some statements that describe European societies at the end of the 19th century. Select the two false statements. a. At the end of the 19th century, Germany became the most urbanized country in Europe b. Europe experienced its first international financial crisis in 1870 c. At the end of the 19th century, Britain became a net importer of foods d. France became the leader in developing applications for newly invented chemicals e. At the end of the 19th century, the majority of Russians still lived in the countryside 17. What sets British industrialization apart from processes of industrialization that occurred on the European continent? Select the two correct statements. a. b. c. d. e. Coal and iron deposits were close to the sea The need to build railways to get industrial products on the market A liberal economic climate The creation of investment banks A well-developed system of higher education 18. The system of international relations created at the Vienna Peace Treaty in 1815 helped maintain a long period of peace on the European continent. Why did it fail in the end? Select the two false statements. a. Russia and Austria-Hungary feared that the Troppau protocol could be invoked by other staters as an excuse for military intervention b. Colonial rivalries and conflicts intensified after 1870 c. Germany’s rise to power fueled distrust among other states d. France felt unfairly treated by the Vienna treaty and sought revenge e. The Ottoman Empire’s failure to control its territories destabilized Eastern Europe 19. In the 19th century, the nation-states of Europe were to lead actors in processes of colonization. Against the background, The Congo Free Estate (1885 – 1908) stood out as a personal colony, under the direct control of King Leopold II of Belgium. Below you find some statements of the creation of this personal colony. Select the two false statements. a. Most European countries were unwilling to carry the heavy cost of colonizing the still unchartered territory of Central Africa b. King Leopold II received the territories that make up The Congo Free State as a gift from the Belgian government c. King Leopold II promised to end slavery in the territories under his control d. Following the First World War, the League of Nations mandated Belgium to govern the Congo Free State e. The Congo Free State was not part of the Kingdom of Belgium 20. The peace treaty of Vienna in 1815 radically changed how international relations were managed. Which of the following statements about the Vienna system of international relations are true? Select the two correct statements. The Vienna system of international relations: a. Was characterized by the dominance of Austria-Hungary b. Was based on rivalling state alliances that balanced each other out c. Secured peace by creating a hegemonic power that could subordinate all other states d. Relied on multilateral agreements and collective decision-making e. Codified and recognized states’ sovereign rights to their territory