World Multiple Choice: World War I
Choose the best answer for each question and mark the corresponding letter on your scantron. 75 points.
1. The League of Nations was
created after World War I as a forum
for resolving international conflicts.
However, the League was largely
unsuccessful at this task.
3. During World War I, conscientious
objectors to military service were
often accused of disloyalty, and some
conscientious objectors were
sentenced to prison. However, other
conscientious objectors were willing
to accept noncombatant service.
One factor that contributed to the
ineffectiveness of the League was
the
a. Breakup of colonial empires
in Africa and Asia
b. Decision of the U.S. not to
join the League
c. Opposition of League
members to the Treaty of
Versailles
d. Rise of the Cold War
between the U.S. and USSR
The assignment of conscientious
objectors to noncombatant service
was an attempt by the government
to
a. Promote ethnic diversity
within the military
b. Educate people about their
constitutional rights
c. Encourage people to apply
for conscientious objector
status
d. Balance individual rights
and the common good
2. In the United States, freedom of
the press to report on certain
matters may be restricted during
wartime because
a. Reporting military secrets
may threaten national
security
b. Laws against libel and
slander are strictly enforced
during wartime
c. Materials used to print
newspapers must be
conserved during wartime
d. The government has a
compelling interest in
suppressing opposing
views.
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
4. During World War I, two
revolutions took place in Russia while
Russia was at war with Germany.
Vladimir Lenin, leader of the
Bolshevik Revolution, said:
6. Which term is defined largely by
feelings of intense patriotism?
a. Neutrality
b. Militarism
c. Nationalism
d. Imperialism
There can be no doubt that
our army is absolutely in no
condition…to beat back German
offensive successfully…
7. Congress voted to declare war on
Germany for several reasons. Which
of these did not contribute to
Congress’s decision to declare war on
Germany?
a. The Zimmerman note
b. Shared German ancestry
c. The sinking of the Lusitania
d. Germany’s submarine warfare
Source: V.I. Lenin, Collected Works, 4th
English Edition, Progress Publishers,
Moscow, 1964, p.447.
a. Lenin had few skills as a
military leader
b. Russia shared in the
responsibility of WWI
c. Lenin believed that Russia
should withdraw from WWI
d. The Bolshevik Revolution
had the support of the
Russian army
8. Woodrow Wilson came to the
peace conference with one set of
goals. Victorious European nations
came with different goals. What was
a primary goal of the British and
French at the Versailles peace
conference?
a. Withdrawal of their nations
from dangerous involvement in
foreign affairs
b. Permitting people in colonized
areas to have the right of selfdetermination
c. Protecting the rights of
national groups to associate
with other national groups
d. Punishing Germany for starting
the war and dividing its
territory
5. In the United States, reporters’
exercise of the press may be legally
restricted under what circumstances?
a. When reporters disagree
with official government
policies
b. When reporters are granted
interviews with leaders of
other countries
c. When reporters discover
that elected officials have
engaged in illegal activities
d. When reporters have
information that could
threaten national security if
published
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
9. The assassination of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand in 1914 set events
in motion that led to World War I.
However, no major war is ever
caused by a single event. Another
factor that contributed to the
outbreak of World War I was
a. Laissez faire economics
b. The League of Nations
c. Intense nationalism
d. The Bolshevik Revolution
12. The Zimmerman Note was a
secret telegram sent by Germany to
the leaders of Mexico. Why did the
Zimmerman Note cause outrage
among Americans?
a. It revealed that Mexico was
getting ready to enter the war
on the German side
b. It promised Mexico that
Germany would help it reclaim
territory in the United States if
the United States entered the
war against Germany
c. Zimmerman was passing
American secrets to Germany
with the help of Mexican
leaders
d. The telegram contained secret
messages sent by American
leaders to its commanders on
European battlefields
10. One of Woodrow Wilson’s most
important goals after World War I
was to establish a League of Nations.
What was the main job of the
League supposed to be?
a. Make it unnecessary for the
United States to involve itself
in international disputes
b. Provide a way for countries to
resolve disputes between them
without going to war
c. Maintain the world economic
system so that colonies would
no longer be necessary
d. Hold the nations of Europe
responsible for the death and
destruction of World War I.
13. The Treaty of Versailles was
designed primarily to punish
Germany for its responsibility for
World War I. In what way di the
treaty hurt the German economy?
a. It called for the formation of
the League of Nations
b. It allowed Germany to rebuild
its military, which led to
overspending
c. It encouraged the United
States to withdraw from world
affairs into isolationism
d. It forced Germany to pay a
huge sum of money for war
damages
11. Some historians call World War I
the first industrial war. Several new
technologies were developed for
warfare. One of the most destructive
new weapons used in World War I
was
a. The atomic bomb
b. The cannon
c. The fighter jet
d. Poison gas
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
14. One cause of World War I was
the nations had aligned into two
alliance systems. Which of the
following combination of nations
comprised the Triple Alliance?
a. France, Great Britain, and
Russia
b. Germany, Great Britain, and
Russia
c. Austria-Hungary, Germany and
Italy
d. Austria-Hungary, France and
Italy
17. The main purpose of President
Wilson’s Fourteen Points at the end
of World War I was to
a. Assist the leaders of Europe to
gain additional territory at
Germany’s expense
b. Assure peace in the future by
not treating Germany as a
vanquished nation
c. Divide Germany into several
parts so it would not be a
threat in the future
d. Gain reparations from
Germany to help pay for the
cost of the war
15. One major result of World War I
was
a. A victorious Germany
b. A revolution in Russia
c. A defeated France
d. A revolution in Great Britain
18. President Woodrow Wilson’s
Fourteen Points were intended to
a. Make the United States, Great
Britain and France into leading
world powers
b. Redistribute Germany’s
colonies among the Allied
nations
c. Prevent international tensions
from leading to war
d. Punish Germany for causing
World War I
16. The international organization
created to preserve the peace after
World War I was the
a. North Atlantic Treaty
Organization
b. United Nations
c. Organization of American
States
d. League of Nations
19. The demand for German war
reparations by European Allies helps
to explain the failure of the peace
settlement following
a. World War I
b. World War II
c. The Korean War
d. The Vietnam War
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
20. One goal for a lasting peace that
President Woodrow Wilson included
in his Fourteen Points was
a. Establishing a League of
Nations
b. Maintaining a permanent
military force in Europe
c. Returning the United States
to a policy of isolationism
d. Blaming Germany for
causing World War I
23. Which statement best describes
the relationship between World War I
and the Russian Revolution?
a. World War I created conditions
within Russia that helped
trigger a revolution
b. World War I postponed the
Russian Revolution by
restoring confidence in the
czar
c. The Russian Revolution
inspired the Russian people to
win World War I
d. World War I gave the Czar’s
army the needed experience to
suppress the Russian
Revolution
21. In 1917, Bolshevik leaders in
Russia sought peace with Germany
because the new Russian
government
a. Decided to join forces with
Germany and the Central
Powers
b. Needed to concentrate its
troops and resources on its
war with Turkey
c. Wanted to retain power and
avoid German occupation
d. Needed to control the Baltic
Sea and wanted a warm water
port
24. A major cause of World War I
was
a. A decline in the policy of
imperialism
b. The existence of opposing
alliances
c. An increase in acts of
aggression by England
d. The spread of communism
throughout Europe
22. In Eastern Europe after World
War I, the greatest obstacle to
national unity in many nation-states
was the
a. Great ethnic diversity found in
the region
b. Economic dependence of
Eastern Europe on Japan
c. Acceptance of democratic
traditions by most Eastern
Europeans
d. Expansion of United States
influence in the region
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
25. Why was the Balkan region
referred to as the “Powder Keg” of
Europe prior to World War I?
a. The aggression of the Ottoman
Empire was disrupting the
balance of power
b. Yugoslavia was invading its
neighboring countries
c. Nationalistic and imperialistic
rivalries were increasing
d. The area was the leading
supplier of military equipment
to the rest of the world
28. World War I Alliance that
included Great Britain, France, and
Russia
a. Triple Alliance
b. Triple Entente
c. Central Powers
d. Allies
29. Alliance that included Germany,
Austria-Hungary, and Italy
a. Triple Alliance
b. Triple Entente
c. Central Powers
d. Allies
26. The major impact of the Treaty
of Versailles on Germany was that
the treaty led to
a. An era of peace and
international good will in
Germany
b. A stable Germany that was
both democratic and strong
c. An increase in Germany’s
desire to regain its power and
prestige
d. A leadership position for
Germany in the League of
Nations
30. The region of France that
became a bloody stalemate
a. Western Front
b. Eastern Front
c. Paris
d. Triple Entente
31. German battle strategy that
called for quick defeat of France in
the west and then attacking Russia in
the east
a. Triple Alliance
b. Schlieffen Plan
c. Unrestricted Submarine
Warfare
d. Trench Warfare
27. “Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Assassinated!”
“Germany Declares War on Russia
and France!”
“Peace Treaty Signed at Versailles!”
32. Battle strategy in which soldiers
fought from deep pits dug in the
earth
a. Schlieffen Plan
b. Triple Entente
c. Alliance System
d. Trench Warfare
Which event is referred to in these
headlines?
a. Franco-Prussian War
b. Crimean War
c. World War I
d. Cold War
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
33. New warship introduced by the
Germans that used underwater
missiles
a. The Lusitania
b. U-boats
c. German flotilla
d. The USS Maine
38. Which country withdrew from
World War I in 1917?
a. United States
b. Russia
c. Great Britain
d. Germany
39. World War I was a total war in
the sense that
a. It brought great suffering to
civilians
b. Nations from all over the world
were involved
c. New technologies played a
large part in the war
d. The nations involved devoted
all their resources to it
34. Stretch of battlefield along the
German and Russian border
a. Western Front
b. Alsace-Lorraine
c. Eastern Front
d. Berlin Border
35. New weapon that caused
blindness, blisters, and choking.
a. Poison gas
b. Machine Gun
c. Tank
d. No Man’s Land
40. This is the policy of glorifying
national power by keeping an army
prepared for war
a. Nationalism
b. Militarism
c. Imperialism
d. Patriotism
36. Which of the MAIN causes would
be linked to Gavrilo Princip’s
assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand?
a. Militarism
b. Alliances
c. Imperialism
d. Nationalism
41. Who was forced to assume sole
responsibility for the war under the
Treaty of Versailles?
a. Germany
b. Austria-Hungary
c. Russia
d. Italy
37. Which of the MAIN causes would
be linked to Russia declaring war
because Serbia was attacked?
a. Militarism
b. Alliances
c. Imperialism
d. Nationalism
42. Which nation was the first to
declare war in what would come to
be called the Great War?
a. Germany
b. Great Britain
c. Serbia
d. Austria-Hungary
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
43. Which country was not part of
the Big Four?
a. France
b. Russia
c. Great Britain
d. The United States
47. “The responsibility for the death
of so many American citizens, which
is deeply regretted by everyone in
Germany, in a large measure falls
upon the American government. It
could not admit that Americans were
being used as shields for English
contraband (smuggled goods,
weapons). In this regard America
had permitted herself to be misused
in a disgraceful manner by England.
And now, instead of calling England
to account, she sends a note to the
German government.”
44. World War I was more
destructive than earlier wars for what
reason?
a. Armies were more ruthless
b. It lasted longer than any other
war ever
c. Modern 20th century weapons
were more deadly
d. Airplanes could drop atomic
bombs
-
from Vossische Zeitung, May 18, 1915
Which of the following statements
best describes the sentiments of the
writer?
a. The sinking of the Lusitania
was a tragic mistake
b. America was right to blame
Germany for the attack
c. The American government had
failed to protect its own
citizens
d. England should keep its
vessels off the Atlantic Ocean
45. What goal for postwar peace was
shared by the British and French
leaders in creating the Treaty of
Versailles after WWI?
a. To weaken Germany and make
it pay for the war
b. To establish “peace without
victory”
c. To establish a League of
Nations
d. Self-determination for former
colonies
48. The sinking of the Lusitania
ultimately played a role in prompting
Germany to
a. Abandon the Schlieffen Plan
b. Halt unrestricted submarine
warfare
c. Declare war on the U.S.
d. Begin a widespread rationing
program
46. What was the main intention of
the alliances formed among
European nations before WWI?
a. To create trading opportunities
b. To discourage attacks from
other nations
c. To isolate the United States
d. To increase tensions in Europe
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
49. The League of Nations was
President Wilson’s plan for an
international organization that would
work to maintain world peace.
51. Under the Treaty of Versailles,
many new countries were formed.
One new country, Iraq, was created
out of three provinces of the
Ottoman Empire. The formation of
Iraq, as well as many other
countries, was in conflict with the
principle of national selfdetermination. What is national selfdetermination?
a. The belief that people of a new
nationality will create a more
democratic form of
government
b. The belief that people of the
same nationality should live in
many different countries in
order to spread their influence
c. The belief that people of the
same nation should have the
right to govern themselves
d. The belief that new countries
should create new national
identities
What was the role of the United
States in the League of Nations?
a. The United States saw the
League of Nations as crucial to
world peace and joined
immediately
b. The other countries didn’t
need the United States to build
the League of Nations
c. The United States was key to
building the League of Nations,
but chose not to join
d. The United States built the
League of Nations as a bridge
between other countries
50. President Wilson created his
Fourteen Points at the end of World
War I. At the heart of these points
was the idea of “peace without
victory”. What did Wilson mean by
this?
a. That the nations that won the
war should not seek
vengeance on the nations that
lost
b. That true victory would never
be possible
c. That only the victorious could
have both peace and victory
d. That nations should declare
peace even if there was no
clear victory
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
53. What was the background of
colonial rivalries?
a. The European powers lacked
capital
b. The European powers
competed for colonies
c. The European powers started
an arms race
d. The European powers tried to
seek allies
54. What were the results of
militarism?
a. It speeded up global trade
b. It increased military spending
c. It discouraged the use of force
to solve disputes
d. It led to the growth of
alliances
52. Look at the poster above and
answer the following question.
What impact might this poster have
had on the American attitude about
Germany in WWI?
A. The Germans cared for the
welfare of women and
children
B. The poster indicates the
Germans sought to
purposely harm women and
children
C. The Germans were a threat
to U.S. government bonds
D. The Germans were being
stopped from helping
women & children
55. Britain joined the war in 1914
when
a. Germany declared war on
France
b. Germany invaded Belgium
c. Germany attacked Russia
d. Russia mobilized her troops to
support Serbia
56. Who was President of the United
States during World War I?
a. Warren G. Reading
b. Calvin Coolidge
c. Woodrow Wilson
d. Abraham Lincoln
57. World War I was from…
a. 1914-1918
b. 1907-1911
c. 1920-1924
d. 1930-1932
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
58. Why might ‘futile’ be a good
description of trench warfare?
a. It illustrates the terrible nature
of war
b. It illustrates how the idea of
fighting war was flawed
c. It illustrates how pointless
trench warfare was because it
consisted of soldiers with little
or no protection attacking a
well-defended enemy
d. It illustrates how smart trench
warfare was because of the
new weaponry
61. How did imperialism lead to
World War I?
a. European nations were eager
to show their military might by
fighting with one another.
b. European nations all felt that
their nation was superior to
others.
c. European nations were eager
to gain the colonial territories
owned by their rivals.
d. European nations were eager
to take sides with other
nations.
59. How did technology make WWI
different from previous conflicts?
a. The destructive nature of the
new weapons meant that war
was over quickly
b. The destructive technology
meant more casualties of war
c. Technology meant less men
were required to fight in the
war
d. Technology meant that
generals were able to control
the fighting fully
62. World War I is also known as
a. The Great War
b. The War to End all Wars
c. The Kaiser’s War
d. All of the above
e. Both a and b
63. What was the area in between
the trenches called during World War
I?
a. The Great soldier zone
b. The Dead zone
c. No Man’s Land
d. No tolerance Land
60. Compared to the western front,
fighting on the eastern front was
a. More fluid, as Germans made
advancements easily into
Russia
b. A deadlock, with German and
Austrian troops trapped for
months in trenches
c. Not as deadly with far fewer
casualties
d. Over quickly
64. Which of the following effects of
World War I helped contribute to the
Russian Revolution?
a. Russia wanted to join the
Central Powers
b. Germany surrendered to
Russia
c. Russia suffered heavy
casualties during World War I
d. Russia was left out of the Big
Four at the Treaty of Versailles
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
65. World War I was a global conflict
that spread to many nations
throughout the world, from Europe
to Africa. Which of the MAIN causes
best explains why this happened?
a. Militarism
b. Alliances
c. Imperialism
d. Nationalism
69. Which of the following was the
main goal of the French during the
Paris Peace Conference?
a. Peace without victory
b. To maintain their position as a
powerful nation
c. To gain the land promised to
them
d. To crush Germany completely
e. They were not a part of the
Paris Peace Conference
66. True or False: Germany was the
first country to declare war.
a. True
b. False
70. Which of the following was the
main goal of the Italians during the
Paris Peace Conference?
a. Peace without victory
b. To maintain their position as a
powerful nation
c. To gain the land promised to
them
d. To crush Germany completely
e. They were not part of the Paris
Peace Conference
67. True or False: Italy was forced to
drop out of World War I because of a
revolution.
a. True
b. False
68. Which of the following was the
main goal of the British during the
Paris Peace Conference?
a. Peace without victory
b. To maintain their position as a
powerful nation
c. To gain the land promised to
them
d. To crush Germany completely
e. They were not a part of the
Paris Peace Conference
71. Which of the following was the
main goal of the Russians during the
Paris Peace Conference?
a. Peace without victory
b. To maintain their position as a
powerful nation
c. To gain the land promised to
them
d. To crush Germany completely
e. They were not part of the Paris
Peace Conference
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World Multiple Choice: World War I
72. Which of the following was the
main goal of the Americans during
the Paris Peace Conference?
a. Peace without victory
b. To maintain their position as a
powerful nation
c. To gain the land promised to
them
d. To crush Germany completely
e. They were not part of the Paris
Peace Conference
73. True or False: Woodrow Wilson
would view the results of the
Versailles Treaty as a victory.
a. True
b. False
74. True or False: The result of
World I was another world war two
decades later.
a. True
b. False
75. Which of the following MAIN
causes would best explain France’s
desire to crush Germany during the
Paris Peace Treaty?
a. Militarism
b. Alliances
c. Imperialism
d. Nationalism
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