APWH Unit 6 Self Test

D (Before 1929, most governments believed that markets would correct themselves if they got out of balance, and thus did not actively intervene in the economy, but after the Great Depression, it became accepted practice that the government could play at least some kind of role in ensuring that the economy never crashed so badly again.)

Which of the following was NOT a factor in causing the Great Depression? a. High reparations payments by Germany and Austria to France and Britain b. Overproduction in the United States c. Stock market speculation d. Government interference in market economies

A (The Chinese Communists curried widespread favor among the vast rural population of China through their policies of helping poor peasants, rather than helping the elites in society, and this approach provided them shelter, disguise, and access to recruits and resources amongst the tens of millions of sympathetic peasants. They could not therefore continue to preach traditional Marxism, which foresaw the transition from rural to urban society as a precondition of communism.)

Which of the following was NOT a way in which the Chinese Communists under Mao Zedong gained the widespread support of the peasantry? a. By promising the end of the rural way of life b. By offering protection against Japanese and Nationalist atrocities c. By seizing land from landlords and distributing it to peasants d. By teaching literacy to adults and mobilizing women

A (Though Iran's new Islamic leaders have pursued a revolution in cultural terms by enforcing the strict moral codes of the Koran everywhere they can, they have continued to pursue modern economic policies, especially the development of their oil, natural gas, and nuclear industries.)

Which of the following was NOT part of the transformation of Iran enforced by the new Islamic rulers? a. Reverting back to a traditional economy b. Closing cinemas, bars, and discos c. Requiring all women to wear veils and loose-fitting dresses to hide their figures d. Patrolling public places with religious police to enforce Islamic law

D (Virtually no one in the USSR was safe from being falsely accused as a traitor and arrested, executed, or sent to horrible labor camps, or the gulag, in freezing Siberia, from which most never returned, even those who carried out the arrests, show trials, tortures, and executions often became victims themselves. Only Stalin and a few of his most trusted companions, who initiated the Terror, were safe.)

Who, of the following, was NOT a victim of the "Terror" or "Great Purge" in the USSR in the 1930s? a. The original Bolshevik revolutionaries b. Communist Party officials c. Those who carried out the arrests and killings in the purges d. Stalin himself

D (Even if African feminists did not approve of the more barbaric or shocking examples of misogyny in traditional African culture, many felt white, American and European women, many of whom were wealthy compared to most Africans, had no right to tell African feminists or any Africans what to do.)

Why did African feminists resent American and European feminists' opposition to traditional African cultural practices such as polygamy and female circumcision? a. They felt American and European feminists were stealing their thunder on the issue. b. They did not believe such practices existed in Africa. c. They were strongly in favor of such practices. d. Western feminists could easily begin to sound like colonial missionaries and rulers.

B (Bin Laden saw the American military and foreign policy as propping up a corrupt and sinful regime in Saudi Arabia, while using its military bases in the Arabian peninsula to threaten Muslims in the heart of the Islamic world.)

Why did Osama bin Laden and the leaders of al-Qaeda come to declare the United States as their enemy? a. They wanted to scare Americans into converting to Islam. b. They objected to American military presence in Saudi Arabia after the first Gulf War. c. They hated Christianity. d. They mistakenly though the United States was an extension of the USSR, which had been their enemy in Afghanistan.

B (The military regimes in Africa had come to power promising to do better leading their nations than the initial political leaders had who first gained independence, but massive corruption and incompetence on their part caused them to fail at leading their countries to prosperity, and many popular movements sprang up and overturned these leaders, even though many of them had large amounts of money and weapons at their disposal, as well as in some cases the support of the U.S. government.)

Why did many of the military regimes in Africa give way to a resurgence of Western-style democracy between 1980 and 2008? a. Most of the military leaders got too old to rule any longer. b. Most of the military governments also failed on their promise to bring about prosperity and peace. c. The military regimes could not get access to enough weapons or money to keep their power. d. The U.S. government actively funded any popular movement that sought to overthrow military dictators and replace them with freedom and democracy.

C (In all three cases, reformist movements either gained power or were becoming more powerful, advocating more freedom for the press, religion, and democracy, which threatened the absolute rule of the Soviet-backed communist leaderships in those countries, and the USSR invaded, along with other Eastern European armies, to restore the power of the loyal Soviet supporters there.)

Why did the Soviet Union invade Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, and threaten to invade Poland in 1980, if those countries were supposedly its own allies? a. Soviet leadership's long-harbored resentment against those countries for their lack of support during World War II b. To free these countries of foreign occupation c. To crush reformist movements that they feared would spread throughout the Soviet alliance d. Misunderstandings

C (With the exception of China, which had diverged significantly from the Soviet model, and which the Soviet Union no longer considered Communist, Cuba was the first country that went communist on its own. In all other communist countries, for example in Eastern Europe and North Korea, the Soviet Union had to use its military to prop up Communist governments, and thus it seemed to legitimize communist ideology.)

Why did the Soviet Union so greatly value the Communist regime in Cuba? a. They were seduced by Cuba's exotic Latin culture. b. It provided a tropical vacation spot for Soviet leaders. c. It was the first country where Communism triumphed without the help of the Soviet Army. d. It provided a perfect base for the USSR to carry out its plans for an invasion of the United States.

B (Though South Vietnam was not important to the United States in terms of economic resources or as a strategic location, many in the U.S. government and military felt that the spread of communism had to be stopped there, or else it would simply continue to spread, becoming harder and harder to stop the longer the West waited to fight it.)

Why did the United States military intervene so massively in Vietnam in the 1960s? a. It depended on Vietnam for essential natural resources. b. It feared a communist victory there would lead to communist expansion to the rest of Asia and beyond. c. It wanted to make up for not having had as many colonies in Asia as other powers. d. The North Vietnamese (communists) were planning a direct assault on the United States mainland once they triumphed in their own land.

C (South Africa was already independent by the early twentieth century; but because its large white population had deep roots, the majority black population was considered a threat and kept powerless through a brutal regime of racist repression known as Apartheid.)

Why did white rule last almost 50 years longer in South Africa than it did in India (1994 versus 1947)? a. Blacks in South Africa were much better treated than Indians in British India. b. Blacks chose the path of violence, which was futile, as opposed to nonviolence, which the Indians used to great effect. c. A sizable and powerful community of permanent white settlers in South Africa, but not in India, controlled the country. d. Gandhi never spent time in South Africa.

C (The Bretton Woods system, as it came to be called, founded institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which promoted international trade and sought to link economies and currencies, in order to increase global interdependence and prevent future global conflicts.)

How did Bretton Woods lay the foundation for globalization? a. By creating a secret world government b. By demonstrating that countries can work together c. By creating a set of agreements and institutions to promote free trade d. By exchanging product samples from different countries

B (Nazis saw modern, urban life as undermining traditional German values and culture, and believed that it was all part of a Jewish conspiracy to interbreed and thus defile the once pure German race.)

How did Hitler and the Nazis view modern, urban life? a. As the best part of Germany b. As a Jewish conspiracy to corrupt traditional German values c. As something the Americans had and they wanted d. As Germany's main hope for defeating the centuries long Jewish presence in Germany

C (Japanese nationalists believed that the Japanese were bonded to their Emperor in a mystical and eternal way, unlike the Western idea of a contractual bond between ruler and ruled. This gave them an advantage, for example, in warfare, where they were more than willing to sacrifice themselves for their Emperor.)

How did Japanese nationalists differentiate Japanese society from Western society? a. They believed that the Japanese were more individualistic than westerners. b. They believed that the Japanese were better at technology than westerners. c. They believed that the Japanese were more loyal to their ruler than westerners to their own rulers. d. They believed Japanese society to be far more modern than Western society.

B (Though the Bolsheviks spoke for many downtrodden Russians and other Russian subjects in calling for communist revolution in Russia, they were not necessarily populists and took power through a well-coordinated, well-timed tactical seizure of power in the capital during the night, accomplished by a relatively small number of revolutionaries.)

How did Lenin and the Bolsheviks take power in 1917? a. Through democratic elections b. Through an overnight coup in the capital c. By gradually infiltrating the provisional government d. By leading a massive popular uprising throughout the empire

B (Ataturk quickly dissolved all the institutions of the old Ottoman state after Turkish independence in the 1920s including all the educational, legal, and other ways in which Islam had played a role in the government of Turkey, replacing them with modern, secular institutions of state.)

How did Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, view the role of Islam in the state? a. He based his ideas of the state on Islamic principles. b. He saw the public or political role of Islam as an obstacle to modernizing Turkey. c. He disliked the influence of Islam, but knew he was powerless to diminish it. d. He was determined to use the state to wipe out all traces of Islam.

D (Jobs in manufacturing, high-tech service, and other areas have been moved by companies to countries where workers earn much lower wages, lowering the price of their products for the average consumer, but causing many Americans to have to find new work, often for less money.)

How did globalization affect those within wealthy nations, especially the United States? a. It made everyone in those nations far wealthier. b. It drained the wealth out of those nations. c. It made Americans more appreciative and tolerant of other cultures. d. It caused millions of Americans to lose their well-paying jobs, while millions of others have become wealthy.

D (In the case of the Russian Revolution, the peasants often had risen up against their landlords and taken the land themselves; the Bolsheviks simply approved of the outcome. In China however, peasants were often hesitant to go against Confucian beliefs of respecting the social hierarchy and had to be pushed by the Chinese Communists to rise up against their landlords.)

How did the Bolshevik efforts at land redistribution compare with Chinese Communist efforts at land redistribution? a. The Bolsheviks found the task much more difficult than the Chinese Communists. b. Both the Bolsheviks and the Chinese Communists found the task difficult. c. Both the Bolsheviks and the Chinese Communists found the task quite easy. d. The Bolsheviks found the task much easier than the Chinese Communists.

D (Chased out of the cities, where Marx had believed communism would always have its base of support, the Chinese communists were forced to adapt to living in the countryside, and thus develop a new kind of communism, one that focused on building a communist society among peasants, and learned to use the rural countryside to fight a guerrilla war against the Nationalists and the Japanese.)

How did the Chinese Communist Party adapt its ideology and strategy during its long struggle to power? a. It focused solely on the cities and the working class. b. It focused solely on assassinating top Japanese and Guomindang leaders. c. It focused on returning to traditional Confucian values of social hierarchy and patriarchy. d. It focused on creating peasant communism and rural guerrilla warfare.

D (The IMF and World Bank have become crucial sources of support for many developing countries, but they also have been able to use this support as leverage to demand that these countries adopt the same economic philosophy espoused by the Bretton-Woods system, namely, opening their own citizens up to competition from around the world and moving from state-controlled companies and prices to private companies and market prices.)

How did the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank advance neo-liberal economics? a. By loaning money to developing nations without preconditions b. By loaning money to developing nations that had state-run companies c. By regulating the economies of developing countries d. By loaning money to developing nations that privatized state-run companies, lowered protectionist tariffs, and cut taxes

A (Though not always successful, both the United States and the USSR supported movements or governments in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that were aligned with their particular ideology, often with economic and military aid—though these movements and governments often switched sides if they saw benefit for themselves.)

How did the cold war impact many third world countries? a. Both sides attempted to entice the support of third world countries with military and economic aid. b. Most third world countries practiced democracy but favored the USSR in foreign policy. c. Most third world countries converted to Christianity, but rejected political democracy and communism. d. Most third world countries secretly favored communism, but were afraid to ally formally with the USSR.

B (Through staged actions, consciousness raising groups, and public discussion, the women's liberation movement sought to transform popular cultural notions about the role of women, rather than just work for legislation to be passed.)

How did women's liberation feminists differ from equal rights feminists? a. Women's liberation feminists wanted women to have more rights than men; equal rights feminists merely wanted women to have the same rights as men. b. Women's liberation feminists wanted to challenge societal and cultural patriarchy through direct action; equal rights feminists preferred political lobbying and passing laws. c. Women's liberation feminists sought a world government dominated by women; equal rights feminists sought an American government dominated by women. d. The groups were not different.

B (In some cases, decolonization was peaceful, in others it was violent; in some places it happened overnight, in others it took decades; it occurred throughout Africa and Asia, but never before had a global empire dissolved into new nation states driven by mass nationalism.)

How was the dissolution of European empires different from the dissolution of previous empires in world history? a. It took place only in Africa. b. It generated a mass of new nation-states. c. It happened suddenly. d. It happened peacefully.

D (Ataturk westernized a great number of things in Turkey, including the dress, alphabet, educational system, government, and foreign policy, but the model of political freedom and democracy represented by Western Europe and the United States did not apply to Turkey for most of the twentieth century.)

In what way did Ataturk's modern Turkey show clear continuity with the past Ottoman Empire? a. Its leaders continued to wear tradition Ottoman dress. b. The use of Arabic as the official language was retained. c. Turkey's foreign policy once again focused its hostility on Europe. d. Modern Turkey remained for the most part a dictatorship with little political freedom.

C (A new form of global Christianity has developed in response to globalization, one that seeks to address problems of injustice, poverty, and human rights for all people rather than to attempt to convert or conquer non-Christians.)

In what way has mainstream Christianity responded to the effects of globalization? a. By splintering into ever-smaller subgroups b. By losing touch with its moral center c. By addressing the moral and ethical problems of social justice, human rights, and the suffering of the poor throughout the world d. By pulling into a defensive, insular shell

D (Italy and especially Germany were far more brutal in their persecution of political opponents and those who did not "fit in" or who spoke out against the regime, and they were led by right-wing parties that took over power in the state, which was not the case in Japan. However, Japan's pursuit of extreme military domination of Asia mirrored Italy's attempts to reconquer parts of the old Roman Empire and Nazi Germany's plans to conquer all of Europe from France to Russia.)

In what way was nationalist Japan most similar to Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany? a. Widespread arrest and execution of political opponents b. Political takeover of right-wing radical groups c. Complete censorship over intellectuals and artists d. Aggressive ambition for conquest and empire-building

C (Mussolini founded the fascist movement to do away with the disunity of democracy without the overthrow of private property and international union with Moscow that would have accompanied communism.)

Mussolini's "fascist" movement came to power promising an alternative to what? a. Democracy b. Communism c. Both democracy and communism d. Monarchy

D (North Korea, Cuba, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and most other countries where communist revolutions triumphed were largely rural, agricultural societies, whereas Marx had predicted that communism could triumph only in societies that had already industrialized.)

Of the communist regimes that came to power in North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Cuba, and Afghanistan, which had achieved the level of industrialization that Karl Marx believed necessary for communism? a. North Korea b. Cuba c. Afghanistan d. None

B (Germany, Italy, and Japan united to form the "Axis" based on their fierce opposition to international communism, especially the Soviet Union.)

The "Axis" nations were united by their opposition to what international movement? a. Fascism b. Communism c. Imperialism d. Industrialization

C (Globalization has made it easier than ever before for a corporation to shut down a factory in one country and quickly reopen it in a different country where workers are paid less and production costs are cheaper, thus allowing for higher profits.)

The sporting goods company Nike is a good example of globalization because in one five-year period it closed 20 factories and opened another 35 in countries all over the world. Why did Nike move these factories? a. Its executives grew bored of one country and wished to live in a new one. b. Nike simply could not find enough good workers for its factories. c. Nike moved its factories anywhere in the world where the labor costs were the lowest and the environmental and health regulations the most lenient. d. Nike's factories needed more energy than most nations could provide.

D (The partition of India in to a Muslim Pakistan and a Hindu India forced 12 million people to leave their homes, and led to violence between ordinary Muslims and Hindus that killed up to one million people, and which even Gandhi was powerless to stop, and eventually claimed Gandhi himself as a casualty.)

What best describes the experience of India's partition into Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India after independence in 1947? a. It was a mostly peaceful transition. b. It caused massive displacement of people, but no real violence. c. It happened in a carefully controlled way over a long period of time. d. It was horrendously violent and traumatic.

A (Communist countries, especially those in the Soviet alliance, were able to build up their core or "heavy" industries, such as steel, mining, and chemicals, and the difference between rich and poor was almost nonexistent, and everyone had a job. However, the people often had nothing to buy, or nothing good to buy, whether in terms of food, services, fashion, housing or anything else, and the citizens in communist countries knew what they were missing out on in the West's advanced consumer economies.)

What characterized the main economic failure of communism? a. Inability to match the West in quality and availability of consumer goods b. Inability to match the West in amount of industrial output c. Inability to match the West in equality of income distribution d. Inability to match the West in eliminating unemployment

A (Though the institutions driving globalization, such as the WTO, claimed they were benefiting people all over the world, it began to seem more and more that they were really just benefiting massive transnational corporations that were not elected and not answerable to any ordinary people or even any governments.)

What did the Seattle protestors of 1999 mean by their slogan "no globalization without representation"? a. Globalization was a process being decided by large corporations that was not meant to benefit ordinary people, and in which no ordinary people had a say. b. Globalization was hard to depict visually, and needed more charts, graphs, and images to accompany it. c. Democracy was more important than economic growth. d. They wanted a cut of the WTO's profits.

C (Combined with the corruption and brutality of his regime, the Shah's attempts to introduce Western culture into a largely conservative Shiite Muslim society in Iran provoked both a popular uprising and organized opposition from Shiite clerics, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, which overthrew the Shah's regime and created the first fundamentalist Islamic Republic.)

What effect did the Westernizing influences under the Shah of Iran have? a. Iran became a well-functioning democracy. b. Iran was too traditional to be impacted by Westernization. c. It provoked an intense backlash leading to the Islamic revolution in 1979. d. It led to a bloody civil war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in Iran.

A (The European Recovery Plan, or "Marshall Plan," pumped cash and other assistance into Western Europe's economies, which allowed countries such as Britain, France, Belgium, and West Germany to jump-start their economies, grow rapidly, and become a profitable export market for American companies.)

What happened to European economies after the United States began its Marshall Plan in 1948? a. Europe saw massive economic growth and widespread prosperity. b. Europe sank deeper into economic misery. c. The Marshall Plan helped initially, but could not sustain Europe's broken economy in the long run. d. The European economy recovered, but only after several decades of recession and poverty.

B (Stalin's rule, from 1928-1953, represented a repeal of many of the more radical and utopian impulses that characterized the first decade of the Soviet Union, such as liberation for women, and artistic freedom.)

What happened to communist commitment to social and gender equality in Stalin's USSR? a. Those values were strictly enforced throughout the country. b. Those values were often set aside in favor of industrial development and state power. c. Those values were explicitly abandoned in favor of a return to capitalism. d. Those values led to a gradual democratization of the Communist Party.

C (In 43 of Africa's poorest countries, the living standards fell 25 percent between 1980 and 2000, in some cases leaving the populations there worse off than they were before independence in the 1960s.)

What happened to the living standards in most of Africa between 1980 and 2000? a. They rose. b. They remained steady. c. They fell. d. They rose in some countries, but fell in others.

B (The American economy experienced a dramatic boom after World War II, with a huge rise in living standards, home ownership, and upward mobility that made America by far the most prosperous country in the world and gave it the economic resources to sustain its military effort.)

What helped sustain the immense military effort involved in the United States' efforts to contain the spread of communism? a. Population growth b. A booming consumer economy c. Large contributions by allies d. Widespread opposition to the Soviet Union around the world

A (Especially in the case of Britain and France, Europeans were able to draft large numbers of non-European colonial subjects, for example Sikh warriors from British India, or Vietnamese laborers from French Indochina, to supplement their militaries and economies during the war.)

What impact did World War I have on Europe's colonial empires? a. The war drew in laborers and soldiers from the colonies. b. The war left the colonies untouched. c. The war was fought mainly in the colonies. d. The war lead directly to widespread independence of colonies.

D (Massive protest and disgust with the South African apartheid system in the West and around the world made South Africa a pariah for things such as the Olympics, the World Cup, most international conferences, many tourists, and many businesses, which meant white South Africans could not ignore what a bad reputation they had throughout the world.)

What kind of external pressure was put on South Africa's white leadership to end Apartheid and allow blacks to vote and have equal rights? a. NATO threatened to invade South Africa. b. Other independent African countries threatened to invade South Africa. c. The U.S. government loudly denounced the immorality of Apartheid and broke off diplomatic relations with the racist government. d. Sporting events, entertainers, and many large businesses boycotted South Africa, isolating it culturally and economically from much of the world.

B (The "backstab legend" arose among Germans who refused to believe their military was beaten on the battlefield and sought scapegoats to blame instead. It was one of the main themes the Nazis used to gain popularity during the 1920s.)

What myth arose in Germany in the 1920s to explain why Germany lost World War I? a. The German forces were hexed. b. Socialists, Jews, and liberals in Germany stabbed Germany in the back. c. French and American soldiers were genetically superior to German soldiers. d. The Kaiser (German Emperor) gave crucial information to the enemy.

D (Much of the war was spent in trenches dug by soldiers to hide from enemy bullets and artillery, and required soldiers to climb out of the trenches and run toward enemy trenches, often directly into machine gun and rifle fire, and often with extremely high casualties.)

What term best describes the predominant style of warfare in World War I? a. Shock and awe b. Blitzkrieg c. Divide and conquer d. Trench warfare

A (Gandhi felt that modern civilization itself was to blame for much of the moral disintegration he opposed, such as competitiveness, selfishness, materialism, violence, and lack of spirituality. He was almost entirely alone among the other leaders of Indian national independence in the INC in rejecting a vision of India's future as a modern, industrial nation on par with the West.)

What was Gandhi's attitude toward the prospect of a modern, industrial future for India? a. He was opposed to it. b. He actively supported it. c. He was not concerned with the future of India, only the present. d. He initially was opposed, but when he saw the beautiful factories in England, he changed his mind.

C (Whereas environmental movements in the West often push for preserving natural habitats, environmentalists in developing nations have been less concerned with protecting nature for the sake of animals than for maintaining the food sources and ways of life of threatened indigenous populations.)

What was a major difference between western environmental movements and environmentalists in developing countries? a. Western environmentalists cared only for the environments of their own countries; environmentalists in developing countries cared for the whole planet. b. Western environmentalists lacked the popular base of support that environmentalists in developing countries had. c. Western environmentalists were concerned more with issues of pollution and limiting growth; environmentalists in developing countries were more concerned with food security and social justice. d. Western environmentalists were more concerned about people; environmentalists in developing nations were more concerned with species of animals.

C ("Corporatism" was meant to end economic disputes and unify the country's classes by having them all join a state-run "corporation," though this did not always work in Italy.)

What was meant by the term "corporate state," used to describe fascist Italy? a. Big businesses ran the state. b. Big businesses were favored by the state. c. Business and labor were to be unified within the state. d. Business and labor were left alone to run the state themselves.

A (The fact that Europeans took pride in their civilization as being so superior because it valued liberty and democracy and progress, and yet denied all these things to the people in their own colonies revealed a hypocrisy that became increasingly obvious in the aftermath of the two world wars, both to colonial subjects who were angered by it, and to Europeans themselves, who were ashamed of it.)

What was the "fatal flaw" of European colonialism? a. Its double standard of freedom and sovereignty for itself but not its colonies b. Its inability to extract resources from its colonies c. Its squeamishness at using force to rule its colonies d. Its promotion of nationalist ideology

C (Before Germany's unification, European rivalries were held in check by a balance of power. But as Germany industrialized, unified, and began seeking its own global empire, it upset this balance and ignited new conflicts.)

What was the effect of Germany's arrival as a new powerful player on the international scene? a. It provided stability. b. It made little difference. c. It was disruptive to the established order. d. Germany quickly became the lone superpower.

B (The Great Leap Forward sought to transform the Chinese countryside into a new communal-based society and introduce industrialized, but it created chaos and the starvation of 20 million people instead; the Cultural Revolution was intended to reverse what Mao saw as a growing complacency and individualism among Communist Party members, but it became an out-of-control witch hunt in which hundreds of thousands of innocent people were persecuted and killed, and almost resulted in civil war.)

What was the end result of Mao's two great campaigns, the "Great Leap Forward" and the "Cultural Revolution"? a. The replacement of the communist party as the governing body in the country by the military b. The death and ruin of tens of millions and the widespread discrediting of communism c. China's parity with the United States in terms of industrial production d. More democracy and prosperity for Chinese citizens

A (Unfortunately, within a decade, most of the political parties and political leaders who led the transition to independence were replaced, sometimes violently, by African military leaders who destroyed the institutions of democracy constructed during the transition to independence.)

What was the fate of many of the political parties that had led the movements for independence in Africa after independence was achieved? a. Most were soon swept away by military coups. b. Most remained popular for decades. c. Most splintered into different factions which gave rise to a vibrant democracy. d. In formerly British colonies, democratic systems remained, but in French, Belgian, and Portuguese colonies, military regimes quickly took power.

B (Soviets were shocked to learn that many of the same problems that existed in the West also existed in their own country—despite the decades of official propaganda that showed only the positive side of the USSR—and they also learned for the first time of the massive crimes committed by Stalin's regime in the 1930s and 1940s, but unfortunately this cultural openness was coupled with a severe economic collapse.)

What was the immediate or initial impact of Gorbachev's policy of glasnost? a. The Soviet Union totally collapsed. b. Many dark truths about life in the USSR were brought to light for the first time. c. The abortion rate became the highest in the world. d. The Soviet economy boomed.

C (Demanding that their own countries provide a similar kind of glasnost, Poles, East Germans, Czechoslovakians, and many others led enormous, mostly peaceful demonstrations calling for an end to communist rule, free elections, and other freedoms. In the face of such massive protests, the once all-powerful Communist Parties in these lands had no choice but to resign and dissolve themselves.)

What was the impact of glasnost on the Soviet allies in Eastern Europe? a. Because of censorship within those countries, no one knew about glasnost. b. Because the communist parties of those countries were well liked, they did not face opposition. c. It sparked massive demonstrations that swept away communism in Eastern Europe. d. Eastern Europeans were critical of Gorbachev's reforms in the USSR.

D (The immense cost of the war on the Soviet Union and other communist forces allied with Stalin, along with their victory, lent Stalin and the Soviet Union great prestige and control over Eastern Europe, and allowed communist forces to triumph in China, North Korea, and eventually in Vietnam and Cambodia.)

What was the impact of the outcome of World War II on communism? a. It destroyed communism. b. It transformed communism into a pacifist movement. c. It allowed communism to spread across Western Europe. d. It gave communism legitimacy in the Soviet Union and control over half of Europe and much of Asia.

D (The substantial Muslim minority in British India rejected the claims of the INC to speak for all Indians, because the INC was mostly Hindu, and as India moved closer to independence, Indian Muslims, represented by the Muslim League, began demanding a separate Muslim state independent from a Hindu India, called Pakistan.)

What was the most serious split that formed within the Indian independence movement? a. Between upper castes and lower castes b. Between Sikhs and Hindus c. Between followers of Gandhi and followers of Nehru d. Between Muslims and Hindus

A (Strong nationalism among many different populations, belief that the war would be short, and popularity of military authorities throughout Europe led the majority of Europeans to enthusiastically push for war.)

What was the popular attitude in Europe towards the prospect of war in the summer of 1914? a. Widespread enthusiasm for war b. Widespread opposition to war c. Widespread indifference to war d. Widespread unawareness of the fact that there might be a war

B (Many intellectuals served in the war and were so horrified by the slaughter that it shook their faith in the foundations of European culture and civilization, and they expressed this profound cynicism in books and art after the war.)

What was the reaction of many European intellectuals to the experience of World War I? a. Newfound patriotism. b. Profound disillusionment with European civilization. c. Most intellectuals were killed in the war. d. Most were not concerned with the war at all.

C (Though the Japanese propaganda claimed they were liberating Western colonial territories like Burma, the Philippines, and Indochina from European or American rule, in reality the Japanese sought to impose their own colonial rule over these places so they could get the kinds of natural resources they previously relied on the West to deliver.)

What was the real reason that Japan began invading French, British, Dutch, and American territories in Southeast Asia and the Pacific? a. To liberate Asians from colonial domination b. To establish a new ruling dynasty in China c. To control resources and end their dependence on the West d. Preemptive self-defense against colonial powers that were planning an attack on Japan from their bases in Asia

C (Xiaoping's reforms restored an essentially capitalist economy under Communist rule, invited massive foreign investment, and producing huge gains in personal income, living standard, and career opportunities for millions and even billions of Chinese.)

What was the result of the reforms instituted by Deng Xiaoping as leader of the Chinese Communist Party after Mao's death? a. More upheaval and mass death b. Mostly ineffective reforms c. Stunning economic growth along mostly capitalist models d. The end to all foreign investment in China

C (Because the Kyoto protocol was a treaty that required nations to limit their carbon dioxide emissions, which 164 countries—including most of the world's industrialized nations—agreed to, and because the United States is by far the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, was offensive to many nations, especially those developing countries that felt it unfair to be limited in their industrial capacity even though they had not attained the level of industrialization as the United States.)

What was the world's reaction to the United States' refusal to sign on to the Kyoto protocol? a. Sympathy b. Indifference c. Anger d. Relief

A (Though they rejected much of the heritage of the Enlightenment, the Nazis used scientific ideas such as the classification of different species to apply to different human "races," and believed one could in fact make the human race more "pure" or "healthy' by breeding out or killing off thus who were genetically or racially undesirable.)

Which Enlightenment values did the Nazis draw upon in their ideology? a. Science and human perfectibility b. Liberty and equality c. Rationalism and democracy d. Skepticism and open-mindedness

A (Though some Islamic fundamentalist movements such as Islamic Jihad, the Taliban, and Al Qaeda sought to overthrow secular or monarchist rulers with violence and also targeted non-Muslims inside and outside of the Islamic world, most attempted to win positions of influence through elections and gaining converts or placing members in powerful positions.)

Which best characterizes the strategies pursued by Islamic fundamentalist groups for achieving their political aims? a. Most attempted to gain power through elections and placing members in influential government and social positions, but some sought violent revolutions. b. A few attempted to gain power through elections, but most were intent on violent revolutions. c. They focused only on attacking non-Muslims. d. They focused only on launching attacks outside the Islamic world.

A (Countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, and most recently, China, have transitioned from largely agricultural and poor countries after World War II to highly advanced, sophisticated, industrialized, modern countries today.)

Which group of developing countries have been the most successful in stimulating economic growth and industrialization? a. East Asian countries b. Middle Eastern countries c. African countries d. Central Asian countries

B (Gandhi realized that if you do not surrender your ideals, your oppressors can do whatever they like to your body, but the might of an entire empire is utterly powerless to change the mind of a single individual if that person does not choose to change his or her own mind, and so by confronting the British Empire nonviolently—a violent confrontation would have been defeated in any case—one could demonstrate this powerlessness over and over again.)

Which of the following best characterizes Gandhi's philosophy of satyagraha ("truth force")? a. Building a base of support in the countryside among peasants from which to launch guerilla attacks on the British b. Confronting the British Empire nonviolently, choosing to suffer the consequences without surrendering one's ideals c. Throwing off British rule by any means necessary, and then conquering new lands as the British had done for a new Indian Empire d. Making India totally and permanently Hindu

C (Initially, the INC was composed of high-caste Hindu elites, such as journalists and businessmen, who sought to gain positions of influence within the British colonial administration rather than lead a violent or grassroots campaign for independence.)

Which of the following best characterizes the initial aims of the Indian National Congress (INC)? a. A violent revolution against the British rule b. Promoting loyal obedience to the British rule c. Gaining position of influence in British India to protect Indian interests d. Writing a constitution for a newly independent India

C (Though the United States never claimed specific territories as its own, as most past empires had done, it arguably came to exercise more influence over more people and more places than any other empire ever, through its vastly superior military power, the near-universal appeal of its popular culture and consumer products, and the amazing economic opportunities it could offer potential allies.)

Which of the following best describes the "American Empire" of the second half of the twentieth century and beginning of the twenty-first century? a. A far-flung empire of colonies b. A once-powerful empire breaking apart c. A nonterritorial empire of economic, military, and cultural power d. A misnomer; a term used by envious countries

D (During the 1960s and 1970s, many young people in the West, as well as many in the Soviet world and in the third world yearned for a revolutionary alternative to the greed and consumerism of capitalism as well as the soul-crushing bureaucratic life under Soviet communism, and saw Che Guevara as the personification of that alternative.)

Which of the following best describes the appeal of the South American revolutionary Che Guevara to people in both the "first" and the "third" worlds? a. He was a classic Latino sex symbol. b. He stood for nonviolence in a time of war. c. He stood up for the blue-collar working class hurt by globalization. d. He represented an alternative to the materialism of the West and the industrial totalitarianism of the Soviet world.

D (Japanese leaders really just wanted the United States to end its opposition to Japanese imperialism in Asia, and did not want to have to fight a Pacific war against America, but when negotiations with the United States went nowhere, the Japanese decided to start a war against the United States with a swift knock-out blow by bombing Pearl Harbor, hoping that it might give them a small chance of victory against a much more powerful America.)

Which of the following best describes the attitude of Japanese leaders toward their decision to bomb Pearl Harbor and thus start a war with the United States? a. They were enthusiastic, but knew they stood no chance against the United States. b. They were enthusiastic, believing they could easily beat an overrated American military. c. They were regretful, for they knew that they could have achieved more power over the United States through negotiations. d. They were regretful, for they knew that they stood only a small chance against the mighty United States, though they saw no other way to maintain power in the Pacific.

C (In both the USSR and in Communist China, the initial period of the communist era involved significant, concrete steps toward the goals of women's liberation, including legalizing divorce, abortion, giving equal legal and property rights to women, and forming massive women's organizations to give education and help to women throughout the country. Such reforms came to an end and in some cases were reversed in the USSR and China due to a backlash in each case.)

Which of the following best describes the initial policies of the Soviet and Chinese Communist Parties toward women after taking power? a. They forced women to obey their husbands. b. They talked about gender equality, but it was only lip service. c. They achieved far-reaching freedom for women. d. They paid no attention to women's issues at all.

B (Many millions of people have been able to move to better economic situations in other parts of the world and thus escape once unavoidable poverty in their homelands, others have been able to flee political, ethnic, or religious persecution by finding safe havens, often in Western Europe, Australia, or North America. However, such open borders have also allowed disturbing trends such as the trade in sex slaves from poorer countries to wealthier countries.)

Which of the following best describes the massive increase in international migration of the world's peoples during the era of globalization? a. It has allowed those who were previously unhappy to find happiness. b. It has allowed many to find work and shelter, but has also victimized others in new ways. c. It is mostly just tourists. d. It has totally erased all national cultures and boundaries.

A (Though opposed to the scientific and secular focus of modernity, religious and nationalistic fundamentalisms have incorporated many aspects of modernity, such as technology used to spread their message and organize.)

Which of the following best describes the response of global fundamentalism to modernity? a. A selective rejection and a seeking of an alternative, more religious modernity b. A total rejection of modernity c. A total embrace of modernity d. A total denial of the existence of modernity

D (Though the term came later to mean mostly violent armed struggle against usually non-Muslim enemies, "jihad" originally was intended to mean a deep spiritual struggle to eliminate the corrupting influences, internal and external, that might lead one to stray from God's path.)

Which of the following best describes the term jihad as intended by the original founders of Islamic fundamentalism? a. Violent and indiscriminate killing of non-Muslims b. Submission to one's passions c. Retreat into an inner sanctuary of religious purity d. Struggle to please God

A (Gorbachev never wanted to see the Soviet Union or the idea of communism fall apart; on the contrary, he wanted to reform both so that they would be able to survive. But once he began to encourage some change, it became clear to most that so much was wrong with the Soviet Union that nothing short of a complete break with communism could begin to fix the problems.)

Which of the following best describes why Gorbachev's reforms led to the total collapse of the Soviet Union and communism? a. Gorbachev opened a "Pandora's box" of demands for change that the Soviet system could not handle. b. Gorbachev had secretly planned the demise of the USSR all along. c. Gorbachev's use of force against protesters backfired. d. Gorbachev used the reforms to encourage non-Russian nationalities to become independent.

C (Many factors influenced developing nations to abandon the state-run approach to fostering economic development, but the free-market approach has had at best an uneven impact on those in the poorest segments of developing nations.)

Which of the following is NOT a reason that most developing nations abandoned the state-run approach to building up their economies in favor of a privatized, free market approach, in the last decade of the twentieth century? a. The collapse of the Soviet Union b. The influence of international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) c. The clearly demonstrated benefits for the poorest segments of these countries d. The corruption and mismanagement of state-run corporations

A (For companies, investors, or private consumers, it has become more possible to do business or make transactions anywhere in the world and with any currency than at any time in world history, including the period of time when most of the world economy used Spanish silver. Certain financial practices, however, such as checking, have not become globalized—yet.)

Which of the following is NOT a way in which money has become internationally mobile? a. An international checking system b. Direct foreign investment c. Internationally accepted credit cards d. International currency markets

C (Most of the Second World War was a "Total War" meaning little distinction was made by attacking forces on both sides between civilian and military targets, partially because both sides mobilized all parts of their societies, including women, to contribute to the war effort.)

Which of the following is NOT an example of the term "Total War" during WWII? a. The firebombing of German cities by Britain and the United States b. The mass rape and mutilation of Chinese women by Japanese troops in Nanjing c. The bombing of Pearl Harbor d. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States

C (The bitter irony of the tragic failure of the political systems and the economic development in many African countries in the second half of the twentieth century is that Africa is one of the world's richest continents in terms of natural resources, with enough natural wealth to provide a much higher living standard for its population than currently exists.)

Which of the following is NOT an explanation offered by historians and scholars as to why democracy failed in so many African countries after independence? a. Africa's traditional culture is based on consensus and thus not compatible with multiparty democracy. b. Trying to take on immense economic development at the same time as a huge political transition to democracy is simply too much for any society to manage. c. They lacked natural resources. d. Unrealistic expectations for the future were followed by widespread disillusionment.

B (With just a few exceptions in the 1970s and the end of the first decade of the new millennium, energy, especially fossil fuels, have remained cheap enough that modern nations and developing nations alike have assumed they could be used as a plentiful and convenient energy source.)

Which of the following is NOT one of the three major ways in which the Earth's environment has been radically impacted by the changes of the last half-century? a. Unprecedented population growth b. Exorbitant prices of fossil fuels c. Vast use of fossil fuels, especially oil d. Phenomenal economic growth

C (Most of the world's powers were enthusiastic about President Wilson's idea and did form a League of Nations, but the U.S. Senate did not ratify it and thus the United States did not join it, which serious weakened its authority in world affairs.)

Which of the following seriously weakened Wilson's idea of a League of Nations? a. Language barriers b. Wilson's own overbearing personality c. Failure of U.S. Senate to ratify the League d. Failure of many major nations to join the League

D (Throughout Africa and Asia, most indigenous populations no longer viewed belonging to a European colonial empire as a path to progress after 1945, instead seeing European colonial rule as a vestige and a burden preventing the improvement of their lot.)

Which of the following social groups in the colonies did NOT stand to benefit from national independence for African and Asian colonies? a. Western-educated African and Asian elites b. small-scale traders c. urban workers d. white landowners

D (Just because countries were communist did not mean they were always allies. The Soviets rejected Mao's brand of communism and felt he did not understand the stakes of nuclear war, leading China and the USSR to stand on the brink of nuclear war themselves, while China invaded communist Vietnam and communist Vietnam invaded communist Cambodia, all because of largely territorial disputes. North Korea, on the other hand, increasingly isolated itself from all countries, communist and non-communist, toward the end of the twentieth century. )

Which of the following was NOT a conflict that developed between communist countries? a. The USSR vs. China b. China vs. Vietnam c. Vietnam vs. Cambodia d. The USSR vs. North Korea