SAT II World History : SAT Subject Test in World History

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #4 : Vietnamese Relations

The Tet Offensive __________.

Possible Answers:

created the conditions necessary for a peace arrangement to be made

completely obliterated the forces of the United States and South Vietnam

led to the United States capturing a large portion of North Vietnamese territory

None of the other answers is correct; the Tet Offensive took place during the Korean War. 

involved a surprise attack by the forces of North Vietnam against South Vietnamese cities

Correct answer:

involved a surprise attack by the forces of North Vietnam against South Vietnamese cities

Explanation:

The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack on the forces of the United States and South Vietnam by the forces of North Vietnam in 1968. The North Vietnamese were able to capture many cities and military bases in the South before the American forces regrouped and retook most of them. It was one of the largest and most significant military operations of the Vietnam War.

Example Question #5 : Vietnamese Relations

Agent Orange __________.

Possible Answers:

was initially denounced as a traitor before later being declared a war hero for his actions in the My Lai Massacre

led the American forces to victory in the Tet Offensive

was the codename for an American offensive against Saigon

was used with the intention of making the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong impossible

died during the Tet Offensive

Correct answer:

was used with the intention of making the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong impossible

Explanation:

Agent Orange is the name given to a chemical dropped on the Vietnamese jungle by the American forces. Its intended purpose was to destroy leaves and reduce the tree cover, negating the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong; however, it ended up causing cancer and genetic mutations in many American soldiers and Vietnamese civilians.

Example Question #7 : Vietnamese Relations

What was the name of the communist Vietnamese leader who was president of North Vietnam for much of the Vietnam War?

Possible Answers:

Ho Chi Minh

Pol Pot

Ton Duc Thang

Ngo Dinh Diem

Bao Di

Correct answer:

Ho Chi Minh

Explanation:

Ho Chi Minh was initially a revolutionary who fought to overthrow the imperial French government in Vietnam. He was also a staunch communist, and he was the first Prime Minister of North Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, up to his death in 1969, he was president of North Vietnam and the leader of the Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong.

Example Question #6 : Vietnamese Relations

The My Lai Massacre was committed by __________.

Possible Answers:

Viet Cong troops murdering captured American soldiers

Viet Cong troops murdering villagers believed to be helping the United States

Viet Cong troops murdering South Vietnamese civilians in Saigon

American troops murdering unarmed women and children

American troops murdering captured prisoners of war

Correct answer:

American troops murdering unarmed women and children

Explanation:

The My Lai Massacre was the mass killing of approximately four hundred unarmed civilians by American soldiers in 1968. It was one of the more dramatic turning points for changing public opinion concerning the war in the United States. When the extent and depravity of the massacre emerged in America, many people joined the anti-war movement. 

Example Question #7 : Vietnamese Relations

During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong __________.

Possible Answers:

fought a guerrilla and standard war for the forces of the United States

provided massive aid relief and refugee evacuation and worked closely with the Red Cross

fought a guerrilla and standard war for the forces of South Vietnam

fought a guerrilla and standard war for the forces of North Vietnam

provided massive aid relief and refugee evacuation, but frequently clashed with the Red Cross

Correct answer:

fought a guerrilla and standard war for the forces of North Vietnam

Explanation:

During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong fought for the forces of communist North Vietnam against the United States and the forces of South Vietnam. They fought a guerrilla war as well as a more traditional war and emerged victorious when the war ended in 1975.

Example Question #1 : Other Asian History From 1900 C.E. To Present

The Cultural Revolution in China largely targeted all of the following groups EXCEPT

Possible Answers:

rural farmers.

cultural minorities.

Confucianism.

intellectuals.

religious believers.

Correct answer:

rural farmers.

Explanation:

The Cultural Revolution was instituted in 1966 by Supreme Leader Mao Zedong, to make China modern, Communist, and unified. This took multiple forms, but particularly targeted the perceived "enemies" of the Chinese state, especially intellectuals, anyone demonstrating traditional culture, ethnic minorities, and those who voiced opposition. One of the notable methods of achieving the Cultural Revolution was to force young students to work in rural farms so they would know what it was like to participate in agrarian labor. The Cultural Revolution lasted until 1971, and caused widespread changes in Chinese society.

Example Question #2 : Other Asian History From 1900 C.E. To Present

From which support base did Mao Zedong draw his greatest power?

Possible Answers:

Peasants 

Army 

Workers 

Bankers 

Merchants 

Correct answer:

Peasants 

Explanation:

Mao Zedong was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party and the founder of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Mao drew much of his support from the peasantry, something of a curiosity amongst Communist movements, as usually the greatest Communist support base is the industrial working class.

Example Question #1 : Other Asian History From 1900 C.E. To Present

Between the two World Wars, the civil war in China was fought between __________.

Possible Answers:

the Nationalists and the Communists 

the Nationalists and the Republicans

the Imperialists and the Boxers 

the Imperialists and the Communists

the Imperialists and the Nationalists

Correct answer:

the Nationalists and the Communists 

Explanation:

The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Communists, lead by Mao Zedong, and the Nationalists, lead by Chiang Kai-Shek. The Communists were eventually triumphant and the People’s Republic of China was created in 1949 to consolidate their victory. The Nationalists were left in control of the island of Taiwan. The Civil War took a terrible toll on the Chinese population and contributed to China’s complete inability to resist Japanese imperialism in the years building up to and during World War Two.

Example Question #3 : Other Asian History From 1900 C.E. To Present

Chiang Kai-Shek __________.

Possible Answers:

was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party

died in the Rape of Nanking

served as Premier of China in the 1980s

died in the Boxer Rebellion

was the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party

Correct answer:

was the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party

Explanation:

Chiang Kai-Shek was a Chinese political and military leader who led the Chinese Nationalist Party and the Republic of China (in Taiwan) during the years of civil war, Japanese occupation, and the rise of Chairman Mao and Chinese Communism. His organization was the primary opposition to Mao and Communism in China, but they were eventually defeated and banished to Taiwan in the Chinese Civil War. 

Example Question #3 : Other Asian History From 1900 C.E. To Present

Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution began in the  ________.

Possible Answers:

1930s

1880s

1960s

1940s

1970s

Correct answer:

1960s

Explanation:

The Chinese Cultural Revolution began in 1966 and lasted for approximately ten years. Its stated goal was to forcibly implement Communism throughout China by removing all capitalist, traditional, cultural and intellectual elements from Chinese society. During the Cultural Revolution Mao’s personality cult reached unparalleled levels, as state propaganda urged the rural youth to engage in violent class struggle with the bourgeoisie. An unknown number of people (speculations range from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions) were either tortured, killed, raped, or else effectively starved to death - many millions more were forcibly displaced in a movement that completely wrecked China’s already fragile economy. 

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