World History : World History

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #4 : Europe In The Middle Ages

Which English king was responsible for England's break with the Catholic Church?

Possible Answers:

George III

Charles I

Edward VIII

Henry VIII

Henry VII

Correct answer:

Henry VIII

Explanation:

Henry VIII, known for his many wives (and there mostly tragic ends), was the person most responsible for England's break with Catholicism. Frustrated by the Pope's unwillingness to grant him a divorce, Henry decided to take matters into his own hands and declared himself head of the Church of England. This led to some unrest in his realm, but Henry's decision marked the end of Catholic monarchs in England (with the exception of his daughter, Mary). 

Example Question #5 : Europe In The Middle Ages

What was the purpose of the Magna Carta?

Possible Answers:

To abolish the monarchy and establish an oligarchy

To increase the power of the monarchy at the expense of the nobility

To limit the power of the monarchy and extend protections to the nobility

To establish a democracy in Britain

To form an alliance with the French

Correct answer:

To limit the power of the monarchy and extend protections to the nobility

Explanation:

Signed by King John in 1215, the Magna Carta came on the heels of tension between the king and his barons. The document was meant to relieve the tension; however, King John did not abide by his word, leading to rebellion. Eventually, English kings started signing versions of the Magna Carta whenever they ascended to the throne as a gesture of goodwill towards the nobility.

Example Question #6 : Europe In The Middle Ages

What conflict is Joan of Arc known for fighting in?

Possible Answers:

The Hundred Years' War

The Norman conquest of Britain

The Thirty Years' War

The Thirteen Years' War

The War of Spanish Succession

Correct answer:

The Hundred Years' War

Explanation:

Joan of Arc was born a peasant in France during Hundred Years' War. As a teenager, she claimed to have received visions of angels and saints, who told her to support the deposed French king Charles VII. Charles sent her to help relieve the Siege of Orleans in 1429, and, when the siege ended less than two weeks later, Joan became a hero. She would play a role in the conflict until her capture in subsequent execution in 1431. 

Example Question #7 : Europe In The Middle Ages

Historians generally agree that the Middle Ages started in Europe when __________.

Possible Answers:

the Crusades began

the Black Death subsided

the feudalist system began to decline

the Western Roman Empire fell

the Renaissance began

Correct answer:

the Western Roman Empire fell

Explanation:

While all of the answers are points in the European Middle Ages, the general period began when the Western Roman Empire finally declined. This made way for many new peoples to migrate into the empire's former territory, and for new ways of life to develop. 

Example Question #8 : Europe In The Middle Ages

The Franks managed to secure the large (yet short lived) __________ Empire across much of Europe from the late 8th to early 9th centuries.

Possible Answers:

Carolingian

Merovingian

Ottoman

Byzantine

Tudor

Correct answer:

Carolingian

Explanation:

The Frankish Carolingian Dynasty established its empire across much of Europe, but its reign did not last long. Internal conflicts, as well as external threats, caused the empire to decline rapidly. The other answers are incorrect because they either refer to famous names/dynasties from the Middle Ages (Tudor, Merovingian) or to other greater empires from the period (Byzantine, Ottoman)

Example Question #9 : Europe In The Middle Ages

From 1309 to 1377, seven popes resided not in the Vatican in Rome but in what other European City?

Possible Answers:

Amsterdam

Bordeaux

Avignon 

Milan

Paris

Correct answer:

Avignon 

Explanation:

Up to the 1300s there was a power struggle between the papacy and other rulers of Europe, especially with King Philip IV of France. Due to the success of previous crusades, the Pope emerged as not just a religious but also a political leader in Europe which angered other kings. When Clement V, a frenchman, was elected Pope in 1305, he refused to move to Rome and instead set up the papacy in Avignon, France. During the schism, all seven of the elected popes were French. The schism finally ended when Pope Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1377. 

Example Question #10 : Europe In The Middle Ages

The Black Death is estimated to have killed between what percent of the total European population?

Possible Answers:

30%-60%

50%-80%

10%-40%

65%-95%

25%-55%

Correct answer:

30%-60%

Explanation:

The Black Death peaked in Europe between 1346-1353 but had lasting effects on European society for centuries thereafter. It killed between an estimated 75-200 million people, at least 1/3 of the entire European population at the time. The plague is believed to have originated from Central Asia and carried to Europe through rats on trade ships to the east. It led to extreme social and political upheaval throughout all of Europe as well as renewed religious piety and persecutions. 

Example Question #81 : World History

One of the most notable territorial transformations of the High Middle Ages (the 11th to 16th century) was the _______________.

Possible Answers:

dissolution of territories into smaller tribes and communities

sweeping alliances between major empires

massive migrations of Europeans into Asia

development of the Western "state"

complete takeover of European land by the Byzantines

Correct answer:

development of the Western "state"

Explanation:

Starting in the 11th century, many Western kings consolidated their power into more modern states. These included France, England, and Spain, as well as others. The other answers are incorrect because they are not events that occurred in the European Middle Ages.

Example Question #82 : World History

From the perspective of Christian Europeans, the point of the Crusades was mainly to _________________.

Possible Answers:

learn about Islam

preach the values of Christianity to Muslims and other foreigners

explore new trade routes into Asia

discover valuable raw materials and resources

reclaim the holy land of Jerusalem

Correct answer:

reclaim the holy land of Jerusalem

Explanation:

Driven by religious values, as well as the influence of the papacy, the Crusades were originally intended as holy wars to reclaim Jerusalem for Western Christianity. Some of the other answers occurred as a result of the Crusades, but they were not the main objective.

Example Question #83 : World History

What war between the Kings of France and the Kings of England did Joan of Arc fight in?

Possible Answers:

French Revolution

First Crusade

War of the Roses

Hundred Years War

Barons War

Correct answer:

Hundred Years War

Explanation:

The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) was fought between French and English Kings for French possession of previously English held territories in the south of France, namely Aquitaine. Joan of Arc fought in the last phase of the war (1429-1453) and her efforts at the siege of Orleans sparked the French's revived efforts against the English. Although Joan was captured and burned at the stake in 1431, the French ultimately emerged victorious, reincorporating Aquitaine back into their empire.  

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