World History (Grades 9–10) Midterm — Units 5–6

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. What did Britain gain after the First Opium War?
   1. A. Taiwan
   2. B. Shanghai as a colony
   3. C. Control of Korea
   4. D. Hong Kong
2. The Congo Free State under King Leopold II of Belgium is known for what?
   1. A. Banning European trade in Africa
   2. B. Brutal forced labor to collect rubber
   3. C. Peaceful self-rule by local leaders
   4. D. Being the first African democracy
3. How was Social Darwinism used during the age of imperialism?
   1. A. To claim some races were superior and should rule others
   2. B. To argue against building colonies
   3. C. To support independence for colonies
   4. D. To prove that all cultures were equal
4. Which was a major economic motive for imperialism?
   1. A. The need for raw materials and new markets
   2. B. The desire to reduce trade
   3. C. The wish to lower industrial output
   4. D. The goal of closing overseas ports
5. Which African nation defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa in 1896?
   1. A. Nigeria
   2. B. Ethiopia
   3. C. Egypt
   4. D. Kenya
6. What was a result of the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857?
   1. A. France took control of India
   2. B. India gained full independence
   3. C. The British government took direct control of India
   4. D. The Mughal Empire took back power
7. What did the Berlin Conference (1884-1885) do?
   1. A. Created the League of Nations
   2. B. Gave independence to African nations
   3. C. Set rules for European powers to claim African land
   4. D. Ended the Atlantic slave trade
8. How did Japan respond to Western pressure during the Meiji Restoration?
   1. A. It closed itself off from all foreign contact
   2. B. It rapidly modernized and industrialized
   3. C. It became a colony of the United States
   4. D. It rejected all Western technology
9. Why was the Suez Canal (1869) important?
   1. A. It brought water to farms in the Sahara
   2. B. It linked the Mediterranean and Red Seas, shortening trips to Asia
   3. C. It connected the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea
   4. D. It linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
10. What is imperialism?
    1. A. A people electing their own leaders
    2. B. A stronger nation taking control of a weaker region
    3. C. A nation choosing to stay neutral in wars
    4. D. Two nations agreeing to trade freely
11. What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?
    1. A. To divide Germany into four zones
    2. B. To rebuild Western Europe's economy after World War II
    3. C. To end the Korean War
    4. D. To build the atomic bomb
12. What was appeasement?
    1. A. Declaring war at the first sign of danger
    2. B. Giving in to an aggressor's demands to avoid war
    3. C. Forming an alliance to stop an aggressor
    4. D. Refusing to trade with an aggressor
13. What did the Treaty of Versailles require of Germany?
    1. A. Accepting blame for the war and paying reparations
    2. B. Taking over Austria-Hungary's lands
    3. C. Building a larger army for defense
    4. D. Joining the League of Nations immediately
14. What event directly sparked World War I in 1914?
    1. A. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
    2. B. The Russian Revolution
    3. C. Germany's invasion of Poland
    4. D. The sinking of the Lusitania
15. What did the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolize?
    1. A. The division of Germany into two nations
    2. B. The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe
    3. C. The start of the Cold War
    4. D. The beginning of the Korean War
16. What was the Holocaust?
    1. A. A battle on the Eastern Front
    2. B. A peace treaty after World War II
    3. C. A Japanese attack in the Pacific
    4. D. The Nazi genocide that murdered about six million Jews
17. Which best describes fascism?
    1. A. Extreme nationalism under a dictator with total power
    2. B. A classless society with no government
    3. C. Rule by elected representatives with protected rights
    4. D. A system where religious leaders hold power
18. Which event began World War II in Europe?
    1. A. Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939
    2. B. Italy's invasion of Ethiopia
    3. C. Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union
    4. D. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor
19. Which event brought the United States into World War II?
    1. A. The fall of France
    2. B. The invasion of Normandy
    3. C. The bombing of London
    4. D. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor
20. What happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962?
    1. A. The Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall
    2. B. The U.S. and USSR came close to nuclear war over missiles in Cuba
    3. C. Cuba launched missiles at Florida
    4. D. The U.S. invaded Cuba and overthrew its government

Part 2: Written Response

21. How did the outcome of World War I help set the stage for World War II?