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Cambridge IAL History practice questions

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Question 1AS Level European option

Which treaty of 1866 formally ended the German Confederation and excluded Austria from German affairs?

  1. The Treaty of Frankfurt
  2. The Treaty of Prague Correct answer.
  3. The Convention of Gastein
  4. The Treaty of Vienna

Explanation

The Treaty of Prague (August 1866) concluded the Austro-Prussian War. It dissolved the German Confederation, ended Austrian influence over German states, and allowed Prussia to reorganise northern Germany. It was deliberately lenient towards Austria to preserve future diplomatic options.

Question 2AS Level European option

Which reform introduced by Napoleon III in 1860 allowed leading French newspapers to publish verbatim reports of parliamentary debates?

  1. The Compte rendu Correct answer.
  2. The Senatus Consultum
  3. The loi Ollivier
  4. The loi Falloux

Explanation

The Compte rendu was the official publication of parliamentary proceedings, and from 1860 selected newspapers could reprint debates verbatim. It was a limited liberalisation designed to shore up the regime's legitimacy. It was later withdrawn in 1867 during a period of tighter control.

Question 3AS Level European option

Which was the immediate trigger for the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in July 1870?

  1. The signing of the Dual Alliance
  2. The occupation of Rome by Italian troops
  3. The Prussian annexation of Schleswig
  4. The Hohenzollern candidature for the Spanish throne Correct answer.

Explanation

The offer of the Spanish crown to Leopold of Hohenzollern, and the subsequent Ems Telegram, sparked the crisis. France demanded written assurances from Prussia, and Bismarck's edited telegram made war appear inevitable. The conflict began within weeks of these diplomatic exchanges.

Question 4AS Level European option

Which body created by the 1848 Frankfurt Constitution was intended to replace the old Bundestag as the central representative assembly?

  1. The Reichstag
  2. The Zollverein Congress
  3. The Prussian Landtag
  4. The National Assembly at the Paulskirche Correct answer.

Explanation

The Frankfurt National Assembly, meeting in the Paulskirche, drafted a liberal constitution for a united Germany. It sought to establish a constitutional monarchy with an elected assembly. Its authority collapsed when Frederick William IV refused the imperial crown in 1849.

Question 5AS Level European option

Which term describes the system of government in Prussia under Bismarck after 1866 in which the chancellor governed largely without parliamentary control over the budget?

  1. Dual monarchy
  2. Constitutional absolutism Correct answer.
  3. Directorial government
  4. Parliamentary sovereignty

Explanation

Constitutional absolutism refers to a regime with a constitution and an elected assembly but where real power remains with the monarch and ministers. Bismarck's Prussia after the constitutional conflict of the 1860s exemplified this arrangement. The assembly could debate but could not control the executive.

Question 6AS Level European option

Which reform in 1867 created the dual structure of Austria-Hungary?

  1. The February Patent
  2. The Pragmatic Sanction
  3. The October Diploma
  4. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise Correct answer.

Explanation

The Compromise of 1867 (Ausgleich) established the Dual Monarchy, giving Hungary its own parliament and government while sharing the monarch and key ministries. It was a response to Hungarian nationalism and to the empire's weakness after defeat by Prussia. The arrangement lasted until 1918.

Question 7AS Level European option

Which was the principal aim of Napoleon III's policy towards Italy in the 1850s?

  1. To establish a French protectorate over the Papal States
  2. To restore Austrian dominance in northern Italy
  3. To unite Italy under a Bourbon monarchy
  4. To expel Austria from Italy while securing French influence and Nice and Savoy Correct answer.

Explanation

Napoleon III supported Piedmont against Austria in 1859 in order to weaken Austria and extend French influence. In return, France gained Nice and Savoy through the Treaty of Turin in 1860. He also hoped to promote a confederation of Italian states under French patronage.

Question 8AS Level European option

Which battle of 1859 led to the Austrian withdrawal from Lombardy and opened the way for Italian unification in the north?

  1. Novara
  2. Solferino Correct answer.
  3. Königgrätz
  4. Custoza

Explanation

The battle of Solferino in June 1859 was a costly Franco-Piedmontese victory over Austria. It led to the armistice of Villafranca and Austrian cession of Lombardy to Piedmont. The battle also prompted Henri Dunant to found the Red Cross.

Question 9AS Level European option

Which figure led the Expedition of the Thousand to Sicily in 1860?

  1. Camillo di Cavour
  2. Giuseppe Mazzini
  3. Victor Emmanuel II
  4. Giuseppe Garibaldi Correct answer.

Explanation

Garibaldi led the Thousand, a volunteer force that landed in Sicily in May 1860 and overthrew the Bourbon regime. The campaign spread to the mainland and led to the incorporation of southern Italy into the new kingdom. Garibaldi then handed his conquests to Victor Emmanuel II.

Question 10AS Level European option

Which phrase best characterises the political system established in France by the Constitution of 1852 under Napoleon III?

  1. A liberal constitutional monarchy
  2. A parliamentary republic
  3. A democratic republic
  4. A plebiscitary authoritarian empire Correct answer.

Explanation

The 1852 constitution created a system in which the emperor ruled with ministers responsible to him, while universal male suffrage was used mainly to ratify decisions through plebiscites. The legislature was weak and elections were heavily managed. The regime is therefore described as a plebiscitary authoritarian empire.

Question 11AS Level European option

Which measure of the 1860s under Napoleon III relaxed restrictions on workers' associations and the right to strike?

  1. The loi Le Chapelier
  2. The loi Falloux
  3. The loi Ollivier Correct answer.
  4. The Senatus Consultum of 1869

Explanation

The loi Ollivier of 1864 legalised strikes and removed some restrictions on workers' combinations. It was part of the Liberal Empire's attempt to court working-class support. It did not, however, grant full freedom of association.

Question 12AS Level European option

Which problem most seriously weakened the Second Empire in the late 1860s?

  1. Growing opposition from republicans and the urban working class Correct answer.
  2. The secession of Brittany
  3. The collapse of the French railway network
  4. The loss of Algeria

Explanation

By the late 1860s, opposition had grown from republicans, socialists, and liberal critics, and the 1869 elections showed significant gains for the opposition. Strikes and the growth of the International Workingmen's Association worried the regime. These pressures encouraged Napoleon III to make further concessions.

Question 13AS Level European option

Which was the principal reason for the failure of the Frankfurt National Assembly to secure a united Germany in 1848-49?

  1. Its refusal to draft a constitution
  2. Its rejection of universal male suffrage
  3. Its lack of real military and executive power Correct answer.
  4. Its decision to exclude Prussia from the proposed union

Explanation

The Frankfurt Assembly had no army, bureaucracy, or revenue of its own and depended on the goodwill of the German princes. When Frederick William IV refused the crown and the princes withdrew support, the assembly could not enforce its decisions. Its liberal programme therefore remained unrealised.

Question 14AS Level European option

Which was the main purpose of Bismarck's Kulturkampf?

  1. To reduce the influence of the Catholic Church in the German Empire Correct answer.
  2. To suppress the Social Democratic Party
  3. To promote German colonisation in Africa
  4. To expand the German navy

Explanation

The Kulturkampf of the 1870s was a series of laws aimed at limiting the Catholic Church's influence in education and church appointments. Bismarck feared Catholic loyalty to Rome and the political strength of the Centre Party. The campaign largely failed and was gradually abandoned.

Question 15AS Level European option

Which policy did Bismarck introduce in 1883 to counter the appeal of socialism?

  1. The Anti-Socialist Laws
  2. State sickness insurance Correct answer.
  3. The Caprivi tariff
  4. The Zollverein reforms

Explanation

Bismarck introduced sickness insurance in 1883, followed by accident and old-age insurance. These were designed to win workers' loyalty away from the Social Democrats. They formed the basis of the first state welfare system.

Question 16AS Level European option

Which feature of the 1871 German constitution most limited the democratic character of the Empire?

  1. The Bundesrat was directly elected
  2. The chancellor was responsible to the Reichstag
  3. Universal suffrage was denied to all men
  4. The Kaiser controlled the army and appointed the chancellor Correct answer.

Explanation

Under the 1871 constitution, the Kaiser commanded the armed forces and appointed the chancellor, who was responsible to him rather than to the Reichstag. The Reichstag could vote on budgets but could not dismiss the government. This imbalance limited the practical influence of universal male suffrage.

Question 17AS Level European option

Which was the significance of the Treaty of Frankfurt of 1871 for France?

  1. It ended the Second Empire and created the Third Republic
  2. It restored the Bourbon monarchy
  3. It ceded Alsace-Lorraine and imposed a large indemnity Correct answer.
  4. It granted France control of the Rhineland

Explanation

The Treaty of Frankfurt ended the Franco-Prussian War and required France to cede most of Alsace and part of Lorraine and to pay a substantial indemnity. German troops occupied parts of France until the indemnity was paid. The treaty left a lasting grievance in French politics.

Question 18AS Level European option

Which term describes the diplomatic strategy by which Bismarck sought to keep France isolated after 1871?

  1. Alliance diplomacy
  2. Détente
  3. Realpolitik Correct answer.
  4. Splendid isolation

Explanation

Realpolitik refers to the pursuit of practical, interest-based policy rather than ideological or moral considerations. Bismarck used it to build alliances such as the Three Emperors' League and the Dual Alliance to isolate France. The term is closely associated with his approach to foreign affairs.

Question 19AS Level European option

Which agreement of 1873 brought Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia together in a loose understanding?

  1. The Three Emperors' League Correct answer.
  2. The Triple Alliance
  3. The Dual Alliance
  4. The Reinsurance Treaty

Explanation

The Three Emperors' League (Dreikaiserbund) of 1873 linked the three conservative monarchies in a consultative arrangement. It was intended to preserve stability in eastern Europe and to prevent Russia from aligning with France. The League lapsed in 1878 and was later revived.

Question 20AS Level European option

Which was the main reason for the establishment of the Third Republic in France in 1870-71?

  1. The signing of the Treaty of Frankfurt
  2. A successful royalist coup
  3. The defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War and the fall of the Second Empire Correct answer.
  4. The restoration of the Bourbon dynasty

Explanation

The capture of Napoleon III at Sedan in September 1870 led to the proclamation of a republic in Paris. The new regime then continued the war and later suppressed the Paris Commune. The Third Republic was therefore born out of military defeat and the collapse of the imperial regime.

Question 21AS Level European option

Which interpretation best explains the collapse of the Paris Commune in May 1871?

  1. It ended when the Communards signed the Treaty of Frankfurt
  2. It was overthrown by Prussian troops
  3. It was crushed by the French army during the Bloody Week Correct answer.
  4. It voluntarily dissolved after negotiations

Explanation

The Commune was suppressed by government forces during the Bloody Week in late May 1871. The fighting left thousands dead and many more imprisoned or deported. The defeat marked a lasting division in French politics between republicans and the left.

Question 22AS Level European option

Which was the significance of the Dreyfus Affair in the 1890s for the Third Republic?

  1. It led to the immediate separation of church and state
  2. It ended French colonial expansion
  3. It exposed deep divisions between republicans and anti-republican, often anti-Semitic, forces Correct answer.
  4. It strengthened the monarchy

Explanation

The wrongful conviction of Alfred Dreyfus divided French society and revealed the strength of anti-Semitism and militarism. It also mobilised intellectuals in defence of republican justice. The affair contributed to the later separation of church and state in 1905.

Question 23AS Level European option

Which was a major consequence of the 1867 Ausgleich for the Habsburg Empire?

  1. It created a federal state of equal nationalities
  2. It strengthened Magyar control over much of the empire while alienating other nationalities Correct answer.
  3. It satisfied Czech demands for autonomy
  4. It abolished the monarchy

Explanation

The Compromise gave Hungary considerable autonomy and influence over the empire's affairs. Other nationalities, especially Czechs, Croats, and Serbs, felt excluded from the arrangement. Their grievances contributed to the empire's political instability.

Question 24AS Level European option

Which alliance system was formed in 1882 and included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy?

  1. The Mediterranean Entente
  2. The Triple Entente
  3. The Triple Alliance Correct answer.
  4. The Three Emperors' Alliance

Explanation

The Triple Alliance of 1882 committed Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy to mutual support in certain circumstances. Italy's loyalty remained uncertain, and it later joined the Entente in 1915. The alliance was renewed periodically until the First World War.

Question 25AS Level European option

Which policy did Bismarck pursue towards the Polish minority in the German Empire?

  1. Germanisation through language and settlement policies Correct answer.
  2. Expelling all Poles from Prussia
  3. Encouraging Polish language education
  4. Granting them territorial autonomy

Explanation

Bismarck's government pursued Germanisation, restricting the use of Polish in schools and administration and promoting German settlement in the eastern provinces. These measures were intended to strengthen the unity of the Empire. They intensified Polish nationalism rather than eliminating it.

Question 26AS Level European option

Which body was created by the 1867 Ausgleich to handle matters common to both halves of Austria-Hungary?

  1. The Reichsrat, sitting only in Vienna
  2. The Hofkriegsrat, appointed by the emperor
  3. The Delegations, drawn from the two parliaments Correct answer.
  4. The Hungarian Diet, sitting only in Budapest

Explanation

The Compromise left Hungary with its own parliament and ministry, so joint affairs such as foreign policy, the army and shared finances were handled by delegations sent by the Austrian and Hungarian legislatures. These met separately and communicated in writing, which kept the arrangement loose and frequently deadlocked.

Question 27AS Level European option

Which consideration weighed most heavily with Napoleon III when he decided to intervene against Austria in 1859?

  1. Preventing Prussian influence from reaching southern Germany
  2. Protecting the Papal States from Piedmontese attack
  3. Securing Nice and Savoy and weakening the Austrian position in Italy Correct answer.
  4. Spreading republican government to the Italian peninsula

Explanation

Napoleon III calculated that a war alongside Piedmont would expel Austria from Lombardy, extend French influence in northern Italy and earn territorial compensation at the expense of a rival Catholic power. His dynastic and strategic aims outweighed any commitment to Italian republicanism, which he in fact feared.

Question 28AS Level European option

Which figure negotiated the armistice of Villafranca with Napoleon III in July 1859 on Austria's behalf?

  1. Emperor Franz Joseph in person Correct answer.
  2. Archduke Albert
  3. Count Cavour
  4. General Garibaldi

Explanation

After the Austrian defeats at Magenta and Solferino, Franz Joseph met Napoleon III at Villafranca and agreed an armistice under which Austria ceded Lombardy but kept Venetia. The terms disappointed Cavour so much that he resigned, showing that the settlement was made by the two emperors without Piedmontese consent.

Question 29AS Level European option

Which was the main reason Garibaldi's forces were able to cross to the mainland and take Naples in 1860?

  1. The French navy escorted Garibaldi's ships across the strait
  2. The Bourbon regime in the south had already lost legitimacy and collapsed quickly Correct answer.
  3. Piedmont's regular army had defeated the Neapolitan forces in a pitched battle
  4. Austria had withdrawn all troops from Italy after Villafranca

Explanation

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was weakened by an unpopular administration and by the flight of Francis II from Naples, so Garibaldi's volunteers met little organised resistance once they landed. This collapse of Bourbon authority, rather than foreign assistance, allowed the march north towards the Papal States.

Question 30AS Level European option

Which change in the 1860s gave French workers the right to form trade associations and to strike?

  1. The restoration of universal male suffrage in 1870
  2. The abolition of the Livret system by the 1867 reform
  3. The introduction of the Plebiscite of 1870
  4. The legalisation of unions and strikes under the 1864 law Correct answer.

Explanation

The law of 1864 repealed the Le Chapelier prohibition on combinations, allowing workers to organise and to strike without criminal penalty. Napoleon III intended this as a concession to urban labour as his regime became more liberal in its later phase.

Question 31AS Level European option

Which feature of the 1871 German constitution gave the Emperor decisive influence over foreign and military policy?

  1. He appointed the deputies of the Reichstag
  2. He fixed the annual budget without parliamentary approval
  3. He chaired the Bundesrat and cast its deciding vote
  4. He controlled the appointment of the Chancellor and commanded the armed forces Correct answer.

Explanation

The Emperor appointed and dismissed the Chancellor, who was responsible to him rather than to the Reichstag, and held supreme command of the army. This concentrated foreign and military decisions in the crown and limited the Reichstag's ability to shape policy.

Question 32AS Level European option

Which was the principal aim of Bismarck's Dreikaiserbund of 1873?

  1. To bring Italy into a German-led customs union
  2. To guarantee the borders established by the Treaty of Frankfurt against Russia
  3. To keep Russia and Austria-Hungary reconciled so that France could not find an ally Correct answer.
  4. To create a permanent military alliance against Britain

Explanation

Bismarck's priority after 1871 was to prevent a French war of revenge, and a hostile combination with Russia was the greatest danger. By keeping Vienna and St Petersburg on friendly terms in a loose agreement, he reduced the chance that either would back France.

Question 33AS Level European option

Which policy towards Alsace-Lorraine did the German authorities adopt after 1871?

  1. Allowing them to join the Zollverein as an independent state
  2. Returning them to France under an autonomy statute
  3. Granting them immediate full representation in the Bundesrat
  4. Treating the annexed provinces as Reichsland under direct imperial administration Correct answer.

Explanation

Alsace-Lorraine was not given the status of a federal state but was governed as imperial territory under a Governor appointed from Berlin. This arrangement satisfied neither the French-speaking inhabitants nor German liberals, and it fuelled the protest of the Alsace-Lorraine deputies in the Reichstag.

Question 34AS Level European option

Which development in the 1880s best explains Bismarck's decision to launch a colonial policy despite his earlier indifference?

  1. Domestic pressure from commercial and nationalist groups and the chance to gain electoral advantage Correct answer.
  2. The need to resettle surplus population from Alsace-Lorraine
  3. A strategic plan to encircle Britain with naval bases
  4. A commitment made to Russia under the Reinsurance Treaty

Explanation

Bismarck had long doubted the value of colonies, but from 1884 he endorsed acquisitions in Africa and the Pacific in response to merchants and colonial societies and to win support before elections. He also hoped colonial disputes might distract France from the question of Alsace-Lorraine.

Question 35AS Level International option

Which treaty of 1919 required Germany to accept sole responsibility for causing the First World War?

  1. Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles Correct answer.
  2. The Treaty of Saint-Germain
  3. The Treaty of Trianon
  4. Article 232 of the Treaty of Versailles

Explanation

Article 231, the so-called war guilt clause, obliged Germany to accept responsibility for the losses caused by the war and provided the legal basis for reparations. It was part of the Treaty of Versailles signed with Germany in June 1919.

Question 36AS Level International option

What was the main purpose of the League of Nations' mandate system introduced after 1919?

  1. To create a permanent international army for collective security
  2. To administer former German and Ottoman territories under League supervision Correct answer.
  3. To establish free trade zones across the former Central Powers
  4. To return all colonial territories to their pre-war sovereigns

Explanation

The mandate system placed former German colonies and Ottoman provinces under the tutelage of Allied powers, who were accountable to the League's Permanent Mandates Commission. It was presented as a form of trusteeship rather than outright annexation.

Question 37AS Level International option

Which body was established by the Washington Naval Conference of 1921-22 to limit the size of the major powers' navies?

  1. A total ban on submarine construction by all signatories
  2. A ratio system for capital ships among Britain, the USA, Japan, France and Italy Correct answer.
  3. An agreement to abolish all aircraft carriers
  4. A single international navy commanded by the League

Explanation

The Five-Power Treaty set tonnage ratios for capital ships, usually expressed as 5:5:3:1.75:1.75 for Britain, the USA, Japan, France and Italy. It was the first major arms limitation agreement of the interwar period.

Question 38AS Level International option

What did the Locarno Treaties of 1925 primarily achieve?

  1. Germany joined the League of Nations immediately
  2. France agreed to evacuate the Ruhr within one year
  3. Germany accepted its western borders and arbitration of eastern disputes Correct answer.
  4. Poland and Czechoslovakia signed a mutual defence pact

Explanation

Locarno confirmed Germany's western frontier with France and Belgium and provided for arbitration of disputes in the east. Germany's entry into the League followed in 1926, and the treaties became associated with the 'spirit of Locarno'.

Question 39AS Level International option

Which event in 1931 provided Japan with the pretext to occupy Manchuria?

  1. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident
  2. The signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact
  3. The Mukden Incident involving a railway explosion Correct answer.
  4. The League's rejection of the Japanese racial equality proposal

Explanation

The Mukden Incident was a staged explosion on the South Manchurian Railway, blamed on Chinese forces and used to justify Japanese occupation. The League's Lytton Commission later criticised Japan, which withdrew from the League in 1933.

Question 40AS Level International option

What was the significance of the Abyssinian crisis of 1935-36 for the League of Nations?

  1. It prompted Britain and France to impose an oil embargo on Italy
  2. It led to Italy's immediate expulsion from the League
  3. It exposed the League's inability to enforce effective sanctions against a major aggressor Correct answer.
  4. It resulted in the League authorising military intervention

Explanation

The League imposed limited economic sanctions on Italy but excluded oil and the Suez Canal, allowing Mussolini to complete the conquest of Abyssinia. The failure demonstrated the weakness of collective security and encouraged closer Italo-German cooperation.

Question 41AS Level International option

Which policy did Britain and France adopt towards Hitler's remilitarisation of the Rhineland in March 1936?

  1. They invoked the Locarno Treaties and occupied the Ruhr
  2. They imposed economic sanctions on Germany
  3. They lodged formal protests but took no military action Correct answer.
  4. They launched a joint military counter-offensive

Explanation

The remilitarisation breached both Versailles and Locarno, but Britain and France confined themselves to diplomatic protest, partly because of domestic opposition to war and the distraction of the Abyssinian crisis. The episode has often been cited as a missed opportunity to halt Hitler's expansion.

Question 42AS Level International option

What was the outcome of the Munich Conference of September 1938?

  1. Germany was granted the Sudetenland without a plebiscite Correct answer.
  2. Germany agreed to withdraw from Austria
  3. The League of Nations was given control of Czechoslovakia
  4. Britain and France declared war on Germany

Explanation

At Munich, Britain, France, Germany and Italy agreed that Germany would receive the Sudetenland, and Czechoslovakia, though not invited, was forced to accept. Chamberlain presented the agreement as securing 'peace for our time'.

Question 43AS Level International option

Which agreement of August 1939 included a secret protocol dividing eastern Europe into spheres of influence?

  1. The Anti-Comintern Pact
  2. The Munich Agreement
  3. The Pact of Steel
  4. The Nazi-Soviet Pact Correct answer.

Explanation

The Nazi-Soviet Pact, or Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, pledged non-aggression between Germany and the USSR and included secret protocols dividing Poland and the Baltic states. It removed the risk of a two-front war for Hitler in 1939.

Question 44AS Level International option

What did the Atlantic Charter of August 1941 set out?

  1. Common principles including self-determination and freedom of the seas Correct answer.
  2. A timetable for the invasion of Normandy
  3. An agreement to create the United Nations immediately
  4. A plan for the division of Germany after the war

Explanation

Issued by Roosevelt and Churchill, the Atlantic Charter listed shared aims such as self-government, free trade and freedom of the seas. Its principles were later echoed in the Declaration by United Nations in 1942.

Question 45AS Level International option

Which decision was taken at the Yalta Conference of February 1945?

  1. The Western Allies agreed to leave Berlin entirely under Soviet control
  2. The USSR agreed to enter the war against Japan within three months of Germany's surrender Correct answer.
  3. The USA agreed to share atomic secrets openly with the USSR
  4. The Allies agreed to reinstate the League of Nations

Explanation

At Yalta, Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan after Germany's defeat, in return for territorial concessions in the Far East. The conference also dealt with the future of Germany and Poland, but the secret Far Eastern terms were a key element.

Question 46AS Level International option

What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan announced in 1947?

  1. To provide American economic aid to help rebuild western Europe Correct answer.
  2. To fund the Berlin Airlift directly
  3. To establish NATO's military command structure
  4. To create a Soviet-led economic bloc in eastern Europe

Explanation

The Marshall Plan offered economic assistance to European states to aid recovery and reduce the appeal of communism. Its rejection by the USSR and its satellites deepened the division of Europe.

Question 47AS Level International option

Which organisation was created in 1949 as a collective defence alliance in the North Atlantic area?

  1. The European Coal and Steel Community
  2. The Warsaw Pact
  3. NATO Correct answer.
  4. COMECON

Explanation

NATO was established by the North Atlantic Treaty in April 1949, committing members to collective defence. Its creation was a response to Soviet pressure in Europe and was followed by the Warsaw Pact in 1955.

Question 48AS Level International option

What was the main consequence of the Berlin Blockade of 1948-49?

  1. The Western Allies withdrew from Berlin
  2. The USSR gained control of all Berlin
  3. Germany was reunified under a single government
  4. The Western zones were consolidated and West Germany was founded Correct answer.

Explanation

The Western powers responded with the Berlin Airlift, and the blockade's failure accelerated the division of Germany. In 1949 the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic were established.

Question 49AS Level International option

Which crisis of 1962 brought the USA and USSR closest to direct nuclear conflict?

  1. The Hungarian Uprising
  2. The Cuban Missile Crisis Correct answer.
  3. The Prague Spring
  4. The Suez Crisis

Explanation

The discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba led to a naval quarantine and tense negotiations, ending with the removal of the missiles in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba and the later withdrawal of missiles from Turkey. It prompted the establishment of the Moscow-Washington hotline.

Question 50AS Level International option

What was the outcome of the Geneva Conference on Indochina in 1954?

  1. Vietnam was permanently divided into two sovereign states
  2. The USA assumed direct colonial administration of Vietnam
  3. Vietnam was temporarily divided at the 17th parallel pending elections Correct answer.
  4. France retained control of all of Vietnam

Explanation

The Geneva Accords divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel and provided for elections in 1956, which never took place. The failure to hold them contributed to the escalation of the Vietnam War.