Deck 2: What Shaped Our World

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an example of mercantilism?

A)The Spanish monarchy's control of the gold and silver mines in Latin American colonies.
B)The Dutch East India Company.
C)European countries preferring to import only input goods and not finished products.
D)Virginian tobacco farmers selling their product to England.
E)Britain's repeal of the Corn Laws.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which of the following is the best example of a hegemon?

A)Germany after World War I.
B)The United States during the Cold War.
C)France during the Thirty Years' War.
D)Great Britain in the 1800s.
E)China in the modern era.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The Peace of Westphalia in 1648:

A)established British hegemony.
B)marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
C)marked the beginning of the modern system of states.
D)promoted the Industrial Revolution.
E)created equitable terms of trade.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 did NOT:

A)stabilize the borders of participants in the Thirty Years' War.
B)attempt to resolve any of the religious conflicts between states.
C)call on states not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
D)establish sovereignty of states.
E)create the first international organization.

Question 5

A major change in the balance of power within nineteenth-century Europe was spurred by the:

A)unification and growth of Germany.
B)unification of China.
C)rise of the Ottoman Empire.
D)decline of the American empire.
E)withdrawal of England from active intervention in European politics.

Question 6

Terms of trade refer to the:

A)economic demands made by empires on their colonies.
B)contracts written up between importers and exporters to eliminate misunderstandings between trading partners.
C)level of difficulty of transporting goods between different countries.
D)vocabulary used by importers and exporters.
E)prices paid by a country for imports and what it receives for exports.

Question 7

Why did the adoption of the gold standard facilitate global trade?

A)Gold was easier to mine than previous standard metals.
B)The International Monetary Fund pushed for the adoption of the gold standard.
C)It suited the interests of Great Britain,as it controlled most of the gold mines.
D)It created a predictable way to exchange international currencies.
E)Few countries had existing trade barriers against gold.

Question 8

The sixteenth through eighteenth centuries were characterized by:

A)European states trying to overpower and outmaneuver each other.
B)the dominance of one major European power that kept the peace.
C)economic decline as colonial empires slowly ended.
D)the rise of non-European powers through colonialism.
E)liberalization of trading policies among European and African states.

Question 9

The great European powers cooperated more and fought less during the nineteenth century,in part because of:

A)the invention of new weapons that made war more costly.
B)international institutions that prevented wars from occurring.
C)the decline of the Ottoman Empire.
D)the unification of Germany.
E)increasingly free trade between countries.

Question 10

What did NOT increase under Pax Britannica?

A)Investment.
B)Immigration.
C)International trade.
D)The capacity for communication.
E)European wars.

Question 11

Which of these countries had global hegemonic influence in the nineteenth century?

A)Japan.
B)Great Britain.
C)The United States.
D)France.
E)Spain.

Question 12

A person born in Europe during the early 1900s and surviving into adulthood experienced which of the following?

A)The formation of colonial empires.
B)The end of the United Nations.
C)Large-scale war between great powers.
D)A period of collapsing democracy.
E)A period of rapid economic growth.

Question 13

All of the following led to increasingly globalized world trade in the nineteenth century EXCEPT the:

A)use of steamships.
B)growth of railroads.
C)creation of new colonies in Africa.
D)invention of the telegraph.
E)adoption of the gold standard.

Question 14

During the nineteenth century,the Great Powers of Europe had a common interest in:

A)opposing revolutionary movements throughout Europe.
B)allowing Russia to conquer neighboring parts of the declining Ottoman Empire.
C)promoting democracy throughout Europe.
D)continuing their own mercantilist practices.
E)opposing absolutist monarchies throughout Europe.

Question 15

When European colonialism began in the sixteenth century:

A)the largest cities in the world were mostly found in Europe.
B)political and religious interests pushed Europeans to colonize.
C)European technology was centuries ahead of anywhere else in the world.
D)Europeans thought of Asia as being filled with powerful rivals.
E)economic activity in the rest of the world was stagnant.

Question 16

In the nineteenth century,England promoted international economic stability by:

A)building up its army,rather than its navy.
B)withdrawing from active intervention in world politics.
C)refusing to repeal the Corn Laws.
D)going off the gold standard frequently.
E)leading the world in promoting free trade.

Question 17

Under mercantilism,a country wishing to expand would best start by:

A)forming a common market,or mercantile,among countries in the region.
B)encouraging its colonial territories to produce finished products.
C)withdrawing its diplomats from its adversaries' capitals.
D)building up its military power.
E)creating equitable terms of trade with its economic rivals.

Question 18

The world as a meaningful political and economic unit emerged:

A)when the Roman Republic first became the Roman Empire.
B)with the first successful unification of China.
C)sometime after 1500.
D)during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.
E)after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Question 19

Mercantilist policies in Britain's American colonies:

A)created costs that were paid for primarily by French and Spanish merchants.
B)cost much more per American than the benefits they received from Britain.
C)cost Americans much less than the benefits they received from the British.
D)created costs that were evenly shared by all colonists.
E)were a relatively small burden per person,about equal to benefits received.

Question 20

A country "on" the gold standard:

A)could print as much paper money as it needed.
B)used only gold to make purchases.
C)used only gold coins.
D)promised to exchange its currency for gold at an established rate.
E)had its loans from other countries guaranteed by gold.

Question 21

With regard to the "war debts-reparations tangle":

A)France and England stopped insisting that Germany repay its loans.
B)France and England insisted that the United States repay loans made before World War I.
C)the United States stopped insisting that France and England repay loans made during World War I.
D)the United States insisted that the French and Germans repay loans made during World War I.
E)Germany had no difficulty paying the reparations to which it agreed at the conclusion of World War I.

Question 22

The United States and its allies created international institutions at the end of World War II:

A)because World War II had ended inconclusively.
B)in response to institutions created by the Soviet Union.
C)in order to create a stable free-trade economic system.
D)to increase control over their colonies.
E)because international institutions had been effective before the war.

Question 23

After World War I:

A)the German economy rebounded relatively quickly.
B)the United Nations was abolished after failing to prevent war.
C)the League of Nations was created to avoid another war.
D)few new countries became independent.
E)the Austrian and Ottoman empires survived until the next war.

Question 24

How did the Great Depression help lead to the outbreak of World War II?

A)It caused France to invade Germany after the Germans failed to pay back their war reparations.
B)It led to the rise of extreme right-wing,nationalistic governments in several key European nations.
C)It caused a major spike in the price of oil,a resource that was fiercely contested between America,Germany,Japan,and the United Kingdom.
D)It caused many countries to stop funding the League of Nations,crippling the organization tasked with keeping the peace.
E)It prevented nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom from investing in more troops.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about United States intervention during the Cold War is true?

A)The United States refused to intervene in democratic countries.
B)The United States used military and intelligence services to undermine only governments under the direct control of the Soviet Union.
C)The United States used military and intelligence services to prevent countries from electing governments sympathetic to the Soviet Union.
D)The United States rarely intervened in civil conflicts outside its own borders,because it respected the sovereignty of other countries.
E)The United States rarely used military and intelligence services in Asia,because it feared retaliation from the Soviet Union.

Question 26

A consequence of World War I was:

A)the consolidation of European empires.
B)rapid decolonization of areas of the British and French empires.
C)deflation in the largest European economies.
D)a successful communist revolution in Russia.
E)decreasing support for right-wing groups in Italy.

Question 27

One feature of the Treaty of Versailles that directly led to the outbreak of World War II was:

A)guarantees of freedom of the seas.
B)the creation of the League of Nations.
C)limiting the German military.
D)war reparations.
E)the creation of the United Nations.

Question 28

Why did the United States fight "proxy wars" during the Cold War?

A)Since it did not have the nuclear weapons necessary to launch a direct attack on the Soviet Union,the United States attacked Soviet allies instead.
B)The conflict in Vietnam proved the effectiveness of indirect attacks on Soviet allies.
C)The United States thought fighting wars "by proxy" would be cheaper.
D)The United States hoped it could surprise the Soviet Union by not directly attacking it.
E)The United States feared a devastating war if it directly attacked the Soviet Union.

Question 29

Which of the following statements regarding colonialism is FALSE?

A)Colonial expansion by European countries renewed significantly after 1870.
B)Nationalist sentiment within European countries encouraged colonialism.
C)European countries had colonized most parts of Africa by 1770.
D)Europeans' desire for more markets and resources contributed to the rush for colonies.
E)Rising major powers such as Germany and Japan sparked competition for colonies.

Question 30

Which organization was created to facilitate private investment in developing nations in the 1950s and 1960s?

A)General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
B)International Monetary Fund.
C)International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
D)Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
E)Marshall Plan.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT an explanation for the commencement of the Cold War?

A)The United Nations was viewed as a pro-American organization,so the Soviets refused to cooperate with it.
B)Since there were only two superpowers,it was inevitable that they would compete for influence in Europe.
C)Disagreements were inevitable between a capitalist democracy and a communist one-party system.
D)Interactions between the United States and the Soviet Union became hostile and suspicious.
E)Each viewed the other as a threat to its allies in Europe.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about Soviet intervention during the Cold War is true?

A)The Soviet Union rarely intervened in civil conflicts outside its own borders,because it was focused on winning the nuclear arms race.
B)The Soviet Union refused to send its military to intervene in European countries such as Hungary and Czechoslovakia,because it feared retaliation from the United States.
C)The Soviet Union intervened only in countries with socialist or Marxist governments,since they were already Soviet allies.
D)The Soviet Union rarely intervened in the developing world,because it thought poor countries were likely to become communist without Soviet help.
E)The Soviet Union sent arms and advisers to many developing countries in hopes of helping sympathetic groups seize power.

Question 33

In the decades after World War II,the Soviet Union did all of the following EXCEPT:

A)create a military alliance with countries in Eastern Europe.
B)promote economic cooperation between its own allies.
C)establish military cooperation with China.
D)oppose the independence of colonies in the developing world.
E)compete with the United States for allies in the developing world.

Question 34

After World War II,the United States and Western Europe:

A)increased tariffs and other forms of protection.
B)sought to create a single,common market between the two regions.
C)sought to increase their security through the Warsaw Pact.
D)rejected calls to return to a gold standard-based currency system.
E)collaborated in implementing the Bretton Woods System.

Question 35

The Bretton Woods System sought to reduce barriers and taxes on goods exchanged between countries with the:

A)General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
B)International Monetary Fund.
C)International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
D)Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
E)Marshall Plan.

Question 36

The Soviet Union used its military power to preserve or extend its influence in all of the following cases EXCEPT:

A)Hungary in 1956.
B)Great Britain in 1971.
C)Czechoslovakia in 1968.
D)Afghanistan in 1979.
E)Vietnam in 1965.

Question 37

Which of the following statements about nuclear weapons is true?

A)The Soviet Union initially had more nuclear weapons than the United States.
B)Nuclear weapons were ultimately unimportant in the Cold War competition between the Soviet Union and United States.
C)There was never a real possibility that the United States or the Soviet Union would use their nuclear weapons.
D)The Soviet Union did not have enough nuclear weapons to attack the United States or its allies.
E)The United States' and the Soviet Union's nuclear capabilities effectively prevented each from attacking the other.

Question 38

Which of the following institutions is a member of the Bretton Woods System?

A)European Union.
B)North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
C)United Nations.
D)Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
E)International Monetary Fund.

Question 39

By the early twentieth century,the balance of power between major countries was most affected by the:

A)continued isolation of Japan.
B)rise of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
C)rise of the Ottoman Empire.
D)persistent isolation of the United States.
E)unification of Germany.

Question 40

As the Cold War began,the United States opposed Soviet influence by all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A)creating regional security alliances.
B)providing economic aid to Western Europe.
C)helping Japan and Germany rebuild their economies.
D)promoting free trade among Western countries.
E)providing military aid to countries in Eastern Europe.

Question 41

World War I was supposed to be "the war to end all wars," yet another catastrophic war occurred only two decades later.Explain how the League of Nations and major-power interests failed to prevent World War II.

Question 42

The end of the Cold War was preceded by which event in the 1980s?

A)Decreased military spending by the United States.
B)Increased Soviet repression in Eastern Europe.
C)Increased Soviet troops in Vietnam.
D)Policies of greater openness and economic reconstruction in the Soviet Union.
E)Economic recovery in the Soviet Union.

Question 43

Which of the following factors did NOT encourage decolonization?

A)The major powers began to implement favorable trade and investment policies that led to economic development in their colonies.
B)American businesses hoped they would have more access to markets in developing countries.
C)Nationalist movements became stronger.
D)Since the Soviet Union was known to be anticolonial,Americans feared colonialism would push African and Asian independence movements toward the Soviets.
E)World War II weakened the European colonial powers.

Question 44

States' interests affect how they interact with one another.Explain how states' interests in the nineteenth century led to less conflict between major powers in Europe.

Question 45

Developing countries created the nonaligned movement during the Cold War because they:

A)opposed communist expansion in the Third World.
B)wanted to create closer ties with the Soviet Union.
C)wanted to create closer ties with the United States.
D)wanted to promote international economic development.
E)wanted to build upon their previous successes in embargoing industrial goods.

Question 46

In the 1970s,some developing economies with certain natural resources managed to gain some power over more industrialized economies through the work of which organization?

A)Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
B)International Monetary Fund.
C)World Bank.
D)World Trade Organization.
E)North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Question 47

Why did some countries after World War II form what would become the European Union?

A)To fend off intervention by the United States in Europe.
B)To improve relations with the Soviet Union.
C)To increase tariffs on goods entering Europe.
D)To increase trade and improve economic cooperation within Europe.
E)To increase trade between European countries and their former colonies.

Question 48

Which of the following is an example of a free-trade area?

A)World Trade Organization.
B)European Union.
C)North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
D)African Union.
E)Warsaw Pact.

Question 49

Which statement best describes China and Vietnam in the early 1980s?

A)Both countries strengthened their communist economic systems.
B)Both countries abandoned one-party rule.
C)Both countries adopted capitalist economic reforms.
D)China adopted capitalist economic reforms,but Vietnam did not.
E)Vietnam maintained its one-party system,but China did not.

Question 50

Why did major-power interests and interactions result in a peaceful nineteenth century but a conflict-ridden twentieth century?

Question 51

The biggest crisis between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War occurred in 2014 over which country?

A)Georgia.
B)Belarus.
C)Romania.
D)Ukraine.
E)Azerbaijan.

Question 52

According to the authors,the two predominant realities of international affairs in the modern era are:

A)tension in the Middle East and the rise of terrorism.
B)America's leading role and the rise of terrorism.
C)America's leading role and globalization.
D)Chinese resurgence and globalization.
E)Chinese resurgence and tension in the Middle East.

Question 53

Which of the following is the best example of the challenges to globalization in the modern world?

A)Arab Spring uprisings lead to uncertain results in Middle Eastern and North African countries.
B)Developing economies push for reforms in the United Nations General Assembly.
C)The value of currencies fluctuate now that there is no more gold standard.
D)China and Russia refuse to fully open their borders to international trade.
E)The United States brings trade dispute cases to the World Trade Organization.

Question 54

Which of the following would be an example of détente between the United States and the Soviet Union?

A)The Soviet Union creates the Warsaw Pact.
B)The Soviet Union puts missiles in Cuba.
C)The Soviet Union blocks access to Berlin.
D)The United States agrees to limit its military weapons.
E)The United States sends troops to Vietnam.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 is true?

A)The United States acted unilaterally when responding to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
B)The 1991 war against Iraq revealed the ineffectiveness of the United Nations in coordinating military responses to violations of international law.
C)Iraqi forces were expelled from Kuwait by forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
D)A large coalition of countries led by the United States invaded Iraq to end its occupation of Kuwait.
E)A large coalition of countries under the auspices of the United Nations expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Question 56

In the 1990s,the United Nations:

A)sent troops to Rwanda to mediate an end to a civil war in that country.
B)launched air strikes against Bosnian Serbian forces in the former Yugoslavia.
C)prevented the massacre of 8,000 Bosnian boys and men in the Srebrenica "safe area."
D)opposed the use of force against Iraq after that country invaded Kuwait.
E)supported the use of force against Iraq to ensure that country stopped producing weapons of mass destruction.

Question 57

Which organization,formed in 1920,was the precursor to the United Nations?

A)Concert of Europe.
B)International Monetary Fund.
C)League of Nations.
D)North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
E)Warsaw Pact.

Question 58

What were the major assumptions behind mercantilism? Why did mercantilism give way to globalization and free trade? Whose interests were most served by the change?

Question 59

The European Union:

A)began in the 1950s,with collaboration on coal and steel production between a few countries.
B)began in the 1960s,with a military alliance between France,Germany,and the United Kingdom.
C)opted to allow most members to keep their traditional currencies,such as the French franc.
D)raised barriers to impede the internal movement of labor among the member nations.
E)included all European countries by the end of the 1990s.

Question 60

During the Cold War,developing countries:

A)were more concerned about the spread of communism than the gap in wealth between industrialized and developing countries.
B)sought to separate themselves from the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union.
C)refused to join the United Nations because it was seen as a tool of the United States and the Soviet Union.
D)were often effective at improving the terms of trade between industrialized and developing countries.
E)created effective cartels like the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries for other raw materials,such as copper and bananas.

Question 61

How did the economic,political,and military interests of the major powers evolve over the course of the twentieth century?

Question 62

How did the United States and its allies interact with the Soviet Union and its allies? Give an example of a hostile situation between the two blocs as well as one situation where cooperation prevailed.

Question 63

The victors in World War II created international institutions at the conclusion of the war to promote their own interests and to prevent future wars.Explain why they created these institutions,and how the institutions have affected the interaction of major countries during the Cold War.

Question 64

The end of the Cold War presented new possibilities for the role of institutions such as the United Nations.How did the United Nations prevent conflict and promote cooperation after the Cold War ended?

Question 65

Will United States predominance continue for the next 50 years? Why or why not? What challenges does the United States face in the short term?

Question 66

How have international affairs changed in the years since the end of the Cold War? Which developments do you believe to be the most important and why?