49 exam-style questions on Causes and effects of 20th-century wars — topic WHT.11 of World History Topics (Paper 2, choose 2 of 12) in the IB History syllabus — with answers and explanations. Samples below; the full set is free with an account.
The Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 1939 (Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact) included a secret protocol to:
Answer: Divide Poland and Eastern Europe into spheres
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (23 August 1939) was a non-aggression treaty whose secret protocol divided Poland and the Baltic region into German and Soviet spheres. Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939.
The Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943) is significant because it:
Answer: Was a turning point that halted the German advance
The Battle of Stalingrad ended in February 1943 with the surrender of the German Sixth Army. It was a decisive turning point on the Eastern Front, after which the Soviets took the strategic initiative.
The bombing of Guernica in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War was carried out by:
Answer: The German Condor Legion
The Basque town of Guernica was bombed on 26 April 1937 by the German Condor Legion (and Italian aircraft) supporting Franco. The attack on civilians inspired Picasso's famous painting and became a symbol of the war's brutality.
When historians distinguish 'long-term, short-term and immediate' causes of a war, an assassination that triggers mobilisation is best classed as
Answer: an immediate cause
Immediate (trigger) causes are the final events that precipitate conflict, as opposed to deeper structural long-term causes.
Which of the following best describes a 'civil war'?
Answer: an armed conflict within a single state
Civil wars are internal conflicts; their causes and effects differ from inter-state wars, though outside powers may intervene.
A common social consequence of total war in the twentieth century was
Answer: expanded wartime roles and employment for women
Labour shortages often drew women into new roles; historians debate how lasting such social changes proved after the war.
That was 6 of 49 Causes and effects of 20th-century wars questions.
Practise all 49 freeDistinguishAO2 · 2–6 marks
Make the difference clear for BOTH terms — a definition of one of them is only half an answer.
StateAO1 · 1–3 marks
One word or one short sentence. No explanation, no working: the mark is for the fact itself.
OutlineAO1 · 1–3 marks
A brief account or summary: the main points in two or three sentences, no evaluation.
49 Causes and effects of 20th-century wars questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
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