36 exam-style questions on Early Modern states (1450-1789) — topic WHT.5 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.
State which term best describes the system of government developed by Louis XIV of France, in which the monarch claimed authority derived from God and concentrated power in the crown.
Answer: Absolutism
Louis XIV embodied absolutism, ruling by divine right and centralising authority; his reign is summarised in the phrase attributed to him, 'L'etat, c'est moi'.
Identify the palace whose construction under Louis XIV served to overawe and domesticate the French nobility by drawing them into court life away from provincial power bases.
Answer: Versailles
Versailles centralised the nobility under royal supervision, weakening their independent regional power and reinforcing absolutism.
Determine which of the following was a principal method by which early modern rulers strengthened centralised state authority.
Answer: Building standing armies and salaried bureaucracies
Standing armies and paid officials loyal to the crown reduced dependence on the nobility and were core tools of early modern state-building.
Identify the chief minister to Louis XIII of France who consolidated royal power by curbing the political and military privileges of the Huguenots and the great nobles.
Answer: Cardinal Richelieu
Cardinal Richelieu (chief minister 1624-1642) centralised authority, subdued Huguenot fortress towns such as La Rochelle, and laid foundations for absolutism.
Determine the economic policy, associated with Colbert in France, that aimed to maximise state wealth by boosting exports, limiting imports through tariffs, and accumulating bullion.
Answer: Mercantilism
Mercantilism (Colbertism in France) sought a favourable balance of trade and state-directed manufacturing to enrich the treasury and fund the absolutist state.
Identify the Russian tsar (reigned 1682-1725) whose reforms, including the founding of a new capital and the westernisation of the army and administration, transformed Russia into a major European power.
Answer: Peter the Great
Peter I (the Great) modernised Russia along Western lines, founded St Petersburg (1703), and reformed the state, extending early modern centralising trends eastward.
That was 6 of 36 Early Modern states (1450-1789) questions.
Practise all 36 freeStateAO1 · 1–3 marks
One word or one short sentence. No explanation, no working: the mark is for the fact itself.
IdentifyAO1 · 1–3 marks
Name or pick out the thing asked for from the information given. A label, not a paragraph.
ExplainAO2 · 2–6 marks
Give reasons or causes: say what happens AND why, linking each step with 'because' or 'so that'.
36 Early Modern states (1450-1789) questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
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