WBBSE Class 9 History Chapter 5 Europe In The Twentieth Century SAQs

WBBSE Chapter 5 Europe In The Twentieth Century Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Mention two instruments through which Czar Nicholas I followed a policy of repression.
Answer: Two instruments through which Czar Nicholas I followed a policy of repression were:

1. The Board of Censorship kept a close watch on the people. The universities, the schools, and the press were particularly controlled by it.
2. The Third Section or the secret police was a body vested with unlimited powers to arrest, imprison, exile, and even execute people.

Read and Learn More WBBSE Class 9 History Short Answer Questions

Question 2. Mention two important contributions of Czar Nicholas I.
Answer: Two contributions of Czar Nicholas I were:

1. His reign was marked by the emergence of the Industrial Revolution in Russia. There was tremendous growth in the light industry and particular progress in the cotton textile and beet sugar industries.
2. The study of literature was encouraged by him so that people might forget politics.

Question 3. Give some examples of the withdrawal of repressive policy by Czar Alexander II.
Answer: Czar Alexander II withdrew the repressive policies existing in Russia.

1. He showed his prison and calling back the others from exile, liberalism by releasing the Dekabrists from those who had been punished by his father 30 years ago for revolting against him.
2. He relaxed the censorship.
3. The universities were free to follow their philosophy of teaching.
4. Restrictions on foreign travel were removed.

WBBSE Class 9 Europe in the Twentieth Century SAQs

Question 4. What was the condition of the serfs during the rule of the Czars?
Answer: Condition Of The Serfs During The Rule Of The Czars:-

During the rule of the Czars, the condition of the serfs was miserable. They were like the personal possessions of the lords and had no freedom. They lived on small portions of to five days per week in the lord’s manor land assigned to them and had to work four without any wage.

The law did not acknowledge or protect their rights. Their masters treated them as animals. They could be auctioned and they were subjected to physical punishment.

Question 5. What was the total number of serfs in Russia at the time of emancipation?
Answer: Total Number Of Serfs In Russia At The Time Of Emancipation Is Given Below:-

At the time of emancipation, there were about 45 million serfs in Russia comprising about 50% of the total population. Of the total number of serfs, 23 million belonged to the crown, and the rest to the private lords.

Question 6. What do you mean by ‘Policy in Russia? It was an elected local assembly Russification’?
Answer: Policy Of In Russia:-

‘Policy of Russification’ was implemented by the Russian government. It means the imposition of Russian culture on those who were of non-Russian nationality but lived within the Russian empire. It greatly affected the Ukrainians, Poles, and Lithuanians: The policy aimed to bring non-Russians under more direct political control of the Russian government.

Question 7. Name some important movements that broke out during the rule of the Russian Czars.
Answer: The important movements which broke out during the rule of the Russian Czars were:

1. Russian literary movement (1840’s).
2. Nihilist movement (1860’s).
3. Populist or Narodnik movement (1870’s).
4. The Revolution of 1905; [5] The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

Key SAQs on World War I and II for Class 9

Question 8. Who is known as the ‘Father of modern Russia’ and why?
Answer: Father Of Modern Russia:-

Peter the Great is known as the ‘Father of modern Russia’. He introduced administrative reforms, established peace in the country, improved the economic condition of the country, and introduced religious reforms. He reorganized and strengthened the Russian army.

He designed the city of St. Petersburg after several modern European cities. He followed a successful foreign policy and Russia became a major European power during this time.

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Question 9. What a ‘Duma’ and ‘Zemstvo’?
Answer: Duma And Zemstvo:-

The Parliament of Russia is known as the Duma. In 1905 Czar Nicholas II established the Duma and its first assembly was held in 1906. Zemstvo was an organ of rural self-government in Russia. It was an elected local assembly established in 1864 by Czar Alexander II.

Question 10. What is the meaning of ‘Menshevik’ and ‘Bolshevik’ in Russian?
Answer: In Russian ‘Menshevik’ means ‘minority’ and Bolshevik means ‘majority’.

Question 11. Why is the Russian Revolution of 1905 called a ‘dress rehearsal’ of the Revolution of 1917?
Answer: The Russian Revolution of 1905 is called the ‘dress rehearsal’ of the Revolution of 1917. Czar Nicholas II ruthlessly and mercilessly suppressed the revolutionaries of 1905. Though the revolutionaries were defeated, the Revolution of 1905 inspired the people to launch a protest against the Czar and his policy. Thus they prepared the path for the Revolution of 1917.

Question 12. What were the causes of the failure of Kerensky’s government?
Answer: Causes Of The Failure Of Kerensky’s Government:-

The provisional government under Kerensky set up in February 1917 to govern Russia collapsed in October due to the following reasons:

1. Price rise and the economic distress of the people of Russia due to the participation of Russia in the First World War caused discontent among the people.
2. Kerensky’s government failed to check the advancement of the Germans into Russia.
3. The soldiers, influenced by Bolshevism, refused to take part in the First World War.

Understanding Political Changes in 20th Century Europe SAQs

Question 13. Mention two consequences of the Russian Revolution.
Answer: Two consequences of the Russian Revolution were:

1. Russia became a socialist country ending Czarist autocracy and aristocratic privileges.
2. In 1922 the formation of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) was formally declared. USSR became a federation of 15 Soviet Socialist Republics with its object of socialism which ran as: “from each according to his capacity to each according to his work.”

Question 14. What is the ‘October Manifesto’?
Answer: October Manifesto:-

After the violent incident on 9 January 1905 (Bloody Sunday) Czar Nicholas II of Russia bowed down to the storm and purchased peace by introducing certain liberal reforms published in a document known as the October Manifesto.

Through this Manifesto he granted:

1. Freedom of speech.
2. Freedom of the press.
3. Freedom of public meetings.
4. The legislative assembly would be elected based on the powers of the Duma.
5. That a new legislative universal suffrage.

Question 15. What do you understand by the term ‘War Communism’?
Answer: War Communism:-

During the civil war in Russia, the Bolshevik government faced a major problem of production and supply of necessary articles due to the occupation of food-producing and industrial areas by the opponents or the ‘whites’. To tide over the situation, Lenin introduced ‘War Communism’ which meant total control of the state over every aspect of economic activity.

Class 9 History WBBSE Chapter 5 Europe In The Twentieth Century

Question 16. Give two examples of unsatiated nationalism before the outbreak of the First World War.
Answer: Two examples of unsatiated nationalism before the outbreak of the First World War were:

1. Italians of Trieste, Trentin, and Tyroo were under the rule of the Dual Monarchy of Austria. Hungary wanted to join Italy.
2. The ambition of Alsace and Lorraine which was under German occupation to join France.

Question 17. What were the two rival contending parties in the First World War?
Answer:

In the First World War, the two rival contending parties were:

1. On one side was the Triple Entente of twenty-three countries including France, England, and Russia. Later on Italy (which was a member of the Triple Alliance), Romania, Japan, China, and Portugal joined the Triple Entente. They were known as the Allied Powers.
2. On the other side were the members of Triple Germany, Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria, etc. They were called ‘Axis Powers’ or ‘Central Powers’.

Question 18. What was the Bosnia-Herzegovina problem before the outbreak of the First ore World War?
Answer: Before the First World War Bosnia and Herzegovina were annexed by Austria. This injured the nationalistic feelings of the people of these two places as they desired to unite with Serbia. The people supported by the Serbia Government rose in revolt against Austria.

Practice SAQs for Class 9 History: Europe in the 20th Century

Question 19. What is the Moroccan Crisis?
Answer: France had vital colonial interests in Morocco in North African region rich in mineral resources and dominated by the Muslims. Kaiser William II of Germany protested against the supremacy of France in Morocco and appeared in the port of Tangier in 1905. He provoked the Sultan of Morocco against the French and declared that he would support Moroccan independence from France. This led to a war situation between France and Germany. This is known as the Moroccan Crisis (1905).

Question 20. What is the Agadir Crisis?
Answer: In 1911 in Morocco in North Africa some Europeans lost their lives during a tribal movement. Under this circumstance, France occupied a part of Morocco. Germany protested against this and the German gunboat ‘Panther’ was sent to the port of Agadir in Morocco with the ulterior motive of establishing a German claim in Morocco. England in support of France sent warships to Agadir. This led to a war situation which is known in history as the Agadir crisis.

Question 21. Why did the United States of America join the First World War?
Answer: The United States of America joined the First World War due to the aggressive policy of Germany. The USA suffered great losses when American ships were destroyed by Germany. America asked Germany not to attack vessels of neutral countries and the American ships in the open seas but Germany paid no heed to this. So the USA joined the First World War.

Question 22. When did Russia withdraw itself from the First World War?
Answer: Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in 1918. After signing the Treaty Russia withdrew herself from the First World War.

Question 23. Who were the Big Four at the Paris Peace Conference (1919)?
Answer:

The ‘Big Four’ at the Paris Peace Conference were:

1. Woodrow Wilson of America
2. Lloyd George of England
3. Clemenceau of France and
4. Orlando of Italy.

Question 24. What were the five treaties concluded at the Paris Peace Conference?
Answer:

The five treaties concluded at the Paris Peace Conference were:

1. Treaty of Versailles
2. Treaty of St. Germain
3. Treaty of Neuilly
4. Treaty of Trianon
5. Treaty of Sevres.

Examples of Short Answer Questions on European Conflicts

Question 25. Mention three territorial clauses of the Treaty of Versailles.
Answer: Three territorial clauses of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) were:

1. The provinces of Alsace and Lorraine were taken away from Germany and were given back to France.
2. The Saar Valley on the western frontier of Germany was handed over to France for fifteen years after which the fate of the region was to be settled by a plebiscite.
3. The port of Danzig was also snatched away from the possession of Germany and was declared a free port under the League of Nations.

Question 26. Mention three military clauses that led to unemployment. Treaty of Versailles.
Answer:

Three military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles were:

1. The German board of staff or generals of the army was dissolved.
2. The universal compulsory military service was dissolved.
3. Germany had to surrender her fleet to the Allies.

Question 27. What were the economic implications of the Treaty of Versailles (1919)?
Answer: In the First World War Germany was defeated and the Treaty of Versailles (1919) was imposed upon Germany. The heavy burden of compensation imposed upon Germany brought in a host of evils like unemployment, taxation, and hyperinflation. The hyperinflation combined with the effects of the Great Depression undermined the stability of the German economy destabilized the Weimer Republic and paved the path for Hitler’s rise to power.

Question 28. Why is the Treaty of Versailles known as a ‘dictated peace’?
Answer: The Treaty of Versailles (1919) has been called a ‘dictated peace’ because the treaty was imposed upon defeated Germany by the victorious powers of World War I. The delegates of Germany were not invited to the conference of Paris and the treaty was not based on mutual negotiation. The German representative was forced to sign the treaty on the threat of aerial bombardment of Germany.

Question 29. How did the economic crisis begin in the USA?
Answer: In USA economic crisis began with the crash of the Wall Street Exchange in 1929, when the USA could not recover back loans. NSW Fearing a fall in price, people made frantic efforts to sell their shares. In a single day, 13 million shares were sold. Factories were shut down, banks became bankrupt, exports fell, and farmers were badly hit leading to unemployment.

Question 30. Why is 24 October 1929 known as the ‘Black Thursday’?
Answer: 24 October 1929 is known as the ‘Black Thursday’ because on this day the American share market crashed. As the shareholders were traumatised millions of shares had been sold on this fateful day.

Important Figures in 20th Century Europe SAQs

Question 31. Why is the share market crash of 24 October 1929 known as the ‘Wall Street er 1929 known as Crash’?
Answer: On 24 October 1929 the American share market crashed because on this day the panicked shareholders sold millions of shares. The crash is known as Wall Street Crash because Wall Street in New York, USA was the location of the principal share market.

Question 32. What was the effect of the Great Depression of 1929 on the USA?
Answer: The Great Depression of 1929 had years, profound effect on the USA. Over the next three between 1929 and 1932, the national income of the USA fell by half. The speculators withdrew their money from the market. Factories shut down, exports fell, farmers were badly hit and millions of workers lost their jobs.

WBBSE Class 9 History Chapter 5 Europe In The Twentieth Century

Question 33. Why was the new republican government set up in Germany after the First World War known as the Weimer Republic?
Answer: After the defeat of Germany in the First World War there were protests from the industrialists, intellectuals, and the common people. As Berlin, the capital of Germany was a hotbed of discontent the new republican government began to function from nearby Weimer. This is why the Republic was called the Weimer Republic.

Question 34. What was the main cause of the failure of the Weimer Republic?
Answer: After the First World War there was an acute economic crisis in Germany. The main cause of the failure of the Weimer Republic was its inability to solve the economic crisis of the post-war period.

Question 35. Before the Second World War, what were the two anti-democratic ideals?
Answer: Before the Second World War, two anti-democratic ideals were:

1. Fascism was preached by Mussolini, the ruler of Italy.
2. Nazism was preached by Hitler, the ruler of Germany.

Question 36. What is Fascism?
Answer: Fascism means autocracy or dictatorship where all the powers of the state are vested in one person only and nobody can question, criticize,e and oppose that authority. It denies individualism, democracy, and socialism.

Question 38. What is the difference between Democracy and Fascism?
Answer:

The differences between Democracy and Fascism are as follows:

1. Democracy means rule by the people. It is a form of government in which political control is exercised by the people through their elected representatives. Fascism is a form of government where there is a leader.
2. In a democracy, the opposition plays a one-party dictatorship ruled by an authoritarian very important role but in a Fascist government, there is no opposition party.

Question 39. Why did the people of Germany support the Nazis?
Answer: The Great Economic Depression of 1929 had a profound effect on the GermAnswer: Faced with the economic crisis, the Germans lost their faith in the Republican government. Within six years the working class and the middle class were ruined due to the economic crash.

The Nazis promised to nationalize big business, provide employment for all workers and implement land reforms for peasants. Naturally, the people turned to Nazism for a remedy.

Key Themes in 20th Century European History for SAQs

Question 40. What kind of racial segregation was practiced by the Nazis?
Answer: Once in power, the Nazis in Germany quickly began to implement their dream of creating an exclusive racial community of pure Germans by physically eliminating all those who were seen as ‘undesirable’ in the extended empire. The Nazis wanted a society of only ‘pure healthy Nordic Aryans’ who were considered ‘desirable’. This meant that even those Germans who were seen as impure or abnormal had no right to exist.

Question 41. What kind of political system did Mussolini set up in Italy?
Answer: Mussolini established a totalitarian state with himself as ‘The leader’ or ‘Il Duce’. He controlled everything in the state, including the Fascist Party. Political liberty was abolished, censorship and espionage were introduced and all associations were placed under the Fascist Party.

Fascism was directed against individualism, democracy, socialism,m and international peace. As for the political system, the majority rule was rejected in favor of dictatorial rule.

Question 42. Who were the British and French Prime Ministers during the Spanish Civil War?
Answer: During the Spanish Civil War the British Prime Ministers were Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain and the French Prime Minister was Leo Blum.

Question 43. What were the four main organs of the League of Nations?
Answer: The four main organs of the League of Nations were

1. The Assembly.
2. The Council.
3. The Secretariat.
4. Permanent Court of International Justice.