US Multiple Choice Questions: World War I

  1. During World War I, conscientious objectors to military service were often accused of disloyalty, and some conscientious objectors were sentenced to prison. However, other conscientious objectors were willing to accept noncombatant service.

The assignment of conscientious objectors to noncombatant service was an attempt by the government to

  1. Promote ethnic diversity within the military
  2. Educate people about their constitutional rights
  3. Balance individual rights and the common good
  4. Encourage people to apply for conscientious objector status
  1. During World War I, two revolutions took place in Russia while Russia was at war with Germany. Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution said:
    “There can be no doubt that our army is absolutely in no condition…to beat back a German offensive successfully…”

V.I. Lenin

The excerpt above could be used to support the thesis that

  1. Lenin had few skills as a military leader
  2. Russia shared in the responsibility for World War I
  3. Lenin believed that Russia should withdraw from World War I
  4. The Bolshevik Revolution had the support of the Russian army
  1. Which of the following reasons created the spark that started World War I?
  1. European alliances
  2. American imperialism
  3. The growth of military power
  4. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
  1. Among President Wilson’s Fourteen Points was a proposal to
  1. Disarm all major powers
  2. Form a League of Nations
  3. Create an alliance with Germany
  4. Make Great Britain repay their war debts
  1. In March 1918, Russian Lenin signed a treaty with Germany surrendering the Ukraine, Finland, Poland and other territories to Germany. In doing so, Russia ended its participation in World War I. What effect did Russia’s move have on the war?
  1. It had no effect on the war
  2. It created obstacles for Germany
  3. It reinforced Russia’s alliance with the Allies
  4. It allowed Germany to transfer troops to France.
  1. Though Wilson was able to convince European leaders of the value of the League of Nations, to his great disappointment, the plan caused great dissension in Congress. Massachusetts senator Henry Cabot Lodge stated, “I have loved but one flag and I cannot share that devotion and give affection to the mongrel banner invented for a league.”

In the end, the United States…

  1. Ratified the Treaty of Versailles
  2. Failed to join the League of Nations
  3. Agreed to join but only after Germany did not
  4. Lobbied so hard that Europe dismissed the plan
  1. One result of World War I was
  1. The creation of new countries
  2. An expansion of German colonies
  3. A move toward democracy in Russia
  4. An alliance between Germany and France
  1. One of the causes of World War I was the nations of Europe had aligned into two alliance systems. Which of the following combination of nations comprised the Triple Alliance?
  1. France, Great Britain, and Russia
  2. Germany, Great Britain, and Russia
  3. Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy
  4. Austria-Hungary, France, and Italy
  1. One major result of World War I was
  1. A victorious Germany
  2. A revolution in Russia
  3. A defeated France
  4. A revolution in Great Britain
  1. The international organization created to preserve the peace after World War I was the
  1. North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  2. United Nations
  3. Organization of American States
  4. League of Nations
  1. The main purpose of President Wilson’s Fourteen Points at the end of World War I was to
  1. Assist the leaders of Europe to gain additional territory at Germany’s expense
  2. Assure peace in the future by not treating Germany as a vanquished nation
  3. Divide Germany into several parts so it would not be a threat in the future
  4. Gain reparations from Germany to help pay for the cost of the war
  1. Which term is defined largely by feelings of intense patriotism?
  1. Neutrality
  2. Militarism
  3. Nationalism
  4. Imperialism
  1. Congress voted to declare war on Germany for several reasons. Which of these did NOT contribute to Congress’s decision to declare war on Germany?
  1. The Zimmerman note
  2. Shared German ancestry
  3. The sinking of the Lusitania
  4. Germany’s submarine warfare
  1. Woodrow Wilson came to the peace conference with one set of goals. Victorious European nations came with different goals. What was the primary goal of the British and French at the Versailles peace conference?
  1. Withdrawal of their nations from dangerous involvement in foreign affairs
  2. Permitting people in colonized areas to have the right to self-determination
  3. Protecting the rights of national groups to associate with other national groups
  4. Punishing Germany for starting the war and dividing its territory
  1. Some historians call World War I the first industrial war. Several new technologies were developed for warfare. One of the most destructive new weapons used in WWI was
  1. The atomic bomb
  2. The cannon
  3. The fighter jet
  4. Poison gas
  1. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 set events in motion that led to World War I. However, no major war is ever caused by a single event. Another factor that contributed to the outbreak of World War I was
  1. Laissez faire economics
  2. The League of Nations
  3. Intense nationalism
  4. The Bolshevik Revolution
  1. One of Woodrow Wilson’s most important goals after World War I was to establish a League of Nations. What was the main job of the League supposed to be?
  1. Make it unnecessary for the United States to involve itself in international disputes
  2. Provide a way for countries to resolve disputes between them without going to war
  3. Maintain the world economic system so that colonies would no longer be necessary
  4. Hold the nations of Europe responsible for the death and destruction of World War I
  1. The Zimmerman note was a secret telegram sent by Germany to the leaders of Mexico. Why did the Zimmerman note cause outrage among Americans?
  1. It revealed Mexico was getting ready to enter the war on the German side
  2. It promised Mexico that Germany would help it reclaim territory in the U.S. if the United States entered the war against Germany
  3. Zimmerman was passing American secrets to Germany with the help of Mexican leaders
  4. The telegram contained secret messages sent by American leaders its commanders on European battlefields.
  1. The Fourteen Points and the Atlantic Charter were both
  1. Statements of post-war goals for establishing world peace
  2. Plans of victorious nations to divide conquered territories
  3. Military strategies for defeating enemy nations
  4. Agreements between nations to eliminate further development of weapons
  1. Which of the following was a reason for America NOT to fight in WWI?
  1. The Lusitania
  2. The Zimmerman Note
  3. Economic ties to Allies
  4. Wilson’s 1916 Presidential Election
  1. “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic.”

-Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

Which interpretation of the Bill of Rights does this statement illustrate?

  1. The needs of the government are more important than civil liberties
  2. Constitutional protections of liberty are not absolute
  3. The Supreme Court can eliminate freedoms listed in the Bill of Rights
  4. The Bill of Rights does not safeguard individual liberties
  1. From 1914-1916, as World War I raged in Europe, Americans were not able to remain neutral in thought as well as action mainly because
  1. United States membership in military alliances required the nation to fight
  2. United States newspapers encouraged a policy of imperialist expansion
  3. The warring powers interfered with the United States right to freedom of the seas
  4. President Woodrow Wilson supported the war aims of Germany and Austria-Hungary
  1. After World War I, the opposition of some members of Congress to the Versailles Treaty was based largely on the idea that the Treaty
  1. Did not punish the Central Powers harshly enough
  2. Did not give the United States an important role in world affairs
  3. Would require the U.S. to join the League of Nations and might result in the loss of power for the United States
  4. Would require the United States to assume the cost of rebuilding the war-torn European economies
  1. The “clear and present danger” ruling of the Supreme Court in Schenck v. United States illustrates the continuing conflict between
  1. Free speech and governmental authority
  2. The use of search warrants and the rights of the accused
  3. State powers and Federal powers
  4. Religious freedom and separation of church and state
  1. President Wilson’s Fourteen Points were intended to
  1. Make the U.S., Great Britain, and France into leading world powers
  2. Redistribute Germany’s colonies among the Allied nations
  3. Prevent international tensions from leading to another war
  4. Punish Germany for causing World War I
  1. A major reason for the isolationist trend in the United States following World War I was
  1. A desire to continue the reforms of the Progressives
  2. The public’s desire to end most trade with other nations
  3. The failure of the United States to gain new territory
  4. A disillusionment over the outcomes of war
  1. “We are to be an instrument in the hands of God to see that liberty is made secure for mankind.”

-President Woodrow Wilson

President Wilson tried to carry out the idea expressed in this quotation by

  1. Protesting the sinking of the Lusitania
  2. Proposing a program of civil rights for minorities in American society
  3. Urging the Allies to adopt the Fourteen Points
  4. Taking control of territories conquered in World War I
  1. Which action best demonstrated the United States effort to isolate itself from European conflicts after World War I?
  1. Lowering tariff rates
  2. Attempting to improve relations with Asia
  3. Failing to sign international disarmament agreements
  4. Refusing to join the League of Nations
  1. President Woodrow Wilson’s statement “The world must be made safe for democracy” was made to justify his decision to
  1. End U.S. imperialism in Latin America
  2. Support tariff reform
  3. Send troops to Mexico to capture Pancho Villa
  4. Ask Congress to declare war against Germany
  1. President Wilson’s Fourteen Points were based on the belief that
  1. Military strength is a nation’s best path to world peace
  2. Isolationism should guide international relations
  3. The principle of self-determination should be applied to people of all nations
  4. Industrial nations should have equal access to colonial possessions
  1. What was a major reason for United States entry into World War I?
  1. To overthrow the czarist government of Russia
  2. To keep Latin America from being attacked by Germans
  3. To maintain freedom of the seas
  4. To break up the colonial empires of the Allies
  1. Which situation was the immediate cause of the United States entry into World War I in 1917?
  1. The League of Nations requested help
  2. The Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor
  3. Nazi tyranny threatened Western democracy
  4. German u-boats sank US merchant ships
  1. Why did the Senate reject the Versailles Treaty (1919)?
  1. To keep the United States free from foreign entanglements
  2. To express opposition to the harsh sanctions imposed on Germany
  3. To avoid the dues for membership in the League of Nations
  4. To reduce United States military forces in Europe
  1. Which argument did President Woodrow Wilson use to persuade Congress to enter World War I?
  1. Making the world safe for democracy
  2. Retaliating against the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor
  3. Assisting the neutral nations with their defense
  4. Removing the Nazi threat from the Western Hemisphere

  1. Data from the graph above support the conclusion that World War I
  1. Caused the United States trade deficit to increase
  2. Cost the United States many billions of dollars
  3. Was a significant benefit to the American economy
  4. Created an unfavorable balance of trade
  1. Many senators who opposed United States membership in the League of Nations argued that joining the League of Nations would
  1. Involve the nation in future military conflicts
  2. Reduce freedom of the seas
  3. End the country’s free-trade policy
  4. Endanger the nation’s military preparedness
  1. During World War I, many American women helped gain support for the suffrage movement by
  1. Protesting against the war
  2. Joining the military service
  3. Lobbying for childcare facilities
  4. Working in wartime industries
  1. Following World War I, the United States Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles primarily because the treaty
  1. Failed to include most of President Wilson’s Fourteen Points
  2. Did not punish Germany for starting the war
  3. Contained provisions that might lead the United States into foreign conflicts
  4. Made no provision for reduction of military weapons.
  1. One goal for a lasting peace that President Woodrow Wilson included in his Fourteen Points was
  1. Establishing a League of Nations
  2. Maintaining a permanent military force in Europe
  3. Returning the United States to a policy of isolationism
  4. Blaming Germany for causing World War I
  1. During his reelection campaign in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson used the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” In April 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. What helped bring about this change?
  1. Bolshevik forces increased their strength in Germany and Italy
  2. Britain was invaded by nations of the Central Powers
  3. Russia signed a treaty of alliance with the Central Powers
  4. Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare
  1. A major reason the United States entered World War I was to
  1. Gain additional colonial possessions
  2. React to the bombing of Pearl Harbor
  3. Honor prewar commitments to its military allies
  4. Safeguard freedom of the seas for the United States ships
  1. At the beginning of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson followed a traditional United States foreign policy by
  1. Refusing to permit trade with either side in the conflict
  2. Sending troops to aid Great Britain
  3. Declaring American neutrality
  4. Requesting an immediate declaration of war against the aggressors
  1. “…There’s no chance of progress and reform in an administration in which war plays the principal part…”- President-elect Woodrow Wilson, 1913

In this statement, President-elect Wilson was expressing the belief that

  1. The U.S. should enter World War I immediately
  2. Reform movements are strengthened by war
  3. The nation will require a change in leadership if it goes to war
  4. The Progressive movement would be best served by continued peace
  1. One major reason the United States Senate refused to approve the Treaty of Versailles after World War I was that many senators
  1. Were concerned about future United States obligations in foreign affairs
  2. Rejected United States colonial practices in Asia
  3. Wanted immediate repayment of war debts from France
  4. Supported increased foreign aid to Germany
  1. The “clear and present danger” ruling in the Supreme Court case Schenck v. United States (1919) confirmed the idea that
  1. Prayer in public schools is unconstitutional
  2. Racism in the United States is illegal
  3. Interstate commerce can be regulated by state governments
  4. Constitutional rights are not absolute
  1. When World War I began, President Wilson wanted the United States to remain neutral because of the nation’s
  1. Ethnic diversity
  2. Economic problems
  3. Military weakness
  4. Secret alliances
  1. Which event was most influential in turning American public opinion against Germany?
  1. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand
  2. The Sussex Pledge
  3. The invasion of Belgium
  4. The National Defense Act
  1. American internationalists thought that the United States should
  1. Have no involvement in war
  2. Help the Allies with money and supplies but not with troops
  3. Declare war on Germany
  4. Use its influence to try to end the war
  1. What was an immediate cause of the U.S. entry into World War I?
  1. The Sussex Pledge
  2. The Zimmerman Note
  3. The sinking of the Lusitania
  4. The blockade of Germany
  1. Soldiers killed, wounded and missing are also known as
  1. Contraband
  2. Casualties
  3. Militarism
  4. Convoys
  1. Which of these best describes the impact of World War I on the American economy?
  1. Prices decreased
  2. Production decreased
  3. Regulation increased
  4. Unemployment increased
  1. What was the effect of the Sedition Act?
  1. It limited freedom of speech
  2. It created distrust of German Americans
  3. It increased the size of the Army
  4. It gave women the right to vote
  1. How did World War I change the lives of American women?
  1. It broadened job opportunities for women
  2. It delayed the extension of voting rights to women
  3. It made military service mandatory for young women
  4. It increased educational opportunities for women
  1. How did World War I contribute to the Great Migration?
  1. By forcing African Americans men to become soldiers
  2. By ending segregation in the military
  3. By improving the South’s economy
  4. By creating jobs in the North
  1. This was a movement of African Americans to cities in the North during and after World War I.
  1. Great Migration
  2. Underground Railroad
  3. Freedom Riders
  4. Conscientious Objectors
  1. Where did American troops do the most fighting?
  1. At sea
  2. In Germany
  3. On the Western Front
  4. On the Eastern Front
  1. The Paris Peace Conference denied self-determination to the people of
  1. Iraq
  2. India
  3. Germany
  4. Russia
  1. What was the result of the U.S. Senate’s refusal to approve the Treaty of Versailles?
  1. The League of Nations was never formed
  2. The League of Nations was ineffective
  3. Britain and France were no longer allies of the United States
  4. Germany was never held accountable for war damages
  1. Who were the irreconcilables?
  1. Senators who opposed joining the League of Nations as it was described in Versailles Treaty
  2. Payment for war damages
  3. Senators who opposed joining the League of Nations in any form
  4. Senators who wanted to join the League of Nations
  1. What was the cause of the labor strikes in 1919?
  1. Food shortages
  2. Rising prices
  3. Race riots
  4. Women workers
  1. Which nation was the world’s economic leader after World War I?
  1. Britain
  2. Germany
  3. The Soviet Union
  4. The United States
  1. In 1920, American voters elected a President who promised
  1. To continue the policies of Woodrow Wilson
  2. To increase the U.S. role in world affairs
  3. Sweeping economic and social change
  4. A return to simpler times
  1. The postwar period was difficult for farmers because of
  1. Falling food prices
  2. Widespread drought
  3. A shortage of farm equipment
  4. A decrease in demand for farm products
  1. The purpose of the Committee on Public Information was to
  1. Use propaganda to increase public support for the war effort
  2. Recruit movie stars to entertain troops
  3. Hold rallies and parades for troops bound for Europe
  4. Encourage Americans to rename all things German, such as hamburgers and dachshunds.
  1. Wilson envisioned the League of Nations as an international congress of nations designed to
  1. Reward the allies and punish enemies
  2. Punish Germany for its role in World War I
  3. Avoid future wars with Germany
  4. Settle disputes and protect democracy
  1. For President Wilson, the most important part of the peace settlement was
  1. The creation of the League of Nations
  2. Persuading the U.S.