Industrial Revolution: WBBSE Class 9 History solutions

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Get textual answers, explanations, solutions, notes, extras, MCQs, PDF of Chapter 4 Industrial Revolution: Colonialism and Imperialism, WBBSE Class 9 History (English medium). However, the educational materials should only be used for reference, and students are encouraged to make necessary changes.

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Summary

The Industrial Revolution was a major change that began in the eighteenth century. New scientific inventions led to machines doing work that people used to do. This meant goods could be produced in large quantities. This big shift in how things were made and transported started mainly in England. There isn’t one exact start date, but many agree it was significant around 1760 or 1780. England became like the ‘workshop of the world’, meaning it made goods for many other places.

Factories and big mills were built in England, mostly in cities. Soon, other European countries realized they couldn’t just rely on farming or England’s goods. After wars involving Napoleon ended, countries like Belgium, France, Germany, and Russia started their own industrial growth. Belgium became very industrialized quickly. France started later, partly because of earlier troubles, but Napoleon encouraged industry, and it grew after 1830. Germany’s industrial growth took off after it became a unified country in 1870. Russia began industrializing later, especially after freeing the serfs in 1861. Sometimes, like in France, the government played a big role in building industries, while in England, it was mostly private business owners. English money and engineers often helped start industries in other countries.

New technology was key. James Watt’s steam engine provided power for machines. The textile industry, especially cotton, changed completely. Iron production improved. Stone started replacing timber in building. This led to the factory system, where many workers gathered in one building to use machines owned by an employer. This allowed for ‘mass production’, making lots of goods quickly.

This revolution changed society greatly. Two main social classes grew: the industrial bourgeoisie, or middle-class factory owners and business people who became wealthy, and the industrial proletariat, or the working class, who faced hard conditions. Many people moved from villages to cities looking for factory jobs. New cities grew rapidly, but living conditions for workers were often poor, crowded, and unhealthy, sometimes called ghettos. Women, especially single women from the countryside, became an important part of the factory workforce, earning their own money.

Some people, called socialists, saw the problems caused by industrialization, like the large gap between the rich and poor and the difficult lives of workers. Early socialists like Robert Owen tried to improve conditions peacefully. Later, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels had different ideas. They believed capitalism, the system based on private ownership and profit, was unfair and would eventually be overthrown by workers through conflict, leading to socialism or communism, where workers would control production.

The Industrial Revolution also fueled colonial expansion. Factories needed huge amounts of raw materials like cotton, and factory owners needed new markets to sell their finished goods because European countries couldn’t buy everything. They looked to Asia and Africa, continents that hadn’t industrialized. European powers like England, France, Holland, Portugal, and others took control of lands there, creating colonies. England built a vast empire, with India considered its most valuable possession, the ‘jewel in the crown’. China faced foreign control over its trade and territory, sometimes described as the ‘cutting of the Chinese melon’. Africa, once largely unknown to Europeans and called the ‘Dark Continent’, was rapidly divided among European powers in the ‘Scramble for Africa’. This search for resources and markets, driven by nationalism and a belief in their own superiority, is called imperialism.

Improvements in communication and transportation supported industry and colonialism. The telegraph allowed instant communication. Railways, using steam locomotives like George Stephenson’s Rocket, and steamships made travel and transport faster. The Suez Canal connected the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, making trade routes much shorter. These developments helped European powers control their colonies and expand trade. Under British rule, India was transformed from a country that exported finished goods to one that exported raw materials to Britain and imported British factory-made goods.

The competition for colonies and resources among European powers created rivalries and tension. Nations formed alliances for protection. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance, while Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente. Several crises, particularly in the Balkans, Morocco, and the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, led to the outbreak of the First World War. The war involved the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, etc.) against the Entente Powers (France, Britain, Russia, Italy, USA, etc.) and lasted until 1918, causing immense loss of life and changing the world map.

Textual Questions, Answers (Oriental)

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Of the following who first used the term ‘Industrial Revolution ?

(a) Arnold Toyanbee
(b) Blanqui
(c) Karl Marx
(d) Friedrich Engels

Answer: (b) Blanqui

2. In which of the following countries industrialization was achieved mainly through government initiative ?

(a) England
(b) Germany
(c) France
(d) Belgium

Answer: (c) France

3. In the bourgeoisie-capitalist system the bourgeoisie was unwilling to accept the ______ system of government.

democratic
aristocratic
monarchical
parliamentary

Answer: monarchical

4. ______ was one of the early socialists.

Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels
Robert Owen
Hegel

Answer: Robert Owen

Short Answer Type Questions

5. Which revolution brought about changes in the mode of production ?

Answer: The Industrial Revolution brought about changes in the mode of production. As a result of scientific inventions in the eighteenth century, human labour came to be replaced more and more by machines producing goods in huge quantity. This transformation in the mode of production and transportation, the general substitution of power-driven machinery for human labour, is known as the Industrial Revolution.

6. Linking of which two seas made easier the movement of cargo between East and the West?

Answer: Linking the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea by means of the Suez Canal made easier the movement of cargo between East and West, making the development of international trade faster.

7. Which policy was suggested by the USA regarding the opening of China ?

Answer: Fearing that its trade with China would be shut off as a consequence of the parceling out of China into exclusive spheres of influence, the USA suggested the policy of ‘Open Door’. According to this policy, all countries would have equal rights to trade anywhere in China.

8. What constituted the immediate cause of the First World War ?

Answer: The July Crisis of 1914 constituted the immediate cause of the World War I. On 28 June 1914, at Sarajevo, the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, who was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated by a Serbian terrorist. Austria presented an ultimatum to Serbia, and the severe attitude of the German Emperor, William II, insisted that the Serbs be dealt with once and for all, leading to the outbreak of the war.

Long Answer Type Questions-I

9. What led to the migration of people from rural areas to the urban centres as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution?

Answer: The Industrial Revolution brought about a shift in the population. Before the Industrial Revolution, the majority of the population lived in villages as it was dependent on agriculture or was attached to land in one way or the other. With the growth of industrialization, the scenario changed completely. The centre of economic life shifted from villages to cities. The new cities that had grown were important centres of industry. Consequently, there was a shift in the population. People gradually moved from villages to cities. This was inevitable as factories were located in cities where people could find jobs.

10. How was India transformed from an exporter to an importer under the British colonial rule?

Answer: Prior to British colonial rule, Indian handicrafts had a steady market in Europe, and India was the world’s principal producer and exporter of cotton textiles. However, the Industrial Revolution in England completely changed India’s economic relations. England developed its industry with modern machines, producing huge quantities of goods which found their way into Indian markets. Indian hand-made goods could not compete with the cheaper machine-made goods produced in English factories. Consequently, India not only lost foreign markets for her manufactures but also saw her own shops flooded with goods produced in England. Deprived of exporting her manufactures, India was forced to export raw materials like cotton, raw silk, indigo, and tea, which the industrial establishments of England urgently needed and were in short supply there. As a colony of England, India was guided by the needs of the British industry. Thus, India, a country that had been an exporter of finished products, was transformed into a country that imported machine-made products from England under British colonial rule.

Long Answer Type Questions-II

19. Narrate how the Industrial Revolution spread in the Continent of Europe.

Answer: Industrial Revolution first made its appearance in England. After the restoration of peace in Europe in 1815, machine production was extended to the Continent. At the initial stage, English capital financed the industrial enterprises in the Continent, and English engineers supplied the necessary technological knowledge.

No European country even attempted to follow in England’s footsteps till the end of the Napoleonic era. Almost immediately after, Belgium undertook a movement of industrialization with the indirect help of England. However, it was not before 1830 that the movement gained momentum. Thereafter it speeded up so sharply that by 1870 Belgium became the most industrialized nation.

Industrialization started rather late in France. Socio-economic and political disorder due to the Revolution and the Napoleonic warfare acted as a major hindrance. Napoleon, however, made a determined effort to build up industry in France, including founding technical schools and advancing government loans. This support served as the basis for later French industrialization. The real beginning of large-scale industry in France dates from 1830. Under the July Monarchy, industrialization made much headway. In 1832 railway construction commenced, helped by the Bank of France’s liberal credit policy. After its real beginning in 1830, France was second only to England in exporting industrial products, excelling in quality rather than quantity. An important aspect of industrialization in France was the role of the French government; unlike in England where it was the work of the capitalist class, in France, industrialization was achieved mainly through government initiative, including providing capital for railway construction.

As Germany remained divided into small states, fixing a precise start date is difficult. Political disunity was the greatest handicap. Prussia was much advanced industrially compared to states under the Napoleonic Empire. The real beginning of industrial revolution in Germany began only after she attained her unity in 1870. Despite uneven growth due to political reasons, a unified Germany far outdistanced France after 1870. In Germany, as well, the railway was built with the additional aid of English capital, and unlike England, Belgium, and France, railway construction preceded the real beginning of industrialization.

The Industrial Revolution of England had some impact on Russia during the mid-nineteenth century. In 1852 the first railway line was completed between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The real beginning of industry in Russia dates from the reign of the Tsar Alexander II. The Emancipation Statute of 1861, freeing serfs, created an atmosphere for industry to flourish. Under Tsar Alexander III, coal-fields and iron-mines began to be extensively worked. The most important feature of industrialization in Russia was that industries were mostly established with the aid of foreign capital. By 1914, some 2000 million rubles of foreign capital had been invested. This absolute dependence on foreign capital remained a major source of weakness.

20. What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on society?

Answer: Industrialization brought about unforeseen consequences. The personal relationship that had existed earlier between the employed and the employee was lost as a result of mechanization. The mass of workers began to shift to cities where large factories were established.

In England, where industrialization began and progressed rapidly, the social consequences were felt unambiguously. The Industrial Revolution gave rise to two classes: the Industrial bourgeoisie and the Industrial proletariat. The industrial bourgeoisie (middle class) amassed enormous capital from profiteering and exploitation. The industrial proletariat (working class) faced extreme hardship and proliferated with new industries, initially lacking political struggle experience and remaining unorganized. Other classes like nobility and peasantry played minor roles, but the middle class and working class emerged as the two most important social classes.

The Industrial Revolution brought tremendous changes, particularly for working people. Workers no longer laboured outdoors as farmers; most worked in factories and lived in large, crowded cities. England’s urban population far exceeded its rural population. Big industrial towns like Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle grew alongside London, with large populations. The move from farms to cities was gradual. City living was unattractive; most workers lived in small, one-family houses built side-to-side and back-to-back, lacking windows except in the front, resulting in filthy, unsanitary, and airless housing.

The Industrial Revolution caused a population shift from rural areas to urban centres (cities). Before industrialization, the majority lived in villages, dependent on agriculture or land. With industrialization, the economic life centre shifted from villages to cities, as factories were located there, offering jobs. According to one estimate, less than 20% of England’s population remained attached to land due to industrialization.

Capitalism developed alongside the Industrial Revolution. The bourgeoisie, concerned with preserving capital and economic supremacy, embraced capitalism, where profit is the primary motive. Profit (difference between expenses and income) accumulation encouraged reinvestment for further profit, driving rapid development of manufacturing industries and businesses. This helped the bourgeoisie consolidate wealth and power. With enormous wealth, they sought political power and participation in government, leading to political systems like England’s parliamentary system, where the Reform Bill of 1832 granted representation to new industrial centres.

During the late nineteenth century, as industries expanded, capitalists made immense profits, widening the gap between them and the working class. Personal contact between employers and employees vanished. Inequality increased daily. Workers lived in unhealthy city conditions, while wealthy factory owners resided in elegant areas. A middle class, neither rich nor poor, included government officials, professionals, teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc. People became aware of economic differences separating classes, reflected even in railway travel with different classes for wealthier and poorer people, and separate waiting rooms.

One socio-economic consequence was the growing employment of women from the countryside. The power loom adoption changed the labour force; mill owners depended on tall, single women as labourers. Women remained a key labour force for cotton mills. Young women sought mill employment to earn their own support and save for future marriages. Some also used earnings to assist their families.

21. How did the Industrial Revolution lead to colonial expansionism?

Answer: The Industrial Revolution resulted in the development of industries, leading to a massive increase in goods production with machines. This fostered the capitalist system, where the primary purpose was ‘profit’. Capitalists sought profit maximization by increasing production and offering minimum wages. Low wages meant low purchasing power for workers, the majority of the population. Consequently, the huge production of goods remained unsold locally. Industrialized European countries needed new markets and buyers for their surplus goods. They couldn’t sell these goods to each other, as the spread of the Industrial Revolution meant all faced the same problem of surplus goods.

European countries looked for markets overseas. Asia and Africa, lacking industrialization, offered the best markets. In addition to markets, industrialized European countries needed raw materials at cheaper rates to feed their industries. As needed resources couldn’t all be procured locally, European countries sought nations where raw materials were available cheaply. The abundance of raw materials in Asia and Africa attracted European countries to establish political domination over these continents. Political domination was also seen as inevitable to protect markets from other European rivals.

Another incentive was the tendency to export surplus capital from industrialized European nations to underdeveloped countries where interest rates were usually higher than at home.

All this favoured the growth of colonial expansionism by European powers. The Industrial Revolution made European countries dependent on Asian and African countries for economic and industrial development, leading to the building of colonial empires. The most important element favouring colony establishment in Asia and Africa was the absence of industrialization and modern nation-states there. Furthermore, nineteenth-century governments in Asia and Africa were very weak, with rulers doing little to stop foreigners, offering European powers opportunities to establish colonies.

22. Why was India considered as the ‘jewel in the crown of the British Empire’?

Answer: In view of the richness of the Indian resources, the British as colonial rulers found it as a precious country. The British found India as a source of several materials which they could extract to make their own country richer and wealthy. Besides draining out India’s wealth in different forms, the English industrialists found the country as a rich source of raw materials, to feed the British industries at a cheap cost. Moreover, the British found the country a beautiful place to travel. The scenic beauty of the countryside as also the presence of several historical sites attracted the people of England. In view of all this Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of England (1874-1881) named India as ‘the brightest Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire’.

23. Narrate the crises that led to the First World War.

Answer: Three crises that made the First World War inevitable were the Balkan crisis, Morocco crisis and Agadir Crisis. The fourth one, the July crisis of 1914 constituted the immediate cause of the war.

a. The Balkan Crisis: This crisis generated as a result of the expansionist policy of Austria-Hungary towards the Balkans. Such a policy was encouraged by Germany despite the fact that this would provoke Russia and Serbia. The German position was that in the event of an Austrian invasion of Serbia if Russia helped Serbia, Germany would come to Austria’s assistance.
b. The Moroccan Crisis: This crisis developed as a result of the German interference in Morocco. Kaiser William II, the Emperor of Germany, came out openly in support of the Moroccan independence against the French (1905). Such a move by Germany was to bring pressure upon France to isolate her from an alliance with Britain. Germany, however, did not get the desired result of isolating France.
c. Agadir Crisis: This crisis was a continuation of the Moroccan crisis. In 1911 a German gunboat, the Panther, appeared in the port of Agadir in Morocco. The matter came to a head when it was revealed that the gunboat was sent with the ulterior motive of establishing German claim over Morocco.
d. The July Crisis of 1914: This crisis constituted the immediate cause of the World War I. On 28 June 1914, at Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Harzegovina, the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife were assassinated by a Bosnian Serb student, Gavrilo Princip, a member of the secret society, Black Hand, committed to Serbian liberation from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On 28 July Austria presented an ultimatum to Serbia with a 48-hour time limit, which shocked European foreign ministers by its severity. Austria-Hungary considered the Serbian reply unacceptable and declared war against the Serbs. The German Emperor, William II insisted that the Serbs be dealt with once and for all and decided to give complete support to Austria-Hungary even at the risk of war (the famous Blank Cheque). This was the beginning of the First World War.

24. Make a brief overview of the First World War.

Answer: The contestants in the First World War were: The Triple Alliance or the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria and Turkey) and the Entente Powers (Russia, France, Britain, Italy, the USA, Belgium, Serbia, Romania and Greece).

a. Schlieffen Plan: At the start of the war the German armies operated according to the Schlieffen Plan. The Plan intended to ensure a German victory over Franco-Russian alliance by holding up any Russian advance westwards.
b. The Western Front: In 1914 the Germans decided to concentrate their war efforts on attacking Russia in the east. At the same time arrangements were made to defend the Western Front.
c. The Eastern Front: Fighting on the Eastern Front began with the Russian invasion of East Prussia and Austria in 1914. After initial Russian success, the German troops were hurried from the Western Front that successfully stopped the Russian forces.
d. End of the War: At an enormous cost to both sides in men and materials Germany ultimately surrendered. An armistice was signed in November 1918. At the Paris Peace Conference (1919) harsh terms were imposed on the defeated powers of the Triple Alliance.

Extras

Additional MCQs

1. What did the Industrial Revolution generally substitute for human labour?

A. power-driven machinery
B. domestic production
C. skilled artisans
D. animal power

Answer: A. power-driven machinery

2. Who first used the term ‘Industrial Revolution’?

A. Blanqui
B. Karl Marx
C. Friedrich Engels
D. Arnold Toynbee

Answer: A. Blanqui

3. Who first discussed the Industrial Revolution in England in detail?

A. Arnold Toynbee
B. Karl Marx
C. Blanqui
D. Phyllis Deane

Answer: A. Arnold Toynbee

4. According to Toynbee, in which year did the Industrial Revolution begin?

A. 1760
B. 1780
C. 1837
D. 1850

Answer: A. 1760

5. Which historian regarded the phenomenon of the Industrial Revolution as a continuous process without fixing a start date?

A. Professor Nef
B. Phyllis Deane
C. Arnold Toynbee
D. Karl Marx

Answer: A. Professor Nef

6. Which date does Phyllis Deane conventionally assign as the start of the First Industrial Revolution?

A. 1780
B. 1760
C. 1830
D. 1850

Answer: A. 1780

7. In which country did the Industrial Revolution first appear?

A. England
B. France
C. Germany
D. Russia

Answer: A. England

8. Which conflict revealed the danger of depending solely on England for manufactured goods?

A. Napoleonic Wars
B. Crimean War
C. Franco-Prussian War
D. American Civil War

Answer: A. Napoleonic Wars

9. By 1870, which European country had become the most industrialised nation after England?

A. Belgium
B. France
C. Germany
D. Russia

Answer: A. Belgium

10. In which year did large-scale industry really begin to flourish in France?

A. 1830
B. 1760
C. 1870
D. 1852

Answer: A. 1830

11. When did railway construction commence in France under the July Monarchy?

A. 1832
B. 1829
C. 1840
D. 1852

Answer: A. 1832

12. Which industry was revolutionised first by technological change in the early nineteenth century?

A. cotton
B. iron
C. steel
D. coal

Answer: A. cotton

13. Who invented the steam power that made the steam engine the prime mover for machinery?

A. James Watt
B. Richard Trevithick
C. George Stephenson
D. Samuel Morse

Answer: A. James Watt

14. In which year was the first railway line completed between Moscow and St Petersburg?

A. 1852
B. 1830
C. 1861
D. 1870

Answer: A. 1852

15. Which statute in Russia freed the serfs and created an atmosphere for industry?

A. Emancipation Statute
B. Reform Statute
C. Industrial Statute
D. Proclamation Statute

Answer: A. Emancipation Statute

16. Which country’s engineers drew up Belgium’s railway plan after the Napoleonic era?

A. England
B. France
C. Germany
D. Russia

Answer: A. England

17. Which system emerged as a result of the introduction of intricate machinery?

A. factory system
B. cottage industry
C. guild system
D. domestic system

Answer: A. factory system

18. What two social classes arose in England as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution?

A. bourgeoisie and proletariat
B. nobility and clergy
C. peasants and artisans
D. merchants and aristocrats

Answer: A. bourgeoisie and proletariat

19. Which legislation of 1832 redistributed Parliamentary seats to industrial centres?

A. Reform Bill
B. Corn Laws
C. Factory Act
D. Navigation Act

Answer: A. Reform Bill

20. What term denotes a part of a city where workers lived in cheap tenements akin to slums?

A. ghetto
B. suburb
C. favela
D. township

Answer: A. ghetto

21. Which group formed the key labour force in early cotton mills?

A. single women
B. child labourers
C. apprentices
D. migrants

Answer: A. single women

22. Who was the English industrialist socialist who reduced hours, banned child labour and shared profits?

A. Robert Owen
B. Karl Marx
C. Friedrich Engels
D. Louis Blanc

Answer: A. Robert Owen

23. Which work did Karl Marx write between 1867 and 1894?

A. Das Kapital
B. Communist Manifesto
C. Principles of Political Economy
D. The Wealth of Nations

Answer: A. Das Kapital

24. In which year was the Communist Manifesto published?

A. 1848
B. 1867
C. 1837
D. 1780

Answer: A. 1848

25. Which economic system developed alongside the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution?

A. capitalism
B. socialism
C. feudalism
D. mercantilism

Answer: A. capitalism

26. Which battle in 1757 marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India?

A. Plassey
B. Trafalgar
C. Waterloo
D. Hastings

Answer: A. Plassey

27. In which year did the British government take over direct control of India?

A. 1857
B. 1757
C. 1877
D. 1832

Answer: A. 1857

28. Which title did Queen Victoria assume in 1877?

A. Empress of India
B. Queen of India
C. Lady of India
D. Rani of India

Answer: A. Empress of India

29. Which canal, completed on 17 November 1869, linked the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean?

A. Suez
B. Panama
C. Kiel
D. Corinth

Answer: A. Suez

30. Who obtained permission in 1854 to build the waterway across the Isthmus of Suez?

A. Ferdinand de Lesseps
B. Robert Owen
C. Jules Ferry
D. Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Answer: A. Ferdinand de Lesseps

31. Which invention of 1837 revolutionised instantaneous communication?

A. telegraph
B. telephone
C. wireless
D. printing press

Answer: A. telegraph

32. Who invented the telephone in 1876?

A. Alexander Graham Bell
B. Guglielmo Marconi
C. Samuel Morse
D. Thomas Edison

Answer: A. Alexander Graham Bell

33. In which year did Marconi invent wireless communication?

A. 1896
B. 1876
C. 1837
D. 1901

Answer: A. 1896

34. Which locomotive, built by George Stephenson, made its first trip from Liverpool to Manchester in 1829?

A. Rocket
B. Pioneer
C. Comet
D. Phoenix

Answer: A. Rocket

35. Which power source did James Watt’s invention provide to industry?

A. steam
B. water
C. wind
D. electric

Answer: A. steam

36. Which raw materials did India export under British rule?

A. cotton and indigo
B. steel and coal
C. jute and timber
D. oil and copper

Answer: A. cotton and indigo

37. Who described India as ‘the brightest Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire’?

A. Benjamin Disraeli
B. William Gladstone
C. Queen Victoria
D. Lord Curzon

Answer: A. Benjamin Disraeli

38. Which European power leased Kwangchow from China in 1899?

A. France
B. Germany
C. Britain
D. Portugal

Answer: A. France

39. Which chancellor called the Berlin Conference of 1884 to divide Africa?

A. Otto von Bismarck
B. William II
C. Friedrich Ebert
D. Helmut Kohl

Answer: A. Otto von Bismarck

40. Which conference in 1884 formalised the division of Africa among European powers?

A. Berlin Conference
B. Paris Conference
C. Versailles Conference
D. Vienna Conference

Answer: A. Berlin Conference

41. In which year did Britain occupy Egypt to protect the sea-route to India?

A. 1882
B. 1877
C. 1898
D. 1902

Answer: A. 1882

42. After which war was China forced to cede Formosa and other islands to Japan?

A. Sino-Japanese War
B. Opium War
C. Russo-Japanese War
D. Crimean War

Answer: A. Sino-Japanese War

43. Which policy did the USA propose to ensure equal trading rights in China?

A. Open Door
B. Closed Door
C. Dual Tariff
D. Sphere of Influence

Answer: A. Open Door

44. Which incident immediately triggered the July Crisis of 1914?

A. assassination of Franz Ferdinand
B. invasion of Belgium
C. sinking of Lusitania
D. Zimmermann Telegram

Answer: A. assassination of Franz Ferdinand

45. On which date did Austria present an ultimatum to Serbia?

A. 28 July 1914
B. 28 June 1914
C. 4 August 1914
D. 1 August 1914

Answer: A. 28 July 1914

46. What term describes Germany’s full support to Austria in 1914?

A. Blank Cheque
B. Open Door
C. Schlieffen Plan
D. Triple Alliance

Answer: A. Blank Cheque

47. Which plan aimed to hold off Russia while defeating France at the start of WW1?

A. Schlieffen Plan
B. Moltke Plan
C. Hindenburg Plan
D. Kaiser Plan

Answer: A. Schlieffen Plan

48. In which month and year was the armistice signed ending the First World War?

A. November 1918
B. October 1918
C. December 1918
D. January 1919

Answer: A. November 1918

49. From 1915, which front was dominated by trench warfare?

A. Western Front
B. Eastern Front
C. Balkan Front
D. Italian Front

Answer: A. Western Front

50. Which uprising in Paris formed a revolutionary government in 1871?

A. Paris Commune
B. October Revolution
C. May Revolution
D. Bolshevik Uprising

Answer: A. Paris Commune

51. Which alliance united Britain, France and Russia before World War I?

A. Triple Entente
B. Triple Alliance
C. Quadruple Alliance
D. Quadruple Entente

Answer: A. Triple Entente

52. Which countries formed the original Triple Alliance in 1882?

A. Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
B. Britain, France and Russia
C. Germany, France and Italy
D. Britain, Germany and Austria

Answer: A. Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy

53. The Schlieffen Plan aimed to hold off an advance by which country?

A. Russia
B. France
C. Belgium
D. Serbia

Answer: A. Russia

54. On what date did the Battle of the Marne begin?

A. 6 September 1914
B. 1 September 1914
C. 6 October 1914
D. 1 October 1914

Answer: A. 6 September 1914

55. What feature of production did the factory system stimulate?

A. division of labour
B. free trade
C. cottage industry
D. guild production

Answer: A. division of labour

Additional Questions, Answers

1. Which French writer first used the term Industrial Revolution?

Answer: The term ‘Industrial Revolution’ was first used by a French writer, Blanqui.

2. According to Phyllis Deane, from which year is the first Industrial Revolution conventionally dated?

Answer: According to Phyllis Deane, the current convention is to date the first Industrial Revolution from 1780.

3. Which country became known as the “workshop of the world” by the nineteenth century?

Answer: By the nineteenth century, England became known as the ‘workshop of the world’.

4. Which textile industry was revolutionised by early nineteenth-century technological change?

Answer: In textiles, it was the cotton industry that had been revolutionized by the early years of the nineteenth century.

5. What portable source of power did James Watt’s invention provide?

Answer: James Watt’s invention of steam power provided a cheap, portable source of power, making the steam engine the prime mover for all kinds of machinery.

6. What term describes the slum-like tenement areas in industrial towns?

Answer: The term Ghetto describes a part of a city where minority groups live due to pressure; the cheap tenements constituting a slum where workers and families were herded in industrial towns were very much akin to the ghettos.

7. Which system emerged when machinery costs became prohibitively high for individual artisans?

Answer: The factory system emerged because the introduction of intricate machinery made the old method of small production in the home unable to meet the competition, and the cost of machinery was prohibitive to individual workers.

8. Name the two social classes that arose from industrialisation in England.

Answer: The two social classes that arose from industrialisation in England were the Industrial bourgeoisie and the Industrial proletariat.

9. What was the name of the first steam locomotive to run between Liverpool and Manchester?

Answer: The first steam locomotive to run between Liverpool and Manchester was Stephenson’s locomotive, the Rocket.

10. Which company completed the Suez Canal in 1869?

Answer: The company named Suez Canal Company completed the Suez Canal in 1869.

11. What policy ensured equal trading rights in China for all foreign powers?

Answer: The policy of ‘Open Door’, suggested by the USA, ensured that all countries would have equal rights to trade anywhere in China.

12. What was the German strategy aiming to defeat France rapidly before facing Russia?

Answer: The German strategy at the start of the war was the Schlieffen Plan, which intended to ensure a German victory over the Franco-Russian alliance by holding up any Russian advance westwards.

13. Which publication by Marx and Engels in 1848 set forth their revolutionary ideas?

Answer: The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx jointly with Engels in 1848, set forth their revolutionary ideas.

14. Who was the industrialist who introduced reduced working hours and profit-sharing in his mill?

Answer: The industrialist Robert Owen introduced reduced hours of labour, did not employ children, introduced pleasant working conditions, and shared some of the profits with the workers in his factory.

15. Which demographic did early cotton mill owners rely on as their primary labour force?

Answer: Early cotton mill owners depended on tall, single women from the countryside as labourers; women remained a key labour force for the growing cotton mills.

16. Which British prime minister called India the “brightest jewel in the crown of the British Empire”?

Answer: Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of England (1874-1881), called India the ‘brightest Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire’.

17. Who first discussed the Industrial Revolution in detail in England?

Answer: Arnold Toynbee, in 1880-1881 first discussed in detail about the Industrial Revolution in England.

18. Why did industrialised European nations seek new markets in Asia and Africa?

Answer: The huge production of goods with the help of machines remained unsold as it was not possible for the local people to consume or purchase. So the industrialized European countries needed new markets and buyers for the goods their industries were producing. Again the European countries could not sell their surplus goods to one another, for, with the spread of the Industrial Revolution in Europe all the industrialized countries had been facing the same problem of having surplus goods. In such a situation the European countries looked for markets overseas. Asia and Africa, where industrialization had not taken place, offered the best markets for selling the surplus goods of the European countries.

19. Which Tsar’s emancipation decree created conditions for industrial growth in Russia?

Answer: The real beginning of industry in Russia dates from the reign of the Tsar Alexander II. In fact, the Emancipation Statute of 1861 that freed the serfs from feudal bondage created an atmosphere in which industry could flourish.

20. How did the Reform Bill of 1832 alter parliamentary representation in England?

Answer: By the Reform Bill of 1832 in England the seats in Parliament were redistributed to grant representation from the new industrial centres.

21. How did Napoleon’s policies lay the foundation for industrial development in France?

Answer: Napoleon made a determined effort to build up industry in France. His industrial efforts included foundation of technical schools, advancing government loans to the manufacturers, etc. The support and encouragement that Napoleon had given served the basis on which the edifice of French industrialization was built at a later date.

22. Why did Britain occupy Egypt in 1882?

Answer: Britain occupied Egypt in 1882 in order to make sure that her loan (in the making of Suez Canal) would be repaid as also anxious to protect the sea-route to India.

23. What impact did the adoption of the power loom have on cloth mills?

Answer: The adoption of the power loom in the cloth mills led to a change in the labour force. From the very beginning the mill owners depended on tall, single women from the countryside as labourers. In fact, women remained a key labour force for the growing cotton mills.

24. What major weakness did Russian industry face due to its reliance on foreign capital?

Answer: The most important feature of industrialization in Russia was that the industries were mostly established with the aid of foreign capital. This absolute dependence on foreign capital for industry remained a major source of weakness in Russian industrialization.

25. How did surplus goods in industrial Europe contribute to colonial expansion?

Answer: With the help of machines the production of goods increased by leaps and bounds, but the low wages to the workers meant low purchasing power, constituting the majority of the population. Thus the huge production of goods remained unsold. Industrialized European countries needed new markets and buyers for the goods their industries were producing, but could not sell their surplus goods to one another as all faced the same problem. Larger markets for selling the surplus products were needed as the industrialized nations of Europe sought to protect their own industries, raising tariff or tax barriers against each other, limiting the possibilities of selling manufactures between industrialized countries. Hence the industrialized countries had to look for new markets and buyers overseas. European countries found markets for selling their surplus goods in Asia and Africa where industrialization had not taken place. This favoured the growth of colonial expansionism of the European powers. Political domination was inevitable in order to protect the market from other European rivals.

26. What event precipitated the July Crisis of 1914?

Answer: The July crisis of 1914 constituted the immediate cause of the World War I. On 28 June 1914, at Sarajevo, the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, who was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by a Serbian terrorist.

27. Explain how the cotton and iron industries were transformed by technological advances during the Industrial Revolution.

Answer: In the manufacturing industry, the technological change during the Industrial Revolution was most evident in the textile industries. Specifically, it was the cotton industry that had been revolutionized by the early years of the nineteenth century. In the iron industry, the traditional charcoal-fired furnaces were completely displaced. Fundamental in the new industrial order was the development of a cheap, portable source of power; James Watt’s invention of steam power made the steam engine the prime mover for all kinds of machinery.

28. Describe the social impact of industrialisation on urban housing, living conditions and migration patterns.

Answer: The Industrial Revolution brought about tremendous changes in the life of the people, particularly the working people. The majority of the people worked in factories and they generally lived in large, crowded cities. However, in cities, living was not attractive. Most workers lived in small, one-family houses. These houses were built side to side and back to back, meaning there were no windows except in the front of each house. The housing was consequently filthy, unsanitary and airless.

The Industrial Revolution also brought about a shift in the population. People gradually moved from rural areas to the cities. Before the Industrial Revolution, the majority of the population lived in villages, dependent on agriculture or attached to land. With the growth of industrialization, the centre of economic life shifted from villages to cities. The new cities that grew were important centres of industry, leading to a population shift as people moved from villages to cities. This was inevitable because factories were located in cities where people could find jobs. According to one estimate in England, less than 20% of the population remained attached to land as a consequence of industrialization.

29. Outline the key differences between early socialist reformers and the scientific socialism of Marx.

Answer: Socialism propounded by Marx and that of the early socialists differed in two main ways.

Firstly, the early socialists believed in gradual and peaceful development towards establishing an ideal condition for the workers. In contrast, Karl Marx forecasted that a violent uprising would enable the workers to capture the political power that would be used to secure their own welfare.

Secondly, the early socialists were in favour of working within the framework of the capitalistic system to develop the condition of the workers. However, Marx predicted an inevitable destruction of the capitalistic system. Marx considered the industrial workers as the force of change that would destroy capitalism and establish socialism, believing the key to this was change through class conflict or struggle between two opposing economic orders.

30. State the economic reasons that drove European powers to expand their empires in the nineteenth century.

Answer: Several economic reasons drove European powers towards colonial expansion in the nineteenth century.

Firstly, industrialized European countries needed new markets and buyers for the surplus goods their industries were producing, as they could not sell all their goods to one another, partly because nations sought to protect their own industries by raising tariffs or tax barriers against each other. Asia and Africa, where industrialization had not taken place, offered the best markets for these surplus goods.

Secondly, in addition to markets, the industrialized countries of Europe needed raw materials at cheaper rates to feed their industries. As all necessary raw materials could not be procured locally, European countries looked for countries where they were available at a cheap price. The abundance of raw materials in Asia and Africa attracted European countries to establish political domination there.

Thirdly, another incentive was the tendency to export surplus capital from the industrialized nations of Europe to underdeveloped countries, where rates of interest were usually higher than at home. Political domination was seen as inevitable to protect these markets and investments from other European rivals.

31. Discuss the roles of government support and private enterprise in the industrialisation of France and Germany.

Answer: In France, industrialization was achieved mainly through government initiative, which was an important aspect of its industrialization process, unlike in England where it had been the work of the capitalist class. Napoleon made a determined effort to build up industry, including founding technical schools and advancing government loans to manufacturers. The Bank of France, established by Napoleon, also helped through a liberal credit policy. In the construction of railways, the required capital was made available by the government.

In Germany, the real beginning of the industrial revolution began only after it attained unity in 1870, although Prussia was much advanced industrially compared to other German states earlier. Railway construction in Germany, as well as in France and Belgium, preceded the real beginning of industrialization, and it was built with the additional aid of English capital. Despite uneven growth due to political reasons before unification, a unified Germany far outdistanced France after 1870.

32. Explain how inventions such as the telegraph, telephone and wireless changed global communication.

Answer: While the development of railways and steam navigation made travel and communication much more rapid, the greatest improvement was the instantaneous communication by electricity. This began with Morse’s telegraph in 1837. By the 1830s, the telegraph had spread a network of wires over Britain and into central Europe and the USA. A submarine cable laid from Britain to America, together with the telegraph, made it possible to get news instantaneously. Later, the development of electrical science in the late nineteenth century led to the invention of Bell’s telephone (1876) and Marconi’s wireless (1896). The telegraph also gave a stimulus to the print media.

33. Describe the emergence of the bourgeoisie-capitalist political system and its impact on parliamentary reform.

Answer: Capitalism developed along with the changes of the Industrial Revolution. The term bourgeoisie denotes the social class concerned with preserving capital and ensuring their economic supremacy. The rapid development of capitalism in the nineteenth century helped the bourgeoisie consolidate their wealth and power. With enormous wealth at their disposal, the bourgeoisie became unwilling to accept the lack of rights and political power in the monarchical system of government. They aspired for a major role in politics through participation in the government. This led to the development of a political system where the bourgeoisie could participate in the administration of the country. The parliamentary system of government was the answer to this aspiration. This can be illustrated by the example of England, where the Reform Bill of 1832 redistributed seats in Parliament to grant representation from the new industrial centres.

34. Explain the factors that turned India from an exporter of finished textiles into a supplier of raw materials under British rule.

Answer: After the English came to dominate Indian territories, their primary motive was to extend the market for British goods. Before this, India was the world’s principal producer and exporter of cotton textiles, and Indian handicrafts had a steady market in Europe. However, the Industrial Revolution in England completely changed its economic relations with India. England developed its industry using modern machines, producing huge quantities of goods which found their way into Indian markets. Indian hand-made goods could not compete with the cheaper machine-made goods produced in English factories. Consequently, India not only lost foreign markets for its manufactures but also saw its own shops flooded with goods produced in England. Deprived of exporting its manufactures, India was forced to export raw materials like cotton, raw silk, indigo, and tea, which the industrial establishments of England urgently needed and were in short supply there. Since India was a colony, its economy was guided by the needs of the British industry, requiring an abundant supply of raw materials. Thus, India, previously an exporter of finished products, was transformed under British colonial rule into a country that imported machine-made products from England and exported raw materials.

35. Analyse the comparative development of industrialisation in England, Belgium, France, Germany and Russia, noting the influences of political unity, government policy and foreign investment.

Answer: Industrial Revolution first made its appearance in England. By the nineteenth century, England became the ‘workshop of the world’. While in England the Industrial Revolution had been the work of the capitalist class, industrialisation in other European countries showed variations.

No European country attempted to follow England until the end of the Napoleonic era. Belgium undertook industrialization almost immediately after, with indirect help from England, but the movement gained momentum only after 1830. Shortly after the introduction of railways in England, the Belgian parliament adopted a plan for railway construction, drawn up by the English engineer George Stephenson and implemented with capital made available by England as a loan. By 1870, Belgium became the most industrialized nation.

Industrialization started rather late in France due to socio-economic and political disorder from the Revolution and Napoleonic warfare, which acted as a major hindrance. Napoleon made a determined effort, including founding technical schools and advancing government loans. The real beginning of large-scale industry dates from 1830 under the July Monarchy. Railway construction commenced in 1832. The Bank of France, established by Napoleon, helped with a liberal credit policy. In France, industrialization was achieved mainly through government initiative; for instance, the required capital for railway construction was made available by the government. After 1830, France was second only to England in exporting industrial products, excelling in quality rather than quantity.

In Germany, fixing a precise start date is difficult as it remained divided into small states; political disunity was the greatest handicap. Prussia was much advanced industrially compared to states under the Napoleonic Empire. The real beginning occurred only after attaining unity in 1870. Railway construction in Germany was built with the additional aid of English capital and, unlike in England, Belgium, and France, preceded the real beginning of industrialization. Despite uneven growth due to political reasons, a unified Germany far outdistanced France after 1870.

The Industrial Revolution of England had some impact on Russia during the mid-nineteenth century, with the first railway line completed in 1852. The real beginning of industry dates from the reign of Tsar Alexander II, facilitated by the Emancipation Statute of 1861 which freed serfs. Under Tsar Alexander III, coal-fields and iron-mines began to be extensively worked. A most important feature was that industries were mostly established with the aid of foreign capital. By 1914, an estimated 2000 million rubles of foreign capital had been invested. This absolute dependence on foreign capital remained a major source of weakness in Russian industrialization.

36. Evaluate the social and political consequences of the Industrial Revolution in England, focusing on shifting class structures and the growth of new urban centres.

Answer: In England, where industrialization began and progressed rapidly, the social consequences were felt unambiguously. The Industrial Revolution gave rise to two classes: the Industrial bourgeoisie (middle class) and the Industrial proletariat (working class). The bourgeoisie amassed enormous capital from profiteering and exploitation, while the proletariat faced extreme hardship, proliferating with new industries but initially lacking political experience and remaining unorganized. The nobility and peasantry played minor roles, with the middle and working classes emerging as the two most important social classes.

Capitalism developed alongside the Industrial Revolution, with profit as the primary motive. The bourgeoisie, possessing enormous wealth, became unwilling to accept the lack of rights and political power in the monarchical system. They aspired for a major role in politics through government participation. This led to the development of a political system allowing bourgeoisie participation, exemplified by the Parliamentary system in England. The Reform Bill of 1832 redistributed seats in Parliament to grant representation from new industrial centres.

Inequality between the rich capitalists and the working class grew wider, especially by the late nineteenth century as industries expanded and personal contact between employers and employees diminished. Workers lived in unhealthy conditions in cities, while wealthy factory owners resided in elegant areas. A middle class, neither rich nor poor, included government officials, professionals, teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc. Economic differences were reflected in practices like different classes of railway travel and separate waiting rooms, highlighting social disparities.

The Industrial Revolution brought tremendous changes to people’s lives, particularly the working people who moved from outdoor farm labour to factory work in large, crowded cities. England became the first industrial power with an urban population far exceeding the rural population. Big industrial towns like London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle grew significantly. The shift from farms to cities was gradual. City living was unattractive; workers often lived in small, one-family houses built side-to-side and back-to-back, lacking windows except at the front, resulting in filthy, unsanitary, and airless housing. New cities became important industrial centres, shifting the centre of economic life from villages. Towns sprang up like mushrooms around factories, and workers and their families were herded into cheap tenements, constituting slums akin to ghettos.

37. Assess the ways in which the Industrial Revolution fuelled colonial expansion and imperial rivalry among European powers.

Answer: The Industrial Revolution resulted in the development of industries and a new capitalist economic system where the primary purpose was ‘profit’. Increased production through machines led to a huge quantity of goods. However, low wages for workers, who constituted the majority, meant low purchasing power, leaving goods unsold locally. Industrialized European countries needed new markets, but couldn’t sell surplus goods to each other as all faced the same problem. Consequently, they looked for markets overseas. Asia and Africa, where industrialization had not taken place, offered the best markets.

In addition to markets, industrialized European countries needed raw materials at cheaper rates to feed their industries. Asia and Africa had an abundance of raw materials. This need for markets and raw materials favoured the growth of colonial expansionism. The Industrial Revolution made European countries dependent on countries in Asia and Africa for their economic and industrial development, leading to the building of colonial empires.

The absence of industrialization and modern nation-states, along with weak governments in Asia and Africa during the nineteenth century, made these continents easy targets for European powers. Industrialized nations also sought to protect their own industries by raising tariffs against each other, limiting trade possibilities among themselves. Another incentive for colonial expansion was exporting surplus capital to underdeveloped countries where interest rates were higher. Political domination became inevitable to protect these markets and investments from other European rivals.

Furthermore, nationalism in the late nineteenth century became associated with jingoism, with some European nations developing myths of superiority. Imperialism became fashionable, with a nation’s power and prestige depending on its colonies. Writers promoted imperialism, and many Europeans favoured it as a ‘civilizing mission’ to bring civilization to ‘uncivilized backward peoples’, exemplified by concepts like the ‘white man’s burden’. The lack of industrialization in Asia and Africa was a major cause for the imperialist conquest, often referred to as the ‘Scramble for Asia and Africa’.

38. Examine the causes of the First World War—including the Balkan, Moroccan and Agadir crises and the Sarajevo assassination—and assess their role in triggering global conflict.

Answer: In 1914, Europe was divided into two armed camps: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, later joined by Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, though Italy left in 1914 and Romania in 1916) and the Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia, eventually joined by Italy and Romania). These opposing camps faced each other in the First World War. Several crises contributed to the war’s inevitability:

a. The Balkan Crisis: This crisis resulted from Austria-Hungary’s expansionist policy towards the Balkans, encouraged by Germany. This policy provoked Russia and Serbia. Germany’s position was that if Russia helped Serbia against an Austrian invasion, Germany would assist Austria.

b. The Moroccan Crisis (1905): This developed due to German interference in Morocco. Kaiser William II openly supported Moroccan independence against the French. Germany aimed to pressure France and isolate it from Britain, but failed to achieve this result.

c. Agadir Crisis (1911): A continuation of the Moroccan crisis, this occurred when a German gunboat, the Panther, appeared in Agadir, Morocco. It was revealed the gunboat was sent with the ulterior motive of establishing a German claim over Morocco.

d. The July Crisis of 1914: This constituted the immediate cause of World War I. On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated by a Serbian terrorist, Gavrilo Princip. Austria presented a severe ultimatum to Serbia with a 48-hour time limit. The German Emperor, William II, reacted severely, insisting the Serbs be dealt with once and for all, and decided to give complete support to Austria-Hungary, even at the risk of war (the famous ‘Blank Cheque’). With the Austrian attack on Belgrade, the Serbian capital, on July 28, 1914, the First World War began.

These crises progressively heightened tensions between the major European powers, solidified the opposing alliances, and created an atmosphere where a single event like the Sarajevo assassination could trigger a large-scale conflict involving the entangled alliance systems.

39. Discuss how nineteenth-century advances in transportation and communication technologies reshaped economic integration and imperial control.

Answer: With the changes in the mode of production and distribution during the Industrial Revolution, the need arose for better methods of communication and transportation.

Development of railways and steam navigation made travel and communication much more rapid. In transportation, canals improved transport in the early years, but the real need for cheap and fast transportation was met by railroads. Richard Trevithick’s experiment around 1801 and George Stephenson’s successful steam locomotive, the Rocket (first trip 1829), marked the beginning of railways. The Suez Canal, completed in 1869, linked the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This made carrying cargo between East and West easier, significantly speeding up the development of international trade. The opening of the Suez Canal also encouraged the European search for colonies in the closing years of the nineteenth century, and England, as the major shareholder, brought the Canal under its control to secure the sea route to India.

In communication, the greatest improvement was instantaneous communication by electricity, introduced with Morse’s telegraph (1837). By the 1830s, telegraph networks spread across Britain, central Europe, and the USA. A submarine cable between Britain and America enabled instantaneous news transmission. Later developments included Bell’s telephone (1876) and Marconi’s wireless (1896). The telegraph also stimulated the print media.

These advances reshaped economic integration by facilitating much faster movement of goods and information, thereby accelerating international trade and connecting markets more closely. They also enhanced imperial control by allowing rapid communication between colonial powers and their territories, enabling quicker deployment of resources or troops, and securing vital trade routes like the Suez Canal, which were crucial for maintaining and expanding empires.