50 Questions on World War I and II with Answers | MCQ Quiz on WW1 & WW2 History

The two World Wars shaped the 20th century—redrawing borders, toppling empires, and ushering in profound social and political change. From the trenches of Flanders in World War I to the global conflict of World War II, these wars involved millions of soldiers and civilians across continents. This 50-question MCQ quiz covers key dates, battles, leaders, and outcomes of both conflicts. Whether you’re a history buff or preparing for competitive exams, test your knowledge of World War I and II here!

50 Questions on World War I and II with Answers

1. In which year did World War I begin?

• A. 1912
• B. 1913
• C. 1914
• D. 1915

2. The immediate trigger of World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in:

• A. Sarajevo
• B. Vienna
• C. Belgrade
• D. Budapest

3. Which treaty ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers?

• A. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• B. Treaty of Saint-Germain
• C. Treaty of Trianon
• D. Treaty of Versailles

4. Which treaty marked Russia’s exit from World War I?

• A. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• B. Treaty of Versailles
• C. Treaty of Saint-Germain
• D. Treaty of Trianon

5. Which battle is considered the longest battle of World War I?

• A. Battle of Tannenberg
• B. Battle of Verdun
• C. Battle of the Somme
• D. Battle of Ypres

6. The Zimmermann Telegram helped bring which country into World War I?

• A. Canada
• B. Italy
• C. United States
• D. Japan

7. Which empire was dismantled by the end of World War I?

• A. British Empire
• B. Russian Empire
• C. Japanese Empire
• D. Austro-Hungarian Empire

8. World War II officially began with Germany’s invasion of which country?

• A. Austria
• B. Poland
• C. Czechoslovakia
• D. Denmark

9. Which leader was British Prime Minister at the start of World War II?

• A. Neville Chamberlain
• B. Winston Churchill
• C. Stanley Baldwin
• D. Clement Attlee

10. The attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan occurred in:

• A. 7 December 1940
• B. 7 December 1941 (Japanese date)
• C. 7 December 1941
• D. 8 December 1941

11. Which conference in 1945 established the United Nations?

• A. Yalta Conference
• B. San Francisco Conference
• C. Potsdam Conference
• D. Tehran Conference

12. What was the codename for the Allied landing in Normandy?

• A. Operation Market Garden
• B. Operation Husky
• C. Operation Torch
• D. Operation Overlord

13. Which battle is considered the turning point on the Eastern Front in WWII?

• A. Battle of Stalingrad
• B. Battle of Kursk
• C. Battle of Moscow
• D. Battle of Leningrad

14. The Holocaust primarily refers to the genocide of which group?

• A. Romani
• B. Disabled
• C. Jews
• D. Political prisoners

15. Which two Japanese cities were atomic bombed in August 1945?

• A. Tokyo and Hiroshima
• B. Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• C. Nagasaki and Okinawa
• D. Yokohama and Nagasaki

16. Which pact bound Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII?

• A. Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
• B. Atlantic Charter
• C. Warsaw Pact
• D. Tripartite Pact

17. Who was the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe?

• A. Dwight D. Eisenhower
• B. Bernard Montgomery
• C. George S. Patton
• D. Douglas MacArthur

18. Which operation was the German invasion of the Soviet Union?

• A. Operation Sealion
• B. Operation Torch
• C. Operation Barbarossa
• D. Operation Market Garden

19. The Battle of Midway (1942) was primarily fought between:

• A. US and Germany
• B. US and Japan
• C. UK and Japan
• D. Russia and Japan

20. Which operation marked the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943?

• A. Operation Overlord
• B. Operation Husky
• C. Operation Dragoon
• D. Operation Avalanche

21. Which conference in 1943 first brought Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin together?

• A. Tehran Conference
• B. Yalta Conference
• C. Casablanca Conference
• D. Potsdam Conference

22. Which campaign is known as the “Desert War” of WWII?

• A. Eastern Front
• B. Pacific War
• C. North African Campaign
• D. Italian Campaign

23. Who was the German Führer during WWII?

• A. Kaiser Wilhelm II
• B. Adolf Hitler
• C. Hermann Göring
• D. Heinrich Himmler

24. The Blitz refers to the bombing of which city?

• A. Coventry
• B. Liverpool
• C. Manchester
• D. London

25. Which front was known as the “Western Front” in WWI?

• A. France–Belgium
• B. Russia–Germany
• C. Italy–Austria
• D. Ottoman–British

26. Which battle in WWI was the first large-scale use of tanks?

• A. Battle of Verdun
• B. Battle of the Somme
• C. Battle of Cambrai
• D. Battle of Ypres

27. Which country switched sides in WWI after the Bolshevik Revolution?

• A. Italy
• B. Russia
• C. Ottoman Empire
• D. Bulgaria

28. Who was the U.S. President at the end of WWII?

• A. Franklin D. Roosevelt
• B. Harry S. Truman’s predecessor
• C. Dwight D. Eisenhower
• D. Harry S. Truman

29. Which campaign halted the Japanese advance in Burma?

• A. Burma Campaign
• B. Malayan Campaign
• C. Guadalcanal Campaign
• D. Philippines Campaign

30. Which battle is considered the turning point in the Pacific War?

• A. Battle of Coral Sea
• B. Battle of Midway
• C. Battle of Leyte Gulf
• D. Battle of Guadalcanal

31. Which weapon was first used by Germany in WWI?

• A. Tanks
• B. Long-range artillery
• C. Poison gas
• D. Aircraft

32. Which country was not part of the Allies in WWII?

• A. Soviet Union before 1941
• B. Germany
• C. United States
• D. United Kingdom

33. Which mountain fortress defense held against Axis forces in 1942–43?

• A. Monte Cassino
• B. Tobruk
• C. El Alamein
• D. Monte Cassino

34. Which naval battle stopped the German surface fleet threat in WWII?

• A. Battle of Denmark Strait
• B. Battle of Narvik
• C. Battle of the Atlantic convoys
• D. Battle of Jutland

35. Which country sent the “Flying Tigers” to assist China in WWII?

• A. United States volunteer group
• B. United Kingdom
• C. Soviet Union
• D. Canada

36. Who was commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor?

• A. Chester Nimitz
• B. Husband Kimmel
• C. William Halsey Jr.
• D. Raymond Spruance

37. Which Axis power withdrew from WWI in 1918 due to revolution?

• A. Germany
• B. Austria-Hungary
• C. Ottoman Empire
• D. Russia

38. Which campaign secured the Suez Canal in WWI?

• A. Sinai and Palestine Campaign
• B. Gallipoli Campaign
• C. Mesopotamian Campaign
• D. Salonika Campaign

39. Which British general led the defense of Cairo and El Alamein?

• A. Bernard Montgomery
• B. Claude Auchinleck
• C. Bernard Montgomery
• D. Harold Alexander

40. Which Normandy beach was US forces’ landing zone on D-Day?

• A. Juno
• B. Omaha
• C. Gold
• D. Sword

41. Which weapon ended trench stalemate in WWI?

• A. Poison gas
• B. Machine gun
• C. Tank
• D. Artillery barrages

42. Which codebreaking success aided the Allies in WWII?

• A. Breaking Enigma
• B. Breaking Purple
• C. Breaking Navajo code
• D. Breaking Lorenz

43. Which country suffered revolution and exit from WWI?

• A. Germany
• B. Austria-Hungary
• C. Ottoman Empire
• D. Russia

44. Which December 1914 battle stopped German advance into France?

• A. First Battle of Ypres
• B. First Battle of the Marne
• C. Battle of Tannenberg
• D. Battle of Verdun

45. Which aircraft carrier battle turned the tide in the Pacific?

• A. Coral Sea
• B. Philippine Sea
• C. Midway
• D. Leyte Gulf

46. Which innovation was first deployed in WWI to clear barbed wire?

• A. Tank
• B. Flamethrower
• C. Poison gas
• D. Grenade

47. Which WWII operation liberated Paris in 1944?

• A. Operation Market Garden
• B. Operation Dragoon
• C. Operation Torch
• D. Operation Overlord

48. The Gallipoli Campaign was fought between which powers?

• A. Britain vs Ottoman Empire only
• B. France vs Ottoman Empire
• C. Russia vs Germany
• D. Allies (Britain, France) vs Ottoman Empire

49. Which weapon ended WWII in the Pacific?

• A. Conventional bombing
• B. Firebombing raids
• C. Atomic bomb
• D. Torpedo attacks

50. Which major amphibious assault opened the Western Front in WWI?

• A. Gallipoli landings
• B. Salonika landings
• C. Mesopotamian landings
• D. Gallipoli landings