Unit 16: Paper 2 — Causes and Effects of 20th-Century Wars
Topic 16.1: Causes of war Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB History Topic 16.1. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Evaluate15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.2 - Q2
Evaluate the role of nationalism in causing the First World War.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.1 - Q4
Examine the reasons why one 20th-century war can be described as a total war.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.2 - Q5
Compare and contrast the roles of Germany and Austria-Hungary in bringing about the First World War.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.1 - Q1
Compare and contrast the causes of two 20th-century wars, each chosen from a different region.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.2 - Q12
Which three countries made up the Triple Entente?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.1 - Q11
In the framework studied, which type of war is defined by a state mobilising its entire society — economy, industry and civilians — and targeting the enemy's whole population?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.3 - Q9
Examine the importance of long-term causes compared with immediate causes in the outbreak of the Second World War.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.3 - Q13
At the Munich Agreement of September 1938, which territory did Britain and France allow Hitler to take?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.1 - Q12
The memory aid E-I-P-T-R lists the five categories of cause. Which category does the letter 'T' stand for?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.1 - Q14
Which conflict is used in the framework as the example of a limited war fought for restricted aims to avoid a wider nuclear clash?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.2 - Q3
To what extent was the alliance system responsible for the outbreak of the First World War?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.1 - Q15
According to the framework, what is the key difference between a long-term cause and a catalyst?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.2 - Q10
Discuss the reasons why the Balkans became the flashpoint for the outbreak of the First World War.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.2 - Q11
In the MAIN shorthand for the long-term causes of the First World War, what does the letter 'A' stand for?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.3 - Q12
What was the main aim behind Hitler's concept of Lebensraum?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.2 - Q14
According to the Schlieffen Plan, through which neutral country did Germany plan to attack France?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.3 - Q10
Discuss the view that Hitler's expansion in the years 1936–1939 made war inevitable.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.3 - Q11
On which date did Germany invade Poland, the event usually seen as the trigger of the Second World War in Europe?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.1 - Q2
Evaluate the importance of ideological causes in bringing about one 20th-century war.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 16.1.3 - Q1
To what extent was Adolf Hitler responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939?
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