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.
1Choose1 mark
2026
Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 is best described in the framework as which of the following?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question2Choose1 mark
2026
What was the main aim behind Hitler's concept of Lebensraum?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question3Choose1 mark
2026
On which date did Germany invade Poland, the event usually seen as the trigger of the Second World War in Europe?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question4Choose1 mark
2026
What is meant by the 'blank cheque' during the July Crisis of 1914?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question5Choose1 mark
2026
At the Munich Agreement of September 1938, which territory did Britain and France allow Hitler to take?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question6Choose1 mark
2026
The memory aid E-I-P-T-R lists the five categories of cause. Which category does the letter 'T' stand for?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question7Choose1 mark
2026
In the MAIN shorthand for the long-term causes of the First World War, what does the letter 'A' stand for?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question8To what extent15 marks
2026
To what extent was Adolf Hitler responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question9Evaluate15 marks
2026
Evaluate the role of nationalism in causing the First World War.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question10Examine15 marks
2026
Examine the reasons why one 20th-century war can be described as a total war.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question11Compare and contrast15 marks
2026
Compare and contrast the roles of Germany and Austria-Hungary in bringing about the First World War.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question12Compare and contrast15 marks
2026
Compare and contrast the causes of two 20th-century wars, each chosen from a different region.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question13Examine15 marks
2026
Examine the importance of long-term causes compared with immediate causes in the outbreak of the Second World War.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question14To what extent15 marks
2026
To what extent was the alliance system responsible for the outbreak of the First World War?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question15Discuss15 marks
2026
Discuss the reasons why the Balkans became the flashpoint for the outbreak of the First World War.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question16Discuss15 marks
2026
Discuss the view that Hitler's expansion in the years 1936–1939 made war inevitable.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question17Evaluate15 marks
2026
Evaluate the importance of ideological causes in bringing about one 20th-century war.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question18To what extent15 marks
2026
To what extent were economic factors the main cause of one 20th-century war?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question19Discuss15 marks
2026
Discuss the view that the trigger of a war is far less important than its long-term causes, with reference to one 20th-century war.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question20Analyse15 marks
2026
Analyse the importance of imperialism as a long-term cause of the First World War.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock QuestionReady to practice Topic 16.1?
Get instant AI feedback on your answers, view detailed markschemes, and track your progress across all IB History topics.