Maharashtra Board Class 12 History Chapter 8 World Wars and India Exercise Solutions

1A. Choose The Correct Alternative And Rewrite The Statement.

Question 1. When Austria declared war against Serbia, it was _________, who helped Serbia.
(a) Germany
(b) America
(c) Hungary
(d) Russia
Answer: (d) Russia
In simple words: When the war started, Russia stepped in as a powerful friend to protect Serbia from Austria. This chain of alliances is what eventually pulled many countries into World War I.

📝 Teacher's Note: Use a map to show the geographical proximity of Russia and Serbia. Explain how ethnic ties and political alliances influenced Russia's decision to intervene.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that Russia's mobilization triggered Germany's entry into the war. Memorizing the "Serbia-Russia" link is crucial for questions on the start of WWI.

Question 2. The first atom bomb was dropped on the city of _________ during the aerial attack of America on Japan.
(a) Nagasaki
(b) Hiroshima
(c) Pearl Harbour
(d) Stalingrad
Answer: (b) Hiroshima
In simple words: On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the world's first atomic bomb used in war on Hiroshima to force Japan to surrender. This event significantly accelerated the end of World War II.

📝 Teacher's Note: Discuss the ethical implications of using nuclear weapons and the long-term effects on the survivors (Hibakusha). This provides depth to the historical fact.

🎯 Exam Tip: Do not confuse Hiroshima with Nagasaki; Hiroshima was the first city targeted (August 6), and Nagasaki was the second (August 9).

1B. Find The Incorrect Pair From Group ‘B’ And Write The Corrected One.

Question 1. Find the incorrect pair from group ‘B’ and write the corrected one.

Answer: Italy - Benito Mussolini
In simple words: While Linlithgow was a British official in India, Benito Mussolini was the actual leader of Italy during World War II.

📝 Teacher's Note: Ask students to identify the roles of the other leaders mentioned to ensure they understand the global political landscape of the era. For example, mention that Linlithgow was the Viceroy of India.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always rewrite the entire corrected pair as shown above to ensure you get full credit for identifying and fixing the error.

2. Write The Names Of Historical Places/Persons/Events.

Question 1. The name of the group of nations including England, France, Russia, Italy, and America in the First World War -
Answer: Allied Nations
In simple words: These were the countries that fought together as partners against the Central Powers during World War I.

📝 Teacher's Note: Explain the difference between the "Allied Powers" of WWI and the "Allies" of WWII, as the composition of these groups changed slightly between the two wars.

🎯 Exam Tip: Keywords like "England, France, Russia" in the context of WWI should immediately point you toward the "Allied Nations."

Question 2. The name of the group of nations including Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria in the First World War -
Answer: Central Powers
In simple words: These countries formed the opposing side to the Allied Nations during the first major global conflict.

📝 Teacher's Note: Use the term "Central" to help students remember their location in the middle of Europe, sandwiched between the Allied nations of France and Russia.

🎯 Exam Tip: "Central Powers" is the specific term used for this group in World War I; in World War II, the opposing group was called the "Axis Powers."

3. Write Short Notes.

Question 1. ‘League of Nations.
Answer:

• A peace-loving American president Woodrow Wilson took a lead in the formation of the League of Nations.
• All the nations involved in the war felt the need to create some solution to avoid any situation that could lead to war.
• The main objectives of the League of Nations were -
  • finding peaceful solutions for conflicts between nations.
  • establishing peace in the world.
• Austria, Germany, and other defeated nations were not allowed to become members of the league.
• America was not a member of the league so England and France retained their dominance in the league.

In simple words: The League of Nations was like an early version of the United Nations, built to keep world peace. However, it struggled because powerful countries like the USA didn't join and it didn't include the defeated nations.

📝 Teacher's Note: Highlight the irony that the League was the brainchild of an American president, yet the US Senate voted against joining it. This is a key reason for its eventual failure.

🎯 Exam Tip: Ensure you mention Woodrow Wilson and the two primary objectives (peaceful solutions and world peace) to score high on this note.

Question 2. Dr. Kotnis.
Answer:

• Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis was born on 10th October 1910 at Solapur.
• When Japan had attacked China in 1937, the Chinese Government requested Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to send a team of doctors to attend to the injured Chinese soldiers.
• Dr. Kotnis was the chief of the team of Indian doctors sent to China.
• He attended the Chinese soldiers for years but unfortunately died in China on 9th December 1942 in the plague epidemic.
• Dr. Kotnis by the virtue of his selfless work formed the bridge of friendship between India and China.
• The eminent Indian filmmaker, V. Shantaram made a film on his life, entitled ‘Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani’ which immortalized Dr. Kotnis’ memory.

In simple words: Dr. Kotnis was a brave Indian doctor who went to China to help wounded soldiers during the war. He worked so hard that he is still remembered today as a symbol of friendship between India and China.

📝 Teacher's Note: Explain how Dr. Kotnis represents the humanitarian aspect of India's international relations during the wartime period. His story is a great example of "medical diplomacy."

🎯 Exam Tip: Mentioning the film "Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani" and his role as the "chief of the team of Indian doctors" adds significant value to your answer.

4. Explain The Following Statements With Reasons.

Question 1. ‘The Treaty of Versailles’ had the seeds of the Second World War.
Answer:

• The Treaty of Versailles was signed between the Allied nations and Germany at Versailles palace in 1919. It was drafted by American President Woodrow Wilson.
• The Treaty of Versailles was very harsh on Germany because Germany had lost the war.
• Germany was forced to accept the responsibility for the war damages suffered by the Allies.
• The victorious powers had deprived Germany of huge tracts of its territory. Germany was burdened with an immense war indemnity.
• The peace settlement at Paris was made in a spirit of revenge. The Germans felt that too much injustice had been done to them.
• The German economy was ruined completely. People were starving and the government was in chaos.
• It was impossible for a proud German race to forget the consequences of the war, which they had lost so humiliatingly.
• This fuelled the rise of Nazism in Germany which adopted the policy of aggression.
• In this way, the Treaty of Versailles sowed the seeds of the Second World War.

In simple words: The treaty that ended WWI was so mean and unfair to Germany that it made the German people angry and poor. This anger allowed Hitler to come to power, eventually leading to the start of the next big war.

📝 Teacher's Note: Use the analogy of a "pushed spring" – the harder you push down (the harsh treaty), the more violently it will eventually bounce back (aggression/WWII).

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on keywords like "harsh," "humiliating," "war indemnity," and "rise of Nazism" to explain the link between the two world wars.

Question 2. The British Government in India decided to return home.
Answer:

• The Second World War ended in the month of August 1945 with the surrender of Japan.
• In this war, England emerged victoriously but it lost heavily in terms of human life and economic conditions.
• As a result of this England grew weaker. The British Government in India is now aware that Indian soldiers and people are not as meek and submissive as before, ruling them was no easier.
• India was not going to be the perennial source of profit for them as it used to be. There was a lot of pressure on England to give freedom to its colonies.
• Freedom struggles began in India which demanded ‘Poorna Swarajya’ which means total independence. Hence, the British Government in India decided to return home.

In simple words: After WWII, Britain was exhausted, broke, and could no longer control the strong freedom movement in India. Since India was no longer making them easy money, they decided it was time to leave and give India its independence.

📝 Teacher's Note: Explain that the end of British rule wasn't just due to one factor, but a combination of Britain's internal weakness post-war and the rising strength of the Indian independence movement.

🎯 Exam Tip: Be sure to link the economic exhaustion of Britain after the war with the rising pressure for "Poorna Swarajya" in India.

5. Answer The Following Questions In Detail.

Question 1. Give the causes of the Second World War.
(i) Dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles
(ii) Rise of Hitler
(iii) Rise of Communism
(iv) Hitler’s attack on Poland
(v) Hitler’s violation of the Non-aggression Pact
Answer: The Second World War was fought between 1939 to 1945. Following were the causes of the Second World War:
(i) Dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles: The Treaty of Versailles was very harsh on Germany. It was made in a spirit of revenge. Germany was burdened with huge war indemnity. The German economy was ruined completely. This fuelled the rise of Nazism in Germany.
(ii) Rise of Hitler: The Nazis under the leadership of Hitler grabbed power in Germany. Hitler began to escalate Germany’s military power so as to avenge the demeaning conditions imposed on Germany by the treaty of Versailles. He focussed on increasing the strength of the military as well as the navy.
(iii) Rise of Communism: Meanwhile, Soviet Russia, a communist nation was becoming more powerful. It made nations like England, France, America uneasy. Soviet Russia and imperialistic Germany viewed each other as arch enemies. England and France ignored the advances of Germany thinking that it will keep a check on the rising power of Soviet Russia.
(iv) Hitler’s attack on Poland: In 1938, Hitler won the Sudeten province in Czechoslovakia, which was populated in majority by people of German origin. In 1939, he attacked Poland which was looked upon as a neutral country by all European nations. In spite of this, Hitler attacked Poland. Therefore, England declared war against Germany.
(v) Hitler’s violation of the Non-aggression pact: Denmark, Norway surrendered to Germany. Germany conquered Holland, Belgium, and France. In 1939, Hitler violated the ‘Non-aggression Pact’ made with Stalin and attacked Soviet Russia so Stalin declared war against Germany.
In simple words: The war started because of many problems: Germany was angry about a past peace treaty, Hitler was building a massive army to take over land, and different countries like Russia and England didn't trust each other. The final spark was when Hitler ignored warnings and attacked Poland.

📝 Teacher's Note: Break down these five causes into distinct categories like Political, Economic, and Immediate causes. This helps students organize their thoughts for long-form answers.

🎯 Exam Tip: For detailed questions, use the sub-headings provided in the question itself to structure your answer. This makes it very clear and easy for the examiner to award full marks.

Question 2. Why did Indian people participate in the national movement in great numbers?
Answer:

• India was a colony of the British during wartime. England started exploiting their colonies to meet the needs of war.
• During wartime, England felt an increasing need for manpower and money. Therefore, the British Government began recruiting army personnel from India.
• At times the recruitment was enforced on Indians.
• Extra taxes were levied on Indians for raising funds. Taxes on trade and industries were raised.
• During the war period prices of essential commodities went up. Indians suffered from the problems of inflation, hike in prices, increasing unemployment caused by the industrial recession.
• Indians could see that the exploitative rule of the British was responsible for this miserable state of affairs.
• Hence, Indians from all strata of society, workers, farmers, and the middle class joined in large numbers in the national movements against British rule.

In simple words: During the war, the British forced Indians to join the army, took more tax money, and caused prices of food to rise. People realized that British rule was making them poor and miserable, so everyone from farmers to workers joined together to fight for freedom.

📝 Teacher's Note: Connect the economic hardships (inflation, taxes) to the social unrest. Explain how common struggles united different classes of Indian society against a common ruler.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use terms like "exploitative rule," "forced recruitment," and "inflation" to demonstrate a strong grasp of the historical causes behind the mass participation.