GED Social Studies : Nations and States

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GED Social Studies

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Nations And States

An armistice is best described as __________

Possible Answers:

a vote by the people to directly decide the outcome of an issue.

a smaller state or nation that is dependent on a larger state for protection.

a declaration of war between two nations of conflicting ideologies.

a policy of allowing an enemy or a rival to achieve certain gains in the hope that they will then be satisfied.

a temporary halt in conflict during a war, often followed by the signing of a peace treaty.

Correct answer:

a temporary halt in conflict during a war, often followed by the signing of a peace treaty.

Explanation:

An armistice is a temporary halt in conflict during a war; it is often followed by the signing of a peace treaty, but when two sides cannot reach agreement it may simply be a temporary break before the fighting resumes. The policy of allowing an enemy or a rival to achieve certain gains in the hope that they will then be appeased is called "appeasement." A smaller state or nation that is dependent on a larger state for protection is called a "satellite state." A vote by the people to directly decide the outcome of an issue is called either a "plebiscite" or a "referendum."

Example Question #1 : Nations And States

All nations that signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact agreed to __________

Possible Answers:

renounce warfare as means of foreign policy.

prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

abolish trade to the Soviet Union.

renounce nuclear energy.

prevent the spread of Communism by whatever means available.

Correct answer:

renounce warfare as means of foreign policy.

Explanation:

The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in 1928 by most of the powerful nations of the world at the time. Signed between World War One and World War Two, it was meant to prevent a future outbreak of world war. Considering that World War Two broke out a decade later, and that Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, it can hardly be seen as a success, yet it was an important step in the history of civilization, because it was the first major attempt to renounce warfare as a means of foreign policy.

Example Question #13 : Geography

What was the name given to the policy of state sponsored discrimination against non-whites in South Africa, between 1945 and 1990?

Possible Answers:

Protectorate

Zionism

Reconstruction

The British Raj

Apartheid

Correct answer:

Apartheid

Explanation:

The term, "Apartheid," refers to a period in South African history when the government actively promoted and sponsored discrimination and segregation on the basis of race. It ended in 1990.

Example Question #14 : Geography

The Hundred Years’ War was fought between __________

Possible Answers:

China and Japan.

India and Pakistan.

England and France.

Russia and Japan.

France and Germany.

Correct answer:

England and France.

Explanation:

The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts waged between England and France from 1337 to 1453. The war was primarily fought for control of the Kingdom of France and ended with English finances exhausted, with civil war brewing as the majority of France remained outside of English control.

Example Question #2 : Nations And States

The primary goal of the Crusades was to __________

Possible Answers:

turn back the tide of the Protestant Reformation in Central Europe.

remove Islamic influence from the territory of Spain.

retake Jerusalem for Christianity from Islam.

take back the monastic possessions in England under Henry VIII.

anglicize the church in early Renaissance England.

Correct answer:

retake Jerusalem for Christianity from Islam.

Explanation:

The Crusades is the name given to a series of military campaigns waged by the nations of Western Europe between 1095 and 1487 C.E. The primary goal was to retake Jerusalem and the Holy Land for Christianity from the Islamic Empires that held sway there at the time, but some crusades were declared against heretic Christians in Europe.

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