Question 1

The nineteenth century composer associated with the concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk ("total art work") was

Accepted Answer

The concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk ("total art work") was famously associated with the nineteenth century German composer Richard Wagner, who believed that opera should combine music, drama, staging, and visual arts into a single, cohesive work of art.

Question 2

The unification of Italy was successfully accomplished mainly through the efforts of Giuseppe Mazzini and the Piedmont king, Charles Albert.

Accepted Answer

While Giuseppe Mazzini played a significant role in the movement for Italian unification, the main leader and architect of the unification process was Giuseppe Garibaldi, not Charles Albert. Charles Albert was initially supportive of Italian unification but ultimately failed to achieve it during his reign as king of Piedmont-Sardinia. The unification of Italy was mainly achieved through the efforts of Garibaldi, along with key figures such as Camillo di Cavour and Victor Emmanuel II.

Question 3

Although his domestic accomplishments were significant, Napoleon III's foreign policy was much less successful, as exemplified in his failed attempt to install Archduke Maximilian of Austria as emperor of Mexico.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true.

Question 4

Charles Darwin was influenced by Thomas Malthus' theory of population that claimed that more individuals are born than can possibly survive and that thus there must be struggle for existence.

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin specifically cites Malthus' theory in his book "On the Origin of Species" as a major influence on his concept of natural selection.

Question 5

Elizabeth Blackwell

Accepted Answer

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to receive a medical degree from an American medical school (Geneva Medical College). She went on to establish the New York Infirmary for Women and Children and trained other women to become physicians.

Question 6

Like most of the other nations of Europe, Britain experienced a violent revolution in 1848, a revolution that resulted in the urban working classes taking control of Parliament in the elections of 1849.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Britain did not experience a violent revolution in 1848 like many other nations of Europe did. The Chartists, a movement for political and social reform, did hold large-scale demonstrations that year, but they were ultimately unsuccessful in achieving their goals. The urban working classes did not take control of Parliament in the elections of 1849.

Question 7

The germ theory of disease was primarily the work of

Accepted Answer

Louis Pasteur is credited with developing the germ theory of disease, which states that many diseases are caused by the presence and actions of specific microorganisms. He also developed techniques for sterilization and pasteurization, which helped prevent the spread of disease.

Question 8

The beginnings of Marxism can be traced to the publication of Karl Marx's Das Kapital.

Accepted Answer

The beginnings of Marxism are more accurately traced to the publication of "The Communist Manifesto" by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, which predates the publication of "Das Kapital."

Question 9

The nation state of Germany was founded at the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.

Accepted Answer

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 was a key factor in the creation of the German Empire, which was officially founded in January 1871 under the leadership of Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

Question 10

The Ausgleich of 1867, gave the all the various nationalities making up the Austrian Empire equal rights and status with the German-speaking Austrians.

Accepted Answer

The Ausgleich of 1867, also known as the Compromise of 1867, established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary and gave greater autonomy to the Hungarian portion of the empire. While it did improve the status of non-German ethnic groups within Austria-Hungary, it did not give them equal rights and status with German-speaking Austrians.

Question 11

Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man

Accepted Answer

The Descent of Man argues for the animal origins of human beings and their evolution through adaptation. The book does not express doubt and hesitancy over evolutionary theories, propose the first theory of genetic mutations, place humans in the center of the universe, or predict the extinction of man and the rise of a new creation.

Question 12

The First International

Accepted Answer

The First International, also known as the International Workingmen's Association (IWA), was founded in 1864 and served as a central organization for working-class interests, uniting various labor unions and socialist groups across Europe. It aimed to coordinate and support the efforts of workers to improve their conditions and advocate for social change, making it a kind of umbrella organization for European labor interests at the time.

Question 13

The Crimean War was caused primarily by the Ottoman Empire's attempt to destroy the Christian holy places in Jerusalem and Palestine.

Accepted Answer

The Crimean War was primarily caused by a dispute between Russia and the Ottoman Empire over the rights of Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land. While the Ottoman Empire did control Jerusalem and Palestine, their attempt to destroy Christian holy places was not the primary cause of the war.

Question 14

According to Darwin, natural selection will favor the animal

Accepted Answer

According to Darwin, natural selection favors the animal which is best adapted to its environment. This means that the animal possesses traits and characteristics that help it survive and reproduce in its specific habitat. Those animals that are less well-adapted may struggle to survive and reproduce, leading to their eventual decline or extinction. Therefore, the best answer is C, which states that natural selection favors the animal which is best adapted.

Question 15

The dominant literary and artistic movement in the 1850s and 1860s was

Accepted Answer

Realism was the dominant literary and artistic movement in the 1850s and 1860s, characterized by a focus on everyday life and the depiction of socially and politically relevant subjects with accuracy and objectivity. This movement emerged as a response to Romanticism's emphasis on emotion, imagination, and the supernatural, which had dominated the literary and artistic world for the previous half-century. Realism reflected the growing interest in science and rationalism during this time period, as well as the social and political concerns of the era, such as industrialization, urbanization, and the struggle for social justice.

Question 16

Which of the following statements best applies to Charles Darwin and his evolutionary theory?

Accepted Answer

Darwin's theory of evolution emphasized the concept of natural selection and the idea that advantageous traits in organisms allow them to survive and reproduce more successfully than those without those traits. This process ultimately leads to the evolution of new species over time. Darwin's ideas were also controversial in his time and were met with opposition from religious and cultural conservatives.

Question 17

When Tsar Alexander II emancipated Russia's serfs, he also forced landowners to pay them reparations for generations of exploited labor.

Accepted Answer

Tsar Alexander II's emancipation reform in 1861 freed the serfs but did not require landowners to pay reparations for past labor exploitation. Instead, the serfs had to buy land from their former owners, often at high prices, through government-facilitated payments.

Question 18

In addition to examining everyday life, the literary realists of the mid-nineteenth century were also interested in

Accepted Answer

Literary realists of the mid-nineteenth century were interested in portraying everyday life as accurately and objectively as possible, avoiding sentimental language and relying on careful observation and description. This allowed them to provide an honest and unvarnished view of the world, including its social problems and injustices, without resorting to romantic or idealized portrayals.

Question 19

The leading realist novelist of the nineteenth century was

Accepted Answer

Gustave Flaubert, with his works such as Madame Bovary and Sentimental Education, is considered the leading realist novelist of the nineteenth century.

Question 20

Auguste Comte was responsible for

Accepted Answer

Auguste Comte is widely considered the founder of sociology as a discipline. While he did develop his own evolutionary theory, it was not as influential as Darwin's theory of evolution. Comte was also known for advocating for the removal of theology as a subject from university curricula, but this was not his most significant contribution. He did not attempt to integrate science with religion, as he believed that science should supplant religion in guiding society. Comte did not establish a utopian community outside Paris; this is likely a reference to the community founded by Charles Fourier.

Quiz 10: An Age of Nationalism and Realism, 1850-1871