Industrialising Outside Europe: Japan and Egypt · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Two countries race to catch up

History · World History · ages 16-18
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. How fast did Meiji Japan change?

    • Over a thousand years
    • In a single afternoon
    • Within a few decades

  2. What did Meiji Japan change?

    • Government, conscript army, schools, and industry
    • Nothing at all
    • Only the national flag

  3. Muhammad Ali's Egypt built factories, a modern army, and irrigation works.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Late starters import the latest machines instead of inventing each step. What made this possible?

    • A ban on all machines
    • The end of all schools
    • Steel, chemicals, electricity, railways, and steamships

  5. Why did Britain still take over Egypt despite its reforms?

    • Egypt built nothing at all
    • Costly wars and debts opened finances to control
    • Japan invaded Egypt

  6. What conditions help industry grow from below rather than from state programmes?

    • Debt, defeat, and closed schools
    • Independence, local markets, and skilled workers
    • No workers and no markets

  7. A state buys machines but trains no engineers. What should you predict?

    • Automatic prosperity forever
    • Machines stall without skills and organisation
    • Machines train themselves

  8. Two states both industrialise, but one keeps control and the other loses it. What best explains the split?

    • The weather in each capital
    • The colour of new uniforms
    • Who pays for modernisation shapes who rules after
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Two countries race to catch up W1-mt_DFhpNwT4Rq-s1

  1. Within a few decades · The whole programme ran within decades.
  2. Government, conscript army, schools, and industry · Leaders rebuilt state, army, schooling, and industry together.
  3. True · Egypt built plenty, but debts undid its independence.
  4. Steel, chemicals, electricity, railways, and steamships · Second-wave tools plus organisation meant fast catching up.
  5. Costly wars and debts opened finances to control · Debt gave bankers and then Britain leverage over Cairo.
  6. Independence, local markets, and skilled workers · Local markets and skills let growth rise without orders.
  7. Machines stall without skills and organisation · Technology alone never suffices without trained people.
  8. Who pays for modernisation shapes who rules after · Secure finances kept Japan free; debt delivered Egypt.
Worksheet · LightMySky