History Trivia Questions — page 35

What war began in 1914?

• ASpanish-American war
• BRusso-Japanese war
• CWorld War I
• DWorld War II

He was one of the best military officers of Russia during the World War II and involved in the taking of Berlin.

• ANicholas Nikolaevich
• BAlexander Samsonov
• CLavr Kornilov
• DGeorgi Zhukov

Which of the following is the best reason why the KMT (Nationalists) under Chiang Kai-shek were defeated by the communists in the civil war following World War Two and forced to flee to Taiwan in 1949?

• AThere was much corruption and inefficiency in the KMT leadership.
• BThe communist forces greatly outnumbered the KTM and were better equipped.
• CThe only support for the KMT was from Chinese peasants.
• DThe US refused to give any aid to the KMT.

To what prominent religious group did the majority of people of Salem Village belong during the time of the notorious Salem witch trials in the 17th century?

• APuritans
• BProtestants
• CCalvinists
• DCatholics

What period of time during the Eighty Years War (1568- 1648) is referred to as the Twelve Years Truce?

• A1609 to 1621
• B1598 to 1610
• C1569 to 1581
• D1635 to 1647

In which year did the First World War begin?

• A1917
• B1914
• C1930
• D1939

The United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan is also known as?

• ANorthern Alliance
• BAmir al-MuMinin
• CTaliban
• DAl-Qaeda

Which of the Punic wars was fought between 264 and 241 BC in Sicily and Africa?

• ASecond Punic War
• BFirst Punic War
• CThird Punic War
• DFourth Punic War

In what year did the First World War end?

• A1912
• B1914
• C1918
• D1916

In 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany after it invaded which country?

• AHungary
• BPoland
• CAustria
• DCzechoslovakia

The Battle of Crécy, which took place on 26 August 1346, was one of the most important battles of a war conflict between which two countries?

• AFrance and Flanders
• BFrance and Prussia
• CFrance and Spain
• DFrance and England

During World war II, Singapores defenses were so strong that it was considered to be the Gibraltar of the Pacific. However the city fell to the Japanese relatively easy on February 15th 1942. What was the main reason for this?

• APro-Japanese resistance groups caused havoc in the city, leaving the defenders confused.
• BSuperior Japanese Naval forces bombarded the defenders into submission.
• CA night-time Amphibious assault caught the defenders off-guard.
• DThe Japanese assaulted Singapore over land.

What was the code name for the invasion of Japan during WWII, which was never undertaken due to the end of the war?

• ACupcake
• BDownwind
• CDownfall
• DTriton

Arbeit macht frei was a popular German slogan during World War II, placed mainly on the entrances of which of these?

• AGerman factories
• BGerman field hospitals
• CGerman schools
• DGerman concentration camps

What was the name of the first jet-powered fighter used in World War II?

• AMe-262
• BHurricane
• CP-51
• DMIG-3

What year did the Vietnam War end?

• A1978
• B1975
• C1967
• D1969

These wars were fought between 1803 and 1815, and included the famous battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo.

• AFranco-Prussian War
• BFrench Revolutionary Wars
• CHuguenot Wars
• DNapoleonic Wars

What was the result of the Athenian invasion of Syracuse during the Peloponnesian War?

• AThe Athenians were defeated.
• BCarthage invaded and controlled western Sicily.
• CThe Romans defeated both sides and took over Sicily.
• DSyracuse was destroyed and Sparta later surrendered.

Which U.S. President was in office when the Gulf War began?

• AGeorge W. Bush
• BRonald Regan
• CRichard Nixon
• DGeorge H. W. Bush

The Byzantine period began in this century which also saw the Valerians massacre of Christians.

• A3rd century AD
• B3rd century BC
• C6th century AD
• D2nd century BC

What was the name of the spy ring that helped the United States win the Revolutionary War?

• ACulper Ring
• BUnnamed
• CNew York Spy Ring
• DWashington's Spies

The kamikaze, Japanese suicide planes that crashed into Allied ships, first made a systematic appearance in 1944 during the fighting near this location.

• ATarawa
• Bthe Philippines
• CMakin Atol
• DPalau

The Second Boer War in 1899 was fought where?

• ASouth Africa
• BBulgaria
• CNepal
• DArgentina

Six gigantic guns were created during World War II, with the help of general Karl Baker. They were called Karl Monsers and were used in the Brest-Litovsk and Warsaw uprisings. What was their other deployment during the War?

• AThe defence of Berlin
• BThe siege of Moscow
• CThe siege of Stalingrad
• DThe siege of Sevastopol

Which northern state was last to make slavery illegal?

• ANew Jersey
• BNew York
• CThey all made it illegal at the same time
• DPennsylvania

How long did World War II last?

• A6 years
• B7 years
• C4 years
• D5 years

Before the Civil War, Stonewall Jackson was a professor of artillery and natural philosophy at which institute of higher learning?

• AVirginia Military Institute
• BWest Point
• CSandhurst
• DThe Citadel

The Battle of Normandy, also known as Operation Overlord, was the largest sea borne invasion of World War II. Operation Overlord started with D-Day on 6 June 1944. What does the "D" in D-Day stand for?

• ADeath
• BDeliverance
• CDoom
• DDay

One of the earliest gold rushes was probably the Spanish search for the mythical city of El Dorado. According to early legends, the King of the Muiscas would do this as part of a religious ceremony.

• ACover himself with gold dust
• BGive away gold to everybody
• CTurn whatever he touches into gold
• DDrink liquid gold

In the War of the Pacific (1879 - 1883), Bolivia lost its access to the Pacific Ocean after being defeated by which South American country?

• AArgentina
• BChile
• CPeru
• DBrazil

The Herero genocide was perpetrated in Africa by which of the following colonial nations?

• ABelgium
• BFrance
• CBritain
• DGermany

After the 80 Years War (XVI-XVII century) a new colonial power was born in Europe. Which one?

• APortugal
• BSpain
• CGermany
• DThe Netherlands

What was the bloodiest single-day battle during the American Civil War?

• AThe Battle of Gettysburg
• BThe Battle of Antietam
• CThe Siege of Vicksburg
• DThe Battles of Chancellorsville

The Doolittle raid was the first time the US bombed Japan in the Pacific War. The bombers were launched from an aircraft carrier but the Japanese did not know where the bombers came from. What place did President Roosevelt facetiously name as the place where the bombers had come from?

• AShangri-La
• BThe North Pole
• Can underground air base in China
• DUtopia

Which movie star was featured in the only movie about the Vietnam War that was made during the war?

• AJohn Wayne
• BTom Cruise
• CTom Berenger
• DForest Whitaker

What Chinese warrior and strategist wrote The Art of War?

• AGenghis Khan
• BMao Zedong
• CSun Bin
• DSun Tzu

The Boer Wars were fought by the British Empire against which colonists?

• ASpanish in the Caribbean
• BDutch in South Africa
• CPortuguese in India
• DFrench in Louisiana

In 1996, U.S. anti-terrorist investigators learned of an organization called al-Qaeda for the very first time from which one of the following?

• AIsraeli Mossad agent
• Breleased American hostage
• CSudanese informer
• Dcaptured Taliban fighter

This man became U.S. Secretary of State after the Second World War. He developed a reconstruction plan, later named after him, to help the European countries recover after the war.

• AKarl Donitz
• BDwight Eisenhower
• CF. D. Roosevelt
• DGeorge Marshall

What two US Presidents served during the first decade of the Cold War?

• ATruman, Eisenhower
• BKennedy, Nixon
• CEisenhower, Kennedy
• DRoosevelt, Truman

Galleys undoubtedly revolutionized the War at Sea, the main reason being the far superior fire power over any other sea-going ship at the time. On October 7th, 1571 for the first time galleys were in the forefront of a major sea battle. Which battle was this?

• AThe Battle of Terheyden
• BThe Battle of Svensksund
• CThe Battle of Gravelines
• DThe Battle of Lepanto

He was the bravest and strongest Greek warrior in the Trojan War. He died when Apollo helped guide Pariss arrow to this warrior only vulnerable spot?

• APatroclus
• BAchilles
• CHector
• DAgamemnon

What Civil War general is alleged to have sucked on lemons before going into a battle?

• ARobert E. Lee
• BJEB Stuart
• CThomas Jackson
• DJames Longstreet

What year did Franklin D. Roosevelt and Adolph Hitler come to power?

• A1932
• B1933
• C1930
• D1938

What was the predominating religion in the Achaemenid Empire, one of the first Persian empires?

• AShamanism
• BRastafarianism
• CZoroastrianism
• DHinduism

Against which country did the Dutch Republic fight the Eighty Years' War?

• ASpain
• BFrance
• CEngland
• DPortugal

This instrument of torture was thrust into the victims' chin and sternum rendering them motionless.

• AThe Kings Spear
• BThe Sorcerers Staff
• CThe Heretics Fork
• DThe Princes Prod

This 1899–1902 war marked the beginning of the decline of the British Empire.

• AThe Boer War - South Africa
• BThe Boxer Uprising - China
• CRebellion in India
• DThe War of Independence - Ireland

In what year was slavery banned in the British colonies?

• A1833
• B1802
• C1864
• D1865

Which countries were Israels enemies during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War?

• ASyria, Jordan, Iraq
• BEgypt, Syria, Turkey
• CTurkey, Jordan, Oman
• DEgypt, Syria, Jordan