Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. At the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC), 300 Greek soldiers put up a heroic defense of Sparta against 300,000 Persian soldiers. Who was the commander of these brave Greeks?
2. Between 66-74 AD Judea was being overrun by the Romans. Jerusalem was destroyed. A group of Jewish rebels fled to a naturally well-defended position on a hilltop overlooking the Dead Sea. The Romans laid siege in an attempt to capture or kill the rebels. What was this siege known as?
3. In 1527, a force of about 20,000 Spaniards, Germans, and Italians under the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V began a march toward the Vatican. Charles was intent on dominating all Catholics. The Pope ordered the Vatican to be defended by 189 members of the Swiss Guard. Who was this Pope?
4. The end of the era came in 1877 when the last of the samurai were defeated by the Imperial Japanese Army. The 40 remaining samurai, armed mostly with swords were surrounded by 30,000 Japanese troops armed with rifles. What was the name of the battle that put an end to this once revered tradition?
5. The year is 1942. The place is Prague. Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis were Czech resistance fighters who were charged with carrying out the assassination of a high-ranking Nazi official. The operation was called Operation Anthropoid. Who was the targeted Nazi official?
6. The War of the Oaken Bucket (1325) was a conflict between two rival city-states, Modena and Bologna. The conflict was about whether the Pope or secular rulers had the authority to appoint bishops and abbots. This "war" was decided in one battle. What was the name of this battle?
7. In 1532, Francisco Pizarro and his 168 conquistadors were surrounded by thousands of Incas, yet they managed to capture the Inca emperor. What was the name of the emperor they captured and eventually killed?
8. During the Hundred Years War between the English and the French, there were lulls between the fighting. During these lulls, the knights on both sides grew restless and bored. During such a lull in 1351, the two sides challenged one another to a fight. What was the resulting melee known as?
9. One of the most heroic sieges in American history occurred in 1836 at a small Spanish Catholic mission, San Antonio de Valero, better known to history as the Alamo. Who was in charge of the Alamo's defenders?
10. In 480 BC, this Athenian general won the Battle of Salamis despite being heavily outnumbered by the Persian navy. Who was this Greek general who won a naval battle?
Source: Author
ncterp
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trident before going online.
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