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Quiz about Cross of Iron
Quiz about Cross of Iron

10 Average Questions about Cross of Iron


This hard-hitting war movie flopped at the box office in the USA when it was released in 1977, but was a great success across the rest of the world.

A multiple-choice quiz by Plumbus. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Plumbus
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
271,168
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
271
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. 'Cross of Iron' was based on 'The Willing Flesh', a hard-hitting war novel by which writer? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which two highly acclaimed British actors played the parts of German officers in the film? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Much of the tension in the movie was derived from the uneasy relationship between officers and men. Which officer did the men respect the most? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Who was the new company commander, who arrived at the beginning of the film? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The platoon adopted a mascot. What was it? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. While Steiner was recovering from wounds in a hospital, a general visited the wounded soldiers, but failed in his attempt to shake a soldier's hand. How? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. How did Steiner react to a chance meeting with Obergefreiter Schnurrbart (one of his squad leaders) at the hospital? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Hauptmann Stransky was driven in his desire for one thing above all else throughout the film. What was it? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Unlike most of the squad, Gefreiter Dietz and Gefreiter Zoll did not die in battle. What happened to them? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Steiner's company commander tried to get him killed on at least two occasions. Why? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. 'Cross of Iron' was based on 'The Willing Flesh', a hard-hitting war novel by which writer?

Answer: Willi Heinrich

'The Willing Flesh' had been first published in 1956. It was based on Heinrich's own experiences as a soldier on the Eastern Front in World War Two.

Director Sam Peckinpah accepted an offer from German producer Wolf Hartwig to direct a film version. In doing so, Peckinpah turned down offers from Dino Di Laurentiis to direct 'King Kong' and from Warner Bros. to direct 'Superman', but he had always been attracted by the idea of making a war movie.
2. Which two highly acclaimed British actors played the parts of German officers in the film?

Answer: James Mason and David Warner

Apart from James Mason, David Warner and the American James Coburn (who played the lead role of Unteroffizier Steiner), the rest of the cast were a mix of actors from Central Europe who were generally little known to an English language audience. The backing for the project came from Germany, Yugoslavia and Britain and it was filmed in Yugoslavia with up to 600 extras supplied by the Yugoslav army.

It was unusual for an English language film to have Germans as its main protagonists but, from his success in roles in films that had attempted it previously ('The Desert Fox' and 'The Blue Max') James Mason's presence was regarded as essential to woo American and British audiences at the Box Office.
3. Much of the tension in the movie was derived from the uneasy relationship between officers and men. Which officer did the men respect the most?

Answer: Leutnant Meyer

Meyer, played by Yugoslav actor Igor Galo, was the only officer who showed his men respect and treated them as equals. They held a birthday party in his honour but, tragically, he died shortly after when he led a successful counter-attack.
4. Who was the new company commander, who arrived at the beginning of the film?

Answer: Hauptmann Stransky

Hauptmann Stransky (played by Swiss actor Maximilian Schell) was a typical Prussian officer who had requested a transfer to the Russian Front out of the frustration that his military career, up until then, had been far away from the fighting. He regarded it as a matter of family honour that he prove himself in battle and had the medal to show for it - The Iron Cross. Once faced with the reality of war and the harsh conditions of the Russian Front, however, he proved to be cowardly and hid behind his rank and the rule book.
5. The platoon adopted a mascot. What was it?

Answer: A captured enemy boy soldier

The platoon captured a Russian boy soldier, Michail (played by Yugoslav actor Slavko Stimac), who they looked after in their dugout. Stransky ordered Steiner to, "dispose of him" - an order which Steiner refused to carry out. This was another cause of friction in their relationship. The boy was killed accidentally by his own side, shortly after Steiner released him.
6. While Steiner was recovering from wounds in a hospital, a general visited the wounded soldiers, but failed in his attempt to shake a soldier's hand. How?

Answer: The soldier had no hands

The general had backed away from shaking Steiner's hand, put off possibly by his challenging stare and chestful of decorations. His embarrassment was completed, however, by his attempt to shake hands with a man who had had them blown off. Nevertheless, the general insisted that 65% of the men should be returned to active duty within three days.
7. How did Steiner react to a chance meeting with Obergefreiter Schnurrbart (one of his squad leaders) at the hospital?

Answer: He discharged himself and returned to the front.

While at the hospital, Steiner had developed a relationship with a nurse, Eva (played by Austrian actress Senta Berger). They had a deep discussion about the futility of war but Steiner found that his bond with his comrades was too strong to resist, even though his wounds were serious enough for him to remain in hospital.

As he departed, Eva asserted, "Do you love the war so much? Or are you afraid of what you're going to be without it?"
8. Hauptmann Stransky was driven in his desire for one thing above all else throughout the film. What was it?

Answer: The Iron Cross

The Iron Cross (Das Eiserne Kreuz) was established as a military honour by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in 1813, during The Napoleonic Wars. It was resurrected by Bismarck during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and re-established by Kaiser Wilhelm II at the beginning of World War One.

Probably its most famous recipient was Adolf Hitler, who always wore it on the various uniforms he adopted. As an infantryman in WWI he was awarded The Iron Cross (2nd Class) in December 1914 for rescuing a wounded officer. In 1918 he was awarded The Iron Cross (1st Class) for single-handedly capturing a squad of French soldiers in No Man's Land.

After World War Two, German veterans were permitted to continue to wear the medal, but the swastika clasp was prohibited.
9. Unlike most of the squad, Gefreiter Dietz and Gefreiter Zoll did not die in battle. What happened to them?

Answer: They were murdered by female enemy prisoners.

The platoon captured a number of Russian women soldiers at a farmhouse. Despite Steiner's warnings, too many of the men tried to 'fraternise' with the prisoners, and dropped their guard - with fatal results for Dietz and Zoll.

During World War Two, the Soviet army was unusual in deploying women soldiers in combat units.
10. Steiner's company commander tried to get him killed on at least two occasions. Why?

Answer: Steiner knew he had lied to win The Iron Cross.

Steiner had been insubordinate and disrespectful towards Stransky from the beginning, since he recognised him to be the epitome of the officer class that he despised. In his attempt to win The Iron Cross, Stransky had filed a false report in which he claimed that he had led a successful counter-attack - the action that Leutnant Meyer had led while Stransky cowered in the bunker. Steiner refused to verify the report and Stransky was worried that he might be found out if Steiner lived to tell the tale.

When the Russians attacked in overwhelming numbers, Stransky deliberately did not pass on the order to Steiner and his men to retreat, and when those who survived tried to return through enemy lines, he ordered machine gunners to fire on them. But he still couldn't kill Steiner!
Source: Author Plumbus

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
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