Past Rulers of Europe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Prussia

Known as the Iron Chancellor, Bismarck was the Minister-President (Prime Minister) and Foreign Minister of Prussia from 1862-1890. He is most famously credited with bringing about the unification of the country of Germany in 1871, however, he also established peaceful diplomatic relations with most of the European countries of his time.

Although the new country of Germany was ruled by a powerful monarch - Kaiser Wilhelm I - Bismarck was given total control over its policies and was able to control nearly every aspect of life, from restricting free speech to enacting anti-Catholic measures. Under his rule Germany amassed an overseas empire, but his downfall came after the death of Wilhelm I; the new King Wilhelm II, who took over after his father, Frederick III, died shortly after becoming king, dismissed Bismarck from office, and he then retired to write his memoirs.

Answer: Prussia

Albert was the first ruler of what was known in 1510 as the Duchy of Prussia. He was previously a German prince who had served as the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, but gained political support after he converted to Lutheranism. An ardent supporter of the religion, he worked to spread it to his lands after making Lutheranism the state religion of his realm.

After seizing wealth from the Catholic Church, he used it to establish schools and founded the University of Königsberg in 1544. After the money ran out, however, the necessity of raising taxes caused peasant rebellions and led to his downfall.

Answer: Prussia

Frederick II, known as Frederick the Great, was the ruler of Prussia for forty-six years, from 1740-1786. Why was he called the Great? He led Prussia to victory in the Silesian Wars against Austria, reorganized the Prussian army, and made it one of the most important military powers in the Europe of his day, becoming a recognized expert in military prowess.

He was an absolute ruler, however, he did embrace the ideals of the Enlightenment, and believed that he was also a servant of the people he ruled. Upper class Prussian men were NOT the only ones who could become judges and bureaucrats during his reign, and freedom of the press and literature was allowed. His patronage of the arts appears to be a contradiction of his role as an absolute military leader, however, he is viewed today as an enlightened despot.

Answer: Spain

Also known as Al Africano due to his involvement in the Rif War to maintain northern Morocco as a Spanish colony from 1920-26, Alfonzo III became King of Spain at his birth in 1886 - due to the death of his father. His mother served as his regent until he was sixteen, after which he ruled in his own right until 1931.

He promoted tourism in Spain and the development of football clubs such as Real Madrid, but he also led the movement to ensure Spain's neutrality during WWI. He even volunteered to bring Czar Nicholas II and his family to Spain after the Bolshevik Revolution began. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1917, but lost out on the award to the Red Cross.

Alfonzo III left Spain in 1931 after an election which established the Second Spanish Republic. He died in Rome in 1941.

Answer: Spain

Ferdinand II's marriage to Isabella of Castile united Spain for the most part; consequently, the two are known as the Founders of Modern Spain. They are also well known as the king and queen who financed the voyages of discovery of Christopher Columbus in the late 1400s and early 1500s - voyages that changed the world and made Spain a major world power - at least for a time.

Together the two were perhaps better known by their subjects as the Catholic Monarchs. They supported the Spanish Inquisition, and drove both Jews and Muslims out of Spain. The couple also attempted to secure prestigious marriages for their children; their youngest daughter, Catalina, became Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England.

Answer: Spain

Francisco Franco was the leader of the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, and ruled Spain as the Caudillo, or dictator, from 1939-1975. His dictatorship was brutal, with an estimated 100,000-200,000 people killed during the White Terror, which is also called the Francoist Repression. During the White Terror, people who were viewed as enemies of the state were executed. One writer said that it turned Spain into one large prison.

Franco did, however, make economic reforms, which made life better for some. After his death, the Pact of Forgetting was made in an attempt to move on after his rule, guaranteeing that there would be no criminal prosecutions for those who had worked with him.

Answer: Portugal

John II, the Perfect Prince, ruled Portugal from 1481-1495. He was believed to have been a proponent of Machiavellian philosophy, hence his nickname.

After inheriting a mostly bankrupt nation, he began to follow the ideas of his great uncle, Prince Henry the Navigator, concerning voyages of discovery. Portugal was able to acquire both colonial possessions and control routes to the lucrative spice trade in India. For a time, at least, Portugal was a leader of the Age of Exploration and benefited from the wealth it generated.

Answer: Portugal

Manuel II, known as the Unfortunate, was the last King of Portugal. He became King of Portugal after his father and brother were assassinated by members of the Portuguese Republican Army, and ruled from 1908-1910.

Deposed during the 5 October 1910 Revolution, as his people were upset with the royal family's extravagant lifestyle and the loss of colonial possessions in Africa, Manuel II lived the remainder of his life in London, always hoping to one day restore the Portuguese monarchy. During WWI he served in the British Red Cross, visiting hospitals and wounded soldiers on the war front, and continuing his efforts after the war was over.

He died in 1932, never able to make his hope of returning to Portugal as king a reality, or giving up his love of all things Portuguese.

Answer: Portugal

Afonso I, the Founder, was the first King of Portugal from 1139-1185. After his father's death, he had to defeat the army of his regent - his own mother - before being given the title, Count of Portugal. By 1139 he was powerful enough to establish an independent Kingdom of Portugal.

After that he continued with the Reconquista, freeing Lisbon and other areas from Moorish rule, and gaining recognition from the Roman Catholic pope after building monasteries and convents. This meant that the Church recognized the individual kingdom and its right to fight against the Moors.

Answer: France

Philippe Petain made a name for himself as a military hero during World War I when he led the French army at the Battle of Verdun. But in June 1940 he was recommended to fill the position of Prime Minister, and, in taking the job, put himself in the position of ruling Vichy France as a Nazi puppet at the age of 84.

After WWII he was tried by the French government and found guilty of treason; no one, however, had the heart to execute him, so the Lion of Verdun lived the remainder of his life in protective custody, stripped of his military honors. He died in 1951 at the age of 95.

Answer: France

Napoleon ruled France as First Consul from 1799-1804, and as Emperor from 1804-1814. Although he was too ambitious when compared to the resources that were at his disposal, he made many changes that are still apparent in France today. He created the university system to govern education and the Banque of France. He codified France's laws and established the Legion of Honor to reward members of the military. He also fostered an environment with religious toleration,

On the other hand, his plans for French expansion resulted in at least six million deaths, and, at times, his military strategies caused unnecessary casualties. He taxed individuals that were already being taxed beyond their capability, and appointed his relatives to important positions in his empire.

Scholars will probably continue to debate whether his legacy was positive or negative, but it must be said that he did end the lawlessness that had ensued during the course of the French Revolution, although in doing so he also delayed the country's move toward republican government.

Answer: France

Louis IX, also known as Saint Louis, ruled France from 1226-1270. He was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church thirty years after his death due to his participation in the Sixth and Seventh Crusades. While he was criticized at times for being extremely pious, he was greatly admired for his actions as a Christian king.

Many times he served not only as a judge in his own court system, but also in international courts of law. He even mediated disputes between other monarchs! In addition he was sympathetic toward the poor, and gave generously to charitable endeavors. His accomplishments were highly regarded during his lifetime, and still today he is viewed as being an important king of the Middle Ages.

Answer: England

While it is true that Alfred the Great is the only monarch in England who was ever labeled as being great, he did not rule all of England. The area to the north, the Danelaw, continued to be ruled by Vikings, with whom he had made peace. His grandson, Æthelstan, is considered by modern historians to be the first King of England, serving as King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924-927 and King of the English from 927-939.

Æthelstan continued with his grandfather's policy of centralizing his government. The King and his Royal Council, which became known as the Witan, became instrumental in making sure that laws were carried out. And like his grandfather, Æthelstan built churches and monasteries while attempting to improve the literacy of the clergy. He also had contact with rulers on the European continent, preferring to marry his sisters and daughters to them rather than following the old custom of marrying them to Anglo-Saxon nobles. This ensured the prestige of his government and gave him needed allies.

After Æthelstan's death in 939, England once again fell under Viking attack, and it was 954 before Anglo-Saxons were able to regain control of the island.

Answer: England

Oliver Cromwell emerged as the leader of the anti-monarchy Roundheads during the English Civil War; his was one of the signatures on the warrant for the execution of King Charles I, which was carried out in 1649. After the death of the King, Cromwell became the commander of the military, and his victories in Ireland and Scotland led to his appointment as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth in 1653.

As Lord Protector, Cromwell had two goals. First, he wanted to oversee the recovery of the nation after the terrible chaos that had taken place with the execution of the king and make the government as stable as possible. Then he hoped to instigate what he called moral reform, and promote godliness.

Cromwell died in 1658, turning his strict Puritanical government over to his weak son, Richard. In two more years, Parliament would begin the Restoration, bringing back Charles I's two sons to rule again and reestablish the monarchy. As for Cromwell? His body was disinterred from Westminster Abbey, his head was cut off, and displayed on a pole until 1685, and his body was thrown in a pit.

Answer: England

Henry II ruled England from 1154-1189; during his reign England grew in size to include parts of Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and France. His rule was marred, however, by controversy.

First, his constant disagreements with his friend, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, led to Becket's death at the hands of a group of Henry's knights. Scholars still debate whether the assassination came from a direct order by Henry or his his knights simply misunderstood his wishes.

Next, Henry's wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his sons, especially Richard and John, were a source of constant plots and rebellions. Henry died while fighting John and Richard in an argument over who would be his heir.

Nevertheless, Henry II was able to make some lasting contributions to England's legal system. He began a jury system to which today's trial by jury and grand jury can be traced. He also set the precedent for the use of common law throughout England, the same laws that were carried out by royal courts throughout the entire country.