World Leaders Through The Ages # 4 Quiz

Answer: Shaka Zulu

Shaka was able to forge the Zulu people into a warrior force, along with social, cultural and political reforms Shaka laid the foundations for the establishment of the Zulu Kingdom. The kingdom lasted until 1897, when it was absorbed into (annexed by) the British colony of Natal.

Answer: Urban II

The First Crusade was fought between 1096-1099. It was initiated following the massacre of 3000 christian pilgrims in Jerusalem, the crusade ended with the capture of Jerusalem in 1099.

Answer: Philippe Petain

At the end of the war Petain was tried on charges of treason and collaboration, found guilty he was sentenced to cashiering and death by firing squad. However Charles De Gaulle commuted Petain's sentence to life imprisonment, based on his outstanding service to France during World War I. Marshal Philippe Petain died in prison in 1951, aged 95.

Answer: Marcus Reno

Holding the rank of Major, Marcus Reno was Custer's highest ranking officer. As Captain Reno he had served in the Union Army during the Civil War,and was brevetted Brigadier General for meritorious conduct. After the war Reno was promoted to Major in 1868. Serving with Custer during his Sioux Campaign of 1876. After the Battle of the Little Bighorn Reno was given command of Fort Abercrombie. Charges of immoral conduct were laid against him. Known for his displays of public drunkenness and indecency Reno had these 'charges' mostly dismissed by the army.

Called a coward for his action at the Little Bighorn Reno demanded and got a Court of Inquiry in 1879 to investigate his roll at the battle. The inquiry did not sustain the charge, nor did it single Reno out for praise. Again court-marshaled in 1880 for drunkenness, convicted, Major Reno was dismissed from the service. Marcus Reno died a broken man March 30 1889 aged 54.

Answer: Leo Ryan

Leo Ryan was a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected to the US Congress from California in 1973. Following widespread reports of human rights violations by members of the People's Temple religious cult led by Jim Jones in Jonestown Guyana, the US government announced it would investigate their activities. Ryan and his delegation along with some concerned relatives arrived in Georgetown Guyana on November 14 1978.

After conducting interviews and visits, Ryan's party along with Temple defectors and some Temple members returned to Kaituma airstrip late in the afternoon November 18, Larry Layton who had posed as a defector along with Temple members opened fire on the group, killing Congressman Ryan and four others, wounding nine.

The next day soldiers of the Guyana Army found the bodies of Ryan and his group, along with 909 inhabitants of Jonestown who died in a mass ritual murder suicide.

Answer: Sitiveni Rabuka

Colonel Rabuka was trained in New Zealand army schools. He graduated in 1973. Rabuka was involved in a number of rolls for the Fijian Army, including manager of UNIFIL peacekeeping troops in Lebanon in 1980-81 and he was part of the multinational peacekeeping force in the Sini in 1983-85. From 1982 Rabuka served as Fijian Army Chief of Staff. On May 14 1987 Colonel Rabuka staged a military coup bring down the Indo-Fijian dominated government of Timoci Bavadra. Free elections were not held until 1992 when Sitiveni Rabuka, by then leader of the Fijian Political Party was elected Prime Minister. Rabuka remained in office until defeated in a landslide in the May 1999 elections.

Answer: Tenzin Gyatso

In October 1950 the Chinese Army invaded Tibet. Until 1959 traditional Tibetan society continued to function despite the presence of 20,000 Chinese troops. In 1959 the Dalai Lama was forced into exile in India, where a Tibetan Government in exile was established. Tenzin Gyatso was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bush in 2007.

Answer: Isabella of Castile

The Spanish Inquisition was aimed mostly at Jews and Muslims, who although converting to Christianity were thought to be practicing their old religion in secret. Along with anyone suspected of rejecting the teachings of orthodox Catholicism were tried as heretics.

In 1492 Isabella sponsored the voyage of discovery by Christopher Columbus to the New World. Queen Isabella died November 26 1504, aged 53.

Answer: Theodor Heuss

As a founding member of the Free Democratic Party, Heuss became Minister for Culture in the Wurttemberg-Baden State Parliament in 1946. In 1949 Theodor Heuss was elected President of the Federal Republic of Germany by a majority in the Federal Assembly (Parliament), thus becoming the first democratically elected German President since Paul Hindenburg in 1934.

Heuss remained in office until 1959 when he declined a third term. Heuss very much shaped the office of President with his non-partisan approach.

Theodor Heuss died in 1963. Since 1964 the Theodor-Heuss-Prize for exemplary democratic disposition has been awarded in his honour.

Answer: Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev became a member of the Communist Politburo in 1979 and general Secretary in 1985. Gorbachev was responsible for many reforms within the Soviet Union, along with a major contribution to ending the Cold War. He was instrumental in ending the supremacy of the Communist Party in Russia, which finally led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.