War, Not Peace Trivia Quiz

Answer: Korean War

"M*A*S*H" stood for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Originally written as a novel, which was made into a film, and then finally adapted for television, the series followed American medical professionals stationed in Korea during the Korean War. The show looked at life in a war zone through the lens of dark comedy and went on to achieve cult status. The finale of the TV show had an audience of 125 million viewers, one of the largest ever at the time it aired.

The Korean War began in June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. The two countries were split as a result of the Cold War and as expected, communist North Korea was backed by China and USSR. The US extended its support to South Korea. Three years later, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in July 1953. This led to the creation of Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between both countries. No formal peace treaty was signed and while there is no active military conflict, it is considered that 'technically' the Korean War has not yet ended. In 2018 the two countries agreed to work towards formalizing a peace treaty.

Answer: Gulf War

"Three Kings" is the story of a group of US soldiers stationed in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War. The soldiers, led by Major Archie (played by George Clooney) decide to steal some of the gold hidden during the war.

Known by various names like the Persian Gulf War, Kuwait War, and First Iraq War, the Gulf War was fought between Kuwait and Iraq in the early 1990s. The war began when Iraq invaded Kuwait over oil disputes. The US then entered the region to support Kuwait and protect other oil interests.

Answer: Vietnam War

"The Unknown Soldier" is a single from The Doors' album, "Waiting for the Sun". The band's lead singer, Jim Morrison, collaborated with three other songwriters on the lyrics. The song is categorized as 'anti-war' and highlights the plight of the soldiers forced to fight in distant countries. As expected, this caused controversy at the time of release with many radio stations being reluctant to air it.

The Vietnam War lasted for 20 years from 1955 to 1975, and was largely shrouded in secrecy with full details of the American involvement and extent of the conflict being hidden from the public.

Answer: French Revolution

Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" has one of the most popular opening lines of all times. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...", the paragraph goes on to juxtapose various contradictory ideas. The two cities of the title are London and Paris. The events of the book take place during the French Revolution and its aftermath which came to be known as the 'Reign of Terror'.

The French Revolution began in May 1789 when the common people revolted against the monarchy. One of the key events of this period is the Storming of the Bastille on 14th July, 1789. The Bastille was a fortress like prison used to hold political and other prisoners. A massive crowd of people broke into the prison setting the inmates free and burned the Bastille, providing an iconic imagery that defined the people's revolution. The French Revolution inspired other such movements around the world.

Answer: World War I

"Call of Cthulhu" is a series of horror role playing games. The series is based on HP Lovecraft's story after which it was named. "The Wasted Land" edition was created specifically for mobile phones and is available as an app on Apple and Android phones. Set during World War I, the game follows a group of soldiers who uncover a German attempt to bring the corpses of dead soldiers to life to create a zombie army.

World War I was originally known as the Great War. Sparked by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria, it eventually spread to cover the entire European continent and other parts of the world. Raging for four years, it is one of the deadliest conflicts of all times.

Answer: Crimean War

Written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "The Charge of the Light Brigade" recounts a failed military operation during the Battle of Balaclava. A miscommunication led to a British army unit being sent to face a situation they were ill-equipped to deal with. This resulted in a high number of casualties and is remembered for the needless loss of lives.

The Crimean War was fought from 1853 to 1856. Forces from the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France and Sardinia joined together against the Russians. It was during this war that Florence Nightingale rose to prominence for her pioneering work in healthcare.

Answer: World War II

Directed by Steven Spielberg, "Schindler's List" was set in Poland at the height of the Holocaust. Based on a real life story, the plot traced the life of Oskar Schindler, a German factory owner, who went from looking to benefit from the war, to risking his own life to save thousands of Jews from certain death in the Nazi concentration camps.

When World War I took place, it was known as the Great War for the unprecedented loss of life and devastation of lands. Little did people know, that hardly twenty years later, the world would once again be plunged into another global war, much more deadly than the previous one. The war finally ended in 1945 but not before unleashing devastating nuclear arms and an atmosphere of distrust. The subsequent Cold War divided Europe and other parts of the world into camps and lasted another forty years till the USSR dissolved.

Answer: Napoleonic Wars

"Sharpe" is a British television series. It follows the life of a fictional British soldier called Richard Sharpe, played by Sean Bean. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, Sharpe saves the life of General Sir Arthur Wellesley, gaining a battlefield commission and a central view of the military operations during this period of history.

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the early 19th century. The French faced an assortment of European opponents in various coalitions during these wars. The wars are named after Napoleon I who led France in these engagements. In the end, Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and the coalition of European powers established a period of peace through the Congress of Vienna.

Answer: Spanish Civil War

"Guernica" is an oil painting by Pablo Picasso now housed at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid. It is regarded as one of the foremost anti-war pieces of art. Picasso was requested to create it by the Spanish Nationalists to memorialize the suffering of civilians during the bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica.

The Spanish Civil War took place from 1936 to 1939. With the support of Nazi Germany and Italy, General Francisco Franco took on the monarchy and emerged victorious. He went on to lead Spain until his death in 1975. Guernica was a town in the Basque region of Spain. Franco allowed the Nazis to carry out extensive aerial bombing as a means to gain control of Northern Spain. The Bombing of Guernica is one of the first events to be globally recognized as a war crime.

Answer: American Civil War

"Gone with the Wind" was the only novel by Margaret Mitchell published during her lifetime. It followed a young Scarlett O'Hara, daughter of a wealthy plantation owner in Atlanta as she grows and faces the troubles that befall her family during the American Civil War. Her relationship with Rhett Butler forms a large part of the story. The book was extremely successful and won Mitchell the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It was also made into a movie starring Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable in the lead roles. The movie was equally successful winning multiple Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.

The American Civil War was fought between 1861 to 1865. Though there were many underlying causes; a major reason was the South's unwillingness to abolish slavery.