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Quiz about AZ of Military Leaders
Quiz about AZ of Military Leaders

A-Z of Military Leaders Trivia Quiz


As they appear from A-Z, you are given the first letter of a famous military leader's surname, when s/he was born, and some of his or her accomplishments.

A multiple-choice quiz by Plumbus. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Plumbus
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
224,626
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
16 / 25
Plays
5496
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 1 (17/25), Guest 198 (21/25), gogetem (17/25).
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Question 1 of 25
1. A - Born 1881: Regarded as the founder of modern day Turkey, he defeated the Allied Expeditionary Force in the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915. Who is this military leader-turned-politician? Hint


Question 2 of 25
2. B - Born 1818: Which former superintendant of West Point Military Academy ordered the first shot of The American Civil War, when he ordered his artillery to fire on Fort Sumter? Hint


Question 3 of 25
3. C - Born 994: This Dane defeated the Saxons at Ashingdon in 1016 to assume control over the whole of England. He is remembered fondly in English folklore as the wise king who demonstrated to his courtiers that even their king couldn't stop the tide. Who was he? Hint


Question 4 of 25
4. D - Born 381 B.C.: Which Persian king and general abandoned his wife and family to the mercy of Alexander the Great after his defeat at Issus? Hint


Question 5 of 25
5. E - Born 1890: Which general was supreme commander of the Allied forces in Western Europe during the later stages of WW2 and president of his country during the Cold War of the 1950s?

Answer: (One word - surname only)
Question 6 of 25
6. F - Born in 1712: Which Prussian 'Enlightened Despot' proved an outstanding commander in battle during the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War? Hint


Question 7 of 25
7. G - Born 1893: Which WW1 German flying ace became a politician and then commanded the Luftwaffe during WW2?

Answer: (One Word)
Question 8 of 25
8. H - Born 247 B.C.: One of the thorns in the side of Ancient Rome, which Carthaginian general famously crossed the Alps to invade Italy and almost defeat the Roman Empire? Hint


Question 9 of 25
9. I - Born 1530: This Russian ruler was crowned tsar at sixteen. He ruled with the help of the Oprichina - a private army loyal only to him. He was successful in battle against the Kazan tribes to the east but failed in the Livonian War in which he tried to secure Russia's westward expansion. Who was he?

Hint


Question 10 of 25
10. J - Born 1412: Which saintly woman, victor of the Battle of Orleans, was burned at the stake in 1431?

Answer: (Three Words - English spelling)
Question 11 of 25
11. K - Born 1215: Which Mongol military leader became emperor of China after defeating the Song dynasty but failed to expand his empire in campaigns against Myanmar, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia? Hint


Question 12 of 25
12. L - Born c.515 B.C. : Which Spartan led 300 others in a heroic defence at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.? Hint


Question 13 of 25
13. M - Born 1815: Which Union general commanded the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg? Hint


Question 14 of 25
14. N - Born 1428: Which English lord, who was very influential during the Wars of the Roses, is known in history as 'Warwick the Kingmaker'? Hint


Question 15 of 25
15. O - Born 63 B.C.: Which great-nephew of Julius Caesar was the victor at Actium, ending the Roman Civil War? Hint


Question 16 of 25
16. P - Born 1890: Which German general was defeated at Stalingrad in 1943? Hint


Question 17 of 25
17. Q - Born c.25 : Queen Boudicea of the Iceni tribe defeated the Romans at Verulamium (St.Albans) and Camulodunum (Colchester).


Question 18 of 25
18. R - Born 1766: Which Austrian Field Marshal, victor at the battles of Custoza and Novara, probably owes his lasting fame today to a musical march composed by Johann Strauss (Senior) in his honour? Hint


Question 19 of 25
19. S - Born 1786: Which stalwart of many American wars of the first half of the 19th Century was known as 'Old Fuss and Feathers'? Hint


Question 20 of 25
20. T - Born 1336: Which Uzbeki-born Mongol warlord built an empire from India to the Mediterranean Sea? Hint


Question 21 of 25
21. U - Born 1810: Which general fought hard with the politicians and the military establishment to establish regiments of black soldiers within the Union Army during the American Civil War? Hint


Question 22 of 25
22. V - Born 1800: Which Prussian general played a decisive role in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars? Hint


Question 23 of 25
23. W - Born 1027: Which Norman duke led the last successful invasion of England in 1066?

Answer: (Three Words)
Question 24 of 25
24. X - Born 519 B.C.: Who was the Persian victor at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.? Hint


Question 25 of 25
25. Z - Born 1812: Felix Zollicoffer was a commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War.



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Most Recent Scores
Dec 18 2024 : Guest 1: 17/25
Dec 11 2024 : Guest 198: 21/25
Nov 30 2024 : gogetem: 17/25
Nov 25 2024 : Guest 81: 16/25
Nov 06 2024 : Guest 67: 14/25

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. A - Born 1881: Regarded as the founder of modern day Turkey, he defeated the Allied Expeditionary Force in the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915. Who is this military leader-turned-politician?

Answer: Atatürk

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk led three Turkish divisions in the defense of the Dardanelles and he was instrumental in the defeat and expulsion of the Allied Forces. After WW1 he led a national uprising (the misleadingly called "Turkish War of Independence") against the last Ottoman sultan and the Greeks, laying the foundations of the new Turkish State. In 1923 he became the first president of the Republic of Turkey. Atatürk died in 1938, after an extensive programme of modernization.
2. B - Born 1818: Which former superintendant of West Point Military Academy ordered the first shot of The American Civil War, when he ordered his artillery to fire on Fort Sumter?

Answer: Beauregard

Confederate General Pierre Gustave Beauregard's career during the American Civil War served as an example of how former colleagues among the American officers found themselves on opposing sides throughout the war. He had served as an engineer under Winfield Scott, who was General-in-Chief of the Union Army in 1862, and he captured Fort Sumter from the command of one-time friend and former West Point instructor Major Robert Anderson.
3. C - Born 994: This Dane defeated the Saxons at Ashingdon in 1016 to assume control over the whole of England. He is remembered fondly in English folklore as the wise king who demonstrated to his courtiers that even their king couldn't stop the tide. Who was he?

Answer: Canute

Canute's rule was marked by good governance. He maintained peace with the defeated Saxons and supported the church. He divided England into four earldoms: Mercia, Northumberland, Wessex and East Anglia. After he became king of Denmark in 1018, he continued to live in England.
4. D - Born 381 B.C.: Which Persian king and general abandoned his wife and family to the mercy of Alexander the Great after his defeat at Issus?

Answer: Darius III

After his humiliation at Issus, Darius III fought and lost against Alexander again at Gaugamela in 331 B.C. Darius' lack of military prowess forced him to flee to Bactria where he was assassinated in 330 B.C.
5. E - Born 1890: Which general was supreme commander of the Allied forces in Western Europe during the later stages of WW2 and president of his country during the Cold War of the 1950s?

Answer: Eisenhower

In his early army career, Dwight Eisenhower excelled in staff assignments, serving under Generals Pershing, MacArthur and Krueger. Perhaps controversially, he was appointed to command the Allied Forces landing in North Africa in November 1942, despite no experience of operational command.

A superb leader and diplomat, 'Ike' was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces invading France in 1944. He succeeded Harry Truman as President of the USA in 1952.
6. F - Born in 1712: Which Prussian 'Enlightened Despot' proved an outstanding commander in battle during the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War?

Answer: Frederick II

In his younger days, Frederick did not aspire to be the highly successful military leader that he eventually became. He was more interested in cultural pursuits like art, music and literature, and he rebelled against the harsh, even brutal, upbringing at the hands of his father, Frederick William.
7. G - Born 1893: Which WW1 German flying ace became a politician and then commanded the Luftwaffe during WW2?

Answer: Goering

Although better known for his later career as a Nazi politician and Reichsmarshall of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring had first earned fame as a World War I flying ace. He was the commander of the crack Jasta Richthofen unit during the final months of the war.

Under his leadership, the Luftwaffe in WW2 was an extremely effective tactical weapon but proved inadequately equipped as the strategic force necessary for ultimate victory in total warfare.
8. H - Born 247 B.C.: One of the thorns in the side of Ancient Rome, which Carthaginian general famously crossed the Alps to invade Italy and almost defeat the Roman Empire?

Answer: Hannibal

Hannibal earned distinction when he marched an army of 35,000 men from Spain over the Pyrenees and the Alps into northern Italy where he defeated the Romans at the battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae. As he pressed southwards, persistent resistance weakened his forces and he led a failed attack on Rome in 211 B.C.
9. I - Born 1530: This Russian ruler was crowned tsar at sixteen. He ruled with the help of the Oprichina - a private army loyal only to him. He was successful in battle against the Kazan tribes to the east but failed in the Livonian War in which he tried to secure Russia's westward expansion. Who was he?

Answer: Ivan IV

Ivan IV began as a successful and popular ruler who earned his nickname 'the Terrible' from the later part of his reign. After the defection of close friend Prince Andrei Kurbsky, and the death of his wife, he became unpredictable and violent. His Oprinchiniks imitated his behaviour, and chaos ensued.

In one infamous example of the atrocities that typified his reign, he ordered his army to murder the rebellious inhabitants of Novgorod; the death toll reached nearly 40,000.
10. J - Born 1412: Which saintly woman, victor of the Battle of Orleans, was burned at the stake in 1431?

Answer: Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who believed she had a divine mission to save France. In 1429, after persuading Charles VII to let her lead a force to relieve Orleans, she won a decisive victory that allowed France to gain permanent advantage over the English. Captured in 1430, she was burned at the stake by the English as a heretic in Rouen.

She was about 19 years old at the time. Joan was canonized on 16th May, 1920.
11. K - Born 1215: Which Mongol military leader became emperor of China after defeating the Song dynasty but failed to expand his empire in campaigns against Myanmar, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia?

Answer: Khan, Kublai

Kublai Khan established the Yuang dynasty as Emperor of China. Despite his military accomplishments, he is better remembered for his contributions to economic prosperity by rebuilding the Grand Canal, encouraging foreign commerce, introducing paper currency, repairing public granaries, and extending highways.
12. L - Born c.515 B.C. : Which Spartan led 300 others in a heroic defence at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.?

Answer: Leonidas

Despite the heroic self-sacrifice of the Spartans at Thermopylae, the victorious Persian King Xerxes I did not accord any honour to the dead body of Leonidas. The head was severed and the corpse crucified.
13. M - Born 1815: Which Union general commanded the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg?

Answer: Meade

General George G. Meade was appointed Commander of the Army of the Potomac only three days before the Battle of Gettysburg. Despite this, he won comprehensively. He was criticised, however, by Lincoln for not following up his victory and crushing the retreating Confederate forces. Although he retained his position, he was subordinate to Ulysses S. Grant for the rest of the war.
14. N - Born 1428: Which English lord, who was very influential during the Wars of the Roses, is known in history as 'Warwick the Kingmaker'?

Answer: Neville

Richard Neville is better known in history, perhaps, as the Earl of Warwick. In his lifetime 'Warwick the Kingmaker' attempted to wield power through the weaknesses of both Yorkist and Lancastrian kings, and he switched sides several times throughout the turbulent times known as the Wars of the Roses. He was killed at the Battle of Barnet in 1471.
15. O - Born 63 B.C.: Which great-nephew of Julius Caesar was the victor at Actium, ending the Roman Civil War?

Answer: Octavian

Octavian emerged from the War of the Second Triumvirate, in which he had shared an uneasy alliance of power with Marc Antony and Lepidus, as sole ruler of Rome. He became emperor, adopting the name of Augustus Caesar.
16. P - Born 1890: Which German general was defeated at Stalingrad in 1943?

Answer: Paulus

As Deputy Chief of Staff of the German Army, Friedrich Paulus had been a key contributor to the planning of Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. As commander of the 6th Army he oversaw the capture of Kharkov in May 1942 but then became trapped with his army at Stalingrad. After grim fighting for many months, Paulus surrendered his forces on February 2, 1943.
17. Q - Born c.25 : Queen Boudicea of the Iceni tribe defeated the Romans at Verulamium (St.Albans) and Camulodunum (Colchester).

Answer: True

Like many other rulers in Britain during the Roman occupation, Boudicea witnessed the suffering caused by heavy taxes, conscription and various other indignities. The final outrage came when her husband Prasutagus died, and the Romans plundered her chief tribesmen and brutally annexed her dominions.

She led an uprising while the main body of the Roman army was campaigning in Wales and sacked St. Albans and Colchester. She was eventually defeated, at great cost to the Romans, in her attempts to take London. One of the many legends surrounding Boudicea is that her burial site lies beneath Platform 10 of King's Cross Station in London.
18. R - Born 1766: Which Austrian Field Marshal, victor at the battles of Custoza and Novara, probably owes his lasting fame today to a musical march composed by Johann Strauss (Senior) in his honour?

Answer: Radetzky

Josef Radetzky was a Bohemian-born count who led the Austrian army to comprehensive victories against the Sardinian-Piedmontese forces to gain ultimate control of northern Italy in 1848-49. Johann Strauss (Senior) composed a brilliant march in his honour, which is often performed today.
19. S - Born 1786: Which stalwart of many American wars of the first half of the 19th Century was known as 'Old Fuss and Feathers'?

Answer: Scott

General Winfield Scott's career reads almost like the military history of the United States in the first half of the 19th Century. He participated in the War of 1812, Blackhawk War (1832), Seminole War (1838-1842) and Mexican War (1846-1848). At the outbreak of the American Civil War he was General-in-Chief of the Union Army and, although subsequently retiring from this position, he still contributed in an advisory capacity throughout the war.
20. T - Born 1336: Which Uzbeki-born Mongol warlord built an empire from India to the Mediterranean Sea?

Answer: Tamerlane

Tamerlane's name is a corruption of his nickname, 'Timur the Lame', for he had an undeveloped left side that rendered him partially disabled. Between 1389-1401, he conducted a number of campaigns of conquest that saw his empire stretch from India in the east to Syria in the west. He was a ruthless soldier, as infamous for his atrocities as he was famed for his accomplishments.
21. U - Born 1810: Which general fought hard with the politicians and the military establishment to establish regiments of black soldiers within the Union Army during the American Civil War?

Answer: Ullmann

Daniel Ullmann's military career began unpromisingly, being captured at Cedar Mountain in August of 1862. After being paroled he met with Lincoln, eventually persuading the President to enlist black troops.

Ullmann raised five regiments of black troops in Louisiana. The units were designated as the Corps D'Afrique, later redesignated as United States Colored Troops. Ullmann's Brigade performed well in the siege of Mobile in the spring of 1865.
22. V - Born 1800: Which Prussian general played a decisive role in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars?

Answer: Von Moltke

Helmuth von Moltke was firmly established as a talented staff officer when he eventually earned his battle spurs in leading successful military campaigns in Denmark in 1864. He led the campaigns against Austria in 1866 and France in 1870-71. In 1857 he was appointed Chief of the Prussian General Staff and soon changed transformed it into a model military planning machine that paid meticulous attention to detail.

It is said that after the defeat of France in 1871 the French said that the name of the general who had defeated them was a hitherto almost unknown General "Staff".
23. W - Born 1027: Which Norman duke led the last successful invasion of England in 1066?

Answer: William the Conqueror

William did rather well for himself to become both Duke of Normandy and King of England. His poor prospects as an illegitimate son of Robert of Normandy and a very dubious claim to the throne of England did little to stand in the way of this extremely ruthless and ambitious leader.
24. X - Born 519 B.C.: Who was the Persian victor at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.?

Answer: Xerxes I

Upon becoming King of Persia, Xerxes prepared for an invasion of Greece. He marched his huge army of 100,000 men from Sardis through Thrace and Macedonia where he defeated Leonidas at Thermopylae. He went on to occupy Athens before suffering defeat at the Battle of Salamis.
25. Z - Born 1812: Felix Zollicoffer was a commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Answer: False

Brigadier General Zollicoffer was born in Tennessee and, although opposed to the secession, accepted a commission in the Confederate Army. He was killed while on a night reconnaissance at the Battle of Mill Springs on 19th January, 1862.
Source: Author Plumbus

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