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Tough British History Quiz | 10 Questions | History

A medium level of difficulty relating to British History from the earliest days to the present, with a slight bias towards the military history.

A multiple-choice quiz by retrograde. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
retrograde

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
62,603

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
2538

Last 3 plays: Guest 5 (7/10), Guest 82 (4/10), jogreen (7/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Sir Frank Whittle is remembered as the originator of which major 20th century breakthrough in military transportation ? Hint

The jet engine

Leaded fuel

Liquid fueled rocket

The military tank

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which is usually listed as the first battle in the Wars of the Roses ? Hint

Northampton

Towton

St Alban's

Shrewsbury

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which wood was the preferred material for the awesome English longbow? Hint

Yew

Ash

Oak

Holly

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which battle was the last where the British army was led by the reigning monarch in person ?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 5 of 10

5. What is the modern name of the Roman Provincial Capital sacked by the Iceni under the revolt led by Boadicea (Boudicaa)? Hint

Colchester

Winchester

Canterbury

St Albans

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which Cavalier was famous for gallant cavalry assaults, and taking his pet poodle into battle? Hint

Prince James

Prince Rupert

Lord Somerset

Earl of Shewsbury

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which senior British naval figure was shot for 'cowardice' in his failure to capture the Balearic islands? Hint

Admiral Byng

Admiral Ffoulks

Captain Franklyn

Commodore Wellesly

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Question 8 of 10

8. Prior to losing at the Battle of Hastings, Harold Godwinson had already won one battle in defense of his English Crown. Where was the battle fought? Hint

York

Stamford Bridge

Malden

Hove

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which set of fortifications were put in place by a King of Mercia to mark the border between English and Welsh Kingdoms and is still visible to this day? Hint

Offa's Dyke

Herefordshire Beacons

Penda's Castle

Chepstowe Castle

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Which city marks the furthest penetration south of Bonnie Prince Charlie during the 1745 Rebellion ?

Answer: (One Word (take care with the spelling))

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 20 2024 : Guest 5: 7/10
Dec 19 2024 : Guest 82: 4/10
Dec 18 2024 : jogreen: 7/10
Dec 15 2024 : Guest 136: 6/10
Dec 15 2024 : Guest 109: 7/10
Dec 13 2024 : Guest 108: 1/10
Dec 13 2024 : Guest 90: 2/10
Dec 11 2024 : NosliwYnot: 8/10
Dec 08 2024 : Guest 92: 2/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Sir Frank Whittle is remembered as the originator of which major 20th century breakthrough in military transportation ?

Answer: The jet engine

Frank Whittle's development of the Gloster Whittle was too late to make a significant impact in World War Two. The RAF saw little use in the technology and failed to support the development of the new engine.

2. Which is usually listed as the first battle in the Wars of the Roses ?

Answer: St Alban's

Much smaller scale than the later Battle of Towton, where 25,000 are said to have died (more than on any day in British military history before the Battle of the Somme).

3. Which wood was the preferred material for the awesome English longbow?

Answer: Yew

The wood was selected to encompass heartwood one one side, sapwood on the other. the resulting natural spring produced a weapon 6 feet long which could penetrate steel armour at 150 to 200 yards and sustain a 'fire' rate of 10 a minute (a performance which could not be bettered by firearms until the First World War). Sadly, it took 20 years of training to produce an English archer, and the weapon was not seriously used in warfare after the times of Queen Elizabeth I.

4. Which battle was the last where the British army was led by the reigning monarch in person ?

Answer: Dettingen

1743. George II lead the British to a victory in this battle against the French. Handel composed his famous 'Dettingen Te Deum' to commemorate this victory.

5. What is the modern name of the Roman Provincial Capital sacked by the Iceni under the revolt led by Boadicea (Boudicaa)?

Answer: Colchester

Roman name: Camulodumun. Boadicia went on to London and St Albans, but Colchester was th eprovincial capital at the time, Established by Claudius, It was almost completely burned to the ground. The temple established by the Romans, was the site of a last stand, and forms the foundations of the modern Colchester Castle.

6. Which Cavalier was famous for gallant cavalry assaults, and taking his pet poodle into battle?

Answer: Prince Rupert

Noted as the foremost cavalry soldier of his day, his over exuberance in chasing after booty has been cited by some as the deciding factor in the loss of the Battle of Edge Hill, and possibly the whole war.

7. Which senior British naval figure was shot for 'cowardice' in his failure to capture the Balearic islands?

Answer: Admiral Byng

Byng's Defeat against overwhealming odds against the French was a forgone conclusion. Not for the first time, the Government found the leader of the expedition to be a convenient scapegoat. It is said that when he refused the blidfold at his execution, that the firing squad refused to shoot until he put it on. Voltaire commented that Byng was shot 'pour encourager les autres' - 'to encourge the others'.

8. Prior to losing at the Battle of Hastings, Harold Godwinson had already won one battle in defense of his English Crown. Where was the battle fought?

Answer: Stamford Bridge

Only three weeks before William the conqueror landed, King Harold fought this major pitched battle against Harold Hadrada which finally put paid to Scandinavian aspirations to the English throne. Whether the outcome of the Battle of Hastings (Senlac) would have been different if the English had not needed to make nearly 200 miles of forced march is one of those great debates in History.

9. Which set of fortifications were put in place by a King of Mercia to mark the border between English and Welsh Kingdoms and is still visible to this day?

Answer: Offa's Dyke

Offa's Dyke extends for 80 miles of the Welsh borders and is the foundation of a very pleasant long-distance walk, from Chepstow Castle in the south to the Mersey Estuary in the north.

10. Which city marks the furthest penetration south of Bonnie Prince Charlie during the 1745 Rebellion ?

Answer: Derby

Derby is only 125 miles NW of London, and fortications were hastily erected on the northern approaches to London.

Source: Author retrograde

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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