Don't Stop Besieging Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar had taken control of Jerusalem following an earlier siege in 597 BC and installed Zedekiah as king. Zedekiah had rebelled against Babylon and formed an alliance with Egypt, leading to a siege lasting around eighteen months. Most of the inhabitants of Jerusalem were taken to Babylon as captives while Zedekiah himself, having tried to escape, was forced to watch the execution of his sons before being blinded and taken captive himself.

The destruction of Jerusalem is described in the Bible, in Jeremiah 52: 12- 14.

Answer: South Africa

The siege took place during the Second Boer War between the British Empire (as it then was) and Afrikaners ('Boers') of Dutch descent in Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The garrison at Mafeking was under the command of Robert Baden-Powell and consisted of no more than 2,000 men.

The town was besieged by over 8,000 Boer forces, but Baden-Powell had planned his defences well with trenches and gun emplacements. He also employed tactics such as the laying of mock minefields and moving equipment round, successfully giving the impression that the town was much more heavily defended than it was. Consequently, the Boer forces did not launch a full scale attack until May 1900 by which time a relief force, which included Baden-Powell's brother, was close enough to bring an end to the siege. Robert Baden-Powell went on to found the Boy Scout movement.

Answer: Malta

Malta holds one of only two George Crosses, the highest civilian award given by the United Kingdom, to be awarded to a group rather than an individual before the end of the 20th century (the other was given to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999). The award was given in April 1942 and forms part of the Maltese flag. Malta occupied a strategic place in the Mediterranean and served as a base for Allied forces, particularly for the North African front. Rommel, the German general, knew that taking the island was vital and around 3,000 air raids were made in an attempt to starve and bomb the country into submission. Naval convoys managed to reach Malta to provide relief and German forces were eventually relocated to fight on other fronts without ever capturing their target.

Answer: Ypres

Ypres was in the area known as Flanders, and had been invaded by Charles VI of France. The situation was complicated by the Western Schism with two rival popes, Urban VI (based in Rome) and Clement VII (based in Avignon) claiming power. The crusade was given religious authority by Urban VI and was led by Henry le Despenser, the Bishop of Norwich.

The main aim was actually to reopen the wool trade with Ghent. The siege was a failure, as the inhabitants of Ypres were well prepared and the attack was abandoned after eight weeks. Of the other options, only Mons is in Belgium with Loos and Verdun being in France, but they were all sites of bitter fighting between 1914 and 1918.

Answer: Ottoman Empire

Candia is now known as Heraklion, or Iraklion, and is (as it was then) the capital of Crete. The city had been held by Venice since 1204 and was well fortified. Trouble between the Venetians and the Ottoman Empire had been brewing with the former's power waning and that of the Turks growing.

In 1644 an Ottoman convoy was attacked by The Knights of Malta, who landed their ill-gotten gains at Candia. The Ottomans attacked the island of Crete and obtained control of most of it between 1645 and 1648.

They then turned their attention to Candia, but it was well defended and supported by other European nations, notably the French. It was only when France withdrew support in 1669 that the commander of the town was forced to surrender.

Answer: Bangalore

The rebellion was led by sepoys, who were Indian soldiers in the British army. From 1757, much of India had been controlled by the British East India Company which had obtained control by annexation and negotiating treaties with local rulers. By 1857 the Indians were becoming increasingly concerned with the 'westernisation' of their culture, but the rebellion was sparked by rumours that ammunition for the newly introduced Enfield rifle was coated in grease. Since Muslims could not touch pork fat and Hindus considered beef to be sacred, and the cartridges needed to be bitten, much resentment ensued leading to outright mutiny. Lucknow was besieged for six months until November 1857, Cawnpore for twenty days in June 1857 and Delhi from June until September 1857. Bangalore is in the south and was well away from the area of conflict.

Although the rebellion was suppressed, with atrocities having been carried out by both sides, it did force the British to reorganise the administration of India as the British Raj.

India eventually obtained independence in 1947.

Answer: Croatia

Croatia had declared itself independent from the Socialist Federalist Republic of Yugoslavia in the earlier part of 1991, leading to attacks from the Serbian-led Yugoslav People's Army. Dubrovnik itself did not have much in the way of military forces, as it was a tourist attraction and World Heritage Site. Water, food and electricity were cut off by the attackers who then began shelling the city.

This led to international condemnation due to Dubrovnik's historic importance. The blockade was eventually lifted in May 1992 with the city being restored to its former glories and once again a major tourist destination.

Answer: Hundred Years' War

Edward III had fought various battles throughout Normandy, culminating in a victory at the Battle of Crecy in August 1346, the first major land victory in what later became to be called the Hundred Years' War. Calais was the closest port to England and was on the borders of Edward's ally, Flanders.

It was also a centre for naval attacks on English ships, so capturing it would have huge advantages, not least allowing Edward to consolidate his position and keep his forces in the region rather than returning to England.

The town surrendered in August 1347 after a siege of eleven months, remaining an English possession until lost by Mary I in 1558. The Thirty Years' War ran from 1618-1648 and the Franco-Prussian War from 1870-1871. The Napoleonic Wars lasted from 1805-1815.

Answer: Mass suicide by the Jews

At the time of these events, Judea was occupied by the Romans. The Jewish Revolt of 66AD was an attempt to rid the country of the foreign forces. Among those leading the rebellion were the Sicarii, which translates as 'dagger men', who carried out assassinations using hidden knives from which they obtained their name. Having carried out several attacks, a group of rebels fled to Masada (now in southern Israel), which was a high plateau on the edge of the Judean desert.

There were reported to be nearly 1000 people (including women and children) living on the site and the Romans found only one woman and five children alive when they captured the site. Archaeologists have found the remains of only a few people, so there is much doubt regarding the truth of the story.

Answer: Oliver Cromwell

Ireland had rebelled against English rule in 1641 and had gained a certain amount of freedom due to the distractions of the English Civil War between 1642 and 1649. Cromwell and his Parliamentarian forces had won the war and King Charles I was executed in 1649. Cromwell then turned his attention to reclaiming Ireland, and personally led the forces during the early battles, before handing command to Henry Ireton. Drogheda was taken in 1649 and Waterford came under siege between 1649 and 1650. Clonmel was besieged from April to May 1650 and resistance ended with the fall of Galway, which was under siege from August 1651 until May 1652. Charles II was king from 1660 until 1685 and James I succeeded Elizabeth I in 1603.