10 Questions about Famous Battles | History

Answer: World War I

The Battle of the Somme was a battle fought by British and French troops against the German forces on the Western Front in World War I. The battle started on 1st July 1916 and was fought in three phases, ending in November 1916. The first day of the battle was the most costly day in history for the British Army with 57,470 casualties (killed, wounded, taken prisoner).

Answer: Napoleonic Wars

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on 21st October 1805. It was a naval battle in which the British fleet defeated the French and Spanish fleets. The British fleet was commanded by Admiral Lord Nelson who was shot by a French marksman and killed during the battle.

Answer: US Civil War

The Battle of Gettysburg was a battle fought between Union and Confederate forces during the US Civil War. The battle took place between 1st and 3rd July 1863. The battle was a victory for the Union forces and forced the Confederate troops into a retreat and as such it is often regarded as a major turning point in the US Civil War.

Answer: World War II

The Battle of Britain was a major air battle of World War II. The battle centered around the Royal Air Force's defence of the UK against attacks by the German Luftwaffe, designed to pave the way for an invasion of the UK. British historians usually regard the dates of the battle as starting on 10th July 1940 and lasting until 31st October of that year.

The battle was a victory for the Royal Air Force and caused Hitler to cancel his proposed invasion of the UK.

Answer: Wars of the Roses

The Wars of the Roses were a series of wars fought between the House of York and the House of Lancaster for the English crown between 1455 and 1485. The name is derived from the symbols of the two houses, a white rose for York and a red rose for Lancaster.

The Battle of Bosworth Field was the final battle in the wars and saw the defeat of the Yorkist king Richard III by the Lancastrian Henry Tudor who went on to rule England as Henry VII. Henry Tudor united the two houses by marrying the Yorkist heir Elizabeth.

Answer: Vietnam War

The Tet Offensive was a major campaign in the Vietnam War lasting from 30th January 1968 until 23rd September 1968. The name of the offensive comes from the Vietnamese New Year known as Tet which is when the campaign started.
The Tet Offensive was a major campaign by the Viet Cong forces against South Vietnamese forces, US forces and their other allies.

Answer: English Civil War

The Battle of Edgehill was a battle in the English Civil War. The English Civil War was fought between 1642 and 1646 and was a war between supporters of the King, known as Royalists and supporters of Parliament (who wished to create a republic in England) known as Parliamentarians.

The Battle of Edgehill was fought in Warwickshire on 23rd October 1642 and was the first pitched battle of the war.

Answer: Hundred Years' War

The Battle of Agincourt was fought on 25 October 1415 and was a major victory for the English forces over the French in the Hundred Years War. This battle is particularly well known as it provides the climax to the play 'Henry V' by William Shakespeare.

Answer: Crimean War

The Battle of Balaclava took place during the Crimean War, a war in which the British, French and Ottoman Empires fought the Russian Empire. The Battle of Balaclava took place on 25 October 1854 and was part of an attempt to capture Sebastopol, a key Russian fortress and port. It was during this battle that the now infamous 'Charge of the Light Brigade' took place.

Answer: Falklands War

The Falklands War took place in 1982 between British and Argentinian troops after Argentina invaded the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. Goose Green is a small settlement of the Falkland Islands and the Battle of Goose Green was the first land battle of the Falklands War.

The battle took place on 28 May 1982 and ended with the Argentinian troops at Goose Green surrendering.