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Poland 1807-1813 Trivia Quiz

This quiz is quite tough, enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by ogonczyk. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
ogonczyk

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
106,897

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
6 / 15

Plays
879

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. What was the official name of the Polish state created by Napoleon
in 1807? Hint

The Grand Duchy of Warsaw

The Polish Commonwealth

The Kingdom of Poland

The Duchy of Warsaw

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Question 2 of 15

2. Who was the nominal ruler of this state? Hint

Jerome Bonaparte

Napoleon I, emperor of France

Frederick August, king of Saxony

Prince Joseph Poniatowski

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Question 3 of 15

3. The Polish army, newly created in 1807, consisted of three... Hint

regiments

legions

brigades

divisions

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Question 4 of 15

4. In February 1807 Napoleon ordered the creation of a Polish cavalry
regiment to be included into the Imperial Guard. What was the original character of this unit? Hint

Lancers

Mamelukes

Dragoons

Light horse

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Question 5 of 15

5. When did Napoleon give the Duchy of Warsaw its constitution? Hint

3 May 1808

22 July 1807

11 November 1810

24 January 1809

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Question 6 of 15

6. In May 1808 three Polish infantry regiments were detached from the army of the Duchy of Warsaw and sent to fight in which country? Hint

Spain

Russia

France

Haiti

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Question 7 of 15

7. Other Polish units active in the Peninsular War were known as the Legion of ....... and ....... Lancers. Hint

the Vistula

Warsaw

Poland

the White Eagle

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Question 8 of 15

8. In the spring of 1809 Austrian forces invaded the Duchy. On 19 April Prince Poniatowski faced the attackers in an inconclusive battle at... Hint

Warsaw

Raszyn

Krakow

Mozajsk

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Question 9 of 15

9. Which ancient Polish city with its surrounding area had been annexed
by the Duchy of Warsaw after the victorious campaign of 1809? Hint

Gdansk (Danzig)

lwow (Lviv, Lemberg)

Wilno (Vilna, Vilnius)

Krakow (Cracow)

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Question 10 of 15

10. What was the official governmental title of Prince Joseph Poniatowski, the leader of the Duchy's armed forces? Hint

Commander-in -Chief

Generalissimo

Marshal

Minister of War

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Question 11 of 15

11. In the spring of 1812, Napoleon's Grande Armee was reorganized in the preparation for the invasion of Russia. Which one of its corps was comprised exclusively of Polish troops? Hint

Ninth

Tenth

First

Fifth

12. On 5-7 September, 1812, the Grande Armee clashed with the Russians in a great battle at the gates of Moscow. What is the name of this famous encounter in the traditional Polish historiography? Hint

Battle of Utitsa

Battle of Borodino

Battle of Mozhaisk (Mozajsk)

Battle of the Moskova river

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Question 13 of 15

13. During the catastrophic retreat from Moscow, the Grande Armee was saved from the total destruction by the self-sacrificing bravery of military engineers who built, and then rebuilt again and again, the bridges on the icy Beresina river (27-28 November 1812). Who were they? Hint

Germans and Poles

Germans and Italians

Italians and Poles

Poles and Austrians

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Question 14 of 15

14. In the spring of 1813, faced with a Russian onslaught, Prince Poniatowski with his freshly reconstituted army decided to: Hint

surrender to Tzar Alexander I

defend Warsaw to the last man

commit suicide

march to Saxony to join the Grande Armee

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Question 15 of 15

15. Although the Duchy of Warsaw practically ceased to exist in the spring of 1813, two of its fortresses did not surrender to the Russians until late December. What were they? Hint

Krakow and Modlin

Warsaw and Krakow

Zamosc and Modlin

Danzig and Zamosc

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was the official name of the Polish state created by Napoleon in 1807?

Answer: The Duchy of Warsaw

Contrary to common (and erroneous) usage, the adjective "Grand" never
was a part of the Duchy's official appellation.

2. Who was the nominal ruler of this state?

Answer: Frederick August, king of Saxony

Napoleon chose the Saxon king partly because of the past historical
connections between Poland and Saxony. Nevertheless, Frederick August was just a figurehead, the Duchy was in fact ruled by Napoleon himself.

3. The Polish army, newly created in 1807, consisted of three...

Answer: legions

In the military terminology of that period "legion" signified a mixed
unit including all the main branches of service (infantry, cavalry,
artillery).

4. In February 1807 Napoleon ordered the creation of a Polish cavalry regiment to be included into the Imperial Guard. What was the original character of this unit?

Answer: Light horse

The Polish light horse regiment (also known as chevaulegers) received lances only in the fall of 1809; originally it was armed with sabers and pistols. Its greatest triumph took place on 30 November 1808 in the Somosierra pass in Spain, where one of its squadrons captured four consecutive gun batteries and thus opened the way to Madrid.

5. When did Napoleon give the Duchy of Warsaw its constitution?

Answer: 22 July 1807

Napoleon composed this document himself, ignoring any Polish suggestions. One of its most innovative features was the abolition of serfdom (however, the land remained the landlord's property, so that the cynics spoke of "taking off the peasants' shackles along with their boots").

6. In May 1808 three Polish infantry regiments were detached from the army of the Duchy of Warsaw and sent to fight in which country?

Answer: Spain

These were the 4th, 7th and 9th Infantry Regiments. Together with an artillery company and a company of engineers they formed the so-called Duchy of Warsaw Division in Spain. The soldiers of the 4th Infantry Regiment distinguished themselves in the successful defence of the castle at Fuengirola (near Malaga) on 14-15 October, 1810, against a much superior British-Spanish landing force.

7. Other Polish units active in the Peninsular War were known as the Legion of ....... and ....... Lancers.

Answer: the Vistula

Both the Legion of the Vistula (consisting of three infantry regiments) and the Vistula Lancers had never been, strictly speaking, part of the Duchy of Warsaw forces. Their origin went back to the Polish Legions of Generals Dabrowski and Kniaziewicz in Italy in the period of 1797-1799.

8. In the spring of 1809 Austrian forces invaded the Duchy. On 19 April Prince Poniatowski faced the attackers in an inconclusive battle at...

Answer: Raszyn

In the battle of Raszyn, at some point of which Poniatowski himself grabbed a musket and led the Polish troops in counterattack, the Austrians achieved a tactical victory but the army of the Duchy was not incapacitated. Following Raszyn, Poniatowski decided to surrender Warsaw and - in a surprising move - carry the war into the enemy's territory in Galicia.

This strategy eventually brought him victory.

9. Which ancient Polish city with its surrounding area had been annexed by the Duchy of Warsaw after the victorious campaign of 1809?

Answer: Krakow (Cracow)

Polish units entered Krakow on 15 July 1809. Ironically, it was the Russians - nominal allies of Napoleon - who tried to bar Poniatowski's way into this ancient capital of Poland.

10. What was the official governmental title of Prince Joseph Poniatowski, the leader of the Duchy's armed forces?

Answer: Minister of War

Poniatowski's military rank was general of division (an equivalent of the US four-star general). During the battle of Leipzig, on 18 October 1813, Napoleon nominated him Marshal of the Empire. On the following day Poniatowski was killed.

11. In the spring of 1812, Napoleon's Grande Armee was reorganized in the preparation for the invasion of Russia. Which one of its corps was comprised exclusively of Polish troops?

Answer: Fifth

The V Corps of the Grande Armee consisted entirely of Polish troops, and was commanded by Prince Joseph Poniatowski with General S. Fiszer as chief of staff. Polish units were also present in all the corps mentioned in the answers.

Answer: Battle of Mozhaisk (Mozajsk)

The Russians call it Borodino, while the French use the name "of the Moskova".

Answer: Germans and Poles

This feat is often attributed to the French engineers only. Some of them were undoubtedly involved, but the bulk of the heroic bridge-builders consisted of Poles and Germans (mostly Wuerttembergians).

14. In the spring of 1813, faced with a Russian onslaught, Prince Poniatowski with his freshly reconstituted army decided to:

Answer: march to Saxony to join the Grande Armee

Poniatowski not only understood the futility of any attempts at defending the Duchy against the entire might of Russia but also felt himself bound to Napoleon by an oath of allegiance. After a three-month stay in Krakow (February to April 1813), in May the Polish army - now named the VIII Corps of the Grande Armee - marched across Moravia and Silesia to Zittau in Saxony.

15. Although the Duchy of Warsaw practically ceased to exist in the spring of 1813, two of its fortresses did not surrender to the Russians until late December. What were they?

Answer: Zamosc and Modlin

Danzig (Gdansk) also underwent a long siege involving numerous Polish troops, but this city never belonged to the Duchy of Warsaw.

Source: Author ogonczyk

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