They Shall Not Pass Trivia Quiz

Answer: Holy Roman Empire

Although now viewed as ceremonial, the Swiss Guards were originally recruited by Pope Julius II in 1506 to act as his personal bodyguards. They were designated as 'Defenders of the Church's Freedom'. His successor, Pope Clement VII, had given his support to the kingdom of France, who were fighting Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

The Emperor's army had been fighting in Italy, but had not been paid. This led the troops to mutiny and head to the rich pickings to be found in Rome. On 6 May 1527, the forces of the Holy Roman Empire attacked Rome, and 189 Swiss Guards made a last stand against them.

Their heroism gave Clement time to escape via a secret passageway, but only forty two Guards survived. The Emperor's army proceeded to sack Rome with their commanders, and the Emperor himself, unable to exert any control over them for several days.

Answer: Islam

The Battle of Karbala was one of the factors leading to the establishment of the different branches of Islam - the Sunni and Shi'a. Yazid I had been named by his father as his successor, contrary to normal practice and despite not being a direct descendant of Muhammad.

He was opposed by the Prophets of Islam, whose leader was the grandson of Muhammad, Husayn (or Hussein) ibn Ali. The battle ended in total defeat for the Prophets of Islam, and the deaths of Husayn and his infant son as well as most of his supporters.

The Shi'a Muslims adhere to the belief that authority lies only with those who can trace their descent from Muhammad, while the Sunni Muslims believe that authority should be shared by the whole community. This is a simplistic view of the differences, and is my attempt to explain the significance of the battle.

Answer: Singapore

The battle took place on the 13th and 14th February 1942, with forces from the Malay Infantry Brigade and Indian Brigade attempting to halt the advancing Japanese army. They held their positions against overwhelming odds, before being overcome, with 159 men killed. Pasir Panjang, meaning 'Long Sand', was the final battle prior to the surrender of Singapore, which took place on 15 February 1942.

Answer: Mexico

The battle was part of the conflict known by several names, including the French Intervention in Mexico and the Franco-Mexican War. The French, with the support of Britain and Spain, had invaded Mexico in 1861 as Mexico had defaulted on repayment of its debts to the European countries.

In March 1863, the French had begun a siege of the city of Puebla. On 30 April 1863, a convoy was despatched to bring money and ammunition to the besiegers, protected by a small group of Legionnaires. The convoy was waylaid by Mexican cavalry, but the French fought against massive odds until only two men were left alive and uninjured.

In the meantime, the convoy continued and reached its destination. The anniversary of Camarone is celebrated by the French Foreign Legion.

Answer: Battle of the Bulge

This battle is another example of a small group of soldiers facing overwhelming odds. Bastogne, in Belgium, occupies a strategically important position as one of the few routes through the Ardennes mountains. The German forces were trying to reach Antwerp to secure the harbour, but were held up by American forces from 20th until 27th December 1944, when the Third Army arrived to relieve the situation.

The date ought to have helped, as the Battle of the River Plate was one of the first battles of the war, in 1939, and the Battle of Stalingrad was in 1942/3. Both Battles of El Alamein took place in 1942.

Answer: Harold II

The Battle of Hastings was both the first and last major stand of the Anglo-Saxons against the Norman invasion. Harold II had been crowned king following the death of Edward the Confessor, but his right to the position was under threat from two directions. Harald Hardrada, of Norway, invaded from the north, and was defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September 1066. Harold was then faced with the problems caused by the Normans invading in the south of the country, with the decisive battle taking place on 14 October 1066. Harold was killed, having been king for less than a year. William's victory led to him being known as 'the Conqueror', and he ruled as King William I.

Answer: Japan

The Satsuma Rebellion began in January 1877 and was a protest against the reforms of the Japanese Emperor, which had brought an end to samurai traditions. Until 1873, the samurai had been Japan's only army but Emperor Meiji had modernised his country's defences, removing many of the privileges previously enjoyed by the samurai.

The Battle of Shiroyama took place on 24 September 1877 with a few hundred samurai facing an army of around 30,000 men. Most of the samurai, including their leader, Saigo Takamari, lost their lives in the battle.

Answer: Masada

The Great Revolt was a rebellion of the Jews living in Judaea Province under Roman rule. The Roman garrison at Masada was overthrown by the Jews, who built a settlement there, from where they carried out a campaign of guerilla warfare. The Romans began a siege of Masada and built a ramp to gain access to the summit. With nowhere to go, the Jews either killed each other or committed suicide to avoid capture.

Answer: Anglo-Zulu War

The Anglo-Zulu War took place in 1879 and lasted from January until July. The British empire had already colonised parts of southern Africa and were looking to expand into lands held by the Zulus. The first battle, at Isandlwana, had led to an ignominious defeat for the British army, who fell back to their base on the border between British held territory and Zulu lands. Vastly outnumbered at Rorke's Drift, the British held off the attacks of the Zulus, who eventually retreated.

The battle is notable for the award of eleven Victoria Crosses and was dramatised in the 1964 film 'Zulu' which starred Michael Caine.

Answer: USA and Japan

The location should have pointed you in the right direction for the answer. The 3rd Fleet, commanded by Admiral William Halsey Jr., had been tricked into following Japanese ships, which were acting as decoys. The main Japanese fleet then attacked the unprotected 7th fleet, which was unprepared for the battle.

The Americans fought so fiercely that the Japanese withdrew, despite their vastly superior numbers. The story was told by James D. Hornfischer in his book 'The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: the Extraordinary Story of the US Navy's Finest Hour', published in 2004.