Tricky Questions of History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spain

The 2,500 British soldiers serving under General Ross came from the "Peninsular Campaign" in Spain and Portugal against Napoleon. Released from the need to fight by Napoleon's capture, the soldiers were transferred to Bermuda. It is from there that they were sent to attack Washingon.

Answer: France and Germany

The Franco-Prussian war began with Prussia and various allied German states against the French Third Republic. However, earlier in 1871 before the Treaty of Frankfurt ended the war, Prussia and the other German states unified into the German empire.

Answer: Scandinavia

Historians disagree about whether he was born in Denmark or Norway. Robert was his baptised name. His birth name was Hrólfr, usually written "Rollo" in Latin.

Answer: Alexios Strategopoulos, Byzantine General

A crusader army of various nationalities took Byzantium in 1204 (for a second time - they captured it briefly first in 1203). The crusader army attacked Byzantium largely at the behest of the Venetians, and in particular Doge Enrico Dandelo. While Pope Innocent III had called for the crusade, he did not support attacking Byzantium and was critical when he found out it happened. General Strategopoulos served Michael VIII, Emperor of the Empire of Nicae, one of three successor Byzantine states that resulted from the capture of Constantinople. Sultan Mehmed captured Constantinople in 1453.

Answer: Basques

Basque (along with Hungarian, Estonian and Finnish) are the only non-Indo European languages in Europe. However, the Celtic language and culture spread largely through peaceful cultural migration rather than an invasion. The British Celts, like the Basques, were primarily descendants of hunter-gatherers that came to Western Europe around 15,000 to 7,500 years ago. Subsequent immigrants to Britain (Angles, Jutes, Normans, etc.) did not have the same background, and obviously they had a large effect on language, but the genetic background remains largely that of the original inhabitants.
See for example
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2006/10/mythsofbritishancestry/

Answer: 1990

He was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union by the Politburo in 1985. General Secretary was the most important position in the Soviet Union. He held that post and acted as effective head of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. During that time he instigated various constitutional changes, including becoming Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (formal head of state) in 1989. Part of his reforms included creating the position of President of the Soviet Union. He was the first person elected to that position, in 1990.

Answer: 116 years

More a series of wars, the "Hundred Years' War" is usually dated from 1337 to 1453 AD. It began when Edward the III of England declared that he was rightful heir to the French throne and invaded France, and ended in 1453 when French forces destroyed the last English army at the battle of Castillon, leading to the recovery of Guyenne by the French.

Answer: Shaoshan, China

Mao was born on December 26, 1893, in Shaoshan, Hunan Province.

Answer: Timur, Sultan of Samarkand

Timur is often known as Tamerlane or "Timer the Lane" in the West, was from a Turko-Mongol family. From his lands in Samarkand (modern day Uzbekistan) he conducted miltary campaigns against Russia, the Mongols, India, and the Middle East. He saw himself heir to Genghis Khan (who had lived about two centuries earlier, from around 1162 AD to 1227).

There was a succession of Kings of Jersualem called Baldwin (I to V), the first starting his rule in 1100 AD, and the last dying in 1186.

Sultan Mehmed captured Constantinople in 1453.

Answer: 43

See: http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/unms/founders.shtml - 8 original members changed their names:

Two original Member states (Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia) did not pass on their membership to any of the states they split into - the successor states applied separately for UN membership.

The Soviet Union's membership was passed to the Russian Federation. Belarus and Ukraine were also originating members under the names "Byelerussian Soviet Socialist Republic" and "Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic", changing their names on the collapse of the Soviet Union to "Belarus" and "Ukraine".

China joined as the Republic of China, but when the UN recognized the Communist-controlled mainland (as opposed to the Kuomingtan controlled Taiwan) as the lawful representative of "China", it changed its name to the People's Republic of China.

South Africa joined as the "Union of South Africa" before becoming a republic in 1961.

The Philippines joined as the "Philippine Commonwealth" while it was still a commonwealth with the United States. It gained independence and became a republic in 1946.