Which Happened First? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battle of Cape St Vincent

Admiral Lord Nelson played a part in all of these battles, which all resulted in victory for the British. Cape St Vincent 14 Feb 1797. Nile (also known as Aboukir Bay) 1 Aug 1798. Copenhagen 2 Apr 1801. Trafalgar 21 Oct 1805 at which Nelson was killed aboard HMS Victory.

It was at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent that Admiral The Duke of Clarence (later King William IV - 1830-37), noticed Nelson's exceptional talent and had the young naval captain promoted.

Answer: The Alamo

The defence of the Alamo from 24 Feb to 6 March 1836 resulted in the death of most, if not all, of its Texan defenders. The Charge of the Light Brigade, 25 Oct 1854, was part of the Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War. Custer's Last Stand (Battle of the Little Bighorn) happened 25 June 1876.

The destruction of most of the British column by Zulu warriors at Isandhlwana, 22 January 1879, immediately preceded the defence of Rorke's Drift.

Answer: Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856 (the warrant being dated 29 January) to allow for recognition of deeds of valour performed during the Crimean War. The Medal of Honor was created in Dec 1861 for the Navy and in July 1862 for the Army during the American Civil War.

Answer: Battle of the Plains of Abraham

Both generals, Wolfe and Montcalm, died at the Plains of Abraham on 13 Sept 1759, but the British captured Quebec. Queenston Heights in 1812 saw the death of Sir Isaac Brock. The skirmish at Montgomery's Tavern was part of the 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada (Ontario). Batoche, during the second Riel Rebellion in 1885 was followed by the surrender and subsequent execution of Louis Riel.

Answer: First Opium War

The Opium War of 1839-42 was ended by the Treaty of Nanking, and resulted in China ceding Hong Kong to Britain. Third China War 1859-60, Third Afghan War 1879-80, First Boer War 1881.

Answer: Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American War of 1846-48 was ended by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, by which Mexico renounced claims on Texas, recognized the Rio Grande frontier and (in return for $15 million) ceded New Mexico and California. Philippine Insurrection 1899-1913, China Relief Expedition (relief of Peking during Boxer Rebellion) 1900-01, Nicaragua July-November 1912

Answer: Boxer Rebellion

The Boxer Rebellion in China, an outbreak of anti-foreign violence by a secret society known as 'Harmonious Fists'-hence, 'Boxers' occurred mainly in 1900, though some sources give 1900-1901. Japan defeated Russian in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.

The Herero, a native tribe in what is now Namibia (and was then German South West Africa) rose against the German colonists in 1904-06. The Balkan Wars of 1912-13, and the settlement imposed by the Treaty of Bucharest, set the tone for the Balkan states involvement in the coming World War.

Answer: French defence of Verdun

The ten month defence of Verdun, which began on 21 Feb 1916, drained France of the best of its manpower. The British Somme offensive was launched on 1 July 1916, partly to draw German troops from the Verdun sector, and lasted until November. Vimy Ridge fell to the Canadians in April 1917. Operation Michael was the code name for the German spring offensive of 1918, which began on 21 March.

Answer: Falkland Islands

Having been defeated off Coronel a month earlier, the British were victorious off the Falkland Islands in December 1914. The failure to force the narrows of the Dardanelles on 15 March 1915 put the Turks on the alert to the possibility of a landing on the Gallipoli peninsula.

The Battle of Jutland, 31 May-1 June 1916, was the only major engagement between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet in the war. Its outcome was inconclusive, though it is generally regarded as a British victory.

The raid on U-boat bases at Zeebrugge (and Ostend) in Belgium took place on 22 and 23 April 1918 and was followed by a further raid on Ostend in May.

Answer: German troops leave Windhoek

The Germans withdrew from Windhoek, German South West Africa in May 1915, and the territory was surrendered to South Africa under whose administration it remained until independence was attained, as Namibia, in 1990. The siege of Kut, Mesopotamia (now Iraq) lasted from 7 Dec 1915 until 29 April 1916. General Allenby's forces entered Jerusalem in December 1917.

The German general, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck surrendered undefeated on 25 November 1918, after the Armistice.

Answer: Oswald Boelcke

Boelcke died as a result of colliding with Erwin Bohme, a member of his squadron, on 28 Oct 1916. He had 40 victories and was 25 years old. Twenty year old Albert Ball VC had 44 victories when he was downed on 7 May 1917. His death has been attributed to Richthofen's brother Lothar, but this is doubtful. Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, was 11 days short of his 26th birthday when killed with 80 victories to his credit. Who shot him down is still hotly disputed. Arizona 'Balloon Buster' Frank Luke died in a 'shootout' with ground troops after being brought down by ground fire on 29 Sept 1918.

He had 18 victories (including 14 balloons) in seventeen days of fighting and was 21 years old.

Answer: Battle of the Somme

The British first used tanks in September 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. They were employed piecemeal and were largely ineffective on that occasion. The first major successful use of tanks was at Cambrai in November 1917.

Answer: Spanish Civil War

The term refers to enemy sympathizers working inside a country. Four Nationalist columns were operating against Madrid in 1937, and the Nationalist General Emilio Mola is reputed to have commented 'I have...a fifth inside composed of my sympathizers.'

Answer: HMS Royal Oak, sunk at Scapa Flow

HMS Royal Oak was sunk at anchor in Scapa Flow by U-47, with the loss of over 800 lives on 14 October 1939. Captain Langsdorff scuttled his ship, the Admiral Graf Spee, on 17 Dec 1939, when forced to leave neutral waters rather than recommence battle with the British ships that had forced him into harbour after the Battle of the River Plate.

The Bismarck met her fate on 27 May 1941, having sunk HMS Hood some three days earlier. The Arizona was a casualty of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941.

Answer: Luftwaffe attacks on shipping off the British coast

The earliest stage of the Battle saw British coastal shipping attacked, whilst the Luftwaffe felt out the strength of Fighter Command. Soon the Luftwaffe turned to the radar instalations, ports and airfields. Later daylight attacks on London and other cities became more frequent.

When it became clear that they had lost the Battle, daylight raiding became more infrequent, and the nightly Blitz on London and other cities took over.

Answer: Operation Torch

'Torch' was the Allied landings in North Africa 8 November 1942. 'Husky' was the invasion of Sicily 10 July 1943. 'Overlord' was the Normandy invasion 6 June 1944. 'Market-Garden' was the airborne landing at Arnhem and associated operations by ground forces in September 1944.

Answer: Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal August 1942 to February 1943
Tarawa November 1943
Iwo Jima 26 day campaign commencing 19 February 1945
Okinawa April to June 1945

Answer: Action by the Gloucestershire Regiment on the Imjin River

The 'Glorious Glosters' fought at the Imjin River in Korea in April 1951. Their colonel, James Power Carne, was awarded the Victoria Cross. French rule in Indo-China came to an end after their defeat at Dien Bien Phu, March to May 1954. Long Tan was a major engagement of the Vietnam War for Australian forces in August 1966.

The Tet (lunar New Year) Offensive was launched by communist forces in Vietnam at the end of January 1968.

Answer: Hungarian Uprising

Hungarian Uprising 1956
Berlin Wall 1961
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
Prague Spring (liberalisation in Czechoslovakia under Dubcek) 1968

Answer: Recapture of South Georgia by Royal Marines

South Georgia 25 April
Belgrano 2 May
Sheffield 4 May
Goose Green 28 May