If These Walls Could Speak Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

What we now call "The Great Wall of China" was built to protect the lands of the Han destiny from nomadic tribes living to the north and east.

Work started in prior to 221BC It was extended at various times over the following century. The last works were completed in AD1878. More than 11 million workers died during the construction.

In all, the wall extended to around 13,000 miles according to the State Administration of Cultural Relics. The average height was about 25 feet (7.8m) but some sections rose to 46 feet (14m). It was up to 16 feet (5m) wide. About two-thirds of the original walls exist.

Soldiers lived in forts along the wall and could communicate with each other using smoke signals.

n the 21st Century, around 50 million people a year visit the wall. A limit of 65,000 a day was set in 2019, according to "China Daily".

And now to bust a few myths: no, you cannot see the Great Wall from the Moon, and no, you cannot see it from space with the naked eye. Any pictures you may have seen have been taken with long lens camera, and it does show up on radar from the International Space Station. If you think I am wrong: take your contention up with Nasa, the (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Answer: False

It was a tough nut to crack and the Allies expended considerable efforts, but the Siegfried line was breached in early 1945.

Running along Germany's border from Holland in the north to Switzerland in the south, the Germans called it "Westwall". Work on the defensive line of tank traps and pillboxes began in the 1930s and continued into the Second World War.

The fortifications showed their mettle early in the war when they stopped a French attack.

Later in the war, at some 400 miles in length, it was a meat grinder for the American troops who tried to take it. It did thwart them for a long time and gave the Germans a respite behind which to regroup and launch their own counter-offensive in the Ardennes in Northern France.

The aim was to cut off a British army from the channel ports and might have worked if the Germans had not run out of petrol for their tanks.

Answer: Washington DC, USA

In the early 1860s, Union forces began work on a line of forts, rifle pits, and artillery emplacements around Washington.

Eventually this stretched to some 37 miles with 68 forts as well a rifle pits. In the main the forts comprised earthworks.

They did their job and Confederate forces were unable to break through.

Answer: Antonine Wall

The Antonine Wall is less well known than the more southerly counterpart, Hadrian's Wall.

The wall ran for some 37 miles from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde. The line was abandoned in about AD65, about 20 years after completion.

The line was about 10 feet high and comprised a turf bank with a ditch on the northern side and a fence in top. Up to 19 forts were built at intervals along the length It has largely been eroded by weather conditions over the years or assimilated into the farming landscape.

Parts of the wall and the forts can be visited today.

Answer: Maginot Line

The Maginot Line was a brilliant and strong defensive line - and one that ultimately proved worthless in WW2.

For, instead of attacking the line head on, the German forces simply outflanked it by sweeping through Holland and Belgium. France was forced to surrender in just six weeks.

The line was intended to run for almost 950 miles from the English Channel to Switzerland. However, the heaviest fortifications were along the 280 miles of the France/Germany border. Some commentators have suggested that the French military thinking was that any new war would be very similar to the Great War - lines of trenches and fortifications halting progress for an enemy.

They had not taken account of new German thinking, in particular that the war would be fought through lightning-quick advances by armour, supported by air and infantry forces.

Answer: Italy

The three incorrect answers were all on the wrong side of the wall, along with Yugoslavia.

During World War One, Italy and Austria were on opposing sides and fought bitter and bloody battles amid the snowy heights of the Alps.

In the 1930s, Italy's dictator, Benito Mussolini was determined that his nation would not be threatened again and ordered the wall to be built.

It comprised pillboxes, artillery emplacements and dragons' teeth tank traps. For all the efforts, it was not much needed in WW2: France and Yugoslavia were conquered by Germany; Switzerland was neutral; and Austria was part of the new Greater Germany, Italy's ally.

Answer: False

According to the Vindolanda Charitable Trust, which administers the remains of a Roman fort, the wall was built by skilled Roman legionary masons, aided by thousands of auxiliary soldiers.

Stretching around 73 miles from the Irish Sea coast to the North Sea, Hadrian's Wall was built to protect the Roman lands of England from native tribes to the north.

Much of the wall was a stone stricture about 15 feet high, with regular watchtowers. It was wide enough for any particular point to be reinforced by soldiers rush along it. Some parts were turf wall about 30 feet high.

Construction work took about six years and it was largely successful in preventing raiding parties crossing from the north.

The wall continued to be used by the Romans for about 300 years before they withdrew from Britain.

Today, Hadrian's Wall is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site. Visitors can see many of the old forts, and the route along it is popular with walkers. Allow six to eight days to complete it.

Answer: Germany

The ""antifascist bulwark" was built between the East German zone in Berlin and West Berlin.

Its stated aim was to prevent westerners - fascists - from entering the German Democratic Republic.

Colloquially it became known as "The Berlin Wall". Work started in August 1961, but it was pulled down in November 1989 after the GDR government announced people were free to cross the divide as they pleased.

High sections of wall and fence marked the line. There were in fact two walls, with a killing zone between them. Barbed wire and guard dogs were deployed, along with guards in watchtowers ready to shoot anyone who tried to cross from east to west.

Despite this, it is estimated that about 5,000 people did manage to cross. At least 170 were killed during their attempts.

Not only was the wall an attempt to stop East Germans reaching West Berlin, the communist authorities constructed an 850-mile barrier of fences and mines along the entire border with West Germany.

Officially, East and West Germany were reunited on October 3, 1990.

Answer: To collect taxes

Officially it was known as the "Inland Customs Line", but became town as the Great Hedge of India.

Work started when the British East India Company controlled large parts of the sub-continent. Initially it was made up of dead hedging, but a living hedge soon grew. It stretched from the foothills of the Himalayas almost to the Bay of Bengal. It was up to 14 feet high and 12 feet wide and patrolled between guard posts by customs officers.

The purpose was to enforce customs regulations on taxes for salt. The hedge was abandoned in 1879 after the reform of Salt Taxes.

Answer: Rabbits

Rabbits are not indigenous to Australia. Yet when about two dozen were released into the wild in the 19th Century they bred like, err...rabbits. It is estimated their number rose to 600 million. I'll say that again so you'll know it is not a typo: 600 million.

The rabbits ate everything before them and threatened the precious arable land in south eastern Australia and work to build a 2,000 mile fence began in 1859.

While rabbits were the initial worry, eventually the fence was strengthened to keep out a new danger: dingoes. It continues to be maintained at a cost of AU$10m a year.