Image: Anton Violin/Moment/Getty Images
About This Quiz
Human history is fascinating, complex and often bloody. Organized warfare has been a part of human society around the world for thousands of years. Whether it was tribes, cities, kingdoms, countries or entire vast empires, war has been a part of human society for almost as long as we have been creating societies. With so many wars and battles to think about, it is easy to get confused. However, some people have made a real study of warfare throughout history and know a whole lot about it. Are you a military history expert who knows your stuff? Â
It's no secret that war has shaped all of human history. While the victors have made huge gains, the losers can face horrific consequences. Also, while the glory of war is often focused on, innocent people who have little to do with it often get caught in the crossfire. While war has created and demolished nations, it also has a vast human toll on the individual level. It is a complex topic to talk about, and endlessly interesting on many levels. Â
If you are a military history buff who really knows the ins and outs of this aspect of human history, put your knowledge to the test with this quiz!Â
The Battle of Stalingrad caused a dictator to hold a national day of mourning and shame. During which conflict did it occur?
The Congo Crisis
World War II
The Battle of Stalingrad was a 3-month battle, lasting from November 1942 to January 1943. German forces surrendered to the Red Army, making it Germany's first major surrender in World War II. This was a turning point in both the war and world history.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Indian Annexation of Goa
Advertisement
The Capture of Jerusalem, which pitted Muslims against Christians, occurred during which conflict?
The First Crusade
In 1099, Christian crusaders successfully captured Jerusalem. They pillaged, stole and murdered thousands of people in a bloody frenzy. The capture followed a week-long siege and allowed the crusaders to take Jerusalem from the Fatimid Caliphate.
The French Revolution
The Hundred Years' War
The Boer Wars
Advertisement
Operation Torch was the first time the British and Americans collaborated on an invasion. It occurred during this global conflict:
The Cuban Revolution
The Korean War
The First Sudanese Civil War
World War II
1942's Operation Torch marked the first time that American troops would ever cross the Atlantic. This battle was an Allied victory. It was a relatively easy win for the Allies once they landed in Morocco and Algeria.
Advertisement
During which conflict, which enabled an emperor to spread Christianity across a continent, was the ancient Battle of the Milvian Bridge fought?
The Civil Wars of the Tetrarchy
The Battle of the Milvian Bridge was fought between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius in A.D. 312. Constantine's victory played a big part in him becoming the ruler of the Roman Empire.
World War II
The Gulf War
The Russo-Persian Wars
Advertisement
The Battle of Midway involved the same military leader who had overseen the attack of Pearl Harbor during which war?
World War II
During the 1942 Battle of Midway, Japan hoped to lure the United States into a destructive naval battle with forces led by Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. The American victory at Midway Atoll allowed U.S. forces to have strategic gains in the South Pacific.
The American Civil War
The French Revolution
The Palace Rebellion
Advertisement
Which of these wars was the Battle of Thermopylae, which inspired the hit film "300," a part of?
World War II
The French-Indian War
The Persian Wars
The Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most famous battles of all time. It was fought during The Persian Wars in 480 BC between the Spartans and the Persians. Although they won the battle, the Persians did suffer heavy casualties at Spartan hands.
The War of the Roses
Advertisement
When was the famous Gallipoli Campaign, in which control of the sea route from Europe to Russia was fought for?
The American Revolution
World War I
The 1915-1916 Gallipoli Campaign was a part of World War I. It was one of the only victories for the Ottoman Empire during the war, which contributed to the decline of their already crumbling empire.
The Womens' War
The Chaco War
Advertisement
The Battle of Britain saw London attacked from the skies. During which war did this happen?
The Vietnam War
World War II
In 1940, the Germans bombed Royal Air Force bases and London itself, hoping to intimidate the British out of fighting against them in World War II. British morale did not crack, and high German losses caused Hitler to set his sights on invading the USSR instead.
The Greek Civil War
The American Civil War
Advertisement
When did the Battle of Trafalgar, which quashed Napoleon's plans of conquering Britain, take place?
World War II
The Napoleonic Wars
The Battle of Trafalgar was fought in 1805 when Napoleon ordered a naval attack on England. Napoleon lost largely thanks to the brilliant strategy used by the English Admiral Horatio Nelson.
The Korean War
The Bosnian War
Advertisement
D-Day was a massive invasion on European shores that occurred during which global conflict?
World War II
On June 6, 1944, the Allies carried out a wide-scale invasion of the beaches of Normandy, France. This was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, and it remains an iconic battle and major turning point in World War II.
The Christmas Uprising
The Crusades
The Turkish War of Independence
Advertisement
The Battle of Gaugamela was fought by a Macedonian king who preferred to dress and act like a Persian. Which conflict does it belong to?
The Wars of Alexander The Great
The 331 B.C. Battle of Gaugamela is also known as the Battle of Arbela. This battle was a major turning point for Alexander's invasion of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, and his victory contributed to its fall.
The French-Indian War
The Crusades
World War II
Advertisement
The Battle of Pharsalus is not often known by name, even though its results decided the fate of the Roman empire. It occurred during:
The Crusades
Caesar's Civil War
This battle is one of the most important battles in all of Western history. This was the battle that propelled Rome from a republic to a true empire. Fought in 48 B.C., Caesar's victory made him Rome's first emperor.
World War II
The 100 Years War
Advertisement
The Brusilov Offensive, which may have resulted in up to a million Russian casualties alone, was part of which war?
The Franco-Prussian War
Uprising In Serbia
World War I
The 1916 Brusilov Offensive was one of Russia's biggest successes in World War I and one of the most successful maneuvers in the entire war. However, it taxed Russia and its army heavily, which contributed to the country's political and military collapse following World War I.
The Mexican-American War
Advertisement
When did the Battle of Yorktown, which helped turn colonists into the citizens of a new country, occur?
The Madman's War
The Estonian War of Independence
The War of the Roses
The American Revolutionary War
The 1781 Battle of Yorktown is also known as the Surrender at Yorktown. This was the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War, as American and French forces were victorious over the English, causing them to begin to negotiate an end to the war.
Advertisement
The Battle of Civetot was a famous disaster for Christians, but when did it take place?
The People's Crusade
A large army, mostly of untrained religious fanatics and peasants, followed a man named Peter the Hermit into battle. He had promised them divine protection. Many died or became enslaved along the way, and most were killed by Turks at the battle of Civetot in 1066.
The Rhodesian Bush War
The Korean War
The Indo-Pakistani Wars
Advertisement
At the Battle of Hastings, the English wielded huge Viking-style battle axes. Which war was it a part of?
The American Civil War
The Norman Conquest of England
The Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066. Won by the Norman-French ruler William the Conqueror, it led to the death of the last Anglo-Saxon King of England and a cultural transformation of the country. It was one of the most influential battles in all of Western history.
The Somali Civil War
The Cold War
Advertisement
When did the English and French face off at the Battle of Agincourt, which is depicted in the Shakespeare play "Henry V"?
Algerian War
The French Revolutionary War
The War on Terror
The Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts between the English and French between 1337 and 1453. The Battle of Agincourt was a victory for the English, despite them being outnumbered. Fought in 1415 in northern France, it is considered one of the biggest victories in English military history.
Advertisement
The Battle of Gettysburg is infamous for its staggering death toll, but which war does it belong to?
The Peloponnesian War
The American Civil War
Fought in 1863, The Battle of Gettysburg is one of the most famous and bloody battles of the American Civil War. The 3-day battle fought in Pennsylvania farmland was a Union victory, though more than 50,000 Americans died in it.
The Crimean War
World War I
Advertisement
When did the Second Battle of Ypres, which was the first major battle for Canadian troops in Europe, occur?
World War I
The Second Battle of Ypres was fought in Ypres, Belgium during World War I. Germany fought against the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Canada. During this 1915 battle, Germans shocked the world by using lethal chlorine gas.
The Korean War
The American Revolutionary War
Caesar's Civil War
Advertisement
Of these wars, during which did the Battle of Wounded Knee occur?
The First Indochina War
WWII
The Sioux Wars
The Battle of Wounded Knee occurred at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota in 1890. It is also known as the Wounded Knee Massacre, as about 300 Lakota men, women, and children were killed by American soldiers.
The Mexican Revolution
Advertisement
The Attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii is infamous, as it killed over 2,000 U.S. service members. Do you know when it happened?
The French-Indian Wars
The Vietnam War
World War II
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack by Japan on Hawaii, which was still a U.S. territory in 1941. As a result of this bombing, over 2,000 Americans died and the United States officially entered World War II.
The First Punic War
Advertisement
When did The Battle of the Bulge, which began as a deadly sneak attack, take place?
World War II
The Battle of the Bulge, which occurred from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. It was an Allied victory, but they suffered heavy casualties.
The Corinthian War
The Crusades
The Gulf War
Advertisement
Operation Barbarossa was devastating for the USSR. Can you identify its war?
World War II
Hitler's 1941 surprise attack on the USSR was devastating. The Red Army was almost destroyed and was unable to drive the Nazis out of Western Russia until 1944. It was a truly massive battle.
The Jeju uprising
The Gulf War
The War on Terror
Advertisement
The Battle of Verdun, which almost completely destroyed the city of Verdun, took place during which war?
The Vietnam War
The Persian-Uzbek Wars
The Inca Civil War
World War I
The Battle of Verdun was fought in Verdun, France from February 21 to December 18, 1916, during World War One. France and Germany fought in it and France won. It was the longest and largest battle on the Western Front between France and Germany in World War I.
Advertisement
The Battle of Marathon was an important Greek victory during which period of conflict?
The Napoleonic Wars
The War of 1812
The Cold War
The Greco-Persian Wars
The Battle of Marathon is a famous battle that took place in 490 BC as a part of the Greco-Persian Wars. Despite being outnumbered, it was a Greek victory and huge turning point in their favor, which resulted in Persia being driven out of mainland Greece for over a decade.
Advertisement
A woman who would later be burned at the stake for witchcraft turned the tide at the Siege of Orleans. When did this happen?
The Hundred Years' War
The Siege of Orleans lasted from October 12, 1428 to May 8, 1429. This major conflict during the Hundred Years' War between the English and French was a major victory for the French. It was also notable due to the presence of Joan of Arc.
The French Conquest of Algeria
The Black Hawk War
The Mormon War
Advertisement
Some historians say that the real winner of the Battle of Gravelines was unpredictable English weather, but when did it take place?
The Anglo-Spanish War
While this battle is not often called by its name, it is a very famous and often-referenced naval battle. It refers to the defeat of the Spanish Armada by England in 1588. This battle is famous because the defeat of the Spanish Armada stopped them from invading England.
The War of 1812
The Gulf War
The Mexican-American War
Advertisement
Of these wars, during which did the Battle of Poltava take place?
The Seventh Xhosa War
The American Revolutionary War
The Great Northern War
The 1709 Battle of Poltava is thought to be a significant turning point in world history. The victory of Russia over Sweden is said to have begun Sweden's decline as a major European power and allowed for Russia to take its place.
The First Italian War of Independence
Advertisement
The Battle of Valmy was an important starting point of which major revolutionary conflict?
The Holy Man's Rebellion
The 1905 Tibetan Revolution
The Mexican Revolution
French Revolutionary Wars
The 1792 Battle of Valmy was an early but important battle in conflicts that followed the French Revolution. The victory emboldened France to abolish the monarchy and establish the First French Republic, which was a major turning point for France and Europe as a whole.
Advertisement
When was the First Battle of the Marne, which marked an important victory against German forces?
World War I
During World War I, Germany hoped to avoid fighting on multiple fronts by defeating France at the 1914 Battle of the Marne. They were unable to do so, which meant that WWI would go on to become a complex and lengthy multifront war.
The Rif War
The Adwan Rebellion
The August Uprising
Advertisement
Hannibal's Crossing of the Alps is one of the most famous events of ancient military history, but when did it happen?
World War I
The Second Punic War
Hannibal's crossing of the Alps into Italy on elephants is one of the most famous military tactics of all time. In 218 B.C., Hannibal led his Carthaginian troops into Italy using this unheard of method and was able to set up a strategic base during The Second Punic War.
The Bluff War
The Manchu Restoration
Advertisement
Of these large-scale conflicts, which was the dynasty-creating Battle of Tours a part of?
World War I
The Umayyad Invasion of Gaul
During the Battle of Tours in A.D. 732, Spanish-Moorish General Abd-er Rahman led a Muslim army from Spain into France. Historians think that if the Frankish armies had not won, Islam might have spread to the rest of Europe. This battle also instilled the Carolingian ruling line, which Charlemagne is from.
The American Revolution
The Russian Civil War
Advertisement
The Battle of Jutland led to Germany's surrender years later via blockade during which war?
The Anarchist Uprising in Spain
The Second Italo-Ethiopian War
World War I
The 1916 Battle of Jutland was the largest naval battle of World War I. This chaotic and bloody battle between English and German ships involved about 250 ships and 100,000 men. It secured British naval dominance during the war.
The Cold War
Advertisement
The Granada War was part of a series of attempts by Christians to drive Muslim rule out of Spain. What was this conflict called?
The Reconquista
The Reconquista was a series of wars during which Christian Spain drove back the Arab rulers who had been in control for centuries. The Siege of Granada marked the end of the Reconquista and established the Iberian peninsula as Christian.
The War of Attrition
The American Civil War
The Football War
Advertisement
Which war, in which a single man tried to conquer all of Europe, was the Battle of Waterloo a part of?
The Soviet-Afghan War
The Napoleonic Wars
Fought in 1815, Waterloo was Napoleon's final battle and played a role in the end of his reign as Emperor of France. This is one of the most famous battles the British ever fought, and one of the most famous in all of Western history.
The Cold War
The War of Jenkin's Ear
Advertisement
You Got:
/35
