1. American Civil War
   Gulf War
2. War of 1812

In 1991, Operation Desert Storm was the combat phase of the Gulf War. It started with an incredible buildup of forces that were then unleashed in spectacular, made-for-TV ways.

1. the Holocaust
   the Munich massacre
2. Iraq's invasion of Kuwait

In August 1990, Saddam Hussein ordered Iraq's military to invade and capture Kuwait. The power grab was immediately condemned by leaders around the world.

1. Iceland
   United States
2. Ghana

With its wide-ranging oil interests in the Middle East, the United States felt threatened by Iraq's aggression. America led the way in preparations to force Iraq out of Kuwait.

1. Operation Desert Shield
   Operation Purple Turtle
2. Operation Velvet Elvis

Prior to Desert Storm, Operation Desert Shield was a buildup of forces meant to bring stability to the region … and to prepare to uproot Iraq from Kuwait.

1. Dwight Eisenhower
   H.W. Bush
2. John Wayne

President H.W. Bush was commander-in-chief during Desert Storm. Bush is famous for his "line in the sand" speech in which he said that America must counter Iraq's invasion with force.

1. Yesterday, jerk!
   Mid-January
2. You know, like, whenever

The United Nations roundly scorned Hussein's aggression against Kuwait. It passed a resolution warning Iraq to withdraw by mid-January … or suffer the consequences.

1. 2
   32
2. 412

The United States embarked on a mission to create a coalition against Iraq. America was very successful, drawing 32 nations into the fray for Desert Storm.

1. Nigeria
   Australia
2. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia had a vested interest in keeping regional turmoil to a minimum. That, and the fact that America was a huge buyer of its oil. The kingdom offered up the second-greatest number of military forces during Desert Storm.

1. nearly 700,000
   70,000
2. 700

America gathered nearly 700,000 military personnel for Desert Storm. Saudi Arabia was second in terms of numbers, with just under 100,000.

1. with thousands of tanks
   a sustained air bombardment
2. rock-paper-scissors

If Saddam Hussein envisioned a clash of titans on an open desert battlefield, he was surely disappointed in the coalition's strategy, which was to bomb Iraq's military into the Stone Age. For five weeks, the coalition unleashed countless bombs to soften and demoralize Iraq's forces.

1. second only to the U.S.
   fourth-largest in the world
2. not even in the top 100

Thanks largely to an arms supplier by the name of America, Iraq wielded the fourth-largest military in the world. Failing a diplomatic solution, the situation promised to become a bloodbath.

1. it launched nuclear missiles at Hawaii.
   it gave Iraq 100,000 soldiers.
2. it didn't block American plans.

In another time, perhaps the USSR would have come to Iraq's aid. But Hussein's aggression happened just as Communism was falling and the USSR was breaking apart, meaning the Soviets were too preoccupied to help much.

1. use chemical weapons
   use nuclear weapons
2. use rotten tomato bombs

Many military leaders worried that Hussein might resort to chemical weapons attacks. In the end, those fears turned out to be unfounded.

1. It surrendered.
   It launched Scud missiles.
2. It invaded Saudi Arabia.

Iraq had no real answers to the coalition's bombing runs. But it did launch numerous Scud missiles toward the allies. The missiles caused very little real damage.

1. about 100
   about 1,000
2. about 100,000

The coalition flew about 100,000 sorties against the Iraqis, who had no air force to match American might. Iraq's anti-aircraft systems were rendered inoperable in just a few weeks.

1. They assassinated Hussein.
   They nuked Baghdad.
2. They started the ground war.

After weeks of bombing runs, on Feb. 24 the allies initiated ground attacks in Kuwait. In about four days, the liberation of Kuwait was complete.

1. They threw a wild party to celebrate.
   They invaded Iraq.
2. They got lost and ended up in Jordan.

The coalition forces steamrolled Iraqi forces in Kuwait. And then they kept right on going into Iraq. They had no intention of letting Hussein's men run free.

1. They stole many sheep.
   They destroyed every Kuwaiti city.
2. They set oil wells on fire.

In an act of desperation and revenge, the Iraqis set fire to more than 700 Kuwaiti oilfields during their retreat. The well fires burned incredible amounts of oil and took many months to extinguish.

1. Hussein was insane.
   Just for fun
2. In hopes of drawing other Arab nations into the conflict

Hussein attacked Israel -- an enemy of the Arabs -- in hopes of drawing the Israelis into the fight, creating a domino effect in which other Arab countries came to Iraq's defense. But Israel didn't take the bait and Iraq remained isolated.

1. Republican Guard
   Democratic Shield
2. Storm Troopers

Iraq's large military was bolstered by the Republican Guard, an elite unit of soldiers with superior equipment and training. But the Guard was no match for coalition forces.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

President Bush didn't feel that other countries would take kindly to the occupation of Iraq. The coalition forces mopped up and then fell back to Kuwait, certain that Iraqi forces would not counterattack.

1. All of them
   About 3,700
2. Only 200

Iraq's aggression was extremely expensive in terms of armor. The military lost 3,700 of its 4,200 tanks during raging battles and air attacks.

1. $200
   Roughly $60 million
2. About $60 billion

Desert Storm was no cheap undertaking -- the war cost more than $60 billion. Although America provided the most combat forces, Gulf States actually paid for the lion's share of the conflict.

1. GPS
   MRE
2. NCAA

GPS (global positioning system) technology was still fairly new during Desert Storm. Coalition troops used GPS for all sorts of mapping tasks during combat.

1. CNN
   ABC
2. Spike

Back in the early '90s, cable news was an emerging trend, and CNN capitalized, providing round-the-clock coverage of coalition fighting. The conflict cemented CNN's status as a leader in news.

1. To kill Saddam Hussein
   To scatter small American flags all over Iraq
2. To intercept Scud missiles

Patriot missiles were anti-Scud interceptors deployed during the conflict. They were largely untested … and mostly unsuccessful during their use in combat.

1. Around 500
   Around 50,000
2. Around 5 million

The numbers aren't certain, but at least 50,000 Iraqi troops lost their lives during the ferocity of Desert Storm. Tens of thousands more were wounded or captured. Untold numbers of civilians died during and after the conflict.

1. Around 300
   Around 30,000
2. Around 300,000

With its advanced military technologies and air supremacy, coalition troops had the upper hand throughout the war. Only around 300 of them died -- and half of those deaths resulted from friendly fire.

1. Landmines
   Precision-guided bombs
2. Laser cats

The coalition eagerly used its new precision-guided bombs. As journalists stood by with cameras rolling, laser-guided bombs would blast a single building or vehicle with devastating accuracy.

1. He moved to Iran.
   He was executed.
2. Nothing

The coalition did nothing to dislodge Hussein from power, and he ruled ruthlessly until 2003. That year, America invaded Iraq, killed Hussein and occupied the country.