Snits, Tiffs and Other Squabbles Quiz

Answer: Falklands War

There was a dispute over the "ownership" of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in 1982. South Georgia and the Falkland Islands were occupied by Argentina on 19 March 1982. This triggered the Falklands War, which was over the disputed land. Argentina believed that they had a right to occupy the land as its territory.

However, Britain the Falkland Islands had been under continuous British rule since 1833 and treated the occupation as an invasion. The war lasted forty-two days and ended on 14 June, 1982, when Argentina surrendered to the United Kingdom.

Answer: Poland and Lithuania

When both Poland and Lithuania gained their independence in 1918 there was conflict regarding the right of ownership of the cities of Vilnius, Suwalki and Augustow. Poland signed an agreement to cease hostilities after thirty-seven days, when they claimed themselves victorious, but quickly reneged, thus creating a puppet state out of the Republic of Central Lithuania.

The battle centered on the historic capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilnius. This state was a buffer state between Poland and Lithuania for about eighteen months. On 24 March 1922 this land was annexed to Poland, leaving much resentment in Lithuania.

Answer: Italy

Italy played no part in this war. The thirty-two day long Second Balkan War was fought in 1913. In the First Balkan War (1912) Bulgaria had maximized its gains, which were resented by its immediate neighbors. The Second Balkan War (1913) involved Bulgaria fighting against Greece, Montenegro, Ottoman Empire, Romania, and Serbia.

At first the war was Bulgaria against Greece and Serbia, but Romania and the Ottoman Empire intervened against Bulgaria. Bulgaria was defeated on 23 July. Most of the territories that Bulgaria had won in the First Balkan War were lost, including southern Dobrudja, most of Macedonia and the Eastern Thrace. Boundary settlements made through the Treaties of Bucharest and Constantinople.

However, in October 1915 Bulgaria went to war again (on the side of the Central Powers) in an attempt to exploit the plight of Serbia and seize Macedonia.

Answer: Greco-Turkish War

The Greco-Turkish war was fought between Greece and the Ottoman Empire. This war is also known as the Thirty Days' War. Sultan Abdul Hamid was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. In Crete the Greeks were still under Ottoman rule. A rebellion broke out and by 21 January, 1897 a Greek army landed in Crete with the full intention of reuniting the island with mainland Greece. Due to European powers that intervened, Crete was proclaimed to be an international protectorate. Greece was defeated but the Ottoman Turks were thrown off the island a year later.

Answer: Both sides claimed victory

Also known as the Third Indochina War, the Sino-Vietnamese War was a border fight between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam had invaded and occupied Cambodia which sparked the PRC to launch an offensive against Vietnam. PRC troops withdrew after a short battle in Northern Vietnam. Both sides claimed to be victorious in the war.

Answer: Britain

The Georgian-Armenian War lasted a mere twenty-our days from 7-31 December 1918. They were fighting over the long disputed provinces of Borchalo district, Javakheti and Lori. These were bicultural Armenian-Georgian territories, but mainly populated by Armenians.

At the end of WWI the Ottomans had occupied the territories but later abandoned them, which prompted the battle for control. The British - at the time occupying part of - brokered a ceasefire, and the Borchalo district was put under the joint administration of Georgia and Armenia.

This lasted until 1920 when Soviet rule was established in the region.

Answer: Serbia and Bulgaria

The Kingdoms of Serbia and Bulgaria fought the Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885. The battle was fought from 14-28 November 1885. On 19 February, 1886 a peace treaty was finally signed in Bucharest, long after the fighting had stopped. The European powers finally acknowledged the unification of Bulgaria which had taken place on 6 September 1885.

It was Count Kevenhueller-Metsch, the Viennese ambassador in Belgrade who demanded the ceasefire, threating to have Austro-Hungarian troops attack Bulgaria. Bulgaria had battled to defend the unification and was victorious in this war.

Answer: Indo-Pakistani War

From 1947 to 1971 Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan known as East Pakistan. For the Bangladeshis, rule by Pakistan was remote and became oppressive. Finally, early in 1971, they rebelled, and the rebellion was put down with the utmost brutality by the (West) Pakistani army.

It is believed that three million Bangladeshi lives were lost in massacres between March and November, 1971. Approximately ten million Bangladeshis fled to India to escape the slaughter, causing enormous problems for India.

In 1971 a thirteen day long war known as the Indo-Pakistani War took place between India and Pakistan. India won the Indo-Pakistani War which came to an end after the Pakistani Armed Forces signed the Instrument of Surrender on December 16, 1971.

This secured the independence of Bangladesh.

Answer: Lebanon

Egypt gathered a thousand tanks and approximately one hundred thousand soldiers on the border in the Sinai Peninsula. They closed the Straits of Tiran to all shipping that flew Israeli flags and/or those that carried strategic materials. Egypt called for a unified Arab war against Israel. On 5 June 1967 Israel attacked Egypt's air force.

As a result, Jordan attacked western Jerusalem and Netanya with the aid of the Iraqi army. Israel gained control of Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip. Israel was the victor in this war which affected the geopolitics of the entire region.

In these Israeli captured territories there were about one million Arabs who were under Israel's control.

Answer: False

This forty-five minute battle took place between the British Empire and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896. History states that Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini died and his nephew, Khalid bin Bargash seized power in a coup d'etat. The British were in favor of Hamud bin Muhammed taking over, as he was believed to be a lot easier to work with.

The British gave Bargash an ultimatum, telling him to abdicate, which he refused. The British amassed five warships which sat in the harbor, outside the palace. The ships opened fire at 9am, the moment the ultimatum ran out. Bargash retreated to the German consulate for asylum and later escaped by sea to exile in Dar es Salaam.

The British captured Bargash in 1916 and he was later allowed to live in Mombassa. Smugly, the British demanded that Zanzibar's government pay them for the shells that they fired on that day of the forty-five minute war.