Crossed Lines of History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Poland

Between September 1 and October 6, 1939, a joint military exercise by Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union occurred with their attack on Poland. The invading countries wanted to divide Poland into "spheres of influence". This invasion is considered the starting point of World War II.

Answer: Al-Qaeda

Members of Al-Qaeda, under the orders of Osama bin Laden, hijacked multiple airliners on September 11, 2001. These hijacked airliners performed suicide attacks on sites in the United States. Two airliners hit the World Trade Center in New York City.

A third airliner hit the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. In response to the attacks, the United States launched a two-decade long global war on terror.

Answer: Cuba

The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis had the world standing on the brink of nuclear war. The Soviet Union deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba in July of 1962. This was a retaliation for the United States deploying nuclear missiles in in the United Kingdom, Italy, and Turkey. A single launch of one of these missiles would have started a catastrophic escalation.

After an American plane took pictures of the weapons in Cuba, President Kennedy launched a naval quarantine of Soviet ships in the Cuban seaways. Eventually, the United States and the Soviet Union used diplomacy and negotiated a treaty.

Answer: Selma, Alabama

Several civil rights groups in Alabama organized in the mid 1960s to protest voting suppression in the state. On March 7, 1965, a group of protesters marched in Selma, Alabama.

As the protesters crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on their way to Montgomery, Alabama, they were attacked by local law enforcement. The leader of the march was knocked unconscious by the lawmen, and his body was left on the bridge. This event was called Bloody Sunday.

Answer: Iraq

On August 2, 1990, the Saddam Hussein led Iraq invaded the neighboring Kuwait over debts and oil drilling. Iraq occupied Kuwait within two days.

The United States used two operations to liberate Kuwait from Iraq. Operation Desert Shield was the accumulation of forces in the Persian Gulf area. Operation Desert Storm was the air conflict in the region. The operations ended on February 28, 1991.

Answer: Beijing

Protests occurred in China after the death of politician Hu Yaobang in April 1989. The citizens were anxious about the future of the country. The center of the protests was Tienanmen Square in Beijing. During the protest, an estimated one million people assembled around the square to protest.

The Chinese government declared martial law. On June 3-4, 1989, an estimated 300,000 troops entered Beijing to clear the protesters from the square. Many people were injured from the events of those two days.

Answer: Richard Nixon

On June 17, 1972, members of Richard Nixon's presidential re-election campaign entered the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. These operatives were caught planting listening devices and burglarizing the offices. Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States due to his cover-up of his administration's participation in this event.

Answer: World War I

Tensions escalated between Austria-Hungary and Serbia when Serbian Gavrilo Princip assassinated Austria-Hungary's Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia, starting World War I.

During World War I, the Allied Powers sided with Serbia while the Central Powers supported Austria-Hungary. World War I ended in 1918 after the abdication of Wilhelm II as German Emperor and King of Prussia.

Answer: Afghanistan

The Soviet Union and the government of Afghanistan were in a conflict with the rebelling Afghan Islamist militant groups. Both the Soviet Union and the Afghanistan leadership were worried that the Afghan Islamist militant groups would win the battles and overthrow their country's government.

The Soviet Union intervened in the fighting in Afghanistan. In December of 1979, the Soviet Union sent troupes into Afghanistan to support their government. The Soviet Union troupes stayed in the Afghanistan for a decade, costing many lives.

Answer: United States

United States President George W Bush believed that Iraq allegedly possessed weapons of mass destruction. He also condemned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's support of terrorist organizations. United Nations inspectors found no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and requested diplomacy between the United States and Iraq.

The United States and their allies, believing the weapons were hidden and that Iraq was interfering with the inspections, decided to invade Iraq beginning on March 20, 2003. This invasion was opposed by some the United States' strongest supporters such as France, Germany, and Russia. Saddam Hussein was captured by the United States' troops, but no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.