Some Great and Not So Great British Commanders Trivia Quiz | History

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which British general's death in North America during the Seven Year's War turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Americans, when they revolted sixteen years later?

Answer: James Wolfe

General James Wolfe (1727-1759) was the son of General Edward Wolfe and joined the Army as a teenager. Wolfe served in the War of the Austrian Succession and against the Jacobite rebels. Promoted to Major General in 1758, Wolfe distinguished himself at the successful 1758 Siege of the French fortress of Louisbourg in what is now Nova Scotia, and was given command of the forces that captured Quebec in 1759.

It was at this battle that Wolfe was killed. An energetic and skilled general, Wolfe would be sorely missed when the American Revolution broke out in 1775.

2. While he ran up an impressive record in the earlier part of his career, which World War I British Field Marshal was later accused of wasting his men's lives in fruitless attacks?

Answer: Sir John French

John French, born in Kent in 1852, spent four years in the Royal Navy before becoming a cavalry officer in 1870. French distinguished himself in the 1884-1885 Gordon Relief Expedition and the Second Boer War, becoming Chief of the Imperial General Staff by 1912. French led the British Expeditionary Force to France on the outbreak of World War One in 1914.

He reportedly did not get along with his French allies, and after heavy casualties for little gain, French was replaced in December, 1915.

3. This son of a British king led British forces in two wars in continental Europe, but is most famous for his final defeat of the Jacobite rebels. What was his title?

Answer: Duke of Cumberland

Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765) was the third and youngest son of King George II. He entered the Royal Navy in 1740, but did not care for the sea and joined the Army in 1741. He was a General in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) where he was wounded. Cumberland was recalled to England in 1745 to quell the Jacobite rebellion, and he won a decisive victory over the rebels at Culloden in 1746, afterwards being nicknamed "The Butcher" for his conduct by his political enemies.

He also briefly fought in the Seven Years War (1756-1763) before resigning his commission in 1757. He died in 1765.

4. Who was this British Field Marshal who led British troops to victory in Africa and Europe during World War II?

Answer: Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery

Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976) began his military career in 1908 after graduation from Sandhurst. He saw action in World War I, where he was seriously wounded, and led troops during the Irish uprising in the early 1920s. Montgomery was promoted to Major General in 1938.

He served in France in the early days of World War II, but was recalled to England before the evacuation of Dunkirk. Sent to command the Eighth Army in North Africa in 1942, Montgomery defeated the Axis forces in Egypt and helped drive them out of North Africa. Chosen as Supreme Ground Commander for the 1944 invasion of France, he was instrumental in the Allied victory over Germany. Criticized by some for being overly cautious, Montgomery was popular with his men, who called him "Monty", and was the most successful British commander since Wellington.

5. Like Alexander the Great, this British general never lost a battle in his long career. Who was this very capable commander?

Answer: John Churchill Duke of Marlborough

General John Churchill (1650-1722) was a member of the English gentry and rose in status due to his royal connections and his ability. He joined the Army in 1670 and fought in the 1674 Franco-Dutch War. Marlborough was a key player in defeating the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, and then fought in the Nine Years War of 1688-1696.

His victories at Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), Oudenarde (1708), and Malplaquet (1709) during the War of the Spanish Succession cemented his reputation as one of the finest generals of his time. Churchill died in 1722.

6. Which British general is well known for suffering a major defeat in the American Revolutionary War, leading to the signing of a formal alliance between the French and the Americans?

Answer: General John Burgoyne

Born in 1722 to a British Army captain, John Burgoyne first joined the Army in 1737 and served off and on until 1784. He fought in the both the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War. Burgoyne was sent to Boston shortly after the outbreak of the American Revolution and led the troops that relieved the Siege of Quebec in 1776. Burgoyne planned the 1777 invasion meant to isolate the New England colonies from the rest of the country, but poor communications between the British forces led to his defeat and surrender at Saratoga. John Burgoyne died in 1792.

7. Probably one of the most famous British generals of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which man held commands in Africa and India before he was killed at sea during World War I?

Answer: Lord Herbert Kitchener

Kitchener was born in Ireland in 1850 to a British Army captain and his wife. He joined the Army in 1871 as an engineer and did several surveys in the Middle East. He was part of the expedition to relieve General Gordon in the Sudan and later won the decisive victory over the Madhists at Omdurman in 1898. Kitchener next fought the Boers in South Africa, becoming Commander in Chief in 1899.

His use of concentration camps for the Boer non-combatants and his scorched earth tactics remain controversial to this day.

He then served in both India and Egypt. On the outbreak of the First World War, Kitchener was tasked with raising the large army that was needed to fight the Germans in France. In June, 1916, Kitchener was killed while on a mission to Russia when his ship struck a mine.

8. With the exception of a decisive battle in the American Revolutionary War, which British general had a storied career in North America, Europe, and India in his nearly fifty years of service?

Answer: General Charles Cornwallis

Born into the British aristocracy in 1738, Charles Cornwallis joined the Army in 1757 and saw action in the Seven Years War. During the American Revolution, Cornwallis was tactically successful in the Southern campaign of 1780-1781, but could not completely defeat the rebel forces and ended up having to surrender after being trapped by the Americans and their French allies at Yorktown in 1781.

Afterwards, he served successfully in India and Ireland and died in 1805 shortly after arriving in India for a second term as Governor General.

9. One of the most famous British commanders of all time, who was the man who defeated Napoleon and went on to serve as one of the most important politicians of early to mid-nineteenth century Britain?

Answer: Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington

Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, was born into the aristocracy in 1769 in Dublin. He joined the Army in 1787 and was a Colonel during the Flanders campaign against the French in 1796. Wellesley was sent to India in 1798 and defeated the Marathas in 1803. Returning to Europe and a promotion to Field Marshal, he ran the French out of Spain in the Peninsular War of 1808-1814.

He won his most famous victory over Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, and afterwards served in the government until his retirement in 1846. Wellesley died in 1852.

10. Which British general led an ill-fated expedition into what is now the U.S. state of Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War (1754-1763)?

Answer: General Edward Braddock

Edward Braddock was born in 1695, the son of a British general. He entered the Army in 1710. Braddock saw his first real combat in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), and was promoted to Major General in 1754. Soon after, he was sent to the British colonies in America to fight the French. Leading a mixed force of colonials and British regulars to attack French forts in western Pennsylvania, Braddock insisted on using standard European tactics against an enemy who did not fight in a line of battle. On July 9, 1755, his men were ambushed by Native Americans and French troops and Braddock was killed.

Source: Author Reamar42

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Some Great and Not So Great British Commanders Quiz

The British Empire, like all of the other Great Powers of the world, has produced some outstanding generals through the years. Unfortunately for the British soldier, there have also been some that were not so great. Can you name some of these men?

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