The History of World War I Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gavrilo Prinzip

Princip was backed by the Serbian nationalist Black Hand organization. He assassinated Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. This event is considered as the formal cause of the Great War.

Answer: Joseph Jacques Cesaire Joffre

He was Chief of the General Staff 1911. The German invasion of Belgium 1914 took him by surprise, but his stand at the Battle of the Marne resulted in his appointment as supreme commander of all the French armies 1915. His failure to make adequate preparations at Verdun 1916 and the military disasters on the Somme led to his replacement by Nivelle in December 1916.

Answer: Caporetto

The German commander, General Karl von Bulow, broke through Italian lines on the Isonzo and forced an Italian retreat to fall back onto the Piave line. Heavy fighting continued throughout the following day, with delays in sending reserves weakening Italian resistance.

As the Germans penetrated deeper, so the flanks of the remaining Italian line were threatened and had to fall back. By 26 October Caporetto had fallen and masses of Italian troops were in headlong retreat.

Answer: Lafayette Escadrille

They were attached to the French Flying Corps until 1917, when USA entered the War.

Answer: Sir Douglas Haig

He served in the Omdurman and South African campaigns, and in World War I commanded the 1st Army Corps 1914-15, and the 1st Army 1915. He then loyally supported the French Marshal Foch in his appointment as supreme commander of the Allied armies and in his victorious 1918 offensive, and it was Haig's foresight that persuaded Foch to extend his attack north, so breaking the Hindenburg Line.

Answer: Count Luigi Cadorna

Despite fierce Austrian resistance, Cadorna continued his advance and entered Gorizia on 9 August.

Answer: Helmuth von Moltke

He was nephew of Count von Moltke, the Prussian general. He was chief of the German General Staff from 1906-14. His use of General Alfred von Schlieffen's (1833-1913) plan for a rapid victory on two fronts failed and he was relieved of command after the defeat at the Marne.

Answer: Battle of Vittorio Veneto

In this battle which was fought on 23 October 1918 the Italians, together with British troops, massed on the river and attacked the Austrians. Three Italian armies crossed the river and within two days the Austrians were in general retreat, pursued by the Italians, until the Austrians called for an armistice on 4 November 1918. This battle heralded Austria's final defeat.

Answer: Maximilian von Spee

The German naval squadron inflicted a crushing defeat on a British squadron off the coast of Chile on 1 November 1914. It was one of the first British naval defeats of the war. At the outbreak of war, the German naval squadron on the China station under Admiral Maximilian von Spee began commerce raiding in the southern Pacific.

In Oct 1914 a small British squadron under Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock (1862-1914), sent in search of von Spee, encountered the Germans off Coronel, on the coast of Chile. Cradock was outgunned and outnumbered and was completely defeated, losing two cruisers and 1,500 crew.

He was lost along with his flagship.

Answer: German spring offensive

By early 1918, German forces outnumbered the Allies on the Western Front. Germany staged three separate offensives, which culminated in the Second Battle of the Marne, fought between 15 July and 6 August. It marked the turning point of World War I. After winning the battle the Allies advanced steadily, and by September, Germany had lost all the territory it had gained during the spring.

Answer: Aisne

The third battle of Aisne was commonly known as operation Blucher-Yorck. It was partly successful German breakthrough toward Paris. The attack was launched by the German 1st and 7th Armies against the British 9th Army Corps and 5th French Army. The Germans broke through and advanced about 16 km to Chateau-Thierry, placing Paris under threat, before their lack of reserves and stretched lines of supply brought them to a halt.

Answer: Operation Michael

The name is unanimously applied to the second battle of the Somme which was the first act of the German Spring Offensive. It was fought on 21 March 1918 with an intention to capture Amiens and split the French and British armies. The attack was initially successful, forcing the Allies to fall back and the Germans were within a few miles of Arras before they were finally held.

Answer: Xylyl bromide

It was a lachrymatory (tear) gas used by the Germans under the name T-Stoff. It was highly effective and relatively non-lethal, but was found to corrode its containers and was not very effective at low temperatures.

Answer: Acraldehyde

It has an irritating action on the skin, and its vapours cause a copious flow of tears. It was fired in artillery shells and hand grenades but its lack of chemical stability made it difficult to store and it saw relatively little service use. It is popularly known as acrolein.

Answer: New Armies

It was alternative name for the Kitchener Armies. Kitchener issued a call for 100,000 men on 7 August 1914 and further calls followed. Within a year over 2 million men had volunteered and three new armies had been created but by early 1916 volunteers dwindled and conscription was introduced.

Answer: Alexander von Kluck

The British were to join two French forces in an encircling attack on the Germans under General von Kluck. However, the French force due to operate on the British left did not arrive, leaving their flank open. A German thrust broke in between the British and the French 5th Army on their right flank, which broke and began to fall back, leaving the British with both flanks open to encirclement. Assuming that the French would soon return, the British dug in and resisted German attacks but by the afternoon of 24 Aug it was obvious that the French would not return and the British would be overwhelmed.

They were forced out of a prepared defensive position and gradually retreated southward in a series of leap-frogging rearguard actions until the Germans over-stretched their supply lines and slackened their pursuit.

The British formed a fresh line and the retreat was over.

Answer: 40

It was here where the controversial Zimmermann Telegram was deciphered.

Answer: Zimmermann Telegram

Zimmermann sent the telegram to von Eckhardt, German ambassador to Mexico. In it he proposed that Eckhardt discuss with Mexico the recovery of their 'lost' territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the event of US-German hostilities. He also made remarks on unrestricted submarine warfare against the USA and the possibility of inveigling Japan into an alliance with Mexico.

The message was intercepted and deciphered by the British naval intelligence service of Room 40, and a copy was passed to the US Ambassador, who in turn sent it to the US State Department. President Wilson permitted it to be published 1 March 1917 and its contents caused a public outcry. Zimmermann 'resigned' shortly afterward.

Answer: 114,250

The casualty list is as follow: Dead - 43,200 Wounded - 65,175 Missing - 5,875

Answer: Suvla Bay

Although initial progress was good and some commanding heights were taken, the opportunity to advance further in the face of weak Turkish opposition was not taken. By the time orders were given to attack, the Turks had been strongly reinforced with more troops and artillery and the attack failed.

More attacks were mounted over the next few days and a fresh commander brought in to try and break the deadlock, but no impression could be made on the Turkish positions and the Allied lines settled down to defend what they had.

Answer: Expedition to Archangel

The expedition had three main objectives: to safeguard the large concentration of military stores which had been sent to the Russians and which lay in {Archangel;} to safeguard the flank of the Murmansk {Expedition;} and to try to stabilize the Eastern Front and make contact with the Czech Legion and the White Russian (that is anti-Bolshevist) forces of Admiral Alexander Kolchak.

Answer: Gaba Tepe Landing

The first wave drove the Turks from the immediate area of the beach, allowing further Anzac troops to land. This force then moved through broken country until it established a line anchored on Gabe Tepe. The Turkish force, about 20,000 strong, attacked this line but were beaten back by the entrenched Anzacs, supported by naval gunfire.

The position was entrenched, ammunition and supplies were landed, and the Anzac force was reinforced by the Royal Naval Division.Reinforcements were landed on 6 August and, in conjunction with an attack at the southern tip of the peninsula, the beachhead was enlarged, but the Allies failed to make a significant breach in Turkish lines.

Answer: Gneisenau

The Gneisenau was scuttled in deep water by the Canopus, with the loss of over 800 of the crew.

Answer: Aleksandr Vassilievich Samsonov

The Russian troops were completely ousted by the Germans under General Paul von Hindenburg. This decisive battle was fought in August 1914.

Answer: Battles of Lemberg

In June 1915, German troops under General August von Mackensen advanced on Lemberg from the south but were repulsed. Keeping the defences diverted, this attack allowed other German forces to swing north and east and thus threaten the rear of the defended zone.

After a fierce battle lasting several days the Russians finally evacuated the town and fortress on 22 June 1915, and it remained in German hands thereafter.