SKM Wrote: Don't worry, I am just BSing a bit. Bring it on, your next quiz! Doesn't matter how hard cos the harder it is, the more you learn.

OK SKM, you're on! let's do WW I, whose 100 year anniversary will not be long upon us....

1. So who was this Gavrilo Princip guy anyway, and who did he work for? Bonus: Where and when did he die?

2. In the summer of 1914 Erno Kiraly had a hit song, "Megállj, kutya Szerbia!". What does this song translate as, or at least what country was this a hit in?

3. Britain and what country were the guaranteers of Belgium's sovereignty since 1831?

4. In a series of battles around the Masurian lakes in August and September 1914, the Germans defeated two larger Russian armies decisively. Though not too terribly close by, Ludendorf decided to give this series of battles a single name, Tannenberg, in the name of German justice and vengeance. What event was he recalling, if through a historically-flawed lens?

5. On the first day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres near Passchendaele in late July, 1917, what were the British casualties for the day?

6. What do Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who was the last major German officer to surrender in the war, and Ali Dinar at El Fasher have in common? (Hint: I believe Morten Blaabjerg created a scenario based on one of these guys...)

7. The Ottoman Turks opened hostilities with the Russians by steaming two of their ships, the Sultan Selim and Midillu into the Black Sea and bombarding the Russian ports of Odessa and Sevastopol in Crimea. The crews of these ships had troubles with their fezes though; why?

8. This country occupied Shantung, the Mariana, Marshall and Caroline islands in World War I. Who was it? (Hint: Dai Nippon Teikoku.)

9. A lowly assistant in the German Foreign Ministry in 1917 attempted to sew together a bizarre alliance against the United States consisting of what two countries (besides Germany, obviously)? Ultimately, for political reasons the U.S. only mentioned one of the countries in its declaration of war against Germany.

10. Why was the American general John Pershing nicknamed "Blackjack" Pershing?

11. What was Vasil Radoslavov refering to when he made his joke about the largest Allied internment camp in the war?

12. True or false: Lord Kitchener was finally voted out of office in Britain in June 1916, to be succeeded by Lloyd George, for his incompetent handling of the war? Explain yer answer.

13. On 24. October 1918, General Armando Diaz launched a major offensive against Austro-Hungarian positions across the Piave River, despite the fact the Habsburg empire had already virtually ceased to exist. What was Diaz seeking to avenge?

14. The Russians in the summer of 1916 launched an offensive that came within a hair's breadth of shattering the Central Power's Galician Front, and finished the Austro-Hungarian Army as a military service fit for anything except guard duty. What Russian general planned and launched this assult that almost brought victory in the East to the Allies?

15. Considering the high-profile political stance taken by both Woodrow Wilson and General Pershing throughout the war, what was unusual about the two great American military victories of the war (Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood)?

16. What country today memorializes Vimy Ridge as a symbol of its war effort? (This should be a very easy one for several people on this List...)

17. On the morning of 20. November 1917, German soldiers ran panic-stricken from their trenches as yet another British assault was unleashed. That was certainly unusual; why did they run?

18. Explain the tactical uniqueness of a "stuermgewehr", and its strategic implications for the future. (This is a toughee.)

19. Garth Brooks released a song two years ago (name forgotten, and rightfully so) with an accompanying video that shows the famous Christmas Truce, with American and German troops in the middle of the Battle of Belleau Wood embracing each other, playing football, exchanging photos, etc. on Christmas day. What's wrong with this picture, aside from bad music? (Extra bonus points if you know the name of the song. Triple bonus points if you then write Garth Brooks and tell him he's an idiot!)

20. The U-20 did what?

21. Hey! Blackjack 21! Last question: Approximately 10-12 million people died in World War I, a grisly figure - but even more died in an event in 1918-19. What was that event, and where did it originate?

Good luck!

Questions are pretty hard. :D I'll give it a try .....

2) Austro-Hungary? Cos Serbia was still a part of that empire then.
3) France?
4) The time when the Teutonic Knights were defeated by the Poles during the early Middle Ages?
8) Japan. When it comes to China, I'm king. :king:
9) Mexico and .......
12) True. Cos too many Brits were getting killed in the trenches of Europe w/o anything to show for it?
17) Tanks. That was at Cambrai?
19) Americans play er American football; Germans played eh soccer?
21) Worldwide outbreak of flu (or maybe influenza). Fr Africa?

Here's the run-down so far SKM:

2) Austro-Hungary? Cos Serbia was still a part of that empire then.

1/2 point here. It was Hungarian, and it translates, "Stop, you dog Serbia!". Serbia was independent in 1914, though some ethnic Serbian areas were in the Austro-Hungarian empire.

3) France?

No.

4) The time when the Teutonic Knights were defeated by the Poles during the early Middle Ages?

Yes! See - my Polish history quiz did help!

8) Japan. When it comes to China, I'm king.

Right on - and I'll take your word for whose king on China...

9) Mexico and .......

Yes, and...? 1/2 point here. Here's a hint: The other country was actually on the Allied side, but thinking of switching.

12) True. Cos too many Brits were getting killed in the trenches of Europe w/o anything to show for it?

No.

17) Tanks. That was at Cambrai?

Yes! First use of massed mobile armor. those lugs only went about 1 mile an hour and were extremely vulnerable, if only the Germans would have stayed put instead of running...

19) Americans play er American football; Germans played eh soccer?

No. I use the American and European expressions "soccer", "football" interchangably. Nice try on that one though.

21) Worldwide outbreak of flu (or maybe influenza). Fr Africa?

Yes! - at least partially. Worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 killed nearly 20 million people. It started in a U.S. Army pig farm in Kansas, where soldiers were burning the carcasses of pigs who had died of the pig-version of the disease, and somehow the burning released it in a form that it could be caught by humans. The rest is grim history... It was called the "Spanish Flu" because it was originally thought it started in Spain, but researchers since have positively identified Fort Leavenworth, Kansas as the culprit.

Good shot, SKM! Once agin, I'll wait a week or so the post the asnwers.

1) G.P. killed prince Ferdinand of Austria, didn't he? He worked for the man. Or was it the CIA? No, a cobbler in Beograd?
3) Britain and Germany?
5) 900,000+ :eek:
6) they weren't germans
7) was it too windy?
9) Mexico and Spain
10) blackjack - for the card game, or for his big black boots?
11) I forget the punch line. And the joke, sorry.
12) SKM, the Brits had conquered several inches of turf on the front, it was not all for naught! FALSE, if true is the wrong answer.
16) Belgium?
17) The introduction of tanks to zee war.
18) Storm gun - machine gun? or artillery/howitzer? Hmm... not knowing which it is, I'd hafta guess...
19) No actual footage exists, perhaps? Or the ball was actually someone's severed head? I dunno. For those who know the song, they should have a point deducted. Two points if they've seen the video.
20) blub blub could submerge for brief periods?
21) the influenza pandemic. I don't know where it started.

1. So who was this Gavrilo Princip guy anyway, and who did he work for? Bonus: Where and when did he die?
Assassinated Ferdinand and Sophie in Sarajevo. He worked for the Black Hand. Died in 1918 while in prison.

2. In the summer of 1914 Erno Kiraly had a hit song, "Megállj, kutya Szerbia!". What does this song translate as, or at least what country was this a hit in?
No clue.

3. Britain and what country were the guaranteers of Belgium's sovereignty since 1831?
Prussia

4. In a series of battles around the Masurian lakes in August and September 1914, the Germans defeated two larger Russian armies decisively. Though not too terribly close by, Ludendorf decided to give this series of battles a single name, Tannenberg, in the name of German justice and vengeance. What event was he recalling, if through a historically-flawed lens?
The Poles victory over the Teutons in the Middle Ages.

5. On the first day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres near Passchendaele in late July, 1917, what were the British casualties for the day?
20,000.

8. This country occupied Shantung, the Mariana, Marshall and Caroline islands in World War I. Who was it? (Hint: Dai Nippon Teikoku.)
Japan

9. A lowly assistant in the German Foreign Ministry in 1917 attempted to sew together a bizarre alliance against the United States consisting of what two countries (besides Germany, obviously)? Ultimately, for political reasons the U.S. only mentioned one of the countries in its declaration of war against Germany.
Mexico and Britain

10. Why was the American general John Pershing nicknamed "Blackjack" Pershing?
Because his family was killed in a fire in 1915, devastating him.

12. True or false: Lord Kitchener was finally voted out of office in Britain in June 1916, to be succeeded by Lloyd George, for his incompetent handling of the war? Explain yer answer.
False. The Prime Minister that George defeated was Hebert Asquith. Kitchener was War Minister.

14. The Russians in the summer of 1916 launched an offensive that came within a hair's breadth of shattering the Central Power's Galician Front, and finished the Austro-Hungarian Army as a military service fit for anything except guard duty. What Russian general planned and launched this assult that almost brought victory in the East to the Allies?
General Brusilov

15. Considering the high-profile political stance taken by both Woodrow Wilson and General Pershing throughout the war, what was unusual about the two great American military victories of the war (Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood)?
They were not terribly important.

16. What country today memorializes Vimy Ridge as a symbol of its war effort? (This should be a very easy one for several people on this List...)
Canada.

17. On the morning of 20. November 1917, German soldiers ran panic-stricken from their trenches as yet another British assault was unleashed. That was certainly unusual; why did they run?
The British used tanks for the first time.

19. Garth Brooks released a song two years ago (name forgotten, and rightfully so) with an accompanying video that shows the famous Christmas Truce, with American and German troops in the middle of the Battle of Belleau Wood embracing each other, playing football, exchanging photos, etc. on Christmas day. What's wrong with this picture, aside from bad music? (Extra bonus points if you know the name of the song. Triple bonus points if you then write Garth Brooks and tell him he's an idiot!)
The Christmas Truce occurred in 1914 between the British and Germans. No clue about the song.

20. The U-20 did what?
It was a submarine, was it not?

21. Hey! Blackjack 21! Last question: Approximately 10-12 million people died in World War I, a grisly figure - but even more died in an event in 1918-19. What was that event, and where did it originate?
The outbreak of Spanish Influenza. I assume it originated in Spain.

10. Jack, a nickname for John J; Black form having commaned a regiment of Buffalo soldier, 10th cavalry IIRC, the other one that went up San Juan hill with the Rough Riders.

The alliance one may have been Italy, they wavered on which side to join the war on at the start and took a year to actually pitch in. Britain and France are VERY doubtful, Russia was defeated quite easily by the Germans not leaving many other choices :)

Sodak wrote:

1) G.P. killed prince Ferdinand of Austria, didn't he? He worked for the man. Or was it the CIA? No, a cobbler in Beograd?

Half point for this one. Yes, Princip was the one of five assassins who was successful in killing the Archduke Ferdinand. I'll need something more specific than "the man"...

3) Britain and Germany?

Right! Prussia and Britain arranged official recognition of Belgium's independence in 1831, and by deference Germany was the 2nd guaranteer in 1914.

5) 900,000+

Not quite that dramatic, though bad enough.

6) they weren't germans

Actually, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was very German. Nice try.

7) was it too windy?

Nice try again. :lol: Not correct, unfortunately.

9) Mexico and Spain

Half right; Mexico was the main target country.

10) blackjack - for the card game, or for his big black boots?

No. Has to do with his recent past.

11) I forget the punch line. And the joke, sorry.

It's OK. This is an obscure one.

12) SKM, the Brits had conquered several inches of turf on the front, it was not all for naught! FALSE, if true is the wrong answer.

??? If your answer is false, then you're correct. The "naught" part is arguable, but why is the answer false?

16) Belgium?

I know a place you'd get beaten very badly for getting that wrong. I'm not from that country, but they do take this seriously.

17) The introduction of tanks to zee war.

Right on! Ironically, the British in the war built about 200 tanks while the Germans never quite saw the point in them until very late in the war - too late. Germany had 14 tanks total. After World War I though, the British dropped the tank idea as little more than glorified infantry support while a German named Guderian was pushing radical new ideas...

18) Storm gun - machine gun? or artillery/howitzer? Hmm... not knowing which it is, I'd hafta guess...

Nice try, but no. None of the above.

19) No actual footage exists, perhaps? Or the ball was actually someone's severed head? I dunno. For those who know the song, they should have a point deducted. Two points if they've seen the video.

You're wrong about teh first part, but quite right about the 2nd. :)

20) blub blub could submerge for brief periods?

Hmmm, something more specific that the U-20 did.

21) the influenza pandemic. I don't know where it started.

Right! I've already explained in SKM's answer that it started in Kansas, though they originally thought it started in Spain.

Thanks for trying Sodak!

Lefty Scaevola wrote: 10. Jack, a nickname for John J; Black form having commaned a regiment of Buffalo soldier, 10th cavalry IIRC, the other one that went up San Juan hill with the Rough Riders.

Right! Now where did he lead those black soldiers?

10. Wasn't it because Pershing commanded black troops at one point in his career.

13. Weren't they gunning for Trieste?

15. The Americans were insisting that Americans fight in their own armies, and not be in integrated armies under British or French command. Ironically, during these battles they were under Allied command, not American, as there was no American Army (size wise) over yet.

19. The famed Christmas across the trenches occured in 1914, thus far before the US entered the war.

20. Did U-20 sink the Lusitania?

"20. Did U-20 sink the Lusitania?"

I thought the Lusitania was sank by British saboteurs to con America into joining the war against the Germans. It was one of those conspiracy theories.

Kahran Ramsus wrote:

1. So who was this Gavrilo Princip guy anyway, and who did he work for? Bonus: Where and when did he die?
Assassinated Ferdinand and Sophie in Sarajevo. He worked for the Black Hand. Died in 1918 while in prison.

Right on all accounts! Princip died of tuberculosis in Spielberg fortress prison in Bruno, Moravia (modern Brno, Czech republic).

2. In the summer of 1914 Erno Kiraly had a hit song, "Megállj, kutya Szerbia!". What does this song translate as, or at least what country was this a hit in?
No clue.

Luckily, this one was already answered. Hungarian; "Stop, you dog Serbia!".

3. Britain and what country were the guaranteers of Belgium's sovereignty since 1831?
Prussia

Exactly!

4. In a series of battles around the Masurian lakes in August and September 1914, the Germans defeated two larger Russian armies decisively. Though not too terribly close by, Ludendorf decided to give this series of battles a single name, Tannenberg, in the name of German justice and vengeance. What event was he recalling, if through a historically-flawed lens?
The Poles victory over the Teutons in the Middle Ages.

Right.

5. On the first day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres near Passchendaele in late July, 1917, what were the British casualties for the day?
20,000.

Close; 31,800. The combined German and Allied losses were 60,000 for that first day.

8. This country occupied Shantung, the Mariana, Marshall and Caroline islands in World War I. Who was it? (Hint: Dai Nippon Teikoku.)
Japan

Right.

9. A lowly assistant in the German Foreign Ministry in 1917 attempted to sew together a bizarre alliance against the United States consisting of what two countries (besides Germany, obviously)? Ultimately, for political reasons the U.S. only mentioned one of the countries in its declaration of war against Germany.
Mexico and Britain

Half right; the Mexicans were being courted, but not the British. They British were instrumental in showing the United States what the Germans were planning.

10. Why was the American general John Pershing nicknamed "Blackjack" Pershing?
Because his family was killed in a fire in 1915, devastating him.

Interesting; didn't know that much. however, no that's not where his nickname came from. Lefty Scaevola has already gotten this right, that Pershing led a black regiment before the war. I'm being coy about where he led that regiment, until someone else mentions it...

12. True or false: Lord Kitchener was finally voted out of office in Britain in June 1916, to be succeeded by Lloyd George, for his incompetent handling of the war? Explain yer answer.
False. The Prime Minister that George defeated was Hebert Asquith. Kitchener was War Minister.

Ok, kinda-sorta right; why was Kitchener removed from office?

14. The Russians in the summer of 1916 launched an offensive that came within a hair's breadth of shattering the Central Power's Galician Front, and finished the Austro-Hungarian Army as a military service fit for anything except guard duty. What Russian general planned and launched this assult that almost brought victory in the East to the Allies?
General Brusilov

Right!

15. Considering the high-profile political stance taken by both Woodrow Wilson and General Pershing throughout the war, what was unusual about the two great American military victories of the war (Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood)?
They were not terribly important.

The battles were important, though not war-altering. there was a larger political issue I was looking for, however...

16. What country today memorializes Vimy Ridge as a symbol of its war effort? (This should be a very easy one for several people on this List...)
Canada.

Right!

17. On the morning of 20. November 1917, German soldiers ran panic-stricken from their trenches as yet another British assault was unleashed. That was certainly unusual; why did they run?
The British used tanks for the first time.

Right!

19. Garth Brooks released a song two years ago (name forgotten, and rightfully so) with an accompanying video that shows the famous Christmas Truce, with American and German troops in the middle of the Battle of Belleau Wood embracing each other, playing football, exchanging photos, etc. on Christmas day. What's wrong with this picture, aside from bad music? (Extra bonus points if you know the name of the song. Triple bonus points if you then write Garth Brooks and tell him he's an idiot!)
The Christmas Truce occurred in 1914 between the British and Germans. No clue about the song.

OK, now we're going somewhere. Right! The Christmas Truce took place in 1914, three years before the American entry into the war. It was largely between the Germans and British, though I've read reports of French units involved. There are no recorded Christmas Truces taking place with the Americans in the one year they could have had one, 1917, and in fact there are no more recorded Christmas Truces anywhere in the war after the 1914 one. I'll spill the beans about the rest because it ticks me off so much: The American Battle of Belleau Wood took place in June, which puts a damper on Christmas Truces. Apparently neither Garth nor his producers cracked any history books.

20. The U-20 did what?
It was a submarine, was it not?

It was, good so far; but what did it do that gave it fame?

21. Hey! Blackjack 21! Last question: Approximately 10-12 million people died in World War I, a grisly figure - but even more died in an event in 1918-19. What was that event, and where did it originate?
The outbreak of Spanish Influenza. I assume it originated in Spain.

First part right; second part was a misconception. It came from Kansas.

Great shot, Kahran Ramsus! Only a few questions not answered yet!

PinkyGen wrote:

10. Wasn't it because Pershing commanded black troops at one point in his career.

Yup. Kahran Ramsus already got that one. My further question is where did Pershing lead those black troops?

13. Weren't they gunning for Trieste?

Italy's war aims were the annexation of Trieste, Fiume and much of the Dalmation coast, but Diaz had something blocking the way of those demands; something that required revenge - that's what my question was about.

15. The Americans were insisting that Americans fight in their own armies, and not be in integrated armies under British or French command. Ironically, during these battles they were under Allied command, not American, as there was no American Army (size wise) over yet.

Whoa! There we go! I'm impressed. Exactly right. The Americans never officially allied themselves with the British and French, they "associated" themselves. The offensive that the Americans were finally able to lead on their own (St. Mihiel) got bogged down because of their inexperience.

19. The famed Christmas across the trenches occured in 1914, thus far before the US entered the war.

Yes- this one's already been answered.

20. Did U-20 sink the Lusitania?

Yes! Right on!

Good show PinkyGen!

So far we have the following questions left unanswered: 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18. At this rate we're going to wrap up this thread quick!

Crazy_Vasey wrote: The alliance one may have been Italy, they wavered on which side to join the war on at the start and took a year to actually pitch in. Britain and France are VERY doubtful, Russia was defeated quite easily by the Germans not leaving many other choices.

Not quite. You are right that Italy wavered; it was actually a German ally in 1914 before being promised lots of real estate along the Dalmation coast in modern Croatia, Bosnia and Albania by the Allies. (Italy's failure to actually receive these lands after the war fueled the "Black Shirt" take-over that brought Mussolini to power in 1922.) Several states wavered when it came to choosing sides, and both the Allies and Central Powers had to scramble to keep or gain allies. Italy, Romania, the Ottoman Empire, and several other states had to be virtually bribed.

However, the one that Herr Zimmerman was wooing in 1917, aside from Mexico, had a special interest in seeing the United States defeated. Who?

Special Interest, eh? The only thing I can think of is Japan. Russia was practically dead by 1917, so it wasn't them. And I seriously doubt France would be interested in joining with Germany.

Originally posted by Vrylakas


Not quite. You are right that Italy wavered; it was actually a German ally in 1914 before being promised lots of real estate along the Dalmation coast in modern Croatia, Bosnia and Albania by the Allies. (Italy's failure to actually receive these lands after the war fueled the "Black Shirt" take-over that brought Mussolini to power in 1922.) Several states wavered when it came to choosing sides, and both the Allies and Central Powers had to scramble to keep or gain allies. Italy, Romania, the Ottoman Empire, and several other states had to be virtually bribed.

However, the one that Herr Zimmerman was wooing in 1917, aside from Mexico, had a special interest in seeing the United States defeated. Who?

urgh the mutilated victory, I have to do an exam on the rise of Fascism soon. Not my idea of fun, history is great exams are not :(

Kahran Ramsus wrote: Special Interest, eh? The only thing I can think of is Japan. Russia was practically dead by 1917, so it wasn't them. And I seriously doubt France would be interested in joining with Germany.

You got it! the British detected in early 1917 a string of cables flowing between Berlin, Mexico City and Tokyo. The Japanese had joined the Entente powers so they could seize the islands (and city) I mentioned in question # 8 from Germany, but were seriously considering offers from Germany (Zimmerman) to join Mexico in an anti-American crusade. The Japanese were seriously disturbed by the newly-established American naval bases in the Philippines and by American policy-trend towards getting the colonial powers out of China. There was also this strange rhetoric flying around at the time that claimed the Mexicans (indigeonous) were actually a long-lost tribe of Japanese who had somehow migrated to Central America. The Japanese and Mexican governments were publically supporting this theory at the time.

In the end, Mexico was in no shape to rule itself much less challenge the U.S., and Japan decided against any American adventures. The U.S. didn't mention Japan in its declaration of war because 1. it also didn't want a cross-Pacific war, instead focusing on Europe, and 2. it wanted to keep a third country from joining the war.

The U.S. had tested the British intelligence reports by baiting the Germans and Mexicans into more conversation on the topic and recording them - but this was all delicate diplomacy because the only Atlantic telegraph cables the Germans could use were those belonging to the Swedish Embassy. Sweden, while neutral, was very sympathetic to the Germans and allowed them to use Swedish embassies for communications. the U.S. didn't want to get caught snooping on the Swedish wires, giving Stockholm an excuse to enter the war on the Germans' side. Low liklihood, but just in case...

Good job Kahran!

OK, so we still have questions 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 18 to go. Kahran Ramsus just wrapped up # 9 nicely. I'll throw a few hints for the remaining questions:

6. Erwin Rommel probably sympathized with these guys.

7. The fezes were "new".

11. Vasil Radoslavov was the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

12. Davy Jones...

13. How many times do ya have to cross a river?

18. Look what the world had to deal with in September, 1939.

Hope this helps some... :confused:

12. Kitchener drowned when his ship was sunk by a German mine, while he was on the way to Russia.

18. Blitzkrieg?

Still no clue on the others.

6. What do Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who was the last major German officer to surrender in the war, and Ali Dinar at El Fasher have in common? (Hint: I believe Morten Blaabjerg created a scenario based on one of these guys...)

They were operating in East Africa

7. The Ottoman Turks opened hostilities with the Russians by steaming two of their ships, the Sultan Selim and Midillu into the Black Sea and bombarding the Russian ports of Odessa and Sevastopol in Crimea. The crews of these ships had troubles with their fezes though; why?

Because they were German (and to earn some bonus points: thier German names were the Goben (changed to Sultan Selim) and Breslau (changed to Midillu))

13. On 24. October 1918, General Armando Diaz launched a major offensive against Austro-Hungarian positions across the Piave River, despite the fact the Habsburg empire had already virtually ceased to exist. What was Diaz seeking to avenge?

The Italian defeat at the battle of Capparo (sp?)

18. Explain the tactical uniqueness of a "stuermgewehr", and its strategic implications for the future. (This is a toughee.)

stuermgewehr = Stormtroopers? Elite troops heavily armed with automatic weapons, they were used to spearhead German offencives (they were basically the German answer to tanks).

BTW, I've read that Spanish Influenza actually originated in Capetown

Kahran Ramsus wrote:

12. Kitchener drowned when his ship was sunk by a German mine, while he was on the way to Russia.

Yes! Kitchener was still very popular when he died, though there was unease in Parliament over the effectiveness of his policies. The Germans denied targeting Kitchener, saying they do not engage in political assassinations.

18. Blitzkrieg?

Yes! The military philosophy of World War I was still heavily influenced by Napoleonic belief in fronts. Essentially, the whole front had to move, and if one part of it got bogged down (which they always do), then the whole front had to halt and wait. The Germans in 1918 created this elite class of "shock troops" who were drugged up so they wouldn't sleep for a week, and just sent into the fray to fight extremely aggressively, and just keep going regardless of where the front was behind them. This penetration of the front proved very successful, with regular army units following behind them to mop up the bypassed harder areas of enemy resistance. The French and British adopted this tactic by wars' end, which explains the sudden burst of mobility in the summer of 1918 that led to victory for the Entente. The West (especialy the French) settled back into older military patterns in the interbellum years, but the Germans developed this idea further, using highly mobile units of armor and light infantry to form "Blitzkrieg".

Good job Kahran! # 18 was probably the hardest question!

Case wrote:

6. What do Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who was the last major German officer to surrender in the war, and Ali Dinar at El Fasher have in common? (Hint: I believe Morten Blaabjerg created a scenario based on one of these guys...)

They were operating in East Africa

Yes! I thought this question would be an easy one, but everyone stumbled until now. Good job Case!

7. The Ottoman Turks opened hostilities with the Russians by steaming two of their ships, the Sultan Selim and Midillu into the Black Sea and bombarding the Russian ports of Odessa and Sevastopol in Crimea. The crews of these ships had troubles with their fezes though; why?

Because they were German (and to earn some bonus points: thier German names were the Goben (changed to Sultan Selim) and Breslau (changed to Midillu)

Yes again! This was a bit difficult, but I thought this one would go quickly too! The Turkish entry into the war on the German side was partially in response in a British decision to halt delivery of two battleships the Turks had ordered. The Germans responded by giving them the Goeben and the Breslau, complete with trained German crews. For the mission I described above the crews literally were forced to wear the Turkish-style fezes.

13. On 24. October 1918, General Armando Diaz launched a major offensive against Austro-Hungarian positions across the Piave River, despite the fact the Habsburg empire had already virtually ceased to exist. What was Diaz seeking to avenge?

The Italian defeat at the battle of Capparo (sp?)

Yes! The Italians, in the 8+ battles of the Isonzo, had been utterly devastated in the October 1917 Battle of Caporetto under the incompetent leadership of General Cadorna. They lost a good chunk of their army and their front only stabilized when the Germans and Austrians ran out of steam. If Italy was going to get those territories the Allies had promised, Diaz had to make it look like Italy had won back its honor.

18. Explain the tactical uniqueness of a "stuermgewehr", and its strategic implications for the future. (This is a toughee.)

stuermgewehr = Stormtroopers? Elite troops heavily armed with automatic weapons, they were used to spearhead German offencives (they were basically the German answer to tanks).

Right on! Kahran Ramsus was on this track too.

BTW, I've read that Spanish Influenza actually originated in Capetown

Where did you read this? Everywhere I've read agrees on Kansas. This was a shock to the Americans because their inference that the epidemic had started in Spain was a bit condescending, assuming that an impoverished country like 1918 Spain could spawn such a plague....

Good job Case!

Now we only have # 11 left folks!
:goodjob:

Well, this one's about wrapped. I'll spill the beans on the remaining 1 1/2.

# 10 Several people got, that Pershing earned his nickname "Blackjack" leading black American troops; my further question was where. He led them in Mexico in 1916, chasing a Mexican rebel (Pancho Villa) who had attacked a couple American border towns. the Mexican government barely existed at all and was unable to do anything about Villa, so the U.S. ordered Pershing to chase him down. Pershing was in Mexico when he got Wilson's appointment to head the AEF in Europe. As I recall, BTW (and I may be wrong on this one), Pershing never did get Villa, but rather some other rival Mexican rebels did.

# 11. Radoslavov, the Bulgarian prime minister, was refering to the Allied encampment at Salonika. The Allies wanted to aid the retreating Serbian Army in 1915 (which had been driven into Albania) so they set up camp in Greece. There was initially a pro-German Greek government, but the British helped overthrow it and then established the forward camp at Salonika. This was supposed to be a launching camp from which Anglo-French-Serbian armies would overrrun the Balkans but they did little but sit in the camp the entire war. This is why the Bulgarians were joking that it was like a huge Allied POW camp; all the Bulgarians did was sit outside the parameter for 4 years. Finally, in October 1918, the Allies broke out and took both Bulgaria and threatened Turkey out of the war.

Thanks for to everyone who tried - it was fun!