Ok, that's it ! 12 people with pawpaw winner but with Galiaudo as late-comer but very close (and sorry Galiaudo but your French is way better than my Italian so don't expect to answer in Italian !). Actually I might have been harsh with him on two questions otherwise he could have won.
I might have made 1 or two mistakes in counting the points and the half-points but please don't get mad at me, except if you truly think it should have made you won.
Apparently this quizz was interesting and not too difficult.
Question 18 was still wrongly asked but since it concerned everybody it is not big deal. Question 20 was tricky as a few people thought naturally of Catholicism but were not quite sure as it seemed so easy ! lol Good fun reading some tentative ways of trying to sort things out for this question !
1/ What famous ancient Greek was condemned to death for "having perverted the youth and created new gods" ? Bonus : how was he executed ?
Socrates who was forced to commit suicide by drinking hemlock.
2/ Who was Syagrius ? Bonus : what was his capital ? Bonus : who defeated him ?
The ruler of the Gaul-Roman kingdom which maintained Romain traditions. Capital Soissons, conquered by Clovis for whom he was a big rival in the future leadership in the North of Gaul.
3/ In ancient Greece, where and what were the "Long Walls" ? Why were they destroyed ?
I must say I was suprised as I thought this would be among the easiest questions. Maybe the English expression for it is different ???
Anyway these were the walls that protected the road between Athenes and its harbor The Pyree. They were destroyed by Athenians themselves as ordered by the Spartans after these ones won the Peloponesian War.
4/ After their invasion the Bulgars created 2 kingdoms geographically far from one another. One was in the Balkans and is more or less at the origin of today Bulgaria. Where was the other ?
Not so easy but I expected more answers (I got 2 correct ones IIRC). These were the Bulgars of the Volga who were eventually completely destroyed by the Mongols. People who said Russia,... got half a point.
5/ After the War of Independance, some US officers tried to create a private society. What was its name ? Bonus : why didn't the State want to accept/recognize it ?
The order of Cincinatus, called after the name of the famous Roman who won for Rome then quit political life and returned to grow his vegetables.
Strangely if you consider the origin of its name this society angered the State as it appeared like the creation of a new order of special people in the US while all titles had been abolished after the US won their independance. The order gave medals and these were considered a problem as they would symbolize and make visible this would-be hierarchy.
6/ What is the status of "dhimmi" ? (other spellings exist).
Only 1 correct answer, which means not many among you play my scenarios !!!! or at least that you don't read the civilopedia very carefully !!! or that you don't know much about Islam, which is a pity. Of course since France will liekly be a Muslim country next century I might be too informed (
).
Anyway dhimmis means something a bit like "protected" or "dependant". This is a status given in Muslim areas to non Muslims provided they follow one of the few monotheist religions recognized by Islam (animists or hindus for instance cannot have that status... normally). In the West of the Muslim world this concerned mostly Christians and Jews. They were not forced to convert but could practice their religion freely (albeit not vehemently) provided they paid the dhimmi tax. This led to quite a lot of "conversions" for fiscal reasons but also garanteed the tolerance of other religions.
7/ How many types of army existed in British India ? Bonus : explain the differences.
Ok, here I actually wanted British Armies in British India in the XIXth century and that's not what I wrote so sorry for that.
Many people spoke of the different corps such as Ghurkas, ... or of the rulers' private armies.
Basically what I wanted was the British Army in India and the British Indian army, the main difference being one was "fully" white while the other had "white" (usually British of course) officers and local soldiers.
8/ From what famous family was the last Emperor of Mexico ?
Maximilian of Habsburg who was put there by Napoleon III (weird idea if any) and who was shot when the "Indio" succeeded in his revolution.
9/ What was the relationship between Napoleon I and Napoleon III ?
They wre uncle and nephew. Not distant nephew nor grandson.
10/ During what war did the son of Napoleon III, also called Loulou, die ?
During the Zulu War, fighting in the British Army as his family fled to England after the fall of the second Empire.
11/ What is the "ager sanguinis" (the field of blood) ?
This place, also called Hattins or even the horns of Hattin was the battefield East of Akka/Acre (not Antioche that is in the North) where the dreams of the crusading states were shattered in 1187. The heavy troops of the Crusading states were slaughtered by thirst and volleys of arrows. The kingsom of Jerusalem would never recover.
12/ What was the last part (state) of Italy to be reunited during the XIXth century ? Bonus : why ?
Rome and the last bit of Papal States that remained. Strangely Napoleon III's France that had helped so much for the reunification of Italy was protecting the Pope for national policy reasons. But when Napoleon III's army crumbed in front of the Germans Rome became opened for Italians.
13/ What famous then English officer had to retreat against the French at Fort Duquesne in North America just before the actual 7 years' war started in Europe ?
George Washington himself !
14/ Under what nickname are the Chinese Tai Ping more famous in the West ?
"Great Peace" are different from the "fighters of the fist of justice" which became known in the West as "boxers". Nearly all of you said "Boxers" while the answer I wanted was simply "Tai Ping". Probably too hard a trick as it involved Asian history so I tried to be friendly and gave 1 point for Boxers as some consider Boxers are a kind of spinoff of the Tai Ping (albeit ideologicall different)....
15/ What political issue eased the conquest of the Incas by the Spanish (Pizzaro) ?
As often in these cases, internal struggle, here between two brothers to inherit the throne.
16/ What place was the center of piracy in the Baltic sea during most of the Middle Ages ?
I was surprised to get so few answers for this one, maybe because there were not many Scandinavians who answered. It was definitely Gotland/Visby that was often a pirate nest and at times a pirate republic. Other places had pirates too but Visby was one for quite a long part of the Middle-Ages and even a bit later.
17/ What was the main source of gold for Europe before 1492 ? (I mean an area, neither a country nor a continent).
Sudan (the country of the Blacks in Arabic, not the current Sudan country in the East), Ghana (the British Gold Coast) so basically most Sub-Sahara West Africa. This motivated the first maritime explorations by Portuguese along the coasts of Africa to bypass the Muslims.
18/ For what personal reason didn't Hindenburg want to name Hitler chancellor in 1932 ? Why did he have to do it ?
It was probably difficult to answer this question as there were so many choices. But a very important one was the despise Hindenburg felt for the small corporal. With amajority in the Parliament and shows of forces outside, Hindenburg had to give in. Some say he thought he could outmaneuver Hitler. That's possible as well.
19/ From where does the title "Czar" come from ?
Most of you know this one. From Cesar --> Czar and many mentionned Kaiser also (they did not get any bonus though !
).
20/ What beverage with alcohol is very important in one of the main current monotheist religion ? And with what religion ?
Well, wine and christianism.
BTW this is the last time I ask 20 questions because my fingers are tired of typing the answers.... Hope everybody is OK with the answers and thanks for taking part.
