New Cumulative General History Quiz

[Knight-Dragon]

Been awhile since we have one of this (excepting the WW2 one)...

Procedures :-
1) A asks a question, the rest will try to answer.
2) A must confirm which answer is correct.
3) Person (say B) with confirmed correct answer then asks the next question.
4) A cannot play again until B's turn is over (to prevent the thread turning into a 2 person spam party).
5) Repeat.
6) If person asking question doesn't login to confirm answers within 72 hrs of his question being posted, any one can ask a new question.
7) If no one can answer question within 72 hrs or can't get the right one, questioner can ask again.
8) Preferably no Net or book searches.

Question 1 - Who were the Majapahit?

 

[Pangur Bán]

Hindus, based in Java, who ruled much of Indonesia in the 14th and 15th centuries.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Finally, a challenger!

Yep. The founder of which was a son-in-law of the previous dynasty, which was overthrown by the... Mongols.

Your turn.

 

[Pangur Bán]

Thanks!

Why are Sven Hedin and Aurel Stein colossal figures in the (European) historiography of north-eastern Asia?

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Isn't it Central Asia? I think I know the answer, but can't play yet...

 

[Pangur Bán]

Well, I guess it's kinda central Asia. If you're thinking Kamchatka or even Manchuria as NE, then I guess central Asia would be better.

 

[Adler17]

They traveled through unknown (at least for Europeans) places in which sometimes even Asians not were. Hedin was travelling through the Takla Makan desert for instance.

Adler

 

[Serutan]

They retraced the Silk Road through that area?

 

[Pangur Bán]

Sven Hedin and Aurel Stein were the two men who really brought home to the West the glories of east-central Asian civilization, and the role of the "Little Silk Road" (i.e. the Tarim Basin). They are regarded as the founders of Silk Road studies, even though men like Francis Younghusband, and Nicolai Prejalevsky were before them, and are arguably more important.

Hedin was a Romantic traveller, now mostly remembered as a Nazi sympathizer, who was the first European to travel to, explore and write about the lost cities of the Tarim Basin. He "discovered" the lost cities of Taklamakan (Dandan-Uilik) and Loulan (which he nototiously plundered, Elgin style). Aurel Stein was more of a professional, but still a treasure hunter. He was the man who brought to the attention of western academia and public the presence in east-central Asia of very old, sophisticated civilizations. Stein was, though, a plunderer; a monk from Dunhuang, Abbot Wang, had rediscovered a place known as the "Cave of the 1000 Buddhas" . Stein bribed the monk, and made off with over 9000 pieces of documentary material and 500 pieces of Buddhist art.

Your go Adler!

 

[Adler17]

An easy question: Who is the most important German discoverer and why? A tip: it is now an anniversery year!

Adler

 

[Kafka2]

"Discover" as in "explorer", or as in "scientist"?

 

[tossi]

Albert Einstein?

 

[Serutan]

If it's Einstein, it's because of his 1904 discovery of the
photoelectric effect.

 

[Adler17]

No I mean discoverer as explorer.

Adler

 

[thetrooper]

Alexander von Humboldt? But I am confused about the anniversary year.

 

[Reno]

Just a guess...

Adolf Luderitz for buying Imperial Germany Namibia and forming the German West-Africa.

 

[Adler17]

The Trooper is right. It is Alexander von Humboldt. His voyages to South America and Russia were very important. He was considered as the 2nd Columbus. He is still well known in South America. This year it is the 200. anniversary of his return to Europe from his South America voyage.
Ask you question.

Adler

 

[thetrooper]

This year it is the 200. anniversary of his return to Europe from his South America voyage.
Ask your question.

First: I went offline a few minutes after I posted here yesterday, sorry about the delay.

My question: 1924, Mussolini´s Italy. A man made an outspoken speech in parliament condemning the elections as a sham based on corruption and intimidation. Two months later his body was found in a wood near Rome. What was his name?

 

[thetrooper]

OK! This one was obviously too difficult.

One clue: He was the Socialist party leader.

I hope that giving clues isn´t a XIII

 

[LouLong]

Matteotti

Next question :

What American president gave its name to a doctrine whose aim was to prevent European powers to mingle in American affairs (the whole of AMerica, not just the US) ?