History Quiz

[USViking]

Thales of Miletus, who may have been Pythagoras' teacher. If correct, go ahead with another question, please.

Correct. I'm more in the mood to answer.

Someone else take the next question.

 

[padisha emperor]

These young christian children were caught by the Turkish and became in their army elite troops.

Who were they ?

 

[Annie]

These young christian children were caught by the Turkish and became in their army elite troops.

Who were they ?

Ah, but you forgot to say they were forced to convert to Islam, the Janissaries.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

Correct responder gets to ask the next question.

No way to keep you from googling the answer;
I myself will wait at least one day before googling
if I cannot answer the question fair and square.

If you are sure your answer is correct,
go ahead with your own question.
But please be sure!

Question:

This French King is reputed to have said:

"L'etat, c'est moi." ("I am the state").

The Sun King?

 

[Annie]

The Sun King?

After speaking with ST, it seems he was just quizzing himself from the beginning of the thread. His answer was correct: The Sun King, Louis the XIV

 

[SpidermanTuba]

After speaking with ST, it seems he was just quizzing himself from the beginning of the thread. His answer was correct: The Sun King, Louis the XIV

Uhh, can't they figure that out by reading the quotation?

Or did you add that?

 

[padisha emperor]

Ah, but you forgot to say they were forced to convert to Islam, the Janissaries.

correct, as usual Kathianne

 

[Annie]

correct, as usual Kathianne

Thanks. As my Christmas gift to you, I'll ask a Christmas question:

St. Nicholas' was born into a wealthy family in Turkey. When his parents died, he was left a sizeable estate. What was the thing he did that led to the image, which developed over time, so that we picture him with a 'sack' and throwing open?

 

[padisha emperor]

the fact that he call back to life 3 children killed by a butcher ?

 

[Annie]

the fact that he call back to life 3 children killed by a butcher ?

I hadn't heard that one. I heard he threw 3 packets, (note 3), of gold through the window of a fallen nobleman, who was going to turn his 3 daughters out for prostitution.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

[padisha emperor]

So do I for your story...Now, Saint Nicolas has no secret for anyone

Q : Why the French Légion Etrangère has its fest April, the 30th ? (it concerns History of America)

 

[USViking]

So do I for your story...Now, Saint Nicolas has no secret for anyone

Q : Why the French Légion Etrangère has its fest April, the 30th ? (it concerns History of America)

A Legion unit fought to the last bullet
and last man in an action in Mexico in
support of Maximilian ca. 1866.

Does April 30 commemorate the date
of this action?

 

[padisha emperor]

exactly : April, the 30th, 1863, the french légionnaires lead by the Capitaine Danjou fought until the last bullet and man :

62 french legionnaires and 3 officers, in them the Cpt Danjou, fought a mexican force, lead by Francesco de Paula-Milan, and strong of 500 spearmen, 350 irregular cavalry men, and 3 bataillons of infantry, each bataillon had 400 men : total : 65 French against 2050 Mexicans.

The mexicans lost 300 men, the French 52 killed, 13 wounded (in them, 12 prisonners).
The French didn't have their ammo supplies, then they had a few bullets (3720 for all the soldiers). Studies show that 1 shot on 12 bullet was an aim shot and touched his target. (3720 bullets, and 300 mexicans killed or wounded)

At the end, the last 4 legionnaires able to fight charge with the bayonnette with the last living officer, the Sous-lieutenant Maudet (officer, under the Lieutnant). Everybody is wounded, they accept to surrender only if they keep their weapons (without ammo) and if the french wounded soldiers get health care.
the Mexicans accept this condition, impressioned by the courage of the french soldiers.

This heroic resistance did that just after, Milan was defeated by the rest of the french army at San Lorenzo (11 french killed and 52 wounded, 800 mexicans killed/wounded and 1000 prisonners, plus 8 guns), and 9 days after San Lorenzo, Puebla surrender to the French forces.

Camerone is the biggest fest of the Légion, and the wood hand of the Cpt Danjou, took back 2 years after the battle, is the most precious thing for the Légion Etrangère.


Go on, USV

 

[USViking]

Question:

Most famous of all British architects,
his greatest work was the venerable
St. Paul's Cathederal in London.

During the blitz a bomb went straight
through its roof. It was luckier than
Coventry- the bomb was a dud, and
the damage was easliy repaired.

 

[padisha emperor]

Christopher Wren ?

 

[USViking]

Christopher Wren ?

Yes, your turn.

No more architecture questions though, please-
Wren is one of only about a dozen names I know.

 

[padisha emperor]

allright

According to the english and french historians, who is the real craftsman of the english defeat in the 13 Colonies, in XVIIIth. C. ?

 

[USViking]

allright

According to the english and french historians, who is the real craftsman of the english defeat in the 13 Colonies, in XVIIIth. C. ?

The consensus I have always heard
is that the French army and navy were
essential though not sufficient for the
American victory.

The French army commander was I think
Rochambeau, and the French admiral
DeGrasse defeated a British fleet near
the Chesapeake Bay, preventing the UK
forces at Yorktown from being supplied
or reinforced.

If those names are correct do I get credit?

Of course, it was Benjamin Franklin who
as US envoy to France brokered the alliance
(seducing about half the female French
nobility while he was at it). Maybe he should
be considered the real craftsman.

 

[padisha emperor]

excellent answer with Franklin, it was not the waited one, but i find it really correct

The expected answer was the Count François-Joseph-Paul de Grasse, the Amiral de Grasse.
he defeated the british navy at Chesapeake. Not well known than Trafalgar, this naval battle had probably bigger consequences : the british couldn't send reinforcements in Yorktown, the french fleet could sent troops and supplies, the Franco-American Army lead by Rochambeau, Washington and La Fayette won the battle and the independance of USA.

So, according to french and british historians, De Grasse is the crafstman of the US independance.
Chesapeake is not known as it should be. It's sad.

Go on, you gave the good answer with de Grasse, and Franklin was excellent too

 

[USViking]

Question:

French encyclopedist, and theologian, he was
born Protestant in the 17th century, became
a Catholic, then Protestant again, finally settling
as a Protestant in the Netherlands.

He was the first Western thinker who advocated
true religious freedom and toleration, even for atheists.

His thinking was unsystematic, and his true convictions
hard to pin down. He has been called:

"A positivist, an atheist, a deist, a skeptic, a fideist,
a Socinian, a liberal Calvinist, a conservative Calvinist,
a libertine, a Judaizing Christian, a Judeo-Christian, or
even a secret Jew, a Manichean, an existentialist."

His most highly regarded work is Dictionnaire historique et critique,
not really a dictionary, but a miscellaneous collection
of diverse commentary.

Voltaire called him “the greatest master of the art of
reasoning that ever wrote".