European History MS

Question 1

Question: This dynasty inherited portions of the Netherlands after the death of the Burgundian monarch Charlesthe Bold at the Battle of Nancy. One ruler of this family won the Battle of Pavia and captured Francis I ofFrance in the process; that ruler was Charles V. Another ruler from this family lost Silesia to Fredrick theGreat; that ruler was Maria Theresa. For 10 points, identify this dynasty with Austrian and Spanishbranches.

Answer 1

House of Hapsburg [or Habsburgs]

Question 2

Question: This family led the German Confederation until they lost the Seven Weeks War. A member of this family lost control of Silesia to Frederick the Great. Charles II of Spain had this inbred family’s namesake (*) jawline. Maria Theresa was a member of, for ten points, what Austrian family that controlled Spain and the Holy Roman Empire?

Answer 2

Habsburg (accept Hapsburg; accept House of Lorraine)

Question 3

Question: At one battle in this war, John of Bohemia fought even though he was blind. A temporary peace during this war was the Treaty of Bretigny. This conflict saw a battle on St. Crispin’s Day that was the subject of the speech about “ye band of brothers.” (*) Joan of Arc was captured and burnt at the stake during this war. The Battles of Crecy and Agincourt were fought during, for 10 points, what war between the English and French from 1337 to 1453?

Answer 3

Hundred Years’ War

Question 4

Question: This nation’s Order #270 required the killing of deserting soldiers and the arrest of their families. This nation’s secret police, led by Lavrentiy Beria, committed and covered up the Katyn massacre of Polish citizens. This country was the target of (*) Operation Barbarossa, which saw German forces siege cities like Smolensk and Leningrad. For 10 points, name this country led during World War II by Joseph Stalin.

Answer 4

The Soviet Union (accept USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or CCCP; do not accept Russia)

Question 5

Question: This nation overthrew Albania’s King Zog. A major event in the unification of this nation was the Expedition of the Thousand, and its first king after unification was Victor Emanuel II. In 1935 this nation invaded Ethiopia. One of its leaders was called Il Duce, and along with Germany, it was one of Europe’s major Axis powers. For 10 points, name this European country that was ruled by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Answer 5

Italy [or Italia]

Question 6

Question: During World War II, this country was run by Josef Terboven, though its official Minister President was Vidkun Quisling. It used to be the western part of the Kalmar Union. More recently, in 2011 it suffered from a mass (*) murder at a youth league camp carried out by Anders Breivik. For many years, its capital was named for King Christian IV [“the fourth”]. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country whose capital is now called Oslo.

Answer 6

Kingdom of Norway [accept Kongeriket Norge]

Question 7

Question: This country was headed by Kurt Waldheim after he was UN Secretary-General. Waldheim wascontroversial because after the Anschluss uniting this country with (*) Germany, he joined a group affiliatedwith the Nazis. It hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, and it is on the eastern border ofLiechtenstein. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Vienna.

Answer 7

Austria

Question 8

Question: Martin Bormann was the private secretary of this political party’s leader. Paramilitary wings of this party included the SS and SA, and this party’s propaganda was organized by Joseph Goebbels. The Beer Hall Putsch in (*) Munich in 1923 tried to bring this party to power, and it ruled its country from 1933 to 1945. For ten points, name this socialist political party that ruled the Third Reich of Germany under Adolf Hitler.

Answer 8

Nazi Party (accept National Socialist German Workers’ Party or NS(DA)P; accept Nazi Germany; accept Adolf Hitler before “this political party” is read; do not accept “Socialists” alone; do not accept “Fascists”)

Question 9

Question: One of this country’s monarchs, John the Good, negotiated the Treaty of Bretigny [breh-ti-nee] after being captured at Poitiers [pwa-ti-yay]. This country lost a battle on St. Crispin’s Day to an army led by Henry V. Forces from this country rallied around the (*) “Maid of Orleans,” who was burned at the stake. For ten points, name this country that was defended by Joan of Arc during its Hundred Years’ War with England.

Answer 9

Kingdom of France

Question 10

Question: In a 1943 uprising, these people were burned out of Warsaw by Jurgen Stroop’s men. Over 900 of these people aboard the St. Louis were turned away from the United States and Canada. Millions of these people lived in shtetls in Eastern Europe until they were forced into (*) ghettos by the Gestapo. For ten points, name this religious group, six million members of which were killed in the Holocaust.

Answer 10

Jewish people (accept word forms like Jews)

Question 11

Question: The second king of this country, who started the International African Association and worked with Henry Stanley to establish a colony called the Congo Free State, was Leopold II. During World War I, several battles were fought near its town of Ypres, which is in its (*) Flanders region. This country gained its independence in 1830 from the Netherlands. For 10 points, Walloons and Flemings live in what country whose capital is Brussels?

Answer 11

Kingdom of Belgium

Question 12

Question: This leader defeated General Arnegisclus (ar-neh-GISS-kluss) at the Battle of the Utus shortly before destroying the city of Marcianopolis. He withdrew after the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains against armies under the command of Flavius Aetius (FLAY-vee-us AY-tee-us) and Theodoric (THEE-oh-DORick)I of the Visigoths. This man shared power with his brother Bleda (BLAY-duh) until Bleda’s death around 445. For 10 points, identify this man nicknamed the Scourge of God, leader of the Huns.

Answer 12

Attila the Hun

Question 13

Question: Giovanni Giustiniani died from wounds he received while defending this city. This city used a giant chain connected to the Old Galata Tower to prevent ships from accessing the Golden (*) Horn. Orban designed the giant “Basilica” cannon to target this city’s Theodosian Walls in a 1453 siege led by Mehmed II. For ten points, name this city, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which was renamed to Istanbul in 1930.

Answer 13

Constantinople (do not accept Istanbul or Byzantium)

Question 14

Question: One ruler of this historical country went on a “Grand Embassy” to the west to learn shipbuilding andmilitary training. That same ruler instituted a beard tax on boyars. Another of its rulers created aparliament called the Duma and issued the October Manifesto. Peter the Great and Nicholas II were rulersof, for 10 points, what empire where a 1917 revolution toppled the government in Moscow?

Answer 14

Russian Empire [do not accept or prompt on “Soviet Union” or “U.S.S.R.”]

Question 15

Question: This man’s son was baptized by Olaf Tryggvason (TRIG-vah-“sun”). This Norwegian native was exiled from Iceland and Oxney for committing multiple murders in both places. During his three years of exile, this man explored Greenland and found the first permanent colony there in 985. For 10 points, identify this Norseman and father of the explorer Leif Ericsson

Answer 15

Erik the Red [or Erik Thorvaldsson; prompt on Erik]

Question 16

Question: Until 2006, these people were equipped with triple-barreled guns for defense against wolves. Three of these people died after leaving Salyut 1 when their capsule decompressed; another died in a training flight seven years after he flew on (*) Vostok 1. The station Mir was run by three of these people. Valentina Tereshkova and Yuri Gagarin were, for 10 points, what type of explorer who flies on Soyuz rockets for the USSR or, now, Russia?

Answer 16

cosmonauts (accept Russian/Soviet astronauts before mentioned; prompt on astronaut alone)

Question 17

Question: Protesters in this city marched from Vysˇehrad      Cemetery toward Wenceslas Square during the Velvet Revolution. In 1968, Soviet tanks rolled into this city to put down Alexander Dubcˇek’s liberalization efforts, ending an era known as this city’s (*) “Spring.” This city remained a capital after the 1993 breakup that made Bratislava the capital of Slovakia. For ten points, name this capital city ofthe Czech Republic.

Answer 17

Prague

Question 18

Question: This country’s first prime minister, Count Cavour, made a secret alliance with Napoleon. This modern country unified under King Victor Emmanuel II in the Risorgimento. The Redshirts under (*) Giuseppe Garibaldi fought for, for ten points, what European country that includes land held by the former kingdoms of Sardinia, Naples, Sicily, and Rome?

Answer 18

Italy (accept Italia)

Question 19

Question: A large force of soldiers using this weapon devastated Charles d’Albret’s cavalry in a battle on St. Crispin’s Day. This weapon, most commonly made of yew, does not recurve and reaches from the ground to the height of its user. It was most successfully used by (*) English archers against the French at the Battles of Crecy and Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War. For 10 points, name this specific type of arrow-firing weapon.

Answer 19

longbow (prompt on “bow;” accept additional mention of “arrows,” but do not prompt or accept “arrows” alone)

Question 20

Question: One king of this name was arrested in Varennes [vah-REN] while fleeing from a revolt. An earlier king of this name was a child when the nobles rose against him in the Fronde uprising. The House of Capet included five kings of this name. The last king of this name took power in the 1814 (*) Bourbon Restoration, and the longest serving king of this name was nicknamed “the Sun King.” For 10 points, give this name shared by eighteen royal leaders of France.

Answer 20

Louis

Question 21

Question: This entity was assembled and in retaliation for English support of the Dutch Revolts. This entity wascommanded by Alvaro de Bazan (all-VAR-oh de bah-ZAHN). It intended to deliver troops under theDuke of Parma across the English Channel, but it lost many vessels when attempting to sail around theBritish Isles in poor weather. For 10 points, identify this fleet of over 130 ships assembled by Philip II ofSpain.

Answer 21

Spanish Armada [accept Armada after “Spain”]

Question 22

Question: This method of execution was used to kill both Charlotte Corday and Maximilian Robespierre.England’s Henry VIII executed his wives Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn using this method. Duringthe French Revolution, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both executed by this method. For 10points, name this method of execution that separates someone from an essential body part.

Answer 22

death/execution by beheading [accept guillotine and its word forms; accept any other answer that suggests decapitation]

Question 23

Question: The English Statute of Laborers set a maximum wage in response to deaths caused by this event. Jews were falsely accused of poisoning wells during this event, whose victims are supposedly described by the nursery rhyme (*) “Ring Around the Rosie.” This event was likely caused by merchant ships transporting flea-infested rats from Asia. For 10 points, name this pandemic that sickened and killed tens of millions of people in Europe in the 14th century.

Answer 23

bubonic plague or Black Death

Question 24

Question: This man was the first to institute retirement and disability benefits. This man instituted the May Lawsas part of his anti-Catholic program, kulturkampf (KOOL-toor-kahmf). He manipulated the Schleswig-Holstein (SHLESS-vig HOLE-styne) question into war with Austria and doctored the Ems Telegram toinstigate an 1870 war with France. For 10 points, name this “Iron Chancellor” of Prussia and Germanyfrom 1862 to 1890.

Answer 24

Otto von Bismarck

Question 25

Question: This leader was denounced by his successor in the “Secret Speech.” His country agreed to a nonaggressionpact with Germany, but Hitler invaded his nation in Operation Barbarossa. He won a powerstruggle against Leon Trotsky after Vladimir Lenin’s death. For 10 points, name this Soviet Premierduring the Second World War.

Answer 25

Joseph Stalin [or Joseph Dzughashvili]

Question 26

Question: This nation’s Diogo de Silves discovered the Azores. It split lands with Spain in the Treaty ofTordesillas (tor-day-SEE-yahs). This nation’s Henry the Navigator promoted exploration, and itsexplorers were the first Europeans to round the Cape of Good Hope and sail to India. Those explorerswere Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama. For 10 points, name this country that colonized Brazil.

Answer 26

Portugal

Question 27

Question: One conflict in this country saw the Duke of Guise fight for the throne with two other men named Henry. This country signed the Evian Accords in 1962 with Algeria. In the 8th century, this was the site where Charles Martel was victorious at the Battle of Tours. This country was led by (*) Nicolas Sarkozy until the 2012 elections. For 10 points, name this country once led by Charles de Gaulle.

Answer 27

France

Question 28

Question: This man patented a smokeless propellant known as ballistite. Another of his inventions consisted of diatomaceous earth. He developed a substance containing nitrocellulose, saltpeter, wood pulp, and an explosive. Used in blasting gelatin, that explosive was also used in an earlier invention. Dynamite was created by, for 10 points, what scientist whose namesake prizes are given out by the Swedish Academy of Sciences?

Answer 28

Alfred Nobel

Question 29

Question: This empire arose when the Seljuk sultanate collapsed. It captured the capital of Hungary in 1526 during the Battle of Mohacs (mow-HOTCH). This nation’s expansion to Greece and the Balkan Peninsula was followed by the capture of Constantinople in 1453. For 10 points, identify this empire whichdissolved in the early 20th century because of the Young Turk revolution and its ill-fated alignment with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Answer 29

Ottoman Empire [or Osmanic Empire; or Osmanion Empire]

Question 30

Question: He published a then-controversial theory in “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres,” whosepreface included a dedication to Pope Paul III so as to deflect controversy. In critiquing an opposingtheory, he criticized the separate treatment of each planet, as had been done by Ptolemy (TAHL-eh-mee).For 10 points, name the astronomer who first proved the theory of heliocentrism (HEE-lee-oh-SEN-trizzuhm),a Polish scientist.

Answer 30

Nicolaus Copernicus

Question 31

Question: This empire crumbled after the Battle of Nedao. These people, who originated east of the Volga in Scythia, also lost to Flavius Aetius at the 451 Battle of Chalons [sha-LONE]. One ruler of these people came to power after possibly murdering his brother (*) Bleda; that leader was known as the “Scourge of God” for his cruelty. For 10 points, name these nomadic people who frequently battled the Romans and were led by Attila.

Answer 31

Huns (or the Hunnic Empire)

Question 32

Question: Nedeljko Cabrinovic tried to accomplish this act with a bombing earlier in the day. The July Ultimatum was sent in response to this event, which was planned by the (*) Black Hand, a pro-Serbian group. For ten points, name this June 28, 1914 event in which Gavrilo Princip killed an Austro-Hungarian royal, triggering World War I.

Answer 32

assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (accept terms like “killing” or “shooting” instead of “assassination;” do not accept or prompt partial name)

Question 33

Question: One leader of this country organized the Blue Division, and this was led by Miguel Primo de Rivera andJuan Negrin. The Abraham Lincoln Brigades and the Condor Legion fought in this country. A civil war inthis country saw the Carlists side the with the Phalange, and one leader of this country suppressed minoritylanguages like Galician and (*) Basque. For 10 points, name this Iberian country long led by Francisco Franco.

Answer 33

Kingdom of Spain [or Republic of Spain or España]

Question 34

Question: According to legend, one advisor to this ruler built some fake villages along the Dnieper River before a visit to the newly-acquired Crimea region. The Partitions of Poland and the colonization of Alaska took place during the reign of this friend of (*) Grigory Potemkin, who came to power after the death of her husband, Peter III. For 10 points, name this 18th century “enlightened despot,” an Empress of Russia.

Answer 34

Catherine the Great or Catherine II

Question 35

Question: This king was in power during the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. His advisor Maurepas appointedTurgot as finance minister, and he was later served by the author of the compte rendu, Jacques Necker. Whenhis ministers were unable to raise enough revenue, this king was forced to call the (*) Estates-General. For 10points, name this husband of Marie Antoinette deposed in the French Revolution.

Answer 35

Louis XVI [“the 16th”] of France

Question 36

Question: This country had its Jews move to the Pale of Settlement. Prince Bagration died during an invasion of this country at the Battle of Borodino. Prince Potemkin had a close relationship with its Catherine the Great. The largest member of the Commonwealth of Independent States is this country, which was led during the 1990s by (*) Boris Yeltsin. For 10 points, name this country ruled by Romanov tsars before becoming part of the SovietU nion.

Answer 36

Russian Empire

Question 37

Question: This person was impersonated after death by Claude des Armoises [Claude day-sahr-mwah]. Pope Callixtus III ordered a trial which found this person innocent 25 years after death. This person accompanied Charles VII to Reims for his coronation. This person was captured at the (*) Siege of Compiegne [com-payn], held in trial in Rouen, and convicted of heresy and cross-dressing. For 10 points, name this woman who, after helping end the siege of Orleans, was burned at the stake.

Answer 37

Saint Joan of Arc (accept Jeanne d’Arc)

Question 38

Question: This was the site of the mural “My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love,” a picture of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kissing. Peter Fechter died in a “death-strip” at this structure, which included Checkpoint (*) Charlie. It was shut down on November 9th and gradually torn down over the rest of 1989. For 10 points, name this barrier between West and East halves of a German city, whose fall symbolized the end of European Communism.

Answer 38

Berlin Wall

Question 39

Question: While president of the Estates-General (es-TAHTS zhay-nay-RAHL), this man presented theDeclaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen to Louis XVI. He refused to become dictator after the1830 July Revolution. Earlier, he had helped to secure French aid to the American Revolution. For 10points, name this “Hero of Two Worlds,” a French general who was George Washington’s aide-de-camp.

Answer 39

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

Question 40

Question: The Jeanie Johnston had a perfect safety record while transporting refugees of this event, who often fled in coffin ships. “Souperism” was the practice of providing food and Protestant teaching to Catholic children who suffered in this event. It was ended in part by Robert (*) Peel’s 1846 revoking of the Corn Laws, allowing cheaper food imports. For 10 points, name this mass starvation in 19th century Ireland, caused by a blight of a certain crop.

Answer 40

(Great) Irish Potato Famine (accept any answer that describes hunger in Ireland related to bad potatoes, though “Irish” is not needed after “Ireland” is mentioned; prompt on partial answer)

Question 41

Question: This man came to power through the coup of 18 Brumaire (broo-MAIR). His forces defeated the Prussians at Jena (YAY-nah) and the combined Russian and Austrian forces at Austerlitz. His invasion of Russia was a failure because of the harsh winter. He spent the last years of his life exiled on St. Helena, and he sold the Louisiana Territory to America. For 10 points, name this French emperor from Corsica who ruled after the French revolution

Answer 41

Napoleon Bonaparte [or Napoleon I]

Question 42

Question: This country’s Petsamo province was ceded to its eastern neighbor in 1922, but it recaptured much of Karelia during the Continuation War. This country’s Sami people live in its province of Lapland, which was the site of late fighting against the Nazis. Fighters from this country used (*) “Molotov cocktails” against Soviet bombings during the Winter War. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country with capital at Helsinki.

Answer 42

Finland (accept Suomi)

Question 43

Question: This man’s reign began with the Streltsy (SHTRELT-zee) Revolt instigated by his half-sister, Sophia. He passed a law which required all men to either cut their beards or pay a tax. This leader created the Table of Ranks to organize the government and limit the power of the Boyars (boh-YAHRS). He defeated Charles XII of Sweden in the Great Northern War. For 10 points, name this tsar who established Russia as a dominant European power.

Answer 43

Peter I [accept Peter the Great; prompt on Peter]

Question 44

Question: The first president of this nation, Douglas Hyde, was elected thanks to the founder of the Fianna Fail party, the Taoiseach [“tee-shock”] Eamon de Valera. Earlier, this country’s members of Sinn Fein started the Easter Rising, and William Gladstone supported its “Home Rule.” Michael Collins led this country’s (*) IRA. For 10 points, name this country which shares its island with part of the United Kingdom and whose capital is Dublin.

Answer 44

Republic of Ireland

Question 45

1: Name this event, which started the 1905 Russian Revolution. The name of this event applies to numerous other massacres, including one of Irish protesters by the British army in 1972.

Answer 45

Bloody Sunday

Question 46

2: The Russian Bloody Sunday took place at this building, the official residence of the Romanov family, though they hadn’t actually lived in this home since a bombing attempt on Alexander II in 1880.

Answer 46

Winter Palace

Question 47

3: This final Romanov Tsar refused to meet the protesters on Bloody Sunday. His family was arrested and executed in the Bolshevik Revolution.

Answer 47

Nicholas II

Question 48

1: Name these two rulers, who nominally united the kingdoms of Aragon and Castille with their 1469 marriage. As rulers, they supported a number of important exploration projects.

Answer 48

Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile

Question 49

2: Ferdinand and Isabella funded this Genoan admiral, who landed in the Bahamas with a three-ship fleet in 1492.

Answer 49

Christopher Columbus

Question 50

3: Also in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella finished a war against the Nasrid dynasty in Granada, ending Muslim control in Iberia and finalizing this roughly eight-century-long period of Christian/Muslim conflict.

Answer 50

Reconquista

Question 51

1: Louis XVI was executed in this decade long period of unrest which began with the storming of the Bastille.

Answer 51

French Revolution

Question 52

2: Shortly after Louis’ execution, this lawyer founded the Committee of Public Safety. His Reign of Terror ended with the Thermidorian Reaction and his execution.

Answer 52

Maximilien François Marie Isidore Robespierre

Question 53

3: After nearly allowing Louis XVI to escape, Robespierre accused this French general of treason. This friend of George Washington led troops in the American Revolution.

Answer 53

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette

Question 54

1: Name this group of exploring Norse seafarers, often depicted in modern culture as rampaging berzerkers who sacked European cities like Paris.

Answer 54

Vikings

Question 55

2: Viking expansion beyond Scandinavia included the founding of a permanent colony on Greenland by this father of Leif Erikson.

Answer 55

Erik the Red

Question 56

3: Leif Erikson’s exploration included the founding of Vinland, which included what settlement at L’anse aux Meadows

Answer 56

Newfoundland and Labrador

Question 57

1: This anti-Soviet military alliance, named for an ocean, formed in 1949 and included the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

Answer 57

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Question 58

2: After multiple rejections from NATO, and in protest of West Germany’s 1955 acceptance into NATO, the USSR organized this other military alliance, named for a Polish city. It included East Germany and other Soviet-controlled republics.

Answer 58

Warsaw Pact

Question 59

3: The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, or SEATO, only included two Southeast Asian countries - the Philippines and Thailand - when it originally formed via a 1954 Pact named for this Philippine capital city.

Answer 59

Manila

Question 60

1: Name this June 28, 1914 event that was accomplished by Gavrilo Princip. It triggered anti-Serbian demonstrations in Austria-Hungary, the July Crisis, and, eventually, World War I.

Answer 60

assassination of Archduke Fran’s Ferdinand

Question 61

2: The assassination took place in this Austro-Hungarian city, now the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Answer 61

Sarajevo

Question 62

3: Princip was a member of this pro-Serbian terrorist group, which organized the attack of Franz Ferdinand’s motorcade.

Answer 62

Black Hand

Question 63

1: Philippe Pétain [pay-TAAN], a former war hero at the Battle of Verdun, was appointed leader of the Vichy puppet government in this country, which signed a peace treaty with the Germans in 1940.

Answer 63

France

Question 64

2: This country allied with the Germans under Miklos Horthy until 1944, when the Soviet army invaded and Hitler replaced Horthy with Ferenc Szalasi. Shortly thereafter, the Soviets began a siege of this country’s capital, Budapest.

Answer 64

Kingdom of Hungary

Question 65

3: As the Germans invaded Norway in 1940, this man led a Nazi-supported coup; he later led Norway as a collaborationist state. After the war, he was convicted of high treason and executed, and his name remains a Norwegian synonym for “traitor.”

Answer 65

Vidkun Quisling

Question 66

1: Name this Bavarian city, the site of Adolf Hitler’s failed Beer Hall Putsch.

Answer 66

Munich

Question 67

The Beer Hall Putsch sought to overthrow the Weimar [VYE-mar] Republic and bring this political party to power. This party took power in Germany in 1932, establishing the Third Reich.

Answer 67

Nazi Party

Question 68

In 1934, Hitler ordered this purge of critics, left-wing Nazis, and leaders of the SA, including Ernst Rohm.

Answer 68

Night of the Long Knives(accept Operation Hummingbird, or Nacht der langen Messer)