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World War I Quiz - The Ottoman Empire (Questions)

This quiz, The Ottoman Empire, looks at the Middle East.

At its height the Ottoman Empire covered a vast area, from modern day Hungary in the north, Iran in the east, Saudi Arabia in the south and Algeria in the west. The Ottomans joined the war on the side of Germany, hoping to regain lands they had lost to Russia 40 years earlier. It turned out to be a disastrous move and after the war the Ottoman Empire, which had lasted for more than 600 years, was no more.

1. The main concern to the British of a war in the Middle East was that they might lose what?
[ ] Access to the Suez Canal
[ ] Millions of men who were needed in Europe
[ ] Access to oil
[ ] Millions of pounds in taxes from their Middle Eastern territories
2. The main area of conflict between the Ottomans and the Russians was fought in the Caucasus region. The Caucasus lies between which two seas?
[ ] The Black Sea and the Caspian Sea
[ ] The Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
[ ] The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
[ ] The Red Sea and the Arabian Sea
3. In 1917 the Russians and the Ottomans agreed a ceasefire after what event?
[ ] The siege of Moscow
[ ] The Arab Revolt
[ ] The fall of Constantinople
[ ] The Russian Revolution
4. The historic region of Mesopotamia saw many battles during the war, one of which took place in which ancient city?
[ ] Nineveh
[ ] Baghdad
[ ] Ur
[ ] Babylon
5. The war spread to the Biblical region of Sinai and Palestine after an unsuccessful Ottoman attack where?
[ ] Nazareth
[ ] The Pyramids
[ ] Jerusalem
[ ] The Suez Canal
6. The Battle of Romani, fought from 3rd to 5th August 1916, was Britain's first major victory against the Ottomans. What was notable about two of the three Allied military units involved?
[ ] They were in tanks
[ ] They were armed with swords
[ ] They were on horseback
[ ] They were armed with rocket launchers
7. Perhaps the greatest Ottoman victory of the war took place in the Dardanelles Campaign. By what name is it more usually known?
[ ] The Persian Campaign
[ ] The Gallipoli Campaign
[ ] The Desert Campaign
[ ] The Turkish Campaign
8. During the war some of those ruled by the Ottomans rose up to fight against them. Which people were they?
[ ] The Arabs
[ ] The Greeks
[ ] The Persians
[ ] The Egyptians
9. The British sent several people to help the Arabs in their revolt, among them a young Captain, remembered today as who?
[ ] Lewington of Palestine
[ ] Lawson of Egypt
[ ] Langham of Persia
[ ] Lawrence of Arabia
10. Following the Ottoman's defeat in the war, their Empire was split into several smaller countries. The heartland of the Empire became which modern nation?
[ ] Iran
[ ] Turkey
[ ] Iraq
[ ] Syria

 

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World War I Quiz - The Ottoman Empire (Answers)
1. The main concern to the British of a war in the Middle East was that they might lose what?
[ ] Access to the Suez Canal
[ ] Millions of men who were needed in Europe
[x] Access to oil
[ ] Millions of pounds in taxes from their Middle Eastern territories
At the time, the Royal Navy got all of its oil from fields in Persia (modern day Iran) which were owned by British companies. The government feared that the Ottomans might try to capture these, thus starving the Royal Navy of its fuel
2. The main area of conflict between the Ottomans and the Russians was fought in the Caucasus region. The Caucasus lies between which two seas?
[x] The Black Sea and the Caspian Sea
[ ] The Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
[ ] The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
[ ] The Red Sea and the Arabian Sea
The Caucasus is where the continents of Europe and Asia meet and, at the time, the two Empires of the Russians and the Ottomans. Today the northern parts are controlled by Russia and the southern regions are home to small states such as Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan
3. In 1917 the Russians and the Ottomans agreed a ceasefire after what event?
[ ] The siege of Moscow
[ ] The Arab Revolt
[ ] The fall of Constantinople
[x] The Russian Revolution
The Revolution, which deposed the Russian Emperor Tsar Nicholas II, took place in 1917 and resulted in Russia's withdrawal from the war. On December 5th 1917 the Russians and the Ottomans signed the armistice of Erzincan, bringing their conflict to an end
4. The historic region of Mesopotamia saw many battles during the war, one of which took place in which ancient city?
[ ] Nineveh
[x] Baghdad
[ ] Ur
[ ] Babylon
By the end of the war the British had sent up to 410,000 men into the region. Most had been recruited from India. After the war the region became a British colony and was renamed Iraq
5. The war spread to the Biblical region of Sinai and Palestine after an unsuccessful Ottoman attack where?
[ ] Nazareth
[ ] The Pyramids
[ ] Jerusalem
[x] The Suez Canal
The Suez Canal, in British-controlled Egypt, was a significant tactical advantage for whoever had possession of it. 30,000 Ottomans and Germans attacked on 26th January 1915. Their attack failed, with the British losing only 32 men, and the Allies held Suez for the duration of the war
6. The Battle of Romani, fought from 3rd to 5th August 1916, was Britain's first major victory against the Ottomans. What was notable about two of the three Allied military units involved?
[ ] They were in tanks
[ ] They were armed with swords
[x] They were on horseback
[ ] They were armed with rocket launchers
The 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades of the Anzac Mounted Division fought alongside the 52nd (Lowland) Division, a Scottish branch of the Territorial Army. The Battle of Romani succeeded in driving the Ottomans from the Sinai peninsula where they had been a threat to the Suez Canal
7. Perhaps the greatest Ottoman victory of the war took place in the Dardanelles Campaign. By what name is it more usually known?
[ ] The Persian Campaign
[x] The Gallipoli Campaign
[ ] The Desert Campaign
[ ] The Turkish Campaign
The Gallipoli Campaign was a failed attempt by the Allies to gain control of the Dardanelles Straits and the Ottoman capital, Constantinople. The campaign was disastrous for the Allies and many thousands of men lost their lives. The day of the landing, 25th April, has become 'Anzac Day' in Australia and New Zealand, when military casualties are remembered
8. During the war some of those ruled by the Ottomans rose up to fight against them. Which people were they?
[x] The Arabs
[ ] The Greeks
[ ] The Persians
[ ] The Egyptians
Hussein bin Ali, the Sharif and Emir of Mecca at the time, urged Arabs to rise up and fight against the Ottomans, hoping to gain independence. He wished to create an Arab state which would stretch from Syria to Yemen. Despite the help the Arabs gave to the Allies, they did not get their wishes. The land was divided by the British and French after the war
9. The British sent several people to help the Arabs in their revolt, among them a young Captain, remembered today as who?
[ ] Lewington of Palestine
[ ] Lawson of Egypt
[ ] Langham of Persia
[x] Lawrence of Arabia
T.E. Lawrence has been well written about and even had a film made about him. He was, however, only one of many British and French officers serving with the Arabs
10. Following the Ottoman's defeat in the war, their Empire was split into several smaller countries. The heartland of the Empire became which modern nation?
[ ] Iran
[x] Turkey
[ ] Iraq
[ ] Syria
The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, with its capital, Constantinople becoming known as Istanbul. Other nations which emerged from the former Empire include Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq