History quiz

IIRC, The Persians were advancing with a huge army, perhaps 200,000, and Belisarius had only 10,000 to stop them. He took a position on the wing of their advance and sent envoys inviting the Persians to talk. When the Persians arrived they saw a camp completely at ease with no sign of stress and formations marching to and fro. Actually, the formations were the same units walking in and out of the woods over and over, giving the illusion of great numbers, and all troops were ordered to appear relaxed to show confidence.

The Persian envoys returned to their army and reported that they were at a camp which must have been just the main outpost of a much larger army, and the enemy showed no signs of fear at their advance. Given that this "large army" was also on the flank of the Persian advance, the Persians lost their nerve and retreated.

What a move.

I'd take that 200 000 with a sizeable pinch o' salt, but yeah, still, smooth moves by good ol' Flavius.

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Originally Posted by Beirut

What a move.

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Did you mean Battle of Dara?

The Persians barely assembled 100,000 men...

Now for a complete change in direction, nothing to do with military history.

I am an artist forever associated with a river and a bridge, whose poetic genius earned me the nickname "The Great". In addition to being perhaps the second most famous poet among my people, and whose works have a devoted following even today, I took part in a celebrated performance of "Macbeth", playing the title role. It is fair to say that that performance will never die.

Who am I?

Another clue: my bios usually state that I am without peer as a poet in my language.

The "Great" William McGonacal?(bad spelling)

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Originally Posted by Tran

Did you mean Battle of Dara?

The Persians barely assembled 100,000 men...

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As I read it from Liddell Hart, it was Chosroes leading an estimated 200,00 men. Belisarius "did his thing" at Carshemish, on the upper Euphrates.

Even if it was "barely 100,000 men...", turning them back with 1/10 the manpower (as opposed to 1/20 as Hart puts it) without a shot fired is nifty indeed.

Beirut, I doubt that in a time of general shrinking of the scale at which military operations were carried out by two of the premier military powers of their day and age, the Sassanians were moving around with 200 000 men at once. Sure, Belisarius would've been outnumbered, but far from that heavily.

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Originally Posted by Baba Ga'on

Beirut, I doubt that in a time of general shrinking of the scale at which military operations were carried out by two of the premier military powers of their day and age, the Sassanians were moving around with 200 000 men at once. Sure, Belisarius would've been outnumbered, but far from that heavily.

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Well, since I wasn't there, I'm taking the word of a respected military historian who knew far more than I know.

If you have a source of reliable reputation who says otherwise, I stand ready to stand corrected.

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Originally Posted by Tiberius of the Drake

The "Great" William McGonacal?(bad spelling)

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The answer was, as any participant in Generalhankerchief's Mafia Vii will know, William Topaz McGonagall, ironically nicknamed "The Great" McGonagall. More details here.

Over to you Drake!

okay how 'bout this one.

Who are the participants, and in what year was the treaty signed, of the longest war in history which ironically had no shots fired between the two sides?

OHEZ I KNOW!!! Or did at one point. I think it involves the Dutch.

The Third Punic War, only "officially" ended (that is, ended by treaty) in 1985 after some 2100 years? No "shots" having been fired because actual hostilities ceased about 145BC...

Antagonist

not the one I was thinking of but good to know.

think 17th century

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Originally Posted by Tiberius of the Drake

okay how 'bout this one.

Who are the participants, and in what year was the treaty signed, of the longest war in history which ironically had no shots fired between the two sides?

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That would be the Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War (1651–1986) between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly (located off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom).

It is said to have been extended by the lack of a peace treaty for 335 years without a single shot being fired, which would make it one of the world's longest wars and the war with the fewest casualties. Despite the uncertain validity of the declaration of war, peace was finally declared in 1986.

you are correct sir. take it away Tran

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Originally Posted by Beirut

Well, since I wasn't there, I'm taking the word of a respected military historian who knew far more than I know.

If you have a source of reliable reputation who says otherwise, I stand ready to stand corrected.

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I do, in fact; Adrian Goldsworthy says Belisarius had 25 000 men at his disposable (a very large force for those times) at Dara, and the Sassanians an even larger one, numbering around 40 000. Considering the size of these forces relative to the norm in those days (most warfare was raid-based, like it was throughout the medieval period), it's not much of a surprise that it was inflated to such an extent.

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Originally Posted by Baba Ga'on

I do, in fact; Adrian Goldsworthy says Belisarius had 25 000 men at his disposable (a very large force for those times) at Dara, and the Sassanians an even larger one, numbering around 40 000. Considering the size of these forces relative to the norm in those days (most warfare was raid-based, like it was throughout the medieval period), it's not much of a surprise that it was inflated to such an extent.

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I have it written as Daras, not Dara, but I'm sure the English translation of foreign place names, especially ancient ones, offers many variables. And I read the same number of men on each side as you wrote.

However, the incident I refer to was in Carshemish at a later date, not Daras. The Persian army Chosroes led is described as very large and tied to the Euphrates as a logistical result, allowing Belisarius to forecast the route the Persian army would take and to set up his ruse in advance at a spot on the flank of the Persian advance. The set of events listed go some way to supporting the numbers of Persians the author spoke of. Also, Liddell Hart agrees with the numbers of men at Daras as you say Adrian Goldsworthy wrote them. If correct on one, perhaps Mr. Hart was correct on both.

What does Adrian Goldworthy write about the incident at Carshemish?

I saw a year’s attachment with a British battalion, The Argyl & Sutherland Highlanders, where I saw active service on the north-west frontier. I spent three years of a miserable existence and near starvation as a Japanese POW. Released at the end of the war in 1945, I remained in a Military Hospital for some months with beri-beri and other problems, brought on by malnutrition and inhuman conditions in Japanese POW camps.

I have a very peculiar (some call it bizzare) object on my person that I carried to my grave. I was perhaps the only deputy commander ever to ride a horse on parade in an infantry battalion, as I was too weak to march.

I fought with great distinction and valor in 3 major wars of my country. I even ignored frantic order for a withdrawal (from as high as Army Chief) and held tenaciously to my position, in spite of being attacked by an entire Armoured Division upon my surviving three and a half battalions. This was the last war I took part in for my country.

Who am I? And what is the incident where I refused to withdraw? And what was the outcome if I had withdrawn?

Harbaksh Singh, Battle of Asal Uttar,

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Had the General carried out these orders, not only would have half of Punjab been under Pakistani occupation but the morale of the Indian Army would have been rock bottom, affecting operations in other theatres as well.

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I got the answer already yesterday, but decided to hold it back simply because I got the answer by googling "only deputy commander ever to ride a horse on parade in an infantry battalion". Couldn't wiki this answer though. :shame:

That's correct, AggonyDuck.

I should have searched for more google-proof question. Your turn :yes:

Well it was wiki-proof, which already means that it was very hard. After two hours of just wiking around I had managed to find out that the Battle of Asal Uttar did fit as the incident, but at the same time there was very little else to guess on. So in desperation I used google and voila! had an answer.

Do you have any question, AggonyDuck? :bow:

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Originally Posted by Tran

Do you have any question, AggonyDuck? :bow:

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If you have a good one, then go ahead and post it. :yes:

Well, in that case, someone else can post a question. :yes:

I'd guess I'd ask one then:

Its a bit hard to understand, but

I was a well know politician who was one of the heads of a faction, but then subsequently would become a major player in another organization that directly opposed another organization that had the same name as the aformentioned faction.

Who am I?

Trotski?

No, but I will add this to make it more obvious:

When I died, I was last of a well known group.

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Originally Posted by tristuskhan

Trotski?

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You're one night quicker than me. ~:)

Is it the correct answer anyway?
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Originally Posted by Mouzafphaerre

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You're one night quicker than me. ~:)

Is it the correct answer anyway?
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Oops! Slow typer... :embarassed:
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So whos question is it