Historical figures who switched sides
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Historical Figures Who Switched Sides — Daily trivia Monday, August 17, 2026: questions and answers
All 10 questions with answers and explanations. Play this daily
Q 01Which US Army officer declined a senior Union command and resigned when his home state of Virginia seceded?
- AWilliam Tecumseh Sherman
- BUlysses S. Grant
- CRobert E. Lee
- DGeorge B. McClellan
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Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee was a highly respected officer in the United States Army who chose to resign his commission and lead the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia when his home state seceded.
Q 02Which early hero of the American Revolution became infamous for trying to betray a key fort?
- ABenedict Arnold
- BHoratio Gates
- CCharles Lee
- DNathanael Greene
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Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold was a distinguished general for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War before he conspired to surrender the fort at West Point to the British.
Q 03Which civilian intelligence analyst got life in prison for passing secrets to an allied country?
- AJonathan Pollard
- BRonald Pelton
- CClayton Lonetree
- DAna Montes
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Jonathan Pollard
Jonathan Pollard was a U.S. Navy intelligence analyst who was convicted of spying for Israel, a U.S. ally, and received a life sentence.
Q 04Which English general changed allegiance from James II during the Glorious Revolution?
- AGeorge Monck
- BJohn Churchill
- COliver Cromwell
- DArthur Wellesley
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John Churchill
John Churchill, later the 1st Duke of Marlborough, initially served King James II but critically shifted his loyalty to William of Orange during the Glorious Revolution, a move that greatly weakened James's position.
Q 05Which member of the Cambridge spy ring slipped out of Beirut and defected to the Soviet Union?
- AGuy Burgess
- BDonald Maclean
- CAnthony Blunt
- DKim Philby
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Kim Philby
Kim Philby vanished from Beirut in January 1963, just before he was due for further questioning, and sought asylum in the Soviet Union.
Q 06Which intelligence officer became a communist while a Korean War captive and then spied for the Soviets?
- AGeorge Blake
- BOleg Gordievsky
- CDonald Maclean
- DAnthony Blunt
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George Blake
George Blake broke out of London's Wormwood Scrubs in 1966 when accomplices threw a rope ladder over the wall, and he was smuggled to East Germany in a camper van.
Q 07Which marshal, sent by Louis XVIII to capture the returning Napoleon, went over to him with his troops instead?
- ALouis-Nicolas Davout
- BLouis-Alexandre Berthier
- CJean Lannes
- DMichel Ney
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Michel Ney
Michel Ney, 'the bravest of the brave', was shot for treason in December 1815 and, refusing a blindfold, reportedly gave the firing squad its order himself.
Q 08Which CIA officer was convicted of spying for Moscow after buying a $540,000 house in cash on his salary?
- ARobert Hanssen
- BAldrich Ames
- CJohn Walker
- DEdward Lee Howard
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Aldrich Ames
Aldrich Ames spied for Moscow from 1985 to 1994, and the secrets he sold led to the execution of at least ten people spying for the CIA.
Q 09Which Athenian general switched sides repeatedly among Athens, Sparta and Persia in the Peloponnesian War?
- ALysander
- BPericles
- CAlcibiades
- DThucydides
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Alcibiades
Alcibiades, an Athenian general and politician, was a highly influential but controversial figure during the Peloponnesian War, known for defecting between Athens, Sparta, and Persia.
Q 10Which strategist left Cao Cao for Lu Bu in 194 and shared his fate at Xiapi?
- AXun Yu
- BChen Gong
- CGuo Jia
- DZhuge Liang
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Chen Gong
Chen Gong defected to Lü Bu in 194, and when Xiapi fell in 199 he refused to serve Cao Cao again and was executed.
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