Historical Figures Who Switched Sides
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Historical Figures Who Switched Sides — Daily trivia Monday, August 17, 2026: questions and answers
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Q 01Which officer resigned his national army commission to command forces for the other side in a civil war?
- 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 in the 1980s 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 British intelligence officer in a notorious spy ring secretly worked as a Soviet double agent for decades?
- AGuy Burgess
- BGeorge Blake
- CAnthony Blunt
- DKim Philby
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Kim Philby
Harold 'Kim' Philby was a high-ranking British intelligence officer and a prominent member of the Cambridge Five spy ring, who secretly relayed information to the Soviet Union for many years.
Q 06Which intelligence officer became a communist while a Korean War captive and then spied for the Soviets?
- AGeorge Blake
- BKim Philby
- CDonald Maclean
- DAnthony Blunt
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George Blake
George Blake, a British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) officer, was captured by North Korean forces during the Korean War, where he secretly converted to communism and began working as a double agent for the Soviet Union.
Q 07Which marshal, 'the Bravest of the Brave', pledged loyalty to Louis XVIII, then rejoined Napoleon on his return?
- ALouis-Nicolas Davout
- BJoachim Murat
- CJean Lannes
- DMichel Ney
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Michel Ney
Marshal Michel Ney was a leading commander under Napoleon Bonaparte. After Napoleon's first abdication, Ney pledged allegiance to King Louis XVIII but famously rejoined Napoleon upon his return during the Hundred Days.
Q 08A former intelligence officer from a prominent agency, this individual was convicted of espionage for providing highly classified information to a rival superpower in the late 20th century.
- ARobert Hanssen
- BAldrich Ames
- CJohn Walker
- DEdward Lee Howard
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Aldrich Ames
Aldrich Ames was a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer who spied for the Soviet Union and then Russia from 1985 to 1994, becoming one of the most damaging moles in U.S. history.
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
He served Cao Cao from around 190 before defecting to the warlord Lu Bu in 194, during the late Eastern Han dynasty. When Cao Cao took Xiapi in February 199 he refused to return to Cao Cao's service and was executed.
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