History is full of examples of battles that changed the world – for better or for worse. From the World War II battle of Stalingrad to Napoleon’s infamous defeat at Waterloo, some are still remembered as turning points in history. However, most remain forgotten outside the countries that fought them, either because they have been overshadowed by the larger conflicts they were part of, or simply because they happened so long ago that we have all but forgotten about them.
10. Battle of Ain Jalut
It is hard to imagine today what a threat the Mongol Empire once posed, since modern Mongolia is hardly the same nation it once was. But that was not really the case in the 13th century, when the Mongol military machine – at the height of its power – threatened the stability of almost every territory on the Eurasian continent and perhaps beyond.
This was the historical context of the Battle of Ain Jalut, which took place in September 1260 between the Mamluk dynasty in Egypt and the southwestern Mongol contingent stationed in Syria. It was part of a larger Mongol campaign to conquer the Islamic world, as after the fall of Aleppo and Baghdad Over the past few years, Cairo has become the last stronghold of Islam in the region.
However, they did not realize how powerful the Mamluks actually were, as they were able to use the classic Mongol tactic of feigning retreat better than the Mongols themselves. Although the two armies were more or less equal in numbers, the battle resulted in the complete destruction of almost the entire Mongol contingent in the region. It was the first major defeat for the Mongols in Southwest Asia, bolstering the morale of other Islamic kingdoms and effectively stopped Mongol expansion further west.
9. Battle of Gaugamela
The Battle of Gaugamela, also known as the Battle of Arbela, now Erbil in Iraq, is sometimes called the most important battle of Alexander's military career, and for good reason. The battle, fought in October 331 BC, was the decisive engagement of the Macedonian campaign in Persia. Its outcome may seem a foregone conclusion now, but it was anything but, as the Persian contingent, made up of battle-hardened scythed chariot units and war elephants, outnumbered Alexander's forces by at least 2:1. 1 The flat battlefield was also chosen by the Persians because it was very favorable to their particular fighting style.
Although the exact details of the battle are difficult to ascertain, as it took place some time ago, later sources confirm that it was Alexander's cavalry that ultimately decided the outcome. In all, Macedonia lost about 700 soldiers that day, compared to more than 20 000 killed on the Persian side. Darius himself was forced to flee the battlefield, although he was later assassinated by one of his provincial governors. The battle marked the sudden end of the mighty Persian Empire, paving the way for the further Hellenization of Western Asia.
8. Battle of Poltava
The Great Northern War may be forgotten now, but it was a decisive turning point in the affairs of Northern and Eastern Europe back in the 17th and 18th centuries. The war between Sweden – one of the great European powers of the time – and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Denmark-Norway and Russia at various times forever changed the balance of power on the continent.
While the other warring parties suffered crushing defeats in the early stages, Russia remained standing until the end. The decisive battle took place in July 1709, when Swedish troops under Charles XII, after a series of unsuccessful offensives elsewhere, decided to storm the Russian fortress of Poltava in what is now central Ukraine.
It would prove to be a costly mistake that would finally end Swedish hegemony in the region. The Swedish army was outnumbered and suffered from a lack of coordination, in addition to the classic historical disadvantage of challenging Russian forces on home soil. By the time it was all over, Swedish casualties and prisoners amounted to about 10,000 soldiers , and Karl had to flee to Ottoman lands , to avoid capture. The battle effectively ended the Swedish Empire and made Russia the dominant power in the Baltics and Poland.
7. Battle of Badr
The history of Islam is shrouded in legend, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what happened in its earliest stages. However, we do know of important events from other independent sources, and the Battle of Badr was certainly one of them. The war in 624 CE between the powerful Quraysh confederation of tribes in Mecca and the forces of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina transformed Islam from a nascent faith into the dominant religion of one of the largest and most influential empires in history.
Reliable sources estimate the number of soldiers involved in the battle at around 1,300, and while many reasons have been given for the eventual Islamic victory, it has often been attributed to Muhammad's superior skills as a military commander. This was the beginning of the end for the Quraysh tribe, as much of Mecca's thriving economy came under Muhammad's control. The conflict ended six years later when the Quraysh leaders contacted to Islam and peacefully handed over Mecca to Muhammad.
6. Battle of Tsushima
The 1905 naval battle of Tsushima between Russia and Japan was not itself an earth-shaking event. Lasting only two days in late May 1905 and resulting in a decisive Japanese victory, it had little immediate impact on world affairs and could even be written off as one of the many conflicts that preceded the catastrophe of two world wars.
The true impact of the battle could be seen in its role in the bigger picture, as it was the first modern a naval battle involving wireless telegraphy and steel battleships. More importantly, it had lasting consequences within the two countries. In Japan, the battle confirmed the superiority of its military among the population and strengthened the more militaristic factions in the army that would play a major role in the events of the following decades. In Russia, the defeat and near-annihilation of the Baltic fleet sparked numerous riots across the country, including Potemkin Rebellion . This, in combination with revolution at the beginning of the year, directly prepared the ground for the revolutions of 1917 and the possible civil war in Russia.
5. Battle of Tenochtitlan
Before the Spanish conquest, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was by all accounts a fully developed and prosperous place. Hernan Cortes, the leader of the conquistadors sent to subdue it to the Spanish, described it as a large city with an intricate network of perpendicular roads and canals, and a market visited daily by more than 60,000 people. Human .
All this came to an abrupt end in 1521, when Cortés’s men, along with thousands of other native allies with their own motives for power, laid siege to him. Although the Aztecs greatly outnumbered the Spanish, they were no match for Cortés’s superior firepower. To make matters worse for the Aztecs, they had recently suffered an outbreak of smallpox, to which they had little immunity. Tenochtitlan fell in August 1521, and the invading forces slaughtered thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of the city’s inhabitants to prevent further resistance to Spanish rule.
The battle hastened the fall of the Aztec Empire, and over the next three years The entire Mesoamerican region came under Spanish rule, which marked the beginning of the era of colonization of the rest of the American continents.
4. Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Amiens was actually a series of multiple Allied attacks near Amiens, France during World War I. Although its original purpose was to protect the Paris-Amiens railway line from capture by the Germans, it later became known as the start of the Hundred Days Offensive, which decisively ended the war in favor of the Allies.
The attack has begun August 8, 1918 , with the bulk of the attacking force consisting of the Canadian Corps, the British Fourth Army, the French First Army, and the Australian Corps, along with a few other Allied units. While the Germans were entrenched behind three lines of trenches, they were vastly outnumbered. The Allies launched a surprise attack, covered by smoke and aided by the Royal Air Force. They advanced more than eight miles in three days, killing more than 26,000 Germans and taking more than 12,000 prisoners, effectively ending Germany's war effort in the region.
3. The Siege of Paris
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 would have far-reaching consequences for Europe and the rest of the world, though the conflict is now largely forgotten in the wider context of everything that followed. Beginning in July of that year, it was fought between a coalition of Prussian states led by Otto von Bismarck and France under Napoleon III, both products of the revolutions of 1848 and by then formidable powers in Europe.
It was one of the largest confrontations in European history. The initial Prussian forces numbered more than 500,000 people and outnumbered the French by about 2:1, although by the time it was all over these numbers had increased considerably. Although the French had some early successes, they suffered from logistical and communication problems and were generally no match for the Prussian forces.
The war ended with the siege of Paris, which began in September 1870 and ended with the capitulation of France in January 1871. This was one of the factors that led to the reunification of Germany later that year, along with the strengthening of popular faith in German militarism across the once divided Prussian states - the dominant factor in German affairs until 1945 .
2. Battles of Kohima and Imphal
The parallel battles of Kohima and Imphal in north-east India are sometimes called Stalingrad East because of their importance, although outside Britain their role in World War II remains largely forgotten. Beginning in March and continuing until July 1944, they saw some of the fiercest fighting in the South-Eastern theatre and ultimately proved to be the turning point for the entire Japanese campaign in that region.
Battles between the Japanese 15th Army and 14th British Army , consisting mainly of forces from the north-eastern Indian subcontinent, was essentially a struggle for British-controlled bases in India. Even by the most conservative estimates, the British forces outnumbered at least 10:1 , although they had the advantage of intact supply lines and knowledge of the terrain. In addition to the fighting, the Japanese forces also suffered from rampant disease and other logistical problems, which turned the tide in favor of the defenders sometime in May.
1. Battle of Kursk
It is hard to imagine how large-scale the Battle of Kursk in World War II was. It is the largest tank battle in history, and is sometimes called the most important battle of World War II, decisively breaking the German war machine and turning the tide of the war in favor of the Allies on the Eastern Front. More than two million men, eight thousand tanks and five thousand combat aircraft took part in the massive showdowns , which actually consisted of several offensives and counter-offensives, which in themselves were entire battles.
From July 5 to August 23, 1943, German forces attacked the Soviet front line in a desperate attempt to reverse the tide of Operation Barbarossa, as a victory here could have dealt a decisive blow to the Soviet forces advancing on Berlin. However, the Soviet generals had anticipated the attack and had already deployed anti-tank batteries and strengthened their defensive lines before the German attack. Although there were moments when it seemed that both sides might win, the Soviets ultimately prevailed, decisively pushing the German army back and setting the stage for massive Soviet offensives in 1944 and 1945. years .
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