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95 battles · 24 wars · 6 periods
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Periods
AntiquityFrom phalanx to legions: collective discipline turns mass into a tactical instrument.Middle AgesFortifications, chivalry, archers and pikemen redefine the relationship between shock, range and terrain.Gunpowder & EmpiresArtillery, firearms and permanent administrations change the scale of campaigns.Industrial AgeRailways, the telegraph and rapid fire accelerate armies faster than doctrine can adapt.World WarsIndustry, operational depth, armour and aviation turn the battlefield into a total system.Contemporary WorldDetection, precision, mobility and information constantly shift the boundary of the front.
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Wars & campaigns
Greco-Persian WarsThe Greek city-states face several Persian campaigns in which coalition, sea power, terrain and speed of concentration become decisive.Second Punic WarHannibal brings war to Italy; Rome survives, learns and gradually shifts the conflict’s centre of gravity.Hundred Years’ WarA succession of campaigns in which taxation, fortifications and missile weapons matter as much as chivalry.Napoleonic WarsArmy corps, speed of concentration and mobile artillery project mass war onto a continental scale.First World WarFirepower, logistical depth and attrition dominate a front that each side tries to set in motion again.Second World WarA war of coalitions, production and multiple fronts in which combined arms become decisive.First Indochina WarA conflict in which political control of terrain, logistics and asymmetric adaptation weigh more than firepower alone.Soviet–Japanese Conflict at NomonhanA border conflict in Mongolia where Soviet depth and combined arms break Japanese expansion northward.Arab Conquest of SyriaArab armies face Byzantine forces and their allies for control of Syria and its imperial roads.First Italo-Ethiopian WarEthiopia resists Italian expansion from Eritrea and inflicts a major defeat on a European colonial power at Adwa.Roman–Parthian WarsRome and Parthia contest Upper Mesopotamia, Armenia and the Euphrates routes.The 1187 Campaign for JerusalemSaladin unifies Muslim forces and confronts the Kingdom of Jerusalem over control of roads and strongholds.Great Northern WarSweden faces a Russian-dominated coalition for control of the Baltic and the northern states.Conquest of the Achaemenid EmpireAlexander of Macedon confronts the Persian Empire and turns a series of victories into the seizure of its capitals.Austro-Prussian WarPrussia faces Austria to decide who will lead the future Germany.Russo-Japanese WarJapan and Russia contest Manchuria, Korea and the naval positions at Port Arthur.Korean WarThe Korean War becomes an international conflict in which surprise, mountains and logistics prevent a quick victory.British Conquest of BengalThe English East India Company turns its military successes in Bengal into political and fiscal control.Ottoman–Hungarian WarsThe Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary contest the Danubian frontier after the fall of Belgrade.War of the Spanish SuccessionEuropean powers confront France to prevent the union of the French and Spanish crowns.Mongol Invasion of the LevantThe Mongols take Baghdad and advance into Syria before encountering the organized resistance of the Mamluk Sultanate.Roman Wars in GermaniaRome tries to control territories east of the Rhine before abandoning a permanent province after several reverses.American War of IndependenceThe insurgent colonies confront Great Britain and seek external support after retaining a field army.British Reconquest of SudanAnglo-Egyptian forces retake Sudan after Mahdist power consolidates in Khartoum.
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Battles
CannaeHow Hannibal turns the advance of a larger army into a double envelopment.TicinusHannibal turns a cavalry encounter into his first seizure of the initiative in Italy.TrebiaHannibal draws the Roman army towards an icy river and turns exhaustion into a tactical multiplier.Lake TrasimeneFog, hills and lake compress a Roman march into a prepared trap.New CarthageScipio exploits intelligence, surprise and an unexpected approach to seize the principal Carthaginian base in Spain.IlipaScipio imposes several days of constraint before reversing his deployment when the Carthaginian army is least ready.MetaurusNero leaves his front, joins Livius’ army and prevents Hasdrubal from joining his reinforcements to Hannibal’s.ZamaScipio opens lanes for the elephants, lets allied cavalry reach the rear, then takes the Carthaginian infantry in flank.MarathonA thinned Greek centre falls back, then the victorious wings turn against the Persian centre.AgincourtNarrow ground, mud and archers erode the French numerical advantage.WaterlooA battle of coordination, attrition and time before the Prussians arrive.VerdunThe German concentration opens the right bank but does not take Verdun; reliefs, artillery and the Sacred Way stabilise both banks, then the October and December offensives recapture Douaumont, Vaux and most of the eastern gains.StalingradUrban combat, stretched fronts and a flank offensive turn a conquest into an encirclement.KurskDefences in depth, intelligence and armoured reserves absorb and then turn back the German offensive.Dien Bien PhuAn isolated air-land base confronts underestimated enemy logistics and concealed artillery.Khalkhin GolSoviet–Mongolian forces pin the Japanese bridgehead, outflank it and close it in the steppe.GazalaRommel outflanks the Gazala Line, but his advance becomes a logistical pocket before causing the fall of Tobruk.CaporettoThree coordinated penetrations through Plezzo, the Isonzo valley and the ridges shatter the IV and XXVII Corps, then the pursuit drives the Italian army back to the Piave.YarmoukThe Arab army concentrates its reserves, holds the plateaus and pushes the Byzantine army towards ravines with no exit.AdwaThe Ethiopian army concentrates its forces around Adwa and destroys the Italian columns advancing separately.Imphal–KohimaJapanese forces besiege Imphal and Kohima, but the British Army supplies its positions by air and regains the initiative.CarrhesParthian mounted archers pin the Roman army, exhaust it at range and deliver it to the cataphracts.HattinSetting out from Sepphoris, the column is slowed between Maskana and the Horns; lack of water, harassment and the separation of infantry from cavalry expose the royal centre.AmiensThe Allies combine tanks, artillery, aviation and infantry to break German defences before they can be rebuilt.PoltavaPeter the Great lets the Swedish army exhaust itself before Poltava, then crushes it with prepared defences and a large reserve.GaugamelaThe oblique movement of the Macedonian right draws the Persian army, then Alexander’s charge reaches Darius’ centre.SadowaThe Prussian First Army pins the Austrians on the Bistritz, then the Second Army emerges from the north against their right flank and Chlum.TsushimaTōgō concentrates his fire and crosses the Russian fleet’s T, whose long voyage has reduced its speed and cohesion.AusterlitzNapoleon lets the right wing appear vulnerable, then strikes the Pratzen Heights once the Allies have committed there.Jena–AuerstedtNapoleon defeats a Prussian force at Jena while Davout, badly outnumbered, repels the main army at Auerstedt.TarantoBritish Swordfish attack the Italian fleet at anchor and reduce its freedom of action in the Mediterranean.ChosinChinese forces encircle the Marines and American units, which open an escape route through cold and fire.BuxarA premature sortie forces Munro to pivot around a marsh; his two echelons absorb the blow, retake the batteries, then drive the coalition towards the Thora.MohácsHungarian charges reach the Ottoman vanguard, but artillery, reserves and Ottoman depth trap the army.MegiddoAllenby pins the Ottomans in the east, breaks through near the coast and sends cavalry into the rear of the Eighth Army.BlenheimMarlborough pins the French right wing at Blenheim, then concentrates Imperial troops in the centre and on the left wing.Ayn DjaloutQutuz and Baybars pin the Mongol vanguard in a wooded valley, then commit their reserve against Kitbuqa.MidwayIntelligence positions the ambush; dispersed attacks disorganise the defence before the dive-bombers arrive.KasserineAxis forces break through American positions in the passes before Allied reinforcements stabilize the front.Teutoburg ForestArminius leads Germanic tribes against Varus’ legions, advancing in rain through a corridor of ambushes.SaratogaBurgoyne advances south, but militias and the Continental Army close his routes and force him to surrender.OmdurmanThe Anglo-Egyptian army holds a prepared position and breaks Mahdist charges with machine guns, artillery and rifles.InchonThe UN landing cuts the North Korean rear and, combined with the offensive from Pusan, reverses the campaign.TannenbergThe Germans strip the north, strike Samsonov's two wings separately, then close the roads through Neidenburg, Passenheim and Willenberg around his centre.Gallipoli CampaignMines halt the naval gamble; separate landings remain contained below the ridges, then deception enables the evacuation of Anzac, Suvla and Helles.Battle of the SommeThe bombardment produces opposite results in different sectors; gains in the south and at Bazentin run into strongpoints and reserves, then four months of adaptation push the front back without opening it.Brusilov OffensiveFour armies prepare several sectors and open the Austro-Hungarian front together; when reserves belatedly concentrate towards Kovel, the Stokhid, German reinforcements and lengthening supply lines exhaust the exploitation.Battle of JutlandHipper draws Beatty towards Scheer, then Beatty leads the pursuit back onto Jellicoe; two unfavourable deployments force Scheer to disengage through battle turns, smoke and torpedoes, before a night escape saves his fleet without loosening the blockade.CambraiPredicted fire, tanks and infantry break through without announcing the assault; attrition, the bridges and Bourlon close the exploitation window, then a more effective German counter-offensive in the south forces the British to shorten the salient.Sedan BreakthroughHow did concentrated air power and the Meuse crossing produce a breakthrough faster than the French command could contain it?Second Battle of El AlameinHow did Montgomery turn logistical superiority into a breakthrough despite the depth of the Axis minefields?Guadalcanal CampaignHow did possession of an airfield impose a combined battle of supply, naval attrition and ground combat?From Cobra to the Falaise PocketHow did an American breakthrough become a partial encirclement despite delays in Allied coordination?Operation BagrationHow did the Soviet fronts conceal their axes, break through in several sectors, then prevent Army Group Centre from withdrawing?Battle of Leyte GulfThe Shō-Gō plan disperses its forces along three axes, draws the Third Fleet north and surprises Taffy 3 off Samar, but delays, losses and decisions prevent any coordinated attack on the Leyte transports.Battle of the BulgeWhy did German surprise create a deep salient without securing the roads, fuel and tempo needed to reach the Meuse?Battle of BerlinHow did Soviet superiority have to cross the Oder defences and then reorganise for encircled urban combat?ThermopylaeThe wall, sea and slopes allow the allies to repel two days of assaults; Hydarnes's night march along Anopaia creates a second front, compels the main body's withdrawal and destroys the rearguard.ArtemisiumIntelligence, brief sorties and storms prevent the Greek force from being encircled; after a costly third engagement, the fall of Thermopylae removes the naval choke point's purpose.SalamisSicinnus's message exploits a genuine division and prompts Xerxes to close the exits by night; in the morning, the imperial fleet's depth creates congestion in the strait, local ruptures spread and the fleet declines a second battle.PlataeaThe cavalry cuts Greek access to water and supplies; the night withdrawal breaks up the coalition, but Mardonius's pursuit meets two separate stands before the Persian camp is opened.GranicusHow did an immediate attack across a river turn an obstacle into a point that fixed the Persian cavalry?IssusHow did the narrow battlefield prevent Darius from fully exploiting his mass while exposing Alexander to a rupture of his centre?Siege of TyreHow did a land army progressively turn an island siege into a combined operation?HydaspesHow did Alexander secure a contested crossing and then neutralise elephants and cavalry without losing cohesion?MarengoHow was an almost-lost battle reversed by the arrival of reserves and a concentrated counterattack?TrafalgarHow did two British columns accept fire on the approach to break the opposing line and impose local engagements?EylauHow did snow, visibility and staggered arrivals turn a search for decision into an inconclusive and exceptionally costly battle?WagramThe crossing from Lobau deploys the army along an immense arc; on the 6th, the unsynchronised Austrian offensive threatens Aspern, but the battery covers Masséna, Davout turns Markgrafneusiedl and the general assault compels an orderly withdrawal.BorodinoWhy did the successive capture of Russian positions destroy neither the opposing army nor its ability to retreat?LeipzigHow did a coalition coordinate several armies around Leipzig while avoiding defeat in detail?CrécyHow did a halted and prepared English army exploit slope, fire discipline and staggered French attacks?PoitiersHow did a hard-to-reach position, the failure of successive attacks and an Anglo-Gascon counterattack allow the Black Prince to defeat a superior army?PatayHow did French cavalry surprise the English archers before they could reproduce their customary defensive system?CastillonHow did an entrenched camp organised around artillery reverse the traditional relationship between English attack and French defence?Siege of Port ArthurHow did the Japanese army move from costly frontal assaults to seizing the heights that made the harbour untenable?Battle of the Yellow SeaHow did a Russian breakout attempt fail through loss of command and dispersal of the fleet rather than complete destruction?LiaoyangWhy was the incomplete Japanese envelopment enough to persuade Kuropatkin to abandon a still-defensible position?MukdenHow did a vast envelopment stretch the Russian reserves until their railway line became vulnerable without completely closing the pincers?Pusan PerimeterHow did the UN and South Korea stop retreating, supply their sectors through Busan and prevent local penetrations from joining before launching a counteroffensive?Chipyong-niHow did an isolated perimeter break the momentum of a Chinese offensive by combining all-round defence, external fire support and a relief counterattack?Imjin RiverHow did a brigade dispersed across a broad front delay a Chinese offensive while risking the isolation of its battalions?Triangle HillWhy did a limited offensive for a few heights become a battle of attrition whose cost progressively exceeded the ground's value?Long IslandHow did the British exploit an inadequately guarded pass to envelop the Continental Army without destroying it before its evacuation?TrentonHow did a risky winter operation restore the American initiative through surprise rather than numerical superiority?CowpensHow did Morgan turn the uneven reliability of his troops into a layered defence able to absorb and then envelop Tarleton?ChesapeakeDe Grasse leaves a surprised anchorage, escapes attack in the channel, then draws Graves out to sea; Barras enters with the siege artillery before the returning French fleet closes the only relief route to Yorktown.Siege of YorktownHow did Franco-American convergence on land and command of the sea turn a British coastal position into a trap with no way out?First Siege of ViennaAfter Buda, the Ottoman army encloses Vienna and opens several breaches; countermines, repairs, the difficulty of sustaining assaults and the timetable for returning prevent it from establishing a durable lodgement.Siege of EgerBatteries and mines open several sectors without creating a durable lodgement; mobile reserves, repairs, countermines and reliefs hold until the Ottoman withdrawals of 17–18 October.Siege of SzigetvárHow did a fortress spread across several islets impose a month of attrition on Suleiman's army without preventing its fall?PlasseyHow did the planned defection of part of the Bengali command turn an uncertain artillery duel into political collapse?Colonial Route 4 and the Evacuation of Cao BằngHow did the evacuation of an isolated post become a series of destructions when French columns and relief forces tried to join on a dominated road?Hòa BìnhWhy did the French occupation of Hòa Bình attract the Việt Minh without producing the sought-after battle of destruction, and ultimately expose communications?Nà SảnHow did an air-supplied entrenched camp concentrate fire and reserves against Việt Minh assaults still inadequately supported by artillery?