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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.The campaigns of Bonaparte and NapoleonFrom Bonaparte to Napoleon I: marches, concentration of army corps and coalitions connect the campaigns of 1796 to Waterloo.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.Alexander’s campaignsFrom the Achaemenid Empire to the Indus: Alexander combines battles, sieges and agreements to extend and sustain his conquest.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
CannaeHannibal envelops the Roman legions: the centre falls back, the wings are attacked, and the cavalry returns. A major victory that does not end the war.TicinusHow did the Numidians tip a cavalry battle that had remained undecided?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 CarthageHow do you open a fortified city by forcing its defenders to look elsewhere?IlipaHow can you beat an army’s wings without engaging its best troops in the centre?MetaurusHow does Nero turn a wing blocked by the terrain into an outflanking force?ZamaWhy do Hannibal’s veterans give way after resisting the Roman infantry?MarathonA thinned Greek centre falls back, then the victorious wings turn against the Persian centre.AgincourtOn 25 October 1415, Henry V’s army, weakened after Harfleur, finds its road to Calais blocked. Between two woods, French attacks converge on the English archers and men-at-arms. Mud, missile fire and crowding compound one another. The English victory is followed by the execution of many prisoners.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.GazalaThe Axis restores its supply behind the minefield, breaks the British counterattacks and then isolates 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.YarmoukIn 636, the imperial army tries to regain the initiative in Syria. Arab forces regroup, resist the attacks and exploit the separation of their opponents. In the reconstruction followed here, the capture of a crossing and the attack on the camp worsen the Byzantine retreat. The victory opens the way to further conquest in Syria.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.CarrhaeWhy is legionary cohesion not enough against cavalry that controls the distance?HattinOn 3 and 4 July 1187, the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem leaves the springs at Sepphoris to relieve Tiberias. Saladin slows its march and prevents it from reaching sufficient water. Fatigue, missile fire and disorder gradually separate the infantry from the cavalry. The capture of King Guy and the True Cross leaves the kingdom without most of its field army.AmiensThe Allies combine tanks, artillery, aviation and infantry to break German defences before they can be rebuilt.PoltavaThe redoubts separate Roos from the main Swedish army. The delay gives the Russians time to deploy, before defeat and surrender at Perevolochna.GaugamelaHow does Alexander reach Darius without losing his army on the wings and in the rear?SadowaThe Prussian First Army pins the Austrians on the Bistritz, then the Second Army emerges from the north against their right flank and Chlum.TsushimaHow do manoeuvres and the loss of command successively dislocate the Russian fleet?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.TarantoTwo waves of Swordfish strike Taranto: three Italian battleships are put out of action, while three others remain intact.ChosinChinese forces encircle the Marines and American units, which open an escape route through cold and fire.BuxarAn early sortie forces Munro to pivot around a marsh; his two echelons absorb the blow, retake the batteries, then drive the coalition towards the Thora.MohacsHungarian 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.BlenheimAfter attacks on the villages fail, Marlborough reforms his centre beyond the Nebel while Eugene holds the other sector; the breakthrough isolates Blenheim.Ayn JalutIn Galilee on 3 September 1260, Qutuz and Baybars face the army Hülegü left under Kitbuqa. Accounts describe a Mamluk withdrawal followed by attacks from several directions, but differ on the commanders and exact sequence. The fighting remains difficult before the Mongol defeat. The victory lets the Mamluks regain the initiative in Syria without ending their wars against the Ilkhanate.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 ForestWhy can’t an army of three legions fight as a single force?SaratogaBurgoyne advances south, but militias and the Continental Army close his routes and force him to surrender.OmdurmanHow does Anglo-Egyptian firepower remain effective when leaving camp exposes MacDonald’s brigade to attacks from several directions?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.ArtemisiumIn 480 BCE, the Greeks jointly defend the land passage at Thermopylae and the naval front at Artemisium. They resist several engagements while a storm destroys the Persian detachment sent to outflank them. But the fall of Thermopylae forces them to withdraw. The surviving fleet will fight at Salamis.SalamisIn 480 BCE, the Greek allies hesitate to remain near Salamis. The message from Themistocles prompts Xerxes to watch their exits. Forced to fight together, the Greeks exploit congestion among the opposing squadrons in the strait. The victory removes the immediate naval threat but does not end the Persian invasion.PlataeaCavalry cuts off Greek water and supplies; the night withdrawal breaks up the coalition, but the pursuit of Mardonius meets two separate stands before the Persian camp is breached.GranicusHow do the Macedonians establish a foothold beyond a river defended by Persian cavalry?IssusHow does Alexander win on one wing while his centre risks giving way?Siege of TyreIn 332 BCE, Tyre refuses Alexander entry to its island city. The Macedonian mole comes under fire and is attacked by a fireship. The arrival of allied fleets changes the siege: the harbours are blockaded, siege engines reach the walls by sea, and a combined assault eventually captures the city after seven months of resistance.HydaspesHow does Alexander force a crossing, then face Porus’s elephants?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?CrecyOn 26 August 1346, Edward III meets Philip VI’s army near Crécy. His men-at-arms fight on foot, supported by archers and troops in depth. The French arrive without coordinating their attacks. Their failure leaves the field to the English, who then move towards Calais.PoitiersOn 19 September 1356, John II catches the Black Prince near Poitiers. The Anglo-Gascons defend approaches narrowed by hedges and ditches. French attacks follow one another without lasting support. A counterattack eventually breaks the royal battle line and John II is captured.PatayOn 18 June 1429, after French successes on the Loire, the English army retreats north. The vanguard under La Hire and Xaintrailles catches it before it can organize its defence. The shock and pursuit break its cohesion, and Talbot is captured. The longbow remains effective, but needs time to deploy.CastillonOn 17 July 1453, Talbot comes to relieve Castillon, which the French are besieging. He drives off an outpost, then attacks an entrenched camp equipped with artillery. Fire and obstacles stop his men; the arrival of the Bretons enables a counterattack. Talbot is killed and the French reconquest of Guyenne continues.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 does Russian failure north of the Taizi lead to the abandonment of a city that is still defended?MukdenHow does an incomplete envelopment force such a costly retreat?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 his anchorage, holds his line under British fire and remains offshore for several days. Barras arrives with the siege equipment; the French fleet’s reunion closes the maritime approach to Yorktown.Siege of YorktownThe naval blockade gives the Allies time to advance their trenches, take two redoubts and close Cornwallis’s remaining options.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?Hoa BinhWhy did the French occupation of Hòa Bình attract the Việt Minh without producing the sought-after battle of destruction, and ultimately expose communications?Na SanHow did an air-supplied entrenched camp concentrate fire and reserves against Việt Minh assaults still inadequately supported by artillery?