Major World Battles Flashcards
One of the first or possibly the first battle to have over 100,000 casualites. This battle pitted the Lydian Kingdom led by Croesus against the Achaemenid Empire led by Cyrus the Great. Cyrus won and took the city of Sardis after being outnumbered 2:1 in the battle.
Battle of Thymbra
A battle during the Warring States Period in China involving the State of Qin and the State of Zhao. The Qin won which greatly weakened the Zhao and transfered a very strategic position to the Qin. The Qin lost 250,000 men, and the rest of the around one million casualties came from the Zhao soldiers who died on the field and the soldiers and civillians who were buried alive.
Battle of Changping
The Athenians were deciding on whether to attack the Persians who were encamped on the shore. The Persians greatly outnumbered the Athenians and Athens was not known for fighting but after a miracle win, the Athenians practically haulted Darius I and changed the course of history. It is said that the Persians were screaming and running in fear back to their ships because of how badly they were being beat or of the barbarousness of the Athenians.
Battle of Marathon
A pivotal battle in the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, Hannibal’s brother was supposed to bring reinforcements for him but was ambushed by an unsuspected Roman force which strategically outnumbered the Carthaginians and sealed Rome’s fate in conquering Italy.
Battle of Metaurus
A battle basically deciding whether Europe would be Christian or Islamic, the Franks fought the Umayyad Cliphate and pulled out a victory without the help of cavalry. Charles Martel led the Franks and killed the Umayyad Caliphates leader, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi.
Battle of Tours
This battle was the first major victory for the French in the Hundred Years’ War. This was the first battle Joan of Arc fought in. The English and their French allies appeared to be winning the war but the siege collapsed nine days after Joan’s arrival.
Siege of Orleans
This battle gave a decisive win to the Americans during the Revolutionary War. The battle against the British led by John Burgoyne were actually two smaller battles which both failed for Burgoyne and made him retreat and surrender his army to the Americans.
Battles of Saratoga
A battle that ended the Napoleonic Wars. It was between two of the armies in the Seventh Coalition, and the French army commanded by Napoleon. The Seventh Coalition combined armies from Prussia, Britain, Ireland, the German Legion, the Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick and Nassau.
Battle of Waterloo
The Axis forces had invaded Russia and did not expect the strength or numbers of the Soviet Union’s counter attack. There were about 850,000 Axis casualites and 1 million Soviet Union casualties. Most civilians in the city were also killed.
Battle of Stalingrad
This battle proved to be one the deadliest battles in history due to the first day of combat claiming 57,000 British casualites. After the battle, only a 20 miles wide and 6 miles long strip of land was obtained from the Germans and brought more than 1.2 million casualties from the British, French, and German forces.
Battle of the Somme
A battle that didn’t claim nearly as many lives as would be expected from a battle that had so much impact on the war. This battle was during the Vietnam War and claimed 45,000 North Vietnamese lives, 20,000 American and South Vietnamese lives, and 14,000 civilian lives. The US and South Vietnamese won the battle in a tactile victory but the battle had a profound impact on the US Government in the decision to drop out of the war.
Tet Offensive
