The Greatest Military Victories in History?

[Eric]

In my opinion, and in no particular order, the greatest victories in history are:

• The Battle of Austerlitz - French victory, Napoleonic Wars
  
• The Battle of Agincourt - English victory, Hundred Years' War
  
• The Battle of Cannae - Carthaginian victory, Second Punic War
  
• The Battle of Marathon - Greek victory, The Graeco-Persian War
  
• The Battle of Guagamela - Macedonian victory, Alexander's Wars of Conquest
  
• The Battle of Stalingrad - Russian victory, Second World War
  
• The Battle of Normandy - Allied victory, Second World War
  
• The Battle of Waterloo - Anglo-Allied victory, Napoleonic Wars
  
• The Battle of Trafalgar - British victory, Napoleonic Wars
  
• The Battle of Manzikert - Seljuk victory, Byzantine-Seljuk Wars

Of course, I am much more versed in western military history than I am in eastern, so I am probably missing a whole lot of battles of China, Japan, India, etc. But those are, in my own opinion, the greatest military victories in history. Other opinions?

[Farnan]

Add in:

Battle of Coral Sea - Allied tactical tie, strategic victory over the Japanese and the turning point in the PTO.

Battle of Antietnam - Union victory over Confederacy gave Lincoln the ability to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Battle of Inchon - UN victory of North Korea and ended the North Korean invasion of South Korea

Battle of Issus - Alexander's victory over Darius. Far, far, far more important than Gaugamela as it was this battle that destroyed the flower of the Persian Army and forced Darius to rely upon levies.

Battle of Actium - Octavian's defeat of Marc Antony solidified his position as Emperor of the Roman Empire.

Siege of Babylon - Cyrus's victory over Babylon signified Persia's new role as the leader of the Eastern Mediterranean. Also ensured the survival of Judaism...

Battle of the Trench - Muslim victory over the Meccans ensured the survival of Islam and its dominance over the Arabian Pennisula.

There are more but my mind is blank right now.

[Orko]

Add in:

Battle of Coral Sea - Allied tactical tie, strategic victory over the Japanese and the turning point in the PTO.

Battle of Antietnam - Union victory over Confederacy gave Lincoln the ability to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Battle of Inchon - UN victory of North Korea and ended the North Korean invasion of South Korea

Battle of Issus - Alexander's victory over Darius. Far, far, far more important than Gaugamela as it was this battle that destroyed the flower of the Persian Army and forced Darius to rely upon levies.

Battle of Actium - Octavian's defeat of Marc Antony solidified his position as Emperor of the Roman Empire.

Siege of Babylon - Cyrus's victory over Babylon signified Persia's new role as the leader of the Eastern Mediterranean. Also ensured the survival of Judaism...

Battle of the Trench - Muslim victory over the Meccans ensured the survival of Islam and its dominance over the Arabian Pennisula.

There are more but my mind is blank right now.

These victories were more imactful than great.
the greatest victories in my mind are Cannae, Gaugamela and Australitz.

[Cluny the Scourge]

There was no 'greatness' in Sharpsburg (Antietam) - it was an uncoordinated, messy head-on slogging blood-fest with no decisive results.

[Eric]

Very true. Now Gettysburg, that's a different story

[STReetSamurai]

What where those two...Midway was one and I guess you COULD say pearl harbor.

[Trax]

There was no 'greatness' in Sharpsburg (Antietam) - it was an uncoordinated, messy head-on slogging blood-fest with no decisive results.

I agree

If we are looking for great victories then as far as ACW is concerned I'll nominate
Chancellorsville. Lee had 60 000 vs Hooker's 130 000 and he won

[Konstantin Alexander]

Battle of living room-kitchen 11.08.2007

OPFOR: A myriard of mosquitos.
Casaulties: Estimated at 12
Home team casaulties: 0

Strategic goal achieved: Noone got stinged in the night.
The defender conquered about 20 square meter and got back access to several decisive strategic resources. (refrigerator, remote control, couch)

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On a more serious note, this would be the part, where i start to tell the thread participants, that they will not get a clear result to such a question. But as the thread starter explicitly asked for opinions, not undeniable facts, you are spared the sermon this time.

(At least as long as noone starts with: "battlz fo azincoort was shite, Hasting rockzord more!!!!!11!")

[jackwei]

Quebec 1759 and plassey 1757 let the foundation of the british empire as a global superpower with the birth of empire in america and in India. it was the defining moment making it the destiny for the british empire to rule the world.

during WWI and even after the capture of the middle east and other areas it was great with the empire getting bigger, however they always say the quebec and plassey was prehaps the greatest victories of empire.

Oh yes Saratoga i have to admit was prehaps one the greatest american victories too since the managed to defeat our better well trained british troops and led to the the end of british rule in the colonies and was the moment when america was meant to be born as a destiny for patriots to be one and believe in liberty. it was the battle that really laid down the brith of the USA.

[IndianPrince]

Battle Of Longewala

A very decisive battle on the Western Front during the 1971 war of India & Pakistan.

the Indian 'A' company of 120 odd soldiers of the 23rd Bn, Punjab Regiment, managed to hold a 2000-3000 strong assault force of the 51st Infantry Brigade of the Pakistani Army- backed by the 22nd Armoured Regiment- before the Indian Air Force flew in two decisive days against the invading force to dent and ultimately thwart the Pakistani assault.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Longewala

Prince

[Farnan]

If you want to look for a military victory:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outpost_Harry

One American Infantry Regiment and a Greek Infantry battalion with a small amount of extras defeated an entire Chinese Division.

Better yet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saragarhi

Though the Sikh soldiers were killed, I'd consider the loss of 21 in exchange for 4800 a victory.

[conon394]

The Battle of Trafalgar - British victory, Napoleonic Wars.

I’m really not so sure about this one. Yeas Nelson certainly made what in any case should have been a victory for England extremely decisive, but be honest against any not completely inept British admiral does the Napoleonic fleet stand a chance?

I would rather pick some victory from Wellington’s Iberian campaign – that England could defeat the French and the also ran Spanish navy with very near parity is hardly surprising – the decisive show of British military superiority on land was however (a somewhat) novel and rather greater event to my eyes… Until than England had relied on financing continual opponents to France – that England could both, main it naval superiority and best the French on land was decisive.

The Battle of Marathon - Greek victory, The Graeco-Persian War

This really needs to be paired with Salamis, by itself Marathon was simply an irritant to Persia. An Athens that trusted just its hoplites after Marathon and ignored Themistocle;s is a very small foot note in historical text books we would be reading in farsi.

[Gary88]

Though the Sikh soldiers were killed, I'd consider the loss of 21 in exchange for 4800 a victory.

i was thinking of just that, utterly epic and i completely agree that it was a victory for the Indians even if the did lose (if that makes sense) i think its one of the true examples of courage, i personally think little rivals it and certainly nothing beats it

[Black Francis]

A few that are often forgotten:

More like the battles that saved Western Civilization than Great Victories as such.

Battle of Chalons.

The Roman Warlord Aetius aka "The Last Roman" defeats the Huns with a motley combination of Roman and German forces.

At the Battle of Chalons (also called the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields or the Battle of Campus Mauriacus) in 451, a Roman coalition led by General Flavius Aetius and the Visigothic king Theodoric I clashed violently with the Hunnic alliance commanded by King Attila. This battle was the last major military operation of the Western Roman Empire and the apex of the career of Flavius Aetius.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chalons

Battle of Tours.

Marked the high water mark of the Islamic conquests.

The Battle of Tours (October 10, 732), also called Battle of Poitiers was fought near the city of Tours, close to the border between the Frankish realm and then-independent Aquitaine. The battle pitted Frankish and Burgundian[5][6] forces under Austrasian Mayor of the Palace Charles Martel against an army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by ‘Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Governor-general of al-Andalus. The Franks were victorious, ‘Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi was killed, and Martel subsequently extended his authority in the south. Ninth-century chroniclers, who interpreted the outcome of the battle as divine judgment in his favour, gave Charles the nickname Martellus ("The Hammer"), possibly recalling Judas Maccabeus ("The Hammerer") of the Maccabean revolt.[7][8] Details of the battle, including its exact location and the exact number of combatants, cannot be determined from accounts that have survived.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours

Battle of Lepanto.

If the Holy League had not won, there quite possibly would be no "West". The Ottomans were poised to take the entire Mediterranean basin and complete the conquest of Islam.

The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a galley fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Venice, the Papacy (under Pope Pius V), Spain (including Naples, Sicily and Sardinia), Republic of Genoa, Duchy of Savoy, the Knights of Malta and others, defeated a force of Ottoman galleys. The 5-hour battle was fought at the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece, where the Ottoman forces sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto met the Holy League forces, which had come from Messina, in the morning of Sunday 7 October.[1] Of major naval battles fought solely between rowing vessels, this was the last in world history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_...nto_%281571%29

[Nikephoros II Phokas]

Alexander's victory over Darius III at Gaugamella is an obvious one.

[Eric]

I’m really not so sure about this one. Yeas Nelson certainly made what in any case should have been a victory for England extremely decisive, but be honest against any not completely inept British admiral does the Napoleonic fleet stand a chance?

I would rather pick some victory from Wellington’s Iberian campaign – that England could defeat the French and the also ran Spanish navy with very near parity is hardly surprising – the decisive show of British military superiority on land was however (a somewhat) novel and rather greater event to my eyes… Until than England had relied on financing continual opponents to France – that England could both, main it naval superiority and best the French on land was decisive.
.

I chose Trafalgar not only because it was a decisive naval victory, but because it ensured British naval dominance for the rest of the 19th century, and even into the early 20th century.

[Rapax]

Better yet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saragarhi

Though the Sikh soldiers were killed, I'd consider the loss of 21 in exchange for 4800 a victory.

It's also BS, at least the way wikipedia writes it. I was just thinking how ridiculous it sounds that 21 men could kill 4800 in the course of a day with single-shot rifles. That would be about 228 kills per Sikh and that's just statistical nonsense given the weaponry and the amount of time.
So I checked the source that wikipedia is using and, surprise:

The tribals later admitted to figure of 180 dead and many more wounded.
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-F...Saragarhi.html

So whoever made the article apparently thought no one would notice if he'd boost the numbers a little.

[Farnan]

It's also BS, at least the way wikipedia writes it. I was just thinking how ridiculous it sounds that 21 men could kill 4800 in the course of a day with single-shot rifles. That would be about 228 kills per Sikh and that's just statistical nonsense given the weaponry and the amount of time.
So I checked the source that wikipedia is using and, surprise:

The tribals later admitted to figure of 180 dead and many more wounded.
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-F...Saragarhi.html

So whoever made the article apparently thought no one would notice if he'd boost the numbers a little.

That number does make more sense. Thats what I get for trusting wiki...

[Kiljan Arslan]

The battle sounds like a central asian version of that battle in Zulu.

[Eric]

Kiljan, are you referring to the Battle of Rorke's Drift? Oooh, that's another great victory. And it's a great British victory, so that gives it bonus points in my opinion