Top 10 Battles That Ended Historical Wars

The American Revolutionary War

After the French and Indian War, Great Britain imposed a hard tax regime on its colonies to recoup the cost. Rankled by taxation without representation and a lack of say in their own destiny, the American colonies rebelled. By September 1781, General George Washington and his French allies had the British on the ropes. Washington marched his army south to Virginia where British General Cornwallis was headquartered at Yorktown. The French arrived by sea and the two armies surrounded the British. They pummeled British defenses for almost a month, followed by a sneak attack led by Alexander Hamilton. Cornwallis surrendered, all but ending the war. In the centuries that followed, the newly formed United States would become one of the world’s largest super powers.

The Byzantine-Ottoman Wars

Byzantium, or the Byzantine Empire, blossomed in the ashes of ancient Rome. For over a thousand years, the Empire expanded and contracted. At its height, Byzantium controlled most of the land surrounding the Mediterranean. By 1453, the Empire was in dire straits. The Ottoman Turks under Mehmed II were out to end Christian hegemony in the region. Mehmed laid siege to the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople until the city fell. The siege was a watershed moment in European and military history. Many historians consider the battle the end of the Middle Ages. Additionally, the Ottoman use of gunpowder bombards during the siege ended once and for all the viability of city walls as a viable military defense.

The Spanish Conquest

Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortés landed in Mexico in 1519 with a force of less than 1000 men. For two years, he set his sights on the Aztecs, making his way inland to the capital, Tenochtitlán. Along the way, Cortés allied with native rivals to the Aztecs. The combined force reached Tenochtitlán, one of the world’s largest cities, in 1521. Aztec Emperor Montezuma hoped for peace and let Cortés enter the city for peace talks. Unfortunately, Cortés wasn't interested, holding Montezuma hostage instead. The Aztec leader died, and Cortés fled. While the Spanish prepared for a final assault, the city was ravaged by smallpox. The subsequent 80 day siege broke the Aztecs, ending one of the world’s great empires and enshrining three centuries of Spanish rule.

The Norman Conquest

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Anglo-Saxons conquered England and ruled for hundreds of years. In 1066, Anglo Saxon King Edward the Confessor died without an heir. The throne was claimed by self-proclaimed King Harold II, a claim disputed by William the Duke of Normandy in France. William the Conqueror landed on English shores with a sizable force, thirsty for battle. Harold, leading a force of conscripted infantry, was no match for William’s calvary. At Hastings, Harold was killed in the fighting, granting William a decisive victory. The Normans culturally and linguistically influenced England for centuries, helping to forge a country and eventual empire that would touch every corner or the globe.

World War I

The Battle of Amiens was the last major offensive in World War I, kicking off the Allied 100 Days Offensive. Amiens allowed the Allies to halt German momentum and reverse it. They pushed forward seven miles on the first day, one of the longest advances during the whole war. British and French forces won decisive victories, taking a tremendous number of German prisoners. The battle caused a complete 180 in the morale of the respective sides, crippling German spirit. In November 1918, the Armistice ended hostilities. Amiens effectively finished the most brutal war the world had ever seen to that point. It began the era of armored warfare, being one of the first battles utilizing early-model tanks.

The Second Punic War

The Punic Wars were brutal clashes between the two great powers of the ancient Mediterranean: Rome and Carthage. Rome faced a deadly enemy in Carthaginian General Hannibal, who absolutely decimated the Romans at Cannae. Hannibal had marched his army - including his war elephants - across the alps. Unfortunately, this proved to be a long-term miscalculation. The Romans bled his army year after year, pushing him further and further back. By 203 B.C.E. Roman General Publius Scipio invaded Carthage itself in North Africa. At Zama, Scipio used his cavalry to deadly effect, having chosen the field of battle in advance. Scipio defeated Hannibal, crushing Carthage. It cemented long-term Roman hegemony in the Mediterranean and gave birth to centuries of the great Roman Empire.

Mongol Invasions

At its height, the Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in human history. By the middle of the 13th century, it had spread east to Korea and west into Persia. Möngke, the Mongol Emperor and grandson of Temujin, was looking to the middle east and the Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasids had created one of the most advanced civilizations in the world. The capital, Baghdad, was the empire’s jewel, the global center for science, philosophy, mathematics, and trade. In 1258, the Mongols laid siege. The city defenders quickly surrendered, but that didn’t stop the Mongols from slaughtering tens of thousands of Baghdadis. They killed the caliph, effectively destroying the Abbasid Caliphate altogether, and marking the blood-soaked end of the Islamic Golden Age.

American Civil War

A Union victory during the American Civil War was not a foregone conclusion. Many battle-tested military leaders left the Army to lead the Confederate Forces of their home states. General Robert E Lee was one of them, and he led the Confederates to victory after victory until Gettysburg turned the tide. Union General Ulysses Grant had been racking up victories in the West. By 1865, the generals were facing one another on the field of battle at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. After getting squeezed by Grant, Lee was finally forced to retreat and surrender. Grant was generous with his terms, imprisoning none of the surrendering rebels. Appomattox ended the war, ensuring that the United States would remain united into the 20th century.

The First Persian War

Have you ever wondered why marathon races are 26 miles? The organizers of the first modern Olympics looked to Ancient Greece and the Battle of Marathon. The Persian Empire attacked the Greeks, marching 20,000 troops towards Athens. The field of Marathon sat 26 miles from the Greek city-state. The Athenians placed their strongest troops on the flanks, facing weaker Persians and working their way inwards. The plan worked, and the Greeks defeated the Persians, winning the First Persian War. A courier named Pheidippides allegedly ran the 26 miles back to Athens to bring word of the victory, dying immediately afterwards from the exertion. The victory cemented Athens as a major power of the ancient world, and allowed democracy to flourish and inspire generations for centuries.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Battle of Tours (732), Umayyad Conquests
Frankish Forces Halted the Islamic Conquering of Europe & Solidified Frankish Power.

The Conquest Of Granada (1491-92), The Reconquest Of Spain
Aragon & Castile United to End Almost 800 Years of Moorish Rule in Spain.

Battle of Shiroyama (1877), Satsuma Rebellion
This Battle Marked the End of the Samurai & the Rise of Imperial Japan.

The Battle of Muye (1046 B.C.E), Zhou–Shang War
The Zhou Dynasty Conquered Shang Dynasty & Established the Mandate of Heaven

The Siege Of Jerusalem (1099), The First Crusade
This Battle Established the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem & Ushered in Centuries of Sectarian Conflict

The Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon Bonaparte proved to be one of the greatest military commanders in history; he nearly conquered all of Europe before his defeat and exile to the island of Elba in 1814. Less than a year later, he escaped and raised a formidable army. A combined force of British, Dutch, Prussian, and other German troops faced him down at Waterloo. As it had rained the night before the battle, Napoleon waited until after midday to commence fighting. It gave the Prussians time to reach Wellington and win the day. Though Napoleon escaped to France, he was ultimately captured and exiled once more. Waterloo and the British victory cemented their role as Europe’s great superpower, ending France’s dominance in Europe.


Human history is rife with conflict. If we’ve left off any battles that ended a war and changed the world, let us know in the comments below!