Top 20 Battles That Changed History

31 BC
After Julius Caesar’s assassination, rulership of Rome was shared between Octavian, Mark Antony, and (for a time) Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (eye/uh-MILLY-iss LEPPA-diss). Antony married Octavian’s sister … but fell in love with Egyptian queen Cleopatra. He even formally recognized her son Caesarion as Caesar’s true son and heir. This led to civil war with Octavian, which on September 2nd, 31 BC culminated in the Battle of Actium in the Ionian Sea. It ended with Antony defeated and taking his own life, as did Cleopatra. Octavian became the first Roman emperor, taking the name Augustus Caesar and leading Rome into an era of prosperity and expansion now known as the Pax Romana (packs roh-MAWNNA). Had Octavian lost the Battle of Actium, both Roman and Egyptian history would have taken very different courses.

1781
A decisive battle in the American Revolutionary War, the Siege of Yorktown took place throughout the Fall of 1781. On one side was George Washington and France, and on the other Lord Cornwallis and Great Britain. After nearly a month of fighting, Cornwallis surrendered. This led to the Peace of Paris, which marked the end of the First British Empire, with the Thirteen Colonies forming the United States of America. The success of the American Revolution also helped inspire the French Revolution in 1789. The Western world would look very different today had Britain won at Yorktown.

624
Also known as The Day of the Criterion, the Battle of Badr ensured the survival and expansion of Islam. In 622, Muhammad and his followers fled persecution in Mecca, moving to Medina. Two years later, Muhammad sought to raid a Meccan caravan at the town of Badr. The caravan requested help from Mecca, who sent an army to the rescue, led by polytheist leader Abu Jahl (jawl). The Muslims broke the Meccans’ charge and emerged victorious. The Battle of Badr is highly regarded by practicing Muslims, as it strengthened Muhammad’s power and allowed Islam to flourish into the world religion it is today. However, the historicity of the battle is debated, as written accounts didn’t appear until two centuries later.

216 BC
Fought between the Roman Republic and Carthage during the Second Punic War, the Battle of Cannae was a disaster for the Romans. They outnumbered Carthage almost two-to-one, but suffered nearly 12 times the casualties. Led by the great general Hannibal, the Carthaginians used a pincer movement to surround their foes. Of the 86,000 Romans who fought in the battle, only about 15,000 survived. Hannibal’s leadership has influenced military strategy for millennia. The battle also changed the manner in which the Roman Republic fought. Having suffered a humiliating defeat, the Romans introduced reforms to address the flaws in their military strategy. This helped them become a stronger army and led to the flourishing of Ancient Rome.

1187
The Battle of the Horns of Hattin, as it’s also known, saw the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Crusader states facing off against the Ayyubid (ah-YOO-BID) Sultanate (sull-tuh-nate / sulta-nit) under Saladin (salla-DEEN). It was another great massacre; Saladin’s forces saw few casualties, while most of the Christian forces were wiped out. As a result, much of the Holy Land again fell under Muslim control. Pope Urban III reportedly died of shock upon hearing the news, and the Third Crusade was eventually launched to retake Jerusalem. However, it was unsuccessful, and Jerusalem remained under Muslim control for decades.

1896
By the end of the 19th century, most of Africa was under European control. The only independent areas that remained were Liberia and Ethiopia. In 1895, the Kingdom of Italy attempted to conquer the Ethiopian Empire in the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Lasting almost two years, it culminated in the Battle of Adwa. The Ethiopian forces under Menelik II (menna-lick the second) emerged victorious, leading to the Treaty of Addis Ababa (AH-diss AH-bubba), which saw Ethiopia recognized as an independent state. Ethiopia’s victory went on to inspire African nationalists fighting for decolonization as well as leaders of pan-Africanism.

1683
The Ottoman–Habsburg wars between the Ottoman and Holy Roman Empires raged for 300 years. Fought through the summer of 1683, the Battle of Vienna marked an important turning point. The Ottomans had laid siege to Vienna for two months. Allied with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Holy Roman Empire was able to defeat them and lift the siege. In the aftermath, European nations formed an alliance called the Holy League to prevent further Ottoman expansion into Europe, and in 1697, the Ottomans sued for peace. The Treaty of Karlowitz (karlo-vits) two years later marked the end of the Ottoman Empire’s imperial ambitions in Europe.

717–718
Lasting a full year in the late 8th century, the Siege of Constantinople saw the Byzantine Empire, otherwise known as the Eastern Roman Empire, defending its capital against the Umayyad (oo-MY-yid) Caliphate (calli-fate). The Muslim forces were eventually defeated, suffering heavy casualties in the process. This significantly demoralized the army, and they abandoned all hope of taking Constantinople. The result was a relatively stable division of territories that remained consistent for the next two centuries. In short, this battle effectively prevented Muslim expansion into Europe. Had the Umayyad Caliphate won the Siege of Constantinople, Europe would have fallen under Muslim control and history would look very different indeed.

1948-49
Taking place during the Chinese Civil War, the Battle of Hsupeng was fought between the Republic of China and the People's Liberation Army, led by communist revolutionary Mao Zedong (mao zuh-DAWNG). Following two months of fighting, the Republic of China Army was left devastated. As a result, the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan, while the communist forces moved north of the Yangtze River. Nine months after the Battle of Hsupeng, Mao officially founded the People's Republic of China. Today, the Chinese Communist Party continues to control the country. This might have changed had the Republic of China been victorious at the Battle of Hsupeng.

1428-29
Between the 14th and 15th centuries, England and France were embroiled in the Hundred Years' War. A turning point came when the English laid siege to the city of Orléans in central France. On 29 April 1429, Joan of Arc, a French peasant girl who claimed she was destined to rescue the country, arrived in Orléans. Nine days later, the siege was lifted. While the English still held power in the region, the French victory boosted morale, and the French army swelled with volunteers who wanted to fight under Joan. It effectively prevented the English from conquering France. The Hundred Years' War came to an end shortly after, with France victorious and England abandoning their ambition to claim the French throne.

1819
In the early 1800s, Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar fought to free South America from Spanish rule. On August 7, 1819, he achieved a decisive victory against the Royalists at the Battle of Boyacá in modern day Colombia, then part of New Granada. He credited the British Legion, composed of volunteers, with winning the day. This victory led to several others, and the ultimate outcome was the liberation of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and the creation of Bolivia. Northern South America was united as “Gran Colombia” with Bolívar as its first President. He’s known and celebrated today as “El Libertador”. (lee-bare-tah-dore)

732
In the early 8th century, the Umayyad Caliphate conquered Hispania and set their sights on Gaul, pushing their way up through what’s now southern and central France. Fought on 10 October 732, the Battle of Tours saw Francia’s (FRAN-see-uh) leader Charles Martel (french) lead his army to victory against superior numbers. If it wasn’t for his strategic prowess, the Umayyad Caliphate would have invaded deeper into Europe, and Islam would likely have become its dominant religion. Historians have credited Martel with preserving Chrsitianity, although there’s continued debate over the importance of the battle.

1916
The First World War included many famous battles, including the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Amiens (AW-myens / AW-mee-ins). But one of the most impactful was the notorious Battle of the Somme in northern France. Lasting 140 days, it was one of the deadliest battles in history, leaving one million men wounded or killed. Despite the terrible cost, the battle saw the French and British frontlines advance by just six miles. However, the bloody devastation did had an enduring impact on how the war was perceived. It included the deadliest day ever experienced by the British army when over 19,000 soldiers were killed. It signified that World War I was unlike anything experienced in human history.

1863
Fought over three days in July of 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg is considered a major turning point in the American Civil War. The third day of fighting saw the famous Pickett's Charge, a failed infantry assault from the Confederates. This defeat significantly dwindled the army’s numbers, and Robert E. Lee led his forces back to Virginia, his hopes of invading the north squashed. The 50,000 casualties makes the Battle of Gettysburg one of the costliest in American history. The Confederates’ defeat at Gettysburg cost them the north and served as a major blow to morale. The United States would look very different today had they emerged victorious at Gettysburg.

1532
Although it’s sometimes referred to as a battle, it’s more property called a massacre. In 1532, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro (pee-ZARR-roh) invited the Incan ruler Atahualpa (atta-WAL-pah) to a feast in Cajamarca in northern Peru. In a show of good faith, Atahualpa and his retinue of several thousand arrived in Cajamarca on November 16 unarmed … whereupon Pizarro’s men fired on them. Between 2,000 to 7,000 died in the massacre. Atahualpa was captured and his army destroyed. Eventually, the Spanish executed him; Pizarro made Atahualpa’s wife his mistress. The Incan Empire collapsed, its lands were seized by the Spanish Empire, and its residents sent to work as slaves in Spanish mines.

Coalition forces won many decisive victories during the Napoleonic Wars, including the Battle of Trafalgar. But nothing compares to the Battle of Waterloo. The Napoleonic Wars pitted Napoleon and his French Empire against a number of European states who banded together to defend their land. The war lasted twelve years and effectively ended with the Battle of Waterloo in modern-day Belgium. The Coalition emerged victorious, and Napoleon abdicated the throne just four days after his defeat. The First French Empire collapsed, Europe was freed from Napoleon’s control, and went on to enjoy a prolonged era of peace and prosperity. Known as the Concert of Europe, the resulting balance of power remained more or less fixed until the outbreak of World War I a century later.

1066
Even a thousand years later, 1066 remains one of the most famous years in history. Invading England from Normandy in northwest France, William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II’s forces at Hastings on England’s south coast. Harold was killed in battle, and William crowned king the following December. Hence the sobriquet “the Conqueror”. Norman rule of England saw the old aristocracy replaced, and Norman French become the language of administration - an influence that can still be seen in the English language today. It also resulted in the eventual elimination of slavery in England in favor of serfdom.

490 BC
The Greco-Persian Wars between 499 and 449 BC saw numerous notable battles. However, one of the most pivotal came in the year 490, when Athenians and their Plataean (pluh-TEE-in) allies faced off against Persian invaders at the town of Marathon. Despite being outnumbered, the Greeks secured a surprising victory, pushing the Persian forces back. The Greco-Persian wars would continue, with other important battles including those of Thermopylae and Plataea (plus-TEE-uh). But Greece’s eventual victory over the Persians all started at Marathon. This paved the way for Greece’s Classical period, where much of Western traditions in art, philosophy, politics, and science originate.

331 BC
The Persians suffered another devastating defeat in the Battle of Gaugamela in October of 331 BC. Having already penetrated deep into Persian territory, Alexander the Great’s Army of Macedon faced off a final time against the forces of King Darius (duh-RYE-iss) III. And, well, they don’t call him Alexander the Great for nothing. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Alexander’s superior tactics resulted in a stunning victory. After this defeat, the Achaemenid Empire collapsed and fell under Greek control. Alexander’s empire flourished and allowed the Classical Greek period to spread its influence throughout much of the Mediterranean world and West and Central Asia. It was the most powerful empire of its time, and effectively birthed Western civilization as we know it.

The Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 led to the liberation of France, and victory on the Western Front. But it was the earlier Battle of Stalingrad in Southern Russia that turned the tide of the war. After five grueling, bloody months of fighting, with an estimated two million casualties, the German forces surrendered to the Soviet Union on 2 February, 1943. This marked a devastating defeat for Nazi Germany and its allies. Not only did it reduce numbers and morale, it forced them to reshuffle forces throughout occupied Europe. Hitler later blamed Stalingrad for his impending defeat, and historians tend to agree with him. We might not recognize a world where Stalingrad had fallen.