Posted on Feb 27, 2014
Which military battle in history do you think was the most famous or had the greatest impact?
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Studying battles is a great way to learn strategy, tactics, leadership, and other important lessons. Many of the famous battles affected the outcome of history, such as the Battle of Hastings where William of Normandy conquered modern-day England in 1066 and setting the new path of the West.
Another in my opinion is Stalingrad. If Hitler would have won, it would have been more difficult to beat him since the Soviets would have not had captured hundreds of thousands of Germans and lost a key terrain.
Another for me is Gettysburg, because it was the turning point in my opinion of the civil war and D-Day. lastly, I see the Incheon Landing as a huge one since South Korea (and our samsung phones) is in existence today because of the surprise amphibious assault. What is yours?
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History (Major) Events
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 23
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I will limit my response to American History since the list of world events are too plentiful to pull out a single battle.
The Battle of Valverde near Socorro, New Mexico during the American Civil War is not well known, but it marked a serious blow to the Confederacy's potential for winning the war. The battle was fought between Confederate volunteers (with professional officers) and a small number of Union regulars with New Mexico volunteers (led by the legendary western figure, Kit Carson).
If the Union had lost this battle then it is likely that the Confederacy would have won at Glorieta Pass (near Las Vegas, NM) and moved on to Colorado riding a wave of momentum. Colorado would have fallen, then Utah followed by the remainder of Arizona (Tucson and the southern portion of AZ had already been taken by the Confederacy). With the Southwest conquered, it would have been an easy march into California and the ports of the West. These ports would have allowed the Confederacy to circumvent the Union blockade in the East and provided international legitimacy to the Confederacy.
Fortunately, the Confederate leadership (General Sibley) was incompetent, the New Mexican terrain was too difficult, and Colorado volunteers destroyed any chance the Confederacy had in the Southwest at Glorieta Pass.
Many will disagree, but this is my evaluation.
The Battle of Valverde near Socorro, New Mexico during the American Civil War is not well known, but it marked a serious blow to the Confederacy's potential for winning the war. The battle was fought between Confederate volunteers (with professional officers) and a small number of Union regulars with New Mexico volunteers (led by the legendary western figure, Kit Carson).
If the Union had lost this battle then it is likely that the Confederacy would have won at Glorieta Pass (near Las Vegas, NM) and moved on to Colorado riding a wave of momentum. Colorado would have fallen, then Utah followed by the remainder of Arizona (Tucson and the southern portion of AZ had already been taken by the Confederacy). With the Southwest conquered, it would have been an easy march into California and the ports of the West. These ports would have allowed the Confederacy to circumvent the Union blockade in the East and provided international legitimacy to the Confederacy.
Fortunately, the Confederate leadership (General Sibley) was incompetent, the New Mexican terrain was too difficult, and Colorado volunteers destroyed any chance the Confederacy had in the Southwest at Glorieta Pass.
Many will disagree, but this is my evaluation.
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CPT Jacob Swartout
Learn something new every day, thank you. I will need to read more up on this battle.
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MAJ John Oubre
That's a lot of assumptions and projections but a good history lesson on the strategic importance of the southwest to the Civil War. Generally not known...
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SN James MacKay
Most folks give little thought to the fact that the Civil War was fought on both sides of the Mississippi River. I've read a lot about the War, but confess to a real knowledge vacuum about the SW campaigns. Will have to do some looking in that regard.
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The Battle of Mogadishu - largest firefight since Vietnam and painfully taught us, once again, that despite possessing technological superiority, we can never underestimate the resolve of a rag-tag, drug induced, seemingly disorganized mob defending its home turf.
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The Battle of Salamis was fought between an Alliance of Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in 480 BC, in the straits between the mainland and Salamis, an island near Athens.
No doubt most have seen the movie 300 if they've had no other exposure to these events; to block the Persian advance in their bid to conquer Greece , a small force of Greeks blocked the pass of Thermopylae, while an Athenian-dominated Allied navy engaged the Persian fleet in the nearby straits of Artemisium. In the resulting Battle of Thermopylae, the rearguard of the Greek force was annihilated, whilst in the Battle of Artemisium the Greeks had heavy losses and retreated after the loss at Thermopylae. This allowed the Persians to conquer Boeotia and Attica. The allied Greeks prepared to defend the Isthmus of Corinth while the fleet was withdrawn to nearby Salamis Island.
Although heavily outnumbered, the Greek Allies were persuaded by the Athenian general Themistocles to bring the Persian fleet to battle again, in the hope that a victory would prevent naval operations against the Peloponessus. The Persian king Xerxes was also anxious for a decisive battle. As a result of subterfuge on the part of Themistocles, mirroring the betrayal by Ephialtes at Thermopylae, he sent an informer, a slave named Sicinnus, to Xerxes to make the Persian king believe that the Greeks had in fact not been able to agree on a location for battle, and would be stealthily retreating during the night, the Persian navy sailed into the Straits of Salamis and tried to block both entrances. In the cramped conditions of the Straits the great Persian numbers were an active hindrance, as ships struggled to maneuver and became disorganized. Seizing the opportunity, the Greek fleet formed in line and scored a decisive victory.
Xerxes then retreated to Asia with much of his army, leaving Mardonius to complete the conquest of Greece which he failed to do. Afterwards the Persians made no more attempts to conquer the Greek mainland.
A Persian victory would have hamstrung the development of Ancient Greece, and by extension western civilization, Salamis is thus the most significant battle in human history.
No doubt most have seen the movie 300 if they've had no other exposure to these events; to block the Persian advance in their bid to conquer Greece , a small force of Greeks blocked the pass of Thermopylae, while an Athenian-dominated Allied navy engaged the Persian fleet in the nearby straits of Artemisium. In the resulting Battle of Thermopylae, the rearguard of the Greek force was annihilated, whilst in the Battle of Artemisium the Greeks had heavy losses and retreated after the loss at Thermopylae. This allowed the Persians to conquer Boeotia and Attica. The allied Greeks prepared to defend the Isthmus of Corinth while the fleet was withdrawn to nearby Salamis Island.
Although heavily outnumbered, the Greek Allies were persuaded by the Athenian general Themistocles to bring the Persian fleet to battle again, in the hope that a victory would prevent naval operations against the Peloponessus. The Persian king Xerxes was also anxious for a decisive battle. As a result of subterfuge on the part of Themistocles, mirroring the betrayal by Ephialtes at Thermopylae, he sent an informer, a slave named Sicinnus, to Xerxes to make the Persian king believe that the Greeks had in fact not been able to agree on a location for battle, and would be stealthily retreating during the night, the Persian navy sailed into the Straits of Salamis and tried to block both entrances. In the cramped conditions of the Straits the great Persian numbers were an active hindrance, as ships struggled to maneuver and became disorganized. Seizing the opportunity, the Greek fleet formed in line and scored a decisive victory.
Xerxes then retreated to Asia with much of his army, leaving Mardonius to complete the conquest of Greece which he failed to do. Afterwards the Persians made no more attempts to conquer the Greek mainland.
A Persian victory would have hamstrung the development of Ancient Greece, and by extension western civilization, Salamis is thus the most significant battle in human history.
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D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, and the Attack on Pearl Harbour. With those being my choice, there are MANY others throughout history that have as much or more impact on their own merit!
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I would argue your point about Gettysburg being the turning point in the war, the South was still very determined to win even after that, but what broke their will to fight was Sherman's March to the Sea and the resulting burning of Atlanta, GA. That was the entire reason Lincoln gave Sherman the go ahead to wage total war against the South, to show them that he was willing to do what it took to win the war and that was a level of war the South wasn't prepared fight on. That for me was the turning point in the Civil War.
Now for my opinion on the most famous/greatest impact. There are several battles that have had a profound impact on our world today, 489 BC the Battle of Thermopylae had a major impact keeping the Greeks around to influence so much art and culture as well as helping develop a type of republic that we now live in. The Battle of Chalons where the Romans defeated Attila the Hun, had they lost the Huns could have sacked Rome bringing the middle ages on much earlier. Waterloo in 1815, where Napoleon was finally defeated by a unified Europe, had Napoleon won who knows how long a French empire would have lasted.Yorktown 1781 where the Colonial Army with the assistance of France defeated the British enduring the United States independence and inspiring the French to revolt against their monarchy bringing about the Napoleonic era. All of these battles had a profound and significant impact on the way our world it today, it's hard to pick just one.
Now for my opinion on the most famous/greatest impact. There are several battles that have had a profound impact on our world today, 489 BC the Battle of Thermopylae had a major impact keeping the Greeks around to influence so much art and culture as well as helping develop a type of republic that we now live in. The Battle of Chalons where the Romans defeated Attila the Hun, had they lost the Huns could have sacked Rome bringing the middle ages on much earlier. Waterloo in 1815, where Napoleon was finally defeated by a unified Europe, had Napoleon won who knows how long a French empire would have lasted.Yorktown 1781 where the Colonial Army with the assistance of France defeated the British enduring the United States independence and inspiring the French to revolt against their monarchy bringing about the Napoleonic era. All of these battles had a profound and significant impact on the way our world it today, it's hard to pick just one.
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Hanover Pa. American Cavalry engaged Rebel Cavalry and wouldn't let go. This left Lee at Gettysburg with no scouts. He poked blindly at the American defenses until his force was spent. Again and again they walked into kill zones set up by American Artillery
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The battles of Lexington and Concord. It is important to United States history and certainly famous. It is studied by middle school children in history classes. It is studied in more detail in colleges and universities. Both historians and military scholars study it. Heck questions about it even appear on Jeopardy from time to time.
It is important part of how we as a country learned how to fight and eventually defeat the British for our freedom.
It is important part of how we as a country learned how to fight and eventually defeat the British for our freedom.
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