battle

English - Turkish

Definition of battle in English Turkish dictionary

muharebe

O, muharebede yaralandı. - He was wounded in battle.

{i} savaş

Savaş alanında defalarca kefeni yırttı. - He cheated death many times on the battlefield.

Müttefikler bazen savaştan kaçınamadı. - Sometimes the Allies could not avoid battle.

{f} mücadele etmek, çok uğraşmak

{f} savaşmak

savaş,v.savaş: n.savaş

{i} çatışma

Kısa bir çatışmadan sonra kasabayı ele geçirdik. - We seized the town after a short battle.

Biri birçok çatışmayı kazanabilir ama savaşı kaybedebilir. - One can win several battles but lose the war.

{i} dalaş

herhangi bir kampanyada kullan

teber

{i} mücadele, büyük uğraş

battle cruiser ağır kruvazör

battle cenk baltası

(Askeri) MEYDAN MUHAREBESİ, MUHAREBE: Taraflardan birinin veya her ikisinin kati sonuç aradığı, genel ve devamlı bir savaş

{f} savaşmak, dövüşmek

battle array harp safı

savaşa katılmak

{f} mücâdele etmek

{i} mücâdele

Greenpeace çevreyi korumak için büyük bir mücadele veriyor. - Greenpeace is fighting an uphill battle to save the environment.

Alzheimer hastalığı ile uzun bir mücadeleden sonra Tom geçen kış vefat etti. - Tom passed away last winter after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

battle cry savaş narası

argo huysuz kocakarı

mücadele

Greenpeace çevreyi korumak için büyük bir mücadele veriyor. - Greenpeace is fighting an uphill battle to save the environment.

Alzheimer hastalığı ile uzun bir mücadeleden sonra Tom geçen kış vefat etti. - Tom passed away last winter after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

çarpışma

Sen bütün çarpışmaları kazanabilirsin ama savaşı kaybedebilirsin. - You can win all the battles yet lose the war.

mücadele etmek

savaşım

Ben kendi savaşımı veriyorum. - I fight my own battles.

Gerçekten bir kavga istemiyorum. - I really don't want a battle.

savaşın bıraktığı ruhsal çöküntü

battle of Sakarya

(Tarih) Sakarya savaşı, Sakarya Muharebesi

battle of gallipoli

(Tarih) Gelibolu savaşı

battle of hastings

Hastings savaşı

battle of maldon

Maldon savaşı

battle of qadissiyya

(Tarih) Kadisiye, Kadisiye savaşı

battle of tannenberg

Tannenberg savaşı

battle of tippecanoe

tippecanoe savaşı

battle of wills

(deyim) İrade savaşı: İki tarafın da istediklerini elde etmeye aynı derecede kararlı olduğu bir çekişme durumu

"Only she could have dared to tell him after everything they have been through, that they were going to have a battle of wills that he could not win.".

Battle Management Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence

(Askeri) Muharebe Yönetimi Komuta, Kontrol, Muhabere, Bilgisayarlar ve İstihbaratı

{i} cadaloz

{i} geçimsiz kadın

(Askeri) MUHAREBE ZAYİATI: Muharebede meydana gelen her türlü zayiat. "Muharebe sırasında" kaydı; düşman hareketinin direkt sonucu, muharebe sırasında veya bununla ilgili olarak maruz kalınan olay, bir düşman veya bir yanlışlık eseri dost hareketiyle meydana gelmek şartıyla bir muharebe vazifesine giderken veya böyle bir vazifeden dönerken uğranılan zayiat durumunu belirtir. Buna, düşman kuvvete, veya düşman kuvveti olduğu tahmin edilen kuvvete açılan dost birliklerin ateşiyle yanlışlıkla veya kaza ile ölen veya yaralanan şahıslar dahildir. Bununla beraber kendi kendini yaralamalar, müstesna durumlar hariç kişinin gaybubeti veya isim listesinden çıkarılmış olması halinde veya görev yerinde gönüllü olarak bulunmaması halinde dost kuvvetlerin sebep olduğu ölüm ve yaralamalar muharebede maruz kalınmış olarak kabul edilmez ve muharebe zayiatı şeklinde yorumlanmaz. Ayrıca bakınız: "died of wounds received in action; nonbattle casualty; wounded"

battle casualty report

(Askeri) MUHAREBE ZAYİAT RAPORU, ZAYİAT ÇİZELGESİ: En küçük bir idari birlik tarafından hazırlanan ve komut zincirinden geçirilen Merkez Dairesi Başkanı'na sunulan rapor

battle chart

(Askeri) KIYI TOPÇUSUNA MUHAREBE PLANI: Kıyı topçu komutanlığınca kullanılan ve topların tesir sahası içindeki kısımlarla bu kısımları birleştiren araziyi, topların yerini, gözetleme yerlerini gösteren plan

battle clasp

(Askeri) MUHAREBE ROZETİ: Birinci Dünya Harbi'nde bir muharebeye katılanlara verilen madeni bir çubuk. Ayrıca bakınız: "service star"

battle command training program

(Askeri) muharebe komuta eğitim programı

battle cruiser

(Askeri) MUHAREBE KRUVAZÖRÜ: Muharebe gemisine benzeyen fakat daha süratli ve zırh kalınlığı daha az olan harp gemisi. Ayrıca bakınız: "capital ship" ve "noncapital ship"

battle cry

slogan

battle cry

herhangi bir kampanyada kullanılan slogan

battle damage

(Askeri) MUHAREBE HASARI: Teçhizat, malzeme ve ikmal maddelerinde, doğrudan doğruya düşman tesiri sonucu meydana gelen hasar

battle damage assessment

(Askeri) muharebe hasar değerlendirmesi

battle damage assessment report

(Askeri) muharebe hasar değerlendirme raporu

battle damage indicator

(Askeri) muharebe hasar göstergesi

battle damage repair

(Askeri) muharebe hasar onarımı

savaş görmüş kimselerde görülen ruhsal çöküntü

battle fatigue

savaş sonrası nevroz

battle field appraisals

(Askeri) Muharebe meydanı değerlendirmesi

battle field illumination

(Askeri) Muharebe meydanı aydınlatması

battle field interdiction

(Askeri) Muharebe sahası engeli

battle field positions

(Askeri) Muharebe meydanı mevzileri

battle for

savaşmak (için)

battle force

(Askeri) MUHAREBE KUVVETİ: Belirli filolara tahsis edilen uçak gemileri, su üstü muharip gemileri ve denizaltılardan oluşan daimi bir harekat deniz görev kuvveti. Muharebe kuvveti muharebe gruplarına bölünür

battle front

(Fiili Deyim ) savaş cephesi

battle group

(Askeri) MUHAREBE GRUBU: Grubun tayin edilen sorumluluk sahası içinde düşman denizaltı, su üstü ve hava kuvvetlerini imha görevi ile karşılıklı destek vererek faaliyet gösteren, direkt destek de tayin edildiği gibi bir uçak gemisi, satıh muharebe gemileri ve denizaltılardan oluşan daimi bir deniz görev grubu

battle group landing team

(Askeri) MUHAREBE GRUBU ÇIKARMA TİMİ, ÇIKARMA TİMİ: Bir çıkarma hücum timi. Bir piyade muharebe grubundan ve taktik harekatı müstakil olarak yürüteceği sürece muharebe ve, geçici olarak, lojistik destek için gerekli takviye muharebe ve hizmet destek unsurlarından mürekkep, dengeli bir özel görev teşkili

battle honor

(Askeri) MUHAREBE ŞEREF ŞERİDİ: Bir şerefe iştiraki göstermek üzere, bir birliğe veya bir şahsa verilen mükafat. Muharebeye iştirak ettiğini belirtmek veya birlik madalyası ile taltif edildiğini göstermek üzere, bir birlik bayrak gönderine, sancağına, makam forsuna takılan şerit veya kurdele

battle injury

(Askeri) muharebe yaralanması

battle injury

(Askeri) MUHAREBE YARASI: Doğrudan doğruya düşman tesiriyle alınan yara. Kazalardan ileri gelen yaralı, harpte alınsalar dahi, muharebe yarası olarak kabul edilemez

battle management; beachmaster

(Askeri) muharebe yönetimi ; Kıyı lojistik destek kıt'ası deniz birliği komutanı

battle map

(Askeri) MUHAREBE HARİTASI: Genellikle 1: 25 000 ölçeğinde, tüm kuvvetlerin taktik kullanımı için kara özelliklerini yeterli detayı ile veren harita. Ayrıca bakınız: "map"

(Askeri) MUHAREBE MEVZİİ: Esas savunma gücünün teksif edildiği mevzi. Muharebe mevzii, birbirini destekleyen bir savunma bölgeleri sisteminden meydana gelir. Muharebe mevziinin derinliği, cephe hattı piyade alaylarının derinliği kadardır. Buna "defensive position" da denir

battle position; block parity

(Askeri) muharebe mevzii; blok paritesi

battle reconnaissance

(Askeri) MUHAREBE KEŞFİ: Muharebe sırasında; arazi, düşman tertibatı vesaire hakkında bilgi edinmek üzere yapılan, devamlı bir araştırma. Muharebe keşfi; düşmanla yakın temas halinde iken, muharebeden hemen evvel ve muharebenin devamınca yapılır. Buna "combat reconnaissance" da denir

battle reserves

(Askeri) MUHAREBE YEDEK İKMAL MADDELERİ: Bir ordu, müfrez kolordu, müfrez tümen tarafından birlik yedek ikmal maddeleri ile demirbaş ikmal maddelerine ilaveten, muharebe sahası yakınında toplanan ikmal maddeleri. Ayrıca bakınız: "reserve supplies"

(birkaç kişi arasındaki) büyük dövüş

battle sight

(Askeri) SABİT NİŞANGAH: Şartların, gerçek mesafeye göre nişangah tanzimine müsait bulunmadığı hallerde, silaha uygulandığı taktirde nişancıya, yakın mesafelerdeki hedefleri, müessir şekilde ateş altına alma imkanı verecek önceden tespit edilmiş, bir nişangah ayarı

battle sight

(Askeri) sabit nişangah

battle staff; broadcast source

(Askeri) muharebe karargahı; yayın kaynağı

battle star

(Askeri) SAVAŞ HİZMET YILDIZ MADALYASI: Bak. "service star"

battle tank

(Askeri) MUHAREBE TANKI, ORTA TANK: Zırhlı Tümenin başlıca aracı. Bunlar, ağırlık itibariyle 26: 40 tonluk tanklardır. Buna "medium tank" da denir. Ayrıca bakınız: "medium tank" ve "tank"

battle worthiness

(Askeri) Muharebe gücü

basement battle

(Spor) Küme düşme mücadelesi, sonunculuk mücadelesi

uzun süren bir ihtilaf

battles

savaşlar

Yunanların hiçbiri savaşlarda Aşil'den daha iyi değildi. - No one of the Greeks was better in battles than Achilles.

Somme savaşı insanlık tarihinde en kanlı savaşlarından biriydi. - The battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

savaş tarafından deneme

wage war/a battle/a fight

(a) savaşmak

electronic order of battle; enemy order of battle

(Askeri) elektronik muharebe düzeni; düşman muharebe düzeni

senior battle staff; support battle staff

(Askeri) üst muharebe karargahı; destek muharebe karargahı

English - English

Definition of battle in English English dictionary: A habitational surname from places in England that have been sites of a battle; a town in East Sussex; A division of an army; a battalion
The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the battle, and on it alone depended the fate of every action. - William Robertson.; : To assail in battle; to fight; : To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories; The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia; A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat; A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life
The whole intellectual battle that had at its center the best poem of the best poet of that day. - Henry Morley.; {i} combat, fight, war; {f} fight, engage in combat; You can use battle to refer to someone's efforts to achieve something in spite of very difficult circumstances. the battle against crime She has fought a constant battle with her weight Greg lost his brave battle against cancer two years ago. = fight; To battle with an opposing group means to take part in a fight or contest against them. In American English, you can also say that one group or person is battling another. Thousands of people battled with police and several were reportedly wounded The sides must battle again for a quarter-final place on December 16 They're also battling the government to win compensation; A battle is a violent fight between groups of people, especially one between military forces during a war. the victory of King William III at the Battle of the Boyne. after a gun battle between police and drug traffickers. men who die in battle; A battle is a conflict in which different people or groups compete in order to achieve success or control. a renewed political battle over Britain's attitude to Europe. the eternal battle between good and evil in the world. a macho battle for supremacy = struggle; {v} to contend in fight, dispute warmly; {n} a combat, engagement, main body; Michael; battle or contend against in or as if in a battle; "The Kurds are combating Iraqi troops in Nothern Iraq"; "We must combat the prejudices against other races"; "they battled over the budget; a fight between two opposing sides during a war; See Battel, a; To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories; Fertile; If one group or person battles it out with another, they take part in a fight or contest against each other until one of them wins or a definite result is reached. You can also say that two groups or two people battle it out. In the Cup Final, Leeds battled it out with the old enemy, Manchester United; If one person or group does battle with another, they take part in a battle or contest against them. You can also say that two people or groups do battle. the notorious Montonero guerrilla group who did battle with the army during the dirty war; a set of related tactical engagements that last longer and involve larger forces than an engagement (FM 3-0); an energetic attempt to achieve something; "getting through the crowd was a real struggle"; "he fought a battle for recognition"; A mode of playing two players Both players' arrows begin overlapped in the center at the bottom of the screen and branch outwards to the appropriate player's side Introduced in 4th mix; Dagor (Ndak-); To battle means to try hard to do something in spite of very difficult circumstances. In British English, you battle against something or with something. In American English, you battle something. Doctors battled throughout the night to save her life. a lone yachtsman returning from his months of battling with the elements In Wyoming, firefighters are still battling the two blazes. = fight + battler battlers bat·tler If anyone can do it, he can. He's a battler and has a strong character. see also pitched battle, running battle; a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement"; (99/12/30) not "How are you?" but : How's the battle? How's your battle this year? What's up? What's new? Any good news? How's life? Are you winning? (reference : Monday Nikkei 99/12/20 s41); If you say that something is half the battle, you mean that it is the most important step towards achieving something. Choosing the right type of paint for the job is half the battle; If you are fighting a losing battle, you are trying to achieve something but are not going to be successful. The crew fought a losing battle to try to restart the engines. on a day when the sun is fighting a losing battle against the lowering clouds; If you say that someone has lost the battle, but won the war, you mean that although they have been defeated in a small conflict they have won a larger, more important one of which it was a part. If you say that someone has won the battle but lost the war, you mean that they have won the small conflict but lost the larger one. The strikers may have won the battle, but they lost the war. Actium Battle of Adrianople Battle of Battle of Hadrianopolis Adwa Battle of Battle of Adowa Aegospotami Battle of Agincourt Battle of Antietam Battle of Atlantic Battle of the Austerlitz Battle of Balaklava Battle of Bannockburn Battle of Blenheim Battle of Borodino Battle of Bosworth Field Battle of Bouvines Battle of Boyne Battle of the Brandywine Battle of the Britain Battle of Buena Vista Battle of Bulge Battle of the Bunker Hill Battle of Cannae Battle of Caporetto Battle of Carrhae Battle of Cerro Gordo Battle of Chaeronea Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Châteauguay Battle of Chattanooga Battle of Chickamauga Battle of Chippewa Battle of Contreras Battle of Copenhagen Battle of Crécy Battle of Culloden Battle of Dien Bien Phu Battle of Dorylaeum Battle of Fallen Timbers Battle of Flodden Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Friedland Battle of Gaugamela Battle of Germantown Battle of Gettysburg Battle of Granicus Battle of the Hastings Battle of Ipsus Battle of Issus Battle of Jutland Battle of Karbala' Battle of Kings Mountain Battle of Königgrätz Battle of Battle of Sadowa Kosovo Battle of Kursk Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa Battle of Battle of Al Uqab Lechfeld Battle of Leipzig Battle of Battle of the Nations Lepanto Battle of Leyte Gulf Battle of Little Bighorn Battle of the Magenta Battle of Maldon Battle of Manila Bay Battle of Manzikert Battle of Marathon Battle of Marengo Battle of Marne First Battle of the Marne Second Battle of the Marston Moor Battle of Midway Battle of Mobile Bay Battle of Monitor and Merrimack Battle of the Munda Battle of Naseby Battle of Navarino Battle of Nemea Battle of New Orleans Battle of Nicopolis Battle of Nile Battle of the Novara Battle of Pharsalus Battle of Philippine Sea Battle of the Plataea Battle of Poitiers Battle of Poltava Battle of Pydna Battle of Qadisiyyah Battle of Quebec Battle of Roncesvalles Battle of Battle of Roncevaux Salamis Battle of Sedan Battle of Shiloh Battle of Solferino Battle of Somme Battle of the Stalingrad Battle of Tannenberg Battle of Thames Battle of the Thapsus Battle of Thermopylae Battle of Ticonderoga Battle of Tippecanoe Battle of Tours/Poitiers Battle of Trafalgar Battle of Tsushima Battle of Ulm Battle of Varna Battle of Verdun Battle of Wagram Battle of Waterloo Battle of White Mountain Battle of Wilderness Battle of the Zama Battle of; Magic Mastery-Deeper training in your school of magic opens up more spells from your school for you to use (Sorcerer) Level 1- Cost: 500XP Level 2- Cost: 750XP Level 3- Cost: 1,125XP Level 4- Cost: 1,500XP Must have 75 Intelligence Level 5- Cost: 2,250XP Level 6- Cost: 3,375XP Level 7- Cost: 5,000XP Must have 100 Intelligence Level 8- Cost: 7,500XP Level 9- Cost: 11,250XP Level 10- Cost: 14,000XP Must have 150 Intelligence; To assail in battle; to fight; an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); "the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph"--Thomas Paine; "police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs"; n a fight between opposing armed forces; (v) To compete, usually with freestyle rapping, sometimes with DJing, breakdancing or graffiti In terms of performance, the winner is the one who pulls the biggest audience
Battle of Alberta: the competition between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames NHL teams
Battle of Alberta: the competition between the Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders CFL teams
Battle of Britain: A series of air engagements between the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the German Luftwaffe during World War II for air superiority over the United Kingdom prior to any German invasion of the islands
Battle of Ontario: the competition between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators NHL teams
Battle of Quebec: any of several military battles in and around Quebec City
Battle of Quebec: the competition between the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec City Nordiques NHL teams
battle axe: An ancient military weapon
battle axe: A formidable or belligerent woman
battle axe: This weapon borne on arms as a mark of prowess
battle axes: plural form of battle axe
battle bus: A bus that is used as a mobile office and publicity centre by a politician or party during the run-up to an election
battle cries: plural form of battle cry
battle cruiser: A fast, relatively lightly armoured cruiser designed to act as an advanced scout of the battle fleet; a development of the Dreadnought battleships
battle cruisers: plural form of battle cruiser
battle cry: By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work
battle cry: Something the troops yell out when going to war or battle
battle fatigue: A psychiatric condition characterized by fatigue caused by battle
battle fatigues: military fatigues worn in battle, a form of battle dress
battle fleet: an operational naval task force consisting of a variety of surface combatants designed to operate as an coordinated unit; subdivided into battle groups
battle fleets: plural form of battle fleet
battle honours: The names of battles and actions in which a warship (or a previous namesake) has taken part, usually displayed on a board in a prominent position
battle it out: To fight or compete against one or more opponents, in order to decide a winner
battle line: This word needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}
battle line: The notional line on either side of which opposing forces are arrayed
battle of the sexes: any competition between males and females
Tina thought battles of the sexes were downright stupid.
battle of the sexes: A situation in which two people want to do different things, but do them together
battle rapper: a person who participates in a freestyle battle attempting to insult his opponent by using witty improvised rapping
battle royal: A heated discussion
battle royal: A fight involving three or more people, fought until one person (or sometimes team or faction) is left standing
battle stations: An alert aboard a ship, usually a naval warship, summoning the crew to man all weapons and all stations
battle-ax: An axe, used in combat as a weapon; usually large and often double-headed
battle-ax: A belligerent and often unattractive person, especially a woman
Naturally, she deeply resented having been called a battle-ax.
battle-cruiser: In fiction, a warship of intermediate capability between cruisers and battleships
battle-cruiser: A type of warship equal in size or larger than a battleship, and of greater speed, but with less armour and fewer guns. Introduced ca. 1908 and forming the leading squadrons of WWI battle fleets but obsolescent by WWII, having been replaced by the "fast battleship" type
battle-damaged: Damaged during battle; showing any damage from battle
battle-royal: Alternative spelling of battle royal
battle-sark: Complete set of clothes used for body protection in battle, armour
My battle-sark braided, brilliantly gilded.
battle-array: {n} an array, form or order of battle
battle-ax: {n} a weapon used in battle, a long bill
Battle of Lepanto: (Tarih) The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of southern European Catholic maritime states, decisively defeated the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire in five hours of fighting on the northern edge of the Gulf of Corinth, off western Greece. The Ottoman forces sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto (Turkish: İnebahtı; Greek: Ναύπακτος or Έπαχτος Naupaktos or Épahtos) met the Holy League forces, which had come from Messina
battle of Chaldiran: (Tarih) The Battle of Chaldiran (also Chaldoran or Çaldıran) occurred on 23 August 1514 and ended with a decisive victory for the Ottoman Empire over the Safavids. As a result the Ottomans gained control over the north western part of Iran. The Ottomans had a larger, better equipped army numbering 100,000[3] to 200,000, while the Iranians numbered some 40,000. Shah Ismail I was wounded and almost captured in the conflict
battle of wills: (deyim) A situation in which there are two competing people or groups, and both sides are equally determined to get what they want
I'm sure there was some point to the original dispute but it's become a battle of wills over the months.
battle station: The position taken by military personnel in preparation for battle
Battle Creek: A city of southern Michigan east of Kalamazoo. Breakfast cereals and other food products are important to its economy. Population: 53,540
Battle for Leyte Gulf: {i} series of World War II battles between American and Japanese forces that took place near the Philippines in 1944
Battle of Actium: (31 BC) Naval battle off Acarnania, Greece, between Octavian (later Augustus) and Mark Antony. With 500 ships and 70,000 infantry, Antony camped at Actium, between the Ionian Sea and the Ambracian Gulf. Octavian, with 400 ships and 80,000 infantry, cut Antony's line of communication from the north. Desertion by allies and a lack of supplies forced Antony to act. Outmaneuvered on land, he followed Cleopatra's advice to attack Octavian at sea. Antony's larger fleet included his own and Cleopatra's ships. In the heat of battle Cleopatra fled with her galleys, and Antony followed with a few ships. His fleet surrendered immediately, his army a week later. Octavian's victory left him undisputed ruler of the Roman world
Battle of Adrianople: or Battle of Hadrianopolis (AD 378) Battle fought in what is now Edirne, Tur. , that marked the beginning of serious Germanic incursions into Roman territory. It pitted the Roman army under the emperor Valens against the horsemen of the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and other Germanic tribes. The Roman army was annihilated and Valens died on the battlefield. His successor, Theodosius I, and the Goths agreed in 382 that the Goths would help with imperial defenses in exchange for food subsidies. The treaty set the pattern for later barbarian intrusions
Battle of Adwa: or Battle of Adowa (March 1, 1896) Military clash at Adwa, in north-central Ethiopia, between the Ethiopian army of King Menilek II and Italian forces. The decisive Ethiopian victory produced independence for Ethiopia and checked Italy's attempt to build an empire in Africa comparable to that of the French or British. The colony of Eritrea was carved out in the ensuing peace negotiations
Battle of Aegospotami: (405 BC) Naval victory of Sparta over Athens in the final battle of the Peloponnesian War. The Spartans under Lysander surprised the Athenians at anchor off Aegospotami, in Thrace, and defeated them decisively. The Athenians escaped with only 20 of 180 ships, and the Spartans put almost 4,000 captured Athenians to death. The victory led the Spartans to march on Athens, and the Athenians surrendered in 404 BC
Battle of Agincourt: (October 25, 1415) Battle resulting in the decisive victory of the English over the French in the Hundred Years' War. In pursuit of his claim to the French throne, Henry V invaded Normandy with an army of 11,000 men in August 1415. The English took Harfleur in September, but with their forces cut in half by battle and disease, they resolved to return to England. At Agincourt they were cornered by a French army of 20,000-30,000 men, including many mounted knights in heavy armor. On a cramped battlefield where the superior French numbers offered little advantage, Henry made skillful use of his lightly equipped, mobile archers. The French were disastrously defeated, losing over 6,000 men, while the English lost fewer than 450
Battle of Antietam: {i} Battle of Sharpsburg, bloodiest one-day battle of the American Civil War that took place on September 17th 1862
Battle of Antietam: (Sept. 17, 1862) Decisive and bloody battle of the American Civil War that halted the Confederate advance on Maryland. Following victory in the Second Battle of Bull Run, Gen. Robert E. Lee moved his troops into Maryland with an eye to capturing Washington, D.C. They were stopped by Union troops under George B. McClellan at Antietam Creek, Md. Confederate casualties numbered some 13,700, and Union losses were about 12,400. McClellan was criticized for allowing Lee's forces to retreat to Virginia, but the victory encouraged Pres. Abraham Lincoln to issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
Battle of Austerlitz: (Dec. 2, 1805) First engagement of the War of the Third Coalition and one of Napoleon's greatest victories. In the battle, fought near Austerlitz in Moravia (now Slavkov u Brna, Czech Rep.), Napoleon's 68,000 troops defeated almost 90,000 Russians and Austrians under Russia's Alexander I and Mikhail Kutuzov. Also called the Battle of the Three Emperors, Napoleon's resounding victory forced Austria's Francis I to conclude the Treaty of Pressburg, ceding Venetia to the French kingdom in Italy and temporarily ending the anti-French alliance. See also Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Balaklava: (Oct. 25, 1854) Indecisive military engagement of the Crimean War. The Russians sought to capture the Black Sea supply port of Balaklava, which was controlled by the British, French, and Turks. The Russians occupied positions on the heights above a nearby valley. To disrupt the Russian troop movements, Baron Raglan gave an ambiguous order for Lord Cardigan's Light Brigade to attack. Instead of leading his cavalry against the Russian guns on the heights, Cardigan swept down the valley after the retreating Russian cavalry. The battle ended with the loss of 40% of the Light Brigade and inspired the 1855 poem "Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Battle of Bannockburn: (June 23-24, 1314) Decisive battle in Scottish history, at which the Scots under Robert the Bruce (later Robert I) defeated the English under Edward II. The Scots were outnumbered three to one by the English soldiers, but they triumphed through masterly use of terrain, forcing the English onto a cramped, marshy battlefield with little room to maneuver. The English forces were put to flight, and many were slaughtered by the pursuing Scots. The victory cleared the last English troops from Scotland and secured Scottish independence, confirming Robert as king of the Scots
Battle of Blenheim: (Aug. 13, 1704) Famous victory of the duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy against the French in the War of the Spanish Succession, fought at Blenheim (now Blindheim) on the Danube River in Bavaria. English and Austrian troops led by Marlborough and Eugene surprised the unprepared French and Bavarian forces, broke through their centre, and captured 13,000 of their troops; another 18,000 were killed, wounded, or drowned. The French army suffered its first major defeat in more than50 years, and Bavaria was removed from the war
Battle of Borodino: (Sept. 7, 1812) Bloody battle of the Napoleonic Wars, fought during Napoleon's invasion of Russia, near the town of Borodino, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Moscow. Napoleon's 130,000 troops won a narrow victory over 120,000 Russians under Mikhail Kutuzov. The Russians suffered about 45,000 dead and wounded, while the French lost about 30,000 men. The victory allowed Napoleon to occupy Moscow
Battle of Bosworth Field: (Aug. 22, 1485) Final battle in the English Wars of the Roses. It was fought between the forces of King Richard III of York and the contender for the crown, Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) of Lancaster. The battle occurred when Henry returned from exile, landing with an army at Milford Haven and meeting Richard's forces 12 mi (19 km) west of Leicester. The king's men were defeated and put to flight, and Richard was unhorsed and killed in a bog (a scene depicted in William Shakespeare's Richard III). The battle established the Tudor dynasty on the English throne
Battle of Bouvines: (July 27, 1214) Decisive victory won by the French king Philip II over an international coalition that included Emperor Otto IV, King John of England, and several powerful French vassals. Fought in the marshy plain between Bouvines and Tournai in Flanders, the battle was furiously contested but ended in a clear French victory. It confirmed Philip's possession of French lands formerly held by the English and added to the power and prestige of the French monarchy. John's defeat increased the opposition of his barons
Battle of Britain: the name used for the fights between German and British aircraft in 1940, when British aircraft tried to prevent German aircraft from dropping bombs on British cities. (June 1940-April 1941) Series of intense raids directed against Britain by the German air force in World War II. The air attacks, intended to prepare the way for a German invasion, were directed against British ports and RAF bases. In September 1940 the attacks turned to London and other cities in a "blitz" of bombings for 57 consecutive nights, which was followed by intermittent raids until April 1941. The RAF was outnumbered but succeeded in blocking the German air force through superior tactics, advanced air defenses, and the penetration of German secret codes
Battle of Britain: World War II air battle in 1940 between the British Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe in the skies over Britain (sparked by a German attempt to invade Britain)
Battle of Buena Vista: v. Battle fought in 1847 near Monterrey, Mexico, in the Mexican War. A U.S. force of 5,000 commanded by Gen. Zachary Taylor and assisted by Jefferson Davis invaded northern Mexico and engaged a Mexican force of 14,000 under Gen. Antonio Santa Anna. The U.S. forces repulsed the Mexican attack, and the Mexicans retreated with 1,500 casualties. Taylor's victory helped him win the 1848 U.S. presidential election
Battle of Bunker Hill: first major battle of the American Revolutionary War which took place on the 17th of June 1775
Battle of Bunker Hill: Important colonial victory early in the American Revolution. Two months after the battles of Lexington and Concord, more than 15,000 colonial troops assembled near Boston to prevent the British army from occupying several hills around the city. The colonists fortified Bunker Hill (originally Breed's Hill) across the Charles River from Boston. Though they withstood a cannonade from British ships in Boston Harbor on June 17, 1775, and fought off assaults by 2,300 British troops, they were eventually forced to retreat. British casualties (about 1,000) and the colonists' fierce resistance convinced the British that subduing the rebels would be difficult
Battle of Cannae: (216 BC) Major battle near the ancient village of Cannae, in Apulia, southeastern Italy, during the Second Punic War. The Romans, with 80,000 men, met the 50,000 Carthaginian and allied African, Gallic, and Spanish troops under Hannibal's command and were crushed by them. Hannibal's troops gradually surrounded their foes and annihilated them in a classic example of the "double envelopment" maneuver. Roman losses exceeded 65,000 men, while the Carthaginians lost only about 6,000
Battle of Caporetto: (Oct. 24, 1917) Italian military disaster in World War I in which Italian troops retreated before an Austro-German offensive near Trieste on the Isonzo front (see Battles of the Isonzo). More than 600,000 Italian soldiers either deserted or surrendered. The defeat prompted Italy's allies, France and Britain, to send reinforcements and eventually to establish the Supreme War Council to unify the Allied war effort
Battle of Carrhae: (53 BC) Battle that stopped the Roman invasion of Parthian Mesopotamia (see Parthia). The Romans were led by Crassus, who wanted a victory to balance those of his fellow triumvirs Pompey and Julius Caesar. With seven legions (about 44,000 men) but little cavalry, he was defeated in the desert by 10,000 mounted Parthian archers and was killed while trying to negotiate. His defeat damaged Roman prestige, and his death gave impetus to Caesar's quest for power
Battle of Cerro Gordo: Confrontation between U.S. and Mexican troops in April 1847 when U.S. forces under Winfield Scott first met serious resistance in the Mexican War. As Scott's army marched from Veracruz to Mexico City, it attacked an entrenched Mexican force of 12,000 under Antonio Santa Anna at a mountain pass near Cerro Gordo. Scott's troops routed the Mexicans, who left 1,130 casualties; the U.S. lost 63 men
Battle of Chaeronea: (338 BC) Battle in Boeotia, central Greece, in which Philip II of Macedonia defeated Thebes and Athens. The victory, partly credited to Philip's young son Alexander the Great, gave Macedonia a foothold in Greece and represented a start toward Alexander's eventual empire
Battle of Chancellorsville: Military engagement of the American Civil War. In May 1863 near Chancellorsville, Va., the Union army in Virginia, led by Joseph Hooker, attempted to encircle and destroy the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by Robert E. Lee. The Union army was surprised by a flanking force under the command of Stonewall Jackson. Three days of fighting ended in a Union retreat north of the Rappahannock River. The Union army lost more than 17,000 men in a force of 130,000; the Confederate army lost more than 12,000, including Jackson, in a force of 60,000
Battle of Chattanooga: (Nov. 23-25, 1863) Decisive engagement of the American Civil War. The battle was fought at Chattanooga, Tenn., a vital railroad junction. A Confederate army under Braxton Bragg besieged a Union army in September 1863, and to lift the siege, Union troops under Ulysses S. Grant marched on Bragg's troops. At battles on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, the Union troops forced the Confederate army to retreat. With this victory, the North was poised to split the South horizontally by marching across Georgia to the sea. See also Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga: (Sept. 19-20, 1863) Engagement in the American Civil War fought over control of the railroad centre of nearby Chattanooga, Tenn. Confederate forces under Braxton Bragg and James Longstreet attacked Union forces under William Rosecrans. After two days of fierce fighting, most of the Union army withdrew in disorder, though troops under George H. Thomas withstood the assault until the assistance of a reserve corps made possible an orderly withdrawal to Chattanooga. Casualties numbering 16,000 Union and 18,000 Confederate troops made this one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Bragg and the Confederate force did not follow up their victory, and the subsequent Battle of Chattanooga reversed the results
Battle of Chippewa: (July 5, 1814) Engagement in the War of 1812 that restored U.S. military morale. After U.S. troops under Winfield Scott captured Fort Erie, N.Y., they began to push north into Canada. A British force marched south from Fort George and attacked them at Chippewa. The British were defeated, suffering 604 casualties to 335 for the U.S
Battle of Châteauguay: (Oct. 26, 1813) Engagement in the War of 1812, in which the British compelled a U.S. force to abandon an attack on Montreal. An advance unit of 1,500 men from an invading U.S. force of about 4,000 troops under Wade Hampton was stopped at Châteauguay, Que., by British troops (most of them French Canadians) who occupied the woods along the riverbank. The battle was followed by the withdrawal of the U.S. force from Canada
Battle of Contreras: (Aug. 19-20, 1847) Decisive engagement between U.S. and Mexican troops in the Mexican War. On its march to Mexico City, the U.S. force under Winfield Scott was blocked by a Mexican force and detoured via a difficult road across lava beds held by another Mexican force. After an engagement that lasted less than 20 minutes, Scott's troops gained control of several roads to Mexico City. They then captured the main Mexican army of Antonio Santa Anna at Churubusco
Battle of Copenhagen: (April 2, 1801) British naval victory over Denmark in the Napoleonic Wars. The armed-neutrality treaty of 1794 between Denmark and Sweden, to which Russia and Prussia adhered in 1800, was considered a hostile act by England. In 1801 a detachment of the British navy was sent to Copenhagen. After a fierce battle in the harbor, Adm. Horatio Nelson, ignoring orders to withdraw from the fleet commander, Sir Hyde Parker, instead continued to destroy most of the Danish fleet. Danish losses amounted to some 6,000 dead and wounded, six times those of the British. Denmark subsequently withdrew from the neutrality treaty
Battle of Culloden: (April 16, 1746) Last battle of the "Forty-five Rebellion," which took place on a moor near Inverness, Scot. The Jacobites, under Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, were defeated by British forces under the duke of Cumberland. Some 1,000 of the Young Pretender's army of 5,000 were killed by the 9,000 Redcoats, who lost only 50 men. The battle, which lasted only 40 minutes, marked the end of any serious attempt to restore the house of Stuart to the British throne
Battle of Didgori: {i} battle that was fought between the Georgian and Turkish troops in 1122 at Didgori
Battle of Dien Bien Phu: (1953-54) Decisive engagement in the first of the Indochina wars (1946-54) that marked the end of French involvement in Southeast Asia. The French fought the Viet Minh (Lien Viet) for control of a small mountain outpost near Laos. The French occupied the outpost, but the Vietnamese cut all the roads into it, leaving the French to rely on air supplies. Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap then attacked the base with heavy artillery and a force of 40,000 men; the base fell to him despite heavy U.S. aid to the French
Battle of Dorylaeum: (July 1, 1097) Battle in which a combined force of crusaders and Byzantines defeated an army of Seljuq Turks in Anatolia. The crusaders later captured Antioch. See also Crusades
Battle of Fallen Timbers: (Aug. 20, 1794) Decisive victory of U.S. Gen. Anthony Wayne over the northwestern Indian Confederation, securing white settlement of former Indian territory, mainly in Ohio. Wayne led more than 1,000 soldiers to confront the 2,000 Indians, who had been promised British support and who had gathered behind a protective tangle of fallen trees along the Maumee River (near modern Toledo). The Indians, abandoned by the British, fled in disarray. A treaty in 1795 ceded Indian lands to the U.S. and ended British influence in the area
Battle of Fallen Timbers: battle between white American settlers and American Indians that took place in the Maumee River Valley in 1794 (in present-day Ohio)
Battle of Finland: series of World War II battles fought by Finland and the Soviet Union during the years of 1939 and 1940 (sparked by Soviet attempts to invade Finland and annex Finnish territory)
Battle of Flodden: By nightfall the Scottish army had been annihilated and James was dead, together with more than 10,000 of his subjects
Battle of Flodden: (Sept. 9, 1513) English victory over the Scots, fought in Flodden Field, near Branxton, Northumberland, Eng. To honour his alliance with France and divert troops from the main English army, then in France under Henry VIII, James IV of Scotland crossed the English border on August 22 with an army of about 30,000 men supported by artillery. Henry's lieutenant, the future 3rd duke of Norfolk, gathered an army of 20,000 and issued a challenge to James, who agreed to fight on September
Battle of Fredericksburg: (Dec. 13, 1862) Engagement of the American Civil War fought at Fredericksburg, Va. , that resulted in a decisive victory for the Confederate forces. Over 120,000 Union troops under Ambrose E. Burnside were met at Fredericksburg by an entrenched Confederate force of 78,000 under Robert E. Lee. The Union attack failed, resulting in more than 12,500 casualties compared to 5,000 for the Confederates. Burnside was relieved of his command, and the victory restored Confederate morale lost after the defeat in the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Friedland: (June 14, 1807) Victory against Russia for Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars that led to the Peace of Tilsit. Near Friedland in eastern Prussia (modern Pravdinsk, Russia), an isolated French corps, greatly outnumbered, held off Russian attacks for nine hours while Napoleon concentrated his forces. He then attacked with 65,000 men, pushing half the Russian army into the village of Friedland, where they were killed or captured. A Prussian ally withdrew his forces from Königsberg, which the French then occupied
Battle of Gaugamela: (331 BC) Clash between the forces of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia that brought the fall of the Persian empire. Attempting to stop Alexander's incursions, Darius prepared a battleground on the Plain of Gaugamela in present-day Iraq and, with his much larger army, waited for Alexander. His plans were undone by Alexander's brilliant tactics; when Darius saw defeat was imminent, he fled and his army was cut down. Alexander's victory gave him control of South Asia
Battle of Germantown: (Oct. 4, 1777) Abortive attack in the American Revolution by 11,000 American troops on 9,000 British regulars stationed at Germantown (now part of Philadelphia). George Washington's daring dawn raid, a four-pronged attack, failed partly because of dense fog that confused the American troops into firing on one of their own columns. Despite its failure, this and the colonial victory at the Battle of Saratoga impressed the French with Washington's strategic ability and influenced them to offer military aid
Battle of Gettysburg: (July 1-3, 1863) Major engagement in the American Civil War at Gettysburg, Pa. , regarded as the war's turning point. After defeating Union forces at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Robert E. Lee decided to invade the North with 75,000 troops. When he learned that the Union's Army of the Potomac had a new commander, George Meade, he led his own troops to Gettysburg, a strategic crossroads. On the first day of battle, Meade's advance force under John Buford held the site until reinforcements arrived. On the second day, the Confederates attacked Union lines at Little Round Top, Cemetery Hill, Devil's Den, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard. On the third day, Lee sent 15,000 troops to assault Cemetery Ridge, held by 10,000 Union troops under Winfield S Hancock. A Confederate spearhead broke through the Union artillery defense but was stopped by a fierce Union counterattack on three sides. At night under cover of a heavy rain on July 4, Lee led his troops back to Virginia; Meade was later criticized for not pursuing him. Losses totaled about 23,000 casualties among 88,000 Union troops and over 20,000 casualties among 75,000 Confederates
Battle of Guadalcanal: World War II American offensive fought against Japanese forces on the island of Guadalcanal in the western Pacific in 1942 and 1943 (resulted in victory for the American forces)
Battle of Hastings: decisive battle fought in southeastern on October 14th 1066 between the English forces led by Harold II and between William the Conqueror which ended in the the defeat of Harold II and was then followed by the Norman Conquest
Battle of Hastings: (Oct. 14, 1066) Battle that ended in the defeat of Harold II of England by William, duke of Normandy, and established the Normans as rulers of England. On his deathbed Edward the Confessor had granted the English throne to Harold, earl of Wessex, despite an earlier promise to make William his heir. William crossed to England from Normandy with a skilled army of 4,000-7,000 men, landing at Pevensey in Sussex and moving eastward along the coast to Hastings. Harold met the Norman invaders with an army of 7,000 men, many of whom were exhausted from the forced march south to meet William following Harold's victory at the battle of Stamford Bridge three weeks earlier. The English were defeated after a day-long battle in which Harold was killed. After the battle, the Norman duke moved his army to London and was crowned William I on December
Battle of Hastings: See also Norman Conquest
Battle of Horseshoe Bend: battle fought in 1814 in Alabama between the Creek Indian tribe and white settlers which put an end to the Creek War (the Creek Indians suffered heavy casualties)
Battle of Ipsus: (301 BC) Battle marking the defeat at Ipsus, Phrygia, of Antigonus I Monophthalmus and his son Demetrius I Poliorcetes at the hands of Lysimachus of Thrace, Seleucus I Nicator of Babylon, Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt, and Cassander of Macedonia. Antigonus was killed and his Asian territory lost, but Demetrius kept territory in Greece and Macedonia. The battle was part of the struggle for control of territories that made up Alexander the Great's empire
Battle of Issus: (333 BC) Battle on the Issus plain near the Gulf of Iskenderun (in present-day southern Turkey) in which Alexander the Great, on the offensive, defeated Darius III, last king of the Achaemenian dynasty. The Macedonians were said to have lost only 450 men. Darius escaped, but the victory led to Alexander's victories over Phoenicia and Egypt
Battle of Jutland: (May 31-June 1, 1916) Only major encounter between the British and German fleets in World War I, fought in the Skagerrak, an arm of the North Sea off the coast of Jutland (Denmark). The battle came to an indecisive end, and both sides claimed victory. Germany destroyed and crippled more ships and men, but Britain retained control of the North Sea. The tactics of the British admiral John R. Jellicoe were criticized at the time, but his strategic victory left the German high-seas fleet ineffective for the rest of the war
Battle of Karbala': (Oct. 10, 680) Brief engagement in which an Ummayad army sent by Yazd I killed al-Husayn ibn Al and a small group of his family and followers. Al-usayn, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was on his way to Al-Kfah, where he had been invited to press his claim to the caliphate, when he and his party were attacked and killed near the town of Karbal, Iraq. Most Shites regard the anniversary of the battle as a holy day of mourning, and on that day they ritually reenact al-usayn's death; his tomb in Karbal is likewise considered a place of great sanctity. See also Al; fitnah; Muwiyah I
Battle of Kings Mountain: (Oct. 7, 1780) Battle in the American Revolution between American revolutionaries and loyalists. About 2,000 frontiersmen were assembled to resist the British advance into North Carolina; they surrounded the 1,100 soldiers, mainly loyalists from New York and South Carolina, on Kings Mountain, S.C., near the border with North Carolina. The frontiersmen killed or captured almost all the loyalists, and the battle marked the beginning of the war's turn against the British
Battle of Kosovo: Either of two battles fought in the Serbian province of Kosovo. The first (June 13, 1389), between the Serbs under Prince Lazar and the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Murad I, ended despite Murad's death in the defeat of Serbia and the encirclement of the crumbling Byzantine Empire by Ottoman armies. The battle, which led to three centuries of Serbian vassalage, has remained a central event in Serbian history. In the second battle (Oct. 17-20, 1448), between the Ottomans led by Murad II and a Hungarian-Walachian coalition under Hunyadi János, halted the last major effort by Christian Crusaders to free the Balkans from Ottoman rule
Battle of Kursk: (July 5-Aug. 23, 1943) Unsuccessful German assault on the Soviet salient around Kursk, in western Russia, in World War II. The salient was a bulge in the Soviet lines that protruded 100 mi (160 km) westward into the German lines. The Germans planned a surprise attack to trap the Soviet forces but encountered Russian-laid minefields and antitank defenses. At the height of the assault, the Soviets counterattacked and forced a German withdrawal. The Battle of Kursk was the largest tank battle in history, involving some 6,000 tanks, two million troops, and 4,000 aircraft. It marked the decisive end of the German offensive on the Eastern Front and cleared the way for the great Soviet offensives of 1944-45
Battle of Königgrätz: or Battle of Sadowa (July 3, 1866) Decisive battle in the Seven Weeks' War between Prussia and Austria, fought at Sadowa, near Königgrätz, Bohemia (now Hradec Králové, Czech Republic). The Austrians, equipped with muzzle-loading rifles and relying heavily on the bayonet charge, were led by Ludwig von Benedek (1804-1881). The Prussians, led by Helmuth von Moltke, were armed with breech-loading needle guns; they used railroad transport to move their troops, a first in European warfare. The Prussian victory led to Austria's exclusion from a Prussian-dominated Germany
Battle of Las Guasimas: first major land battle of the Spanish-American War in 1898 (resulted in American victory)
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa: or Battle of Al-Uqb (July 16, 1212) Major battle of the Christian reconquest of Spain. It occurred during a Christian Crusade against the Muslim Almohad dynasty. Led by King Alfonso VIII, the combined armies of León, Castile, Aragon, Navarra, and Portugal found a secret route through a mountain pass in Andalusia (southern Spain) and surprised and defeated the Almohads at a site about 40 mi (65 km) north of Jaén
Battle of Lechfeld: (955) Battle in which the German king Otto I decisively defeated an invasion by the Magyars. Fought on the Lechfeld, a plain near present-day Augsburg, Germany, it marked the last Hungarian effort to invade Germany
Battle of Leipzig: or Battle of the Nations (Oct. 16-19, 1813) Decisive defeat for Napoleon at Leipzig, resulting in the destruction of what was left of French power in Germany and Poland. Surrounded in the city, Napoleon's army was able only to thwart the allied attacks. As it began to retreat over the single bridge westward from the city, a frightened corporal blew up the bridge, leaving 30,000 French troops trapped in Leipzig to be taken prisoner. The battle was one of the most severe of the Napoleonic Wars; the French lost 38,000 men killed and wounded, and the allies lost 55,000
Battle of Lepanto: (Oct. 7, 1571) Naval engagement between allied Christian forces (Venice, the pope, and Spain) and the Ottoman Turks during an Ottoman campaign to acquire the Venetian island of Cyprus. After four hours of fighting off the coast of Lepanto, Greece, the allies, under Juan de Austria, were victorious, capturing 117 galleys and thousands of men. The battle was of little practical value, since Venice would surrender Cyprus to the Turks in 1573, but it had a great impact on European morale and was the subject of paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese
Battle of Leyte Gulf: (Oct. 23-26, 1944) Decisive air and sea battle of World War II that gave the Allies control of the Pacific. After the U.S. amphibious landing on the Philippine island of Leyte (Oct. 20), the Japanese reacted with a plan to decoy the U.S. fleet north while moving three attack forces into Leyte Gulf. The U.S. discovery of one of the forces as it moved into position set off three days of continuous surface and air clashes. In the largest naval battle of the war, U.S. forces crippled the Japanese fleet and forced it to withdraw, allowing the U.S. to complete its invasion of the Philippines
Battle of Loos: major WW I battle which took place on the 25th - 28th of September 1915 on the Western Front and was designed to break through the German lines (resulted in heavy British casualties)
Battle of Magenta: (June 4, 1859) Battle fought during the Franco-Piedmontese war against the Austrians (second War of Italian Independence) in Lombardy, northern Italy. The narrow French victory over the Austrians was an important step toward Italian independence, leading many districts and cities to throw off Austrian rule and join the cause of Italian unity
Battle of Maldon: (991) Conflict fought between Saxons and victorious Viking raiders. The battle was commemorated in an Old English heroic poem, which described the war parties aligned on either side of a stream in Essex. It recorded the names of English deserters as well as those who stood fast against the Vikings
Battle of Manila Bay: (May 1, 1898) Naval engagement in the Spanish-American War. The U.S. Asiatic Squadron under George Dewey was ordered to sail from its Hong Kong base to destroy the Spanish fleet then in the Philippines. In one morning the guns of Dewey's squadron completely destroyed the Spanish ships anchored in Manila Bay. The Spanish suffered 381 casualties, the Americans fewer than
Battle of Manila Bay: Manila later surrendered and was occupied by U.S. troops in August. The battle established the U.S. as a major naval power
Battle of Manzikert: (1071) Battle near the town of Manzikert (present-day Malazgirt, Turk.), in which the Seljuq Turks (see Seljuq dynasty) under Sultan Alp-Arslan defeated the Byzantines under Romanus IV Diogenes. Romanus had assembled a large army to confront the Turks and end their forays into Byzantine-ruled Anatolia. His troops included Turkmen mercenaries who deserted to the enemy the night before the battle; the Turks destroyed the Byzantine army and took Romanus prisoner. The battle was followed by the Seljuq conquest of most of Anatolia
Battle of Marathon: (490 BC) Decisive battle on the plain of Marathon outside Athens in the Persian Wars. Darius I led his enormous army against a much smaller Athenian force led by Miltiades. The Athenians attacked with great speed, while the Persian cavalry was absent, devastating the Persian line and resulting in Darius's departure from Greece. The victory was overwhelming: 6,400 Persians but only 192 Athenians died. It is said that a messenger ran about 25 mi (40 km) back to Athens, where he announced the victory before dying of exhaustion (see marathon). In another version, an Athenian runner was sent to Sparta before the battle to ask for help, running 150 mi (240 km) in two days; Sparta refused, so Athens fought with help only from Plataea
Battle of Marengo: (June 14, 1800) Narrow victory for Napoleon against Austria in the Napoleonic Wars, fought on the Marengo Plain in northern Italy. The initial French force was overpowered, but when the Austrian commander gave up command to a subordinate in the belief that victory was secured, French reinforcements forced the Austrians into retreat. The victory resulted in the French occupation of Lombardy and secured Napoleon's military and civilian authority in Paris
Battle of Marston Moor: an important battle near York in 1644 during the English Civil War, which gave Cromwell control of the north of England. (July 2, 1644) First major Royalist defeat in the English Civil Wars. Royalist forces under Prince Rupert relieved the siege of York and pursued the Parliamentary forces to nearby Long Marston. A surprise counterattack by Parliamentary forces under Oliver Cromwell caused heavy losses to Royalist troops. With the fall of York, Charles I lost control of the north, and Cromwell emerged as the leading Parliamentary general
Battle of Midway: World War II naval battle fought by the United States and Japan that took place near the Midway Islands in the central Pacific Ocean in 1942 (resulted in victory for the American Forces)
Battle of Midway: (June 3-6, 1942) Major World War II naval battle between the U.S. and Japan. Japanese naval forces under Yamamoto Isoroku sought to seize Midway Island by engaging the numerically inferior U.S. Pacific fleet. U.S. intelligence had broken the Japanese naval code, and the U.S. prepared for the assault by mobilizing about 115 land-based aircraft as well as three aircraft carriers. On June 3 its bombers began striking Japan's carrier force. Japan was unable to match the U.S. air power and, after heavy losses, abandoned efforts to land on Midway. The battle brought the Pacific naval forces of Japan and the U.S. to approximate parity and marked the turning point of the war between the two countries
Battle of Mobile Bay: (Aug. 5, 1864) Naval engagement in the American Civil War. The Union fleet under David Farragut sailed into Mobile Bay, Ala., breaching the protective string of mines (torpedoes) and engaging the Confederate ironclad Tennessee. After a two-hour battle, the Union fleet won control of the bay. With the surrender of nearby Fort Morgan, the former Confederate port of Mobile was sealed off from Confederate blockade runners
Battle of Mons: major WW I battle between British and the German troops in the French town of Mons on the 22nd and 23rd of August 1914 (resulted in the capture of Mons by the Germans)
Battle of Munda: (45 BC) Conflict that ended the Roman civil war between the forces of Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar. The two forces met in Spain, where the late Pompey's sons had seized Córdoba in revolt. Caesar lured the Pompeians from their high ground to do battle; when the rebels maneuvered a contingent to meet a cavalry charge, it was mistaken for a retreat by their army, which broke and fled, and Caesar claimed victory
Battle of Naseby: (June 14, 1645) Decisive battle in the English Civil Wars between the Parliamentary New Model Army and the royalist army of Charles I. The two armies met near Naseby, south of Leicester, and deployed along parallel ridges. The 10,000-man royalist force under Prince Rupert drove back part of the Parliamentary cavalry but then engaged in wild pursuit, leaving the royalist infantry exposed. The more disciplined Parliamentary force under Oliver Cromwell regrouped and counterattacked, routing the royalists and taking 4,000 prisoners. With the loss of his best soldiers, Charles could no longer meet the New Model Army in open battle and effectively lost the war
Battle of Navarino: (Oct. 20, 1827) Naval engagement in the War of Greek Independence against Turkey. A fleet of British, French, and Russian ships was sent to aid Greece by intercepting supplies for the Egyptian-Turkish fleet anchored in the Navarino Bay in the Peloponnese. Shortly after it entered the harbour, the superior guns of the European fleet sent three-fourths of the larger Egyptian-Turkish fleet to the bottom and forced others aground. The defeat marked the last significant battle between wooden sailing ships and led to Turkey's evacuation from Greece
Battle of Nemea: (394 BC) Battle in the Corinthian War (395-387 BC). The conflict took place when a coalition of Greek city-states determined to destroy Sparta's ascendancy after its victory in the Peloponnesian War. The outnumbered Spartans were victorious, crushing first the Athenians and then the Thebans, Corinthians, and Argives
Battle of Neuve Chapelle: WW I surprise attack by British troops against the German position in the French village of Neuve Chapelle on the 10th - 12th of March 1915 (resulted in Britain regaining control of the village)
Battle of New Orleans: (1815) Battle between the U.S. and Britain during the War of 1812. Late in 1814 a British fleet of more than 50 ships commanded by Gen. Edward Pakenham (1778-1815) sailed into the Gulf of Mexico and prepared to attack New Orleans. Gen. Andrew Jackson, commander of the U.S. Army of the Southwest, which consisted chiefly of militiamen and volunteers, fought the British regulars who stormed their position on Jan. 8, 1815. His troops were so effectively entrenched behind earthworks and the British troops so exposed that the fighting was brief, ending in a decisive U.S. victory, a British withdrawal, and the death of Gen. Pakenham. The battle was without military value, since the Treaty of Ghent ending the war had been signed in December, but the news had been slow to arrive. The victory nevertheless raised national morale, enhancing Jackson's reputation as a hero and preparing his way to the presidency. (April 24-25, 1862) Naval action in the American Civil War. A Union squadron of 43 ships led by David Farragut entered the Mississippi River below New Orleans and breached the chain cables stretched across the river as a defense. The 3,000 Confederate troops under Mansfield Lovell withdrew northward and the city fell. The Union army under Benjamin Butler entered the city on May 1 and began an occupation that lasted until the end of the war. The loss of New Orleans was a major blow to the Confederacy
Battle of Nicopolis: (September 25, 1396) Turkish victory over an army of European crusaders. When the Ottoman Turks besieged Constantinople (1395), Manuel II Palaeologus appealed to Europe for help. The king of Hungary organized a crusade intended to expel the Turks from the Balkans and then march to Jerusalem. The crusaders laid siege to Nicopolis, the main Turkish stronghold on the Danube River, but Turkish forces arrived from Constantinople and slaughtered most of the crusaders. The battle ended international efforts to halt Turkish expansion into the Balkans and central Europe
Battle of Novara: (March 23, 1849) Battle of the first Italian war of independence at Novara, Italy, near Milan. Austrian troops under Joseph Radetzky defeated a larger Italian force under Charles Albert, king of Sardinia-Piedmont. The defeat revealed Piedmont's lack of support from the smaller Italian states and led to the abdication of Charles Albert
Battle of Pharsalus: (48 BC) Decisive engagement in the Roman civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Caesar had recently been defeated by Pompey when the two met again in Greece. Though Pompey had twice as many men, Caesar used unorthodox tactics to overwhelm him. Pompey fled and about half his men surrendered; the rest were killed or took flight
Battle of Plataea: (479 BC) Battle between Greek and Persian forces near Plataea (modern Plataiaí) in Boeotia on the slopes of Mount Cithaeron. A largely Spartan force, including helots, defeated the Persian army of Xerxes I, led by Mardonius; the victory marked this battle as the final Persian attempt to invade mainland Greece
Battle of Poitiers: (September 19, 1356) Catastrophic defeat of the French king John II in the Hundred Years' War between France and England. English troops under Edward the Black Prince were under pursuit from the probably superior French forces. South of Poitiers the English secured themselves in thickets and marshes, where the French knights became bogged down and made easy targets for the English archers. John II was taken prisoner and for his freedom had to consent to the disadvantageous Treaties of Bretigny and Calais
Battle of Poltava: (June 1709) Decisive victory of Russia over Sweden in the Second Northern War. The battle was fought near Poltava, Ukr., between 80,000 Russian troops under Peter I the Great and Aleksandr Menshikov and 17,000 Swedish troops under Charles XII. Despite the lack of reinforcements for his depleted forces, Charles besieged Poltava in May 1709. The Russians set up a countersiege line and forced the Swedes to attack. Charles planned a daring charge through the Russian line, but he had been injured, and his commanders failed to execute the attack. The Russian counterattack killed or captured the entire Swedish army except for Charles and 1,500 followers. Sweden's defeat ended its status as a major power and marked the beginning of Russian supremacy in eastern Europe
Battle of Pydna: (June 22, 168 BC) Decisive confrontation in the Roman victory over Perseus and Macedonia in the Third Macedonian War. It took place on a plain near Pydna (present-day Kítros, Greece). The Roman general Lucius Paullus (b. 229-d. 160 BC) adroitly outmaneuvered the Macedonians; their phalanx was penetrated by the Roman legions, whose short swords were more effective than the Macedonian pikes. When defeat was imminent, Perseus fled. The Romans ended the Macedonian monarchy and divided the country into four republics
Battle of Qadisiyyah: (636?) Battle fought near Al-rah (in present-day Iraq) between forces of the Ssnian dynasty and an invading Arab army. The Arab victory over the army of Yazdegerd (r. 632-651) marked the end of his dynasty and the beginning of Arab and Islamic rule in Persia
Battle of Quebec: (Sept. 13, 1759) Decisive battle of the French and Indian War. In June 1759, James Wolfe led a British force of 250 ships with 8,500 soldiers to take up positions in the St. Lawrence River around Quebec. French forces under the marquis de Montcalm withstood a two-month siege of the city. In September the British secretly landed 4,000 men near the city and forced a confrontation with French troops on the Plains of Abraham. The defending French were routed in the battle, in which both Wolfe and Montcalm were mortally wounded
Battle of Roncesvalles: or Battle of Roncevaux (August 15, 778) Basque attack on Charlemagne's army at a pass in the Pyrenees in northern Spain. It occurred when Charlemagne was returning to Aquitaine after a campaign against the Muslims in Spain, and his rear guard was ambushed and massacred by Basque soldiers. The battle is treated in the 11th-century Chanson de Roland, in which the attackers are Moors and the rear guard is led by Charlemagne's nephew Roland
Battle of Salamis: (480 BC) Significant naval battle of the Persian Wars, the first ever recorded. (Aeschylus served in the battle and wrote The Persians, which is the earliest of his works to survive.) The Greek fleet of some 370 triremes, under the command of Themistocles, lured the Persian fleet of about 800 galleys into the narrow strait between the island of Salamis and the Athenian port of Piraeus. There the highly maneuverable triremes sank about 300 Persian vessels while losing only about 40 of their own. As a result of this battle, Xerxes had to postpone his planned land offensive, giving the Greek city-states time to unite against him
Battle of San Jacinto: battle fought in 1836 in which Texas won its independence from Mexico
Battle of San Juan Hill: battle of the Spanish-American War which took place in eastern Cuba in 1898
Battle of Sedan: (Sept. 1, 1870) Defeat of the French army in the Franco-Prussian War that led to the fall of the Second Empire. At the French border fortress of Sedan on the Meuse River, 120,000 French troops under Maurice, count de Mac-Mahon, were attacked by more than 200,000 German troops under Helmuth von Moltke. After Mac-Mahon was wounded, the confused French command tried unsuccessfully to break through the encircling German lines with massive cavalry charges. Emperor Napoleon III, who had accompanied Mac-Mahon, realized the French position was hopeless and surrendered with 83,000 troops
Battle of Sharpsburg: {i} Battle of Antietam, bloodiest one-day battle of the American Civil War that took place on September 17th 1862
Battle of Shiloh: (April 6-7, 1862) Second major engagement of the American Civil War. Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant, including William T. Sherman, camped on the Tennessee River at Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. (near Shiloh Church), in preparation for an offensive. Confederate forces under A.S. Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard attacked, surprising the Union troops and forcing their retreat, though Johnston was mortally wounded. A Union counterattack the next day regained the lost ground, and the Confederates withdrew to Corinth, Miss. Both sides claimed victory, but the battle was considered a Confederate defeat. Each side suffered about 10,000 casualties
Battle of Solferino: (June 24, 1859) Engagement fought in Lombardy between Austria and an allied French and Piedmontese army. After its defeat at the Battle of Magenta, the Austrian army retreated eastward, where it unexpectedly met the allied army commanded by Napoleon III and Victor Emmanuel II. The battle developed in a confused fashion until the French eventually broke the Austrian centre line, but vigorous delaying actions left the allied army too exhausted to pursue the defeated Austrians. The battle left 14,000 Austrians and 15,000 French and Piedmontese killed or wounded. The costly battle influenced Napoleon III to seek a truce (the Peace of Villafranca), which contributed to the unification of Italy
Battle of Stalingrad: (1942-43) Unsuccessful German assault on the Soviet city in World War II. German forces invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 and had advanced to the suburbs of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) by the summer of 1942. Met by a determined Red Army defense commanded by Vasily Chuikov, they reached the city's centre after fierce street fighting. In November the Soviets counterattacked and encircled the German army led by Friedrich Paulus, who surrendered in February 1943 with 91,000 troops. The Axis forces (Germans, Romanians, Italians, and Hungarians) suffered 800,000 deaths; in excess of 1,000,000 Soviet soldiers died. The battle marked the farthest extent of the German advance into the Soviet Union
Battle of Tannenberg: (July 15, 1410) Major Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Knights of the Teutonic Order. Fought near the villages of Grünfelde and Tannenberg in northeastern Poland (formerly East Prussia), the battle marked the end of the order's expansion along the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea and the beginning of the decline of its power. (August 26-30, 1914) Battle in World War I between Germany and Russia in modern northeastern Poland. Two Russian armies invaded German East Prussia but became separated. German forces under Paul von Hindenburg attacked one of the isolated armies and forced its retreat, inflicting Russian casualties of over 30,000 and capturing over 90,000 men. German casualties were about 13,000. The battle was disastrous for Russia, but it forced Germany to divert troops from the attack on France
Battle of Thapsus: (46 BC) Decisive battle in North Africa in the Roman civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey (49-46). Caesar had laid siege to the seaport of Thapsus, near present-day Teboulba, Tunisia. Pompey was supported by the legions of his father-in-law, Quintus Metellus Scipio. When Caesar could not restrain his troops, they surged forward and overwhelmed the enemy, slaughtering about 10,000. It was the final blow delivered by Caesar against the forces of Pompey
Battle of Thermopylae: Battle in northern Greece (480 BC) in the Persian Wars. The Greek forces, mostly Spartan, were led by Leonidas. After three days of holding their own against the Persian king Xerxes I and his vast southward-advancing army, the Greeks were betrayed, and the Persians were able to outflank them. Sending the main army in retreat, Leonidas and a small contingent remained behind to resist the advance and were killed to the last man
Battle of Ticonderoga: (1775) Engagement in the American Revolution. Held by the British since 1759, Fort Ticonderoga (in New York) was overrun on the morning of May 10, 1775, in a surprise attack by the Green Mountain Boys under Ethan Allen, assisted by Benedict Arnold. The artillery seized there was moved to Boston, Mass., by Henry Knox for use against the British
Battle of Tippecanoe: (Nov. 7, 1811) Victory by U.S. troops over the Shawnee. Gen. William H. Harrison led a U.S. force in pursuit of the Shawnee to destroy an intertribal alliance promoted by Tecumseh and his brother, The Prophet. At the Indian capital of Prophetstown on the Tippecanoe River in Indiana, the Indians attacked the troops but were repulsed. Both sides suffered equal losses, but the battle was considered a victory for Harrison and helped establish him as a national figure
Battle of Tippecanoe: battles fought between white American settlers and American Indians in the area of present-day Ohio in 1881 (U.S. History)
Battle of Tours/Poitiers: (October 732) Victory won by the Frankish mayor of the palace Charles Martel over Muslim invaders from Spain. Charles led Frankish troops against a Muslim army seeking to gain control of Aquitaine. The Arab leader, Abd-al-Ramn al-Ghafiqi, was killed, and the Arabs retreated. The battle itself was part of Charles's campaign against the Muslims in the south and was not decisive. It did, however, mark the end of the Muslim invasions of Frankish territory and contributed to Frankish consolidation of the region. The Frankish victory greatly enhanced Charles's prestige and that of his family, the Carolingians
Battle of Trafalgar: {i} famous naval battle between British and French forces fought on October 21st 1805
Battle of Trafalgar: (Oct. 21, 1805) Naval engagement in the Napoleonic Wars that established British naval supremacy in Europe. It was fought west of Cape Trafalgar, Spain, between a Franco-Spanish fleet of 33 ships under Pierre de Villeneuve (1763-1806) and a British fleet of 27 ships under Horatio Nelson. As Villeneuve tried to slip out of the besieged port of Cádiz, he was caught by Nelson. The French ships formed a single line and were attacked by the English at two points. After sending the famous signal "England expects that every man will do his duty," Nelson broke through the centre of the French line and in the pell-mell battle captured Villeneuve and 20 ships. Near the end of the battle, Nelson was mortally wounded by a sniper. No British ships were lost, and Napoleon abandoned his plan to invade England
Battle of Tsushima: (May 27-29, 1905) Naval engagement in the Russo-Japanese War. As part of an assault on the Japanese navy, the Russian Baltic fleet was sent to join the Russian Pacific squadron at the besieged Port Arthur (Lüshun, China). Learning en route of the surrender of Port Arthur, the Russian admiral considered returning to Russia but sailed on to reach the China Sea seven months later. As the Russian fleet sailed for Vladivostok through the Tsushima Strait off southern Japan, the Japanese navy attacked. Its better-armed and speedier ships succeeded in sinking two-thirds of the Russian fleet. The decisive defeat crushed Russia's hope of regaining mastery of the sea and ended the war
Battle of Ulm: After several battles, he encircled the Austrians and forced them into the city of Ulm, where they faced French artillery attacks. Seeing little chance that his troops could hold out until Russian reinforcements arrived, Baron Mack surrendered on October 20 with about 50,000 men
Battle of Ulm: (Sept. 25-Oct. 20, 1805) Major victory by France over Austria at Ulm, Bavaria. In August 1805 Austria joined the Anglo-Russian alliance against Napoleon and on September 11 sent 72,000 troops under Baron Karl Mack (1752-1828) into Bavaria, an ally of France. Napoleon, hoping to crush the Austrians before Russian troops could join them, sent his Grand Army of 210,000 French troops across the Rhine River, marching 18 mi (29 km) a day to reach the Danube River on September
Battle of Varna: v. (November 10, 1444) Turkish victory over the Hungarians that marked the end of the European effort to protect Constantinople. The Hungarians under Janos Hunyadi broke a truce and marched to Varna (in present-day Bulgaria), where they fought the Turks under Sultan Murad II and were defeated; the Hungarian king Ulászló I (also ruler of Poland) was killed in the battle. The victory enabled the Ottoman Empire to gain control of the Greek Peloponnese, conquer Constantinople (1453), and reabsorb Serbia (by 1459)
Battle of Verdun: v. (Feb. 21-July 1916) Major engagement of World War I between Germany and France. As part of its strategy of war by attrition, Germany selected the fortress of Verdun as the site it believed France would defend to the last man. After a massive bombardment, the Germans advanced with little opposition for four days before the reinforced French army under Philippe Pétain slowed their advance. For two months the hills west of the Meuse River and north of Verdun were bombarded, attacked, and counterattacked. By July, Germany, which was also engaged in the Battle of the Somme, had abandoned its strategy of attrition, and France gradually regained its forts and territory. The devastating losses included more than 400,000 French casualties and nearly as many German casualties
Battle of Wagram: (July 5-6, 1809) Victory by French forces under Napoleon against Austria. In an attempt to break French control of Germany, Austria's 158,000 troops under Archduke Charles (1771-1847) were deployed along a 14-mi (23-km) front on either side of the village of Wagram, near Vienna. The attack by Napoleon and his 154,000 French troops split the centre of the Austrian line. By the time reinforcements arrived, Charles's army was in retreat, and four days later he asked for an armistice. Heavy use of artillery (the heaviest in any war to that time) caused more than 40,000 Austrian casualties and about 34,000 French
Battle of Waterloo: (June 18, 1815) Final defeat of Napoleon and French forces in the Napoleonic Wars. The battle was fought near Waterloo village, south of Brussels, during the Hundred Days of Napoleon's restoration, by Napoleon's 72,000 troops against the duke of Wellington's combined Allied army of 68,000 aided by 45,000 Prussians under Gebhard von Blücher. After the French defeated the Prussians at Ligny and held Wellington at Quatre-Bras in secondary battles on June 16, Napoleon's marshals, including Michel Ney, failed to eliminate either enemy while they were separated. Napoleon delayed his attack at Waterloo until midday, to allow the ground to dry, which enabled Blücher's main force to escape the pursuing French and join Wellington. Four French attacks on the Allied centre failed to break through, and Napoleon had to move troops to meet the Prussian flanking attack. When Ney succeeded in capturing a farmhouse at the centre of the Allied line, his call to Napoleon for reinforcements was refused. Wellington and his forces, though vulnerable after heavy losses, repulsed the final French assault and turned to advance against the French, forcing them into a disorganized retreat. The French suffered 25,000 killed and wounded, and 9,000 were captured; Wellington's casualties were 15,000, and Blücher's were about 8,000. Four days later, Napoleon abdicated for the last time
Battle of White Mountain: (1620) Decisive battle near Prague at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War. The Catholic forces of Maximilian I, duke of Bavaria, commanded by count von Tilly, defeated the Protestant forces of Frederick V, king of Bohemia. By the defeat, Bohemia lost its independence, and Protestantism was exterminated until 1648
Battle of Wounded Knee: the last important battle between the US army and the Native Americans, which took place at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. US soldiers killed almost 200 Sioux people, including women and children, and the battle brought an end to the Indian Wars
Battle of Wounded Knee: major battle fought on the 29th of December 1890 in South Dakota between white American settlers and Sioux Indians (resulted in heavy losses for the Sioux Indians)
Battle of Zama: (202 BC) Engagement in which the Romans under Scipio Africanus the Elder decisively defeated the Carthaginians led by Hannibal, ending the Second Punic War. As the Romans marched on Carthage, Hannibal returned from Italy to defend the city. He was overwhelmed by a combined force of Romans and Numidians under Masinissa. Carthage ceded Spain to Rome, gave up most of its ships, and began paying a 50-year indemnity to Rome
Battle of the Atlantic: Contest in World War II between Britain (and later the U.S.) and Germany for the control of Atlantic sea routes. Initially the Anglo-French coalition drove German merchant shipping from the Atlantic, but with the fall of France in 1940, Britain was deprived of French naval support. The U.S. then assisted Britain with the lend-lease program. Early in 1942, the Axis began a large-scale submarine offensive against coastal shipping in U.S. waters, and German U-boats also operated in force along the South Atlantic ship lanes to India and the Middle East. Allied shipping losses were severe, but the Allies succeeded in tightening their blockade of Axis Europe and combating the Axis war on shipping. By mid-1943 the Allies had recovered control of the sea routes
Battle of the Boyne: Boyne, The Battle of the. (July 1690) Victory in Ireland for William III of England, a Protestant, over the former king James II, a Roman Catholic. James was attempting, with the help of the French and the Irish, to regain his throne. In this battle, fought on the banks of the River Boyne, some 35,000 men under William defeated about 21,000 of James's troops, forcing James to flee the country. The battle is celebrated in Northern Ireland as a victory for the Protestant cause
Battle of the Brandywine: (Sept. 11, 1777) Battle in the American Revolution. British Gen. William Howe attempted to remove Pennsylvania from the war by engaging troops under Gen. George Washington on Brandywine Creek, 25 mi (40 km) from the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia. In the end, the British troops occupied the battlefield but failed to destroy Washington's army or cut it off from Philadelphia. This failure contributed to the later British defeat at the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of the Bulge: the last main attack by the German army during World War II, when they surrounded the Allies' army in Belgium in 1944. (Dec. 16, 1944-Jan. 16, 1945) In World War II, the last German offensive on the Western Front, an unsuccessful attempt to divide the Allied forces and prevent an invasion of Germany. The "bulge" refers to the wedge that the Germans drove into the Allied lines. In December 1944, Allied forces were caught unprepared by a German counterthrust in the wooded Ardennes region of southern Belgium. The German drive, led by Gerd von Rundstedt's panzer army, was initially successful but was halted by Allied resistance and reinforcements led by George Patton. The Germans withdrew in January 1945, but both sides suffered heavy losses
Battle of the Bulge: final German offensive of WW II in 1944-1945 in which Germany attempted to break through Allied lines on the Western front and retake Antwerp (resulted in an Allied victory)
Battle of the Coral Sea: {i} WW II battle in 1942 fought between the USA and Japan in the skies over the Pacific Ocean (resulted in American victory)
Battle of the Granicus: (334 BC) First victory won by Alexander the Great in his invasion of the Persian empire. Against heavy odds at the Granicus River, Alexander's army defeated the Persians under Darius III, who fled. Alexander himself charged the Persian generals, killing two of Darius' relatives and almost losing his own life. The Macedonians reportedly lost only 115 men. The victory gave western Asia Minor to Alexander, and most cities hastened to open their gates
Battle of the Little Bighorn: Custer's Last Stand, battle between white American settlers led by Gen. Custer and the Sioux Indians on the 25th of June 1876 (resulted in a massacre of Custer's troops)
Battle of the Little Bighorn: or Custer's Last Stand (June 25, 1876) Battle at the Little Bighorn River, Montana Territory, U.S., between federal troops led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and a band of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians. The U.S. government had ordered the northern Plains tribes to return to designated reservations and had sent troops under Gen. Alfred H. Terry to enforce the order. Terry hoped to surround an Indian encampment at the mouth of the Little Bighorn, but a party of some 200 soldiers led by Custer launched an early attack and was slaughtered. Government troops subsequently flooded into the area and forced the Indians to surrender
Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack: (March 9, 1862) Naval engagement in the American Civil War at Hampton Roads, Va. The Merrimack, originally a federal frigate, had been salvaged by the Confederates, fitted with iron armor, and renamed the Virginia. It sank several wooden Union warships before meeting the Union's Monitor. After a four-hour battle, both ships were damaged, but each side claimed victory. Both ships were destroyed later in 1862, the Virginia by its crew to avoid capture and the Monitor in a storm. The battle is notable as history's first duel between ironclad warships and as the beginning of a new era in naval warfare
Battle of the Nile: (Aug. 1, 1798) Battle between the British fleet under Horatio Nelson and French Revolutionary forces at Ab Qr Bay, near Alexandria, Egypt. In a plan to constrict British trade routes by invading Egypt, Napoleon ordered the French fleet to sail from its port of Toulon to Alexandria. The French eluded the British fleet to reach Ab Qr Bay, where they anchored in a defensive line. Nelson discovered the French at twilight and ordered an immediate attack. In an all-night battle, the British destroyed or captured all but two of the 13 French ships. The decisive victory isolated Napoleon's army in Egypt and secured British control of the Mediterranean
Battle of the Philippine Sea: (June 19-20, 1944) Naval battle of World War II between the U.S. and Japan. On June 19, after the U.S. invaded Saipan, Japan sent 430 planes to destroy U.S. ships but suffered heavy losses from U.S. carrier aircraft before retiring the next day. Called the greatest carrier battle of the war, it ended with the loss of over 300 Japanese planes and two carriers, while U.S. aircraft losses totaled 130, with minor damage to ships
Battle of the Somme: (July 1-Nov. 13, 1916) Allied offensive in World War I. British and French forces launched a frontal attack against an entrenched German army north of the Somme River in France. A weeklong artillery bombardment was followed by a British infantry assault on the still-impregnable German positions. Nearly 60,000 British casualties (including 20,000 killed) occurred on the first day. The offensive gradually deteriorated into a battle of attrition, hampered by torrential rains in October that made the muddy battlefield impassable. By the time it was abandoned, the Allies had advanced only 5 mi (8 km). The staggering losses included 650,000 German casualties, 420,000 British, and 195,000 French. The battle became a metaphor for futile and indiscriminate slaughter
Battle of the Thames: (Oct. 5, 1813) Decisive U.S. victory over the British in the War of 1812. After the British defeat in the Battle of Lake Erie, U.S. troops under Gen. William H. Harrison pursued retreating British soldiers across the Ontario peninsula. The British force of 600 regulars and 1,000 Indians under Tecumseh met 3,500 U.S. troops at the Thames River near Moraviantown, Ont. The outnumbered British were quickly defeated, and Tecumseh was killed. The U.S. victory ended the Indian alliance with the British and made Harrison a national hero
Battle of the Wilderness: (May 5-7, 1864) Engagement in the American Civil War. When Ulysses S. Grant planned a Union campaign to capture Richmond, Va., and advanced with 115,000 troops, he was met by a Confederate army of 62,000 under Robert E. Lee in dense thickets called the Wilderness. After two days of intense and inconclusive fighting, Union casualties outnumbered those of the Confederacy (burning brush killed many of the wounded), and Grant saw the futility of further hostilities in the area. He moved on to do battle at Spotsylvania Courthouse, forcing Lee back toward Richmond

battle

Hyphenation

bat·tle

Turkish pronunciation

bätıl

Synonyms

conflict, encounter, contest, action, assault, attack, barrage, blitzkreig, bloodshed, bombing, brush, campaign, carnage, clash, combat

Antonyms

truce, make peace

Pronunciation

/ˈbatəl/ /ˈbætəl/

Etymology

[ ba-t&l ] (noun.) 13th century. Middle English batel, from Old French bataille, from Vulgar Latin *battālia, from Late Latin battuālia (“fighting and fencing exercises”), from Latin battuō (“to strike, beat”), from Gaulish (compare Welsh bathu (“to strike money, coin, mint”)), from Proto-Indo-European *bhau(t)- ‘to knock’ (compare Latin fatuus (“silly, knocked silly”), Gothic