War is the engine of progress.
Though it is hard to say it, but it cannot be denied that the war played a major role in shaping our world. It has defined our history, created and destroyed entire countries and for millennia was vyleplivat our society.
10. Stalingrad, 1942-1943
This is the same battle that ended with the intention of Hitler to conquer the world and sent Germany on the road to utter failure. The battle lasted from July 1942 to February 1943, and by the end were killed, captured captured wounded or 1.5 million people, 91 000 German soldiers arrested, and the whole German army wiped off the face of the earth. Germany never recovered from the loss and was forced to go into defensive position.
9. Milwaukee the battle, 1942
Air-sea battle between Japan and the United States meant to the Japanese what Stalingrad meant the Germans. The plan of Admiral Yamamoto was to capture the island of Milwau small Atoll in the 640 km from Hawaii. To his surprise, he was met by the operational group of American carriers under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz. Admiral Yamamoto had lost all of their 4 carriers and several top pilots. This defeat halted the expansion of Japan across the Pacific ocean.
8. The battle of Actium, 31 BC
How could turn the history if the Navy of Cleopatra and Mark Antony defeated not so many of the naval forces of Octavian? A few hours Antony and Cleopatra lost 2/3 of its fleet of about 200 ships, and a chance to deprive Octavian of the title of Roman Emperor. Obviously not wanting to become martyrs of a lost battle, Cleopatra and mark were able to get away from the carnage and go back to Egypt to work on plan B including, apparently, suicide. Why didn’t they stay with their ships if they so wish to end it all?
7. Waterloo, 1815
The battle of Waterloo, the last major battle of the French Emperor Napoleon I, the largest of the commander of the XIX century. The battle was the result of the attempt of Napoleon to regain power in France after the lost war against a coalition of the largest European countries and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty. Of course, the little corporal has lost its former power after the failed campaign against Russia when Napoleon lost most of his army, retreating from Moscow in the terrible frost. But this is the battle of Waterloo marked the long-awaited end of the Napoleonic plans.
6. The battle of Gettysburg, 1863
If this battle was lost, General Lee came to Washington, fled to Lincoln and his army and pushed the country Confederation. In the battle, which lasted 3 to a hot day in July 1863, came 2 massive army, erased each other into powder. But the Union still occupied a better position, but a wrong decision of the General Lee to send General Chainage on center line of Union ended the greatest defeat in the history of the Confederation. Although Union losses were also significant, the North was able to quickly recover, can not be said about the South.
5. The battle of Poitiers, 732 g
Maybe you never heard about this battle, but if the Franks lost it, maybe now we have you bow to 5 times a day, Mecca and taught the Koran. The battle of Poitiers was fought about 20,000 Carolingian Franks under the command of Charles Martel and 50000 soldiers under the command of Abdur-Rahman Ibn Abdallah. Although the enemy forces outnumbered the army of the Franks, Martel showed himself an able commander and routed the invaders, pushing them back to Spain. After all, if Martel lost the battle, and Islam most likely would have settled in Europe, and maybe in the world.
4. The battle of Vienna, 1683
As in the previous case, Muslims again tried to take over Europe. This time, under the banner of the Ottoman Empire. Army in 150000-300000 soldiers of the vizier Kara Mustafa met with the Polish army of king Jan III Sobieski 80,000 people one bright day in September 1683, and lost. This battle marked the end of Islamic expansion in Europe. If the vizier attacked Vienna when he first came to the city in July, Vienna would have fallen. But since it waited until September, he involuntarily gave the Polish army and its allies to break the siege and defeat of the Turks.
3. The siege of Yorktown, 1781
Judging by the numbers, it was a rather modest battle (8,000 American soldiers and 8,000 9000й French vs British army), but when in October 1781 it ended, it changed the world forever. The indomitable British Empire was easily defeated some of the colonists under the command of George Washington, and for almost the entire war it was. By 1781, however, newcomers the Americans learned how to wage war and, asking for help from the eternal enemy of England, France, turned into a small but highly effective force. As a result, the British under the command of Cornwallis trapped on the Peninsula between the strongly-minded Americans and the French fleet. After 2 weeks of fighting, British troops surrendered. So the Americans defeated the world’s military power and gained independence the future of the United States.
2. Alminskoe battle, 480 BC
Imagine a battle involving 1,000 ships. Then it becomes clear the scale of the battle the Greek Navy under the command of Themistocles and the naval force, which was ruled by the king of Persia – Xerxes. The cunning Greeks lured the Persian fleet into the narrow Straits of Salamis, where the numerical superiority of the enemy was neutralized. As a result, the Xerxes was forced to retreat back to Persia, thus leaving Greece to the Greeks. Some historians believe that the victory of the Persians would stop the development of Ancient Greece and all of Western civilization.
1. Adrianople battle
The battle of Poitiers meant for Western Europe and the battle of Vienna for Central Europe, the same Adrianople battle meant for Eastern Europe. The Islamic troops were halted while trying to conquer the whole of Europe. If this battle was lost, and Constantinople fell to Muslims, the Islamic army would freely crossed the Balkan Peninsula and set foot in Central Europe and Italy. However, Constantinople played the role of a buffer, not allowing the Muslim army to cross the Bosphorus to take over Europe, a role that lasted for 700 years until the fall of the city in 1453
