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Great Military Battles (& Campaigns) in History

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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Wed Aug 31, 2022 4:47 am

Battle of Hydaspes and the long lasting legacy of Alexander the Great

For almost a decade, Alexander the Great and his army swept across Western Asia and into Egypt, defeating King Darius III and the Persians at the battles of River Granicus, Issus and Gaugamela. Next, despite the objections of the loyal army who had been with him since leaving Macedonia in 334 BCE, he turned his attention southward towards India. It was there, in 326 BCE, that he would achieve what many would consider as his last major victory, the Battle of Hydaspes (in modern Pakistan). In the view of one historian it would be Alexander at his very best - a fitting climax to his conquests of Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt and Persia. At Hydaspes he would meet a formidable opponent in King Porus, but more importantly, his military savvy would be challenged as never before by an unforgiving climate and a new, even larger foe, the elephant.

The Battle of Hydaspes has been viewed by many as an ambitious undertaking, beyond anything Alexander had ever done, but the young king understood that in order to continue his march across India he had to defeat King Porus. Alexander's initial march across India went relatively unchallenged, gaining a number of allies along the way. With the hope of avoiding a battle with the Indian king, he sent an agent to Porus seeking a peaceful resolution, but the proud king refused to pay tribute, telling Alexander that he would meet him in battle. He felt confident, believing his greatest defense lay in the river itself - over a mile wide, deep, and fast moving (unlike the river Granicus). By the time of Alexander's arrival it would be further swollen by the monsoon season and the melting snow of the Himalayas.

Timing of the Battle
Porus believed and hoped Alexander would have to either wait for the monsoon season to end before crossing or simply abandon his quest and leave. In preparation for the Macedonians' arrival, he stationed his army in a defensive position along the river and waited. While exact numbers vary, estimates place Porus with 20-50,000 infantry, over 2,000 cavalry, upwards to 200 elephants and more than 300 chariots. As in previous battles, Alexander would be facing an army that outnumbered him, something that never seemed to worry him. Unfortunately for Porus, he had underestimated the brilliance of the young Macedonian king.

As Porus had anticipated, Alexander made camp directly across from him on the west side of the Hydaspes and gave every indication he would wait for the monsoon season to end, even going so far as having large grain shipments sent in from his Indian ally King Taxila (also known as Omphis). But, in reality, he had no intention of waiting. In order to prepare for the inevitable battle, he had gathered support from many of the local rajahs including Taxila - a move Alexander had hoped would anger Porus. Alexander had also arrived at the Hydaspes well-prepared. Before marching into India, he had recruited additional troops from many of the Persian territories he had conquered, training them in the Macedonian style of fighting - a move that had angered the veteran Macedonian soldiers. Lastly, anticipating Porus' use of elephants, he added Scythian horse-archers.

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/660/battle-of-hydaspes/


With his death marking the start of the Hellenistic period, Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion and syncretism that his conquests engendered, such as Greco-Buddhism and Hellenistic Judaism. He founded more than twenty cities that bore his name, with the most prominent being the city of Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture led to the overwhelming dominance of Hellenistic civilization and influence as far east as the Indian subcontinent. The Hellenistic period developed through the Roman Empire into modern Western culture; the Greek language became the lingua franca of the region and was the predominant language of the Byzantine Empire up until its collapse in the mid-15th century AD. Greek-speaking communities in central Anatolia and in far-eastern Anatolia survived until the Greek genocide of the 1910s and early 1920s as well as the Greek–Turkish population exchange of the mid-1920s. Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mould of Achilles, featuring prominently in the historical and mythical traditions of both Greek and non-Greek cultures. His military achievements and unprecedented enduring successes in battle made him the measure against which many later military leaders would compare themselves,[c] and his tactics remain a significant subject of study in military academies worldwide.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great

The Battle of the Hydaspes was fought between Alexander the Great and King Porus in 326 BC. It took place on the banks of the Jhelum River (known to the ancient Greeks as Hydaspes) in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent (modern-day Punjab, Pakistan). The battle resulted in a Greek victory and the surrender of Porus.[a] Large areas of Punjab were absorbed into the Alexandrian Empire, and the defeated, dethroned Porus became reinstated by Alexander as a subordinate ruler.

Alexander's decision to cross the monsoon-swollen river—despite close Indian surveillance—in order to catch Porus's army in the flank has been referred to as one of his "masterpieces".[22] Although victorious, it was also the most costly battle fought by the Macedonians.[23] The fierce resistance put up by Porus and his men won the respect of Alexander who, after the battle, asked Porus to become one of his satraps.

The battle is historically significant because it resulted in the exposure of ancient Greek political and cultural influences to the Indian subcontinent, yielding works such as Greco-Buddhist art, which continued to have an impact for many centuries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Hydaspes
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:21 am

Crossing the Rhine

In 55 BC Caesar was busy preparing for his invasion of Britain. Whether his reasoning was retribution against those tribes that supported the Veneti and other opposing Gallic tribes (as he himself claimed), the search to secure more metal sources such as tin and iron, or simply increasing his fame by being the first to cross, Caesar was prepared to make the crossing when events along the Rhine intervened.

(...)

By June of 56 BC, Caesar became the first Roman to cross the Rhine into Germanic territory. In so doing, an enormous wooden bridge was built in only 10 days, stretching over 300 feet across the great river. This alone assuredly impressed the Germans and Gauls, who had little comparative capability in bridge building. Within a short time of his crossing, nearly all tribes within the region sent hostages along with messages of peace.

Only the Sigambri resisted, fleeing their towns rather than submit to Caesar. The Romans made an example of them by burning their stores and their villages, before receiving word that the Suevi were beginning to assemble in opposition. Caesar, rather than risk this glorious achievement in a pitched battle with a fierce foe, decided that discretion was the better part of valor. After spending only 18 days in Germanic territory, the Romans returned across the Rhine, burning their recently constructed bridge in the process.

With that short diversion, Caesar secured peace among the Germanics, as the Suevi remained relatively peaceful for some time after, and secured a crucial alliance with the Ubii. His rear secured, Caesar looked for another glorious Roman 'first', and moved his body north to prepare for the invasion of Britain.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby ConfederateSS on Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:22 pm

---------- Alexander the Great's crushing defeat of the Persian Empire....Speaking of Alex, Jp4fun gave the other name......I call it the Battle of Arbela...10-1-331 B.C....2353 years ago Today...... O:) ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... O:) ....
-------- Outnumbered....By the Persian Army.....On top of that...The Persians chose the battle's location..The Persian Cavalry/Chariots were the Best fighting force....I like how Alex took care of them....He had his men form like an open box....The back and two sides...With spears...The Persian Chariot would go straight into them...Alex's men would kill the horses, then the men.... Almost reminds me of Wellington forming squares against Napoleon's army at the battle of Waterloo.......
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Sun Oct 02, 2022 2:29 am

ConfederateSS wrote:---------- Alexander the Great's crushing defeat of the Persian Empire....Speaking of Alex, Jp4fun gave the other name......I call it the Battle of Arbela...10-1-331 B.C....2353 years ago Today...... O:) ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... O:) ....
-------- Outnumbered....By the Persian Army.....On top of that...The Persians chose the battle's location..The Persian Cavalry/Chariots were the Best fighting force....I like how Alex took care of them....He had his men form like an open box....The back and two sides...With spears...The Persian Chariot would go straight into them...Alex's men would kill the horses, then the men.... Almost reminds me of Wellington forming squares against Napoleon's army at the battle of Waterloo.......


The account in Wikipedia is quite thorough, imo:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gaugamela

The Battle of Gaugamela (/ˌɡɔːɡəˈmiːlə/; Greek: Γαυγάμηλα, romanized: Gavgámila), also called the Battle of Arbela (Greek: Ἄρβηλα, romanized: Árvila) took place in 331 BC between the forces of the Army of Macedon under Alexander the Great and the Persian Army under King Darius III. It was the second and final battle between the two kings, and is considered to be the final blow to the Achaemenid Empire, resulting in its complete conquest by Alexander.[8]

The fighting took place in Gaugamela, which literally meant "The Camel's House", a village on the banks of the river Bumodus. The area today would be considered modern-day Erbil, Iraq according to Urbano Monti's world map.[9] Alexander's army was heavily outnumbered and modern historians say that "the odds were enough to give the most experienced veteran pause".[10] Despite the overwhelming odds, Alexander's army emerged victorious due to the employment of superior tactics and the clever usage of light infantry forces. It was a decisive victory for the League of Corinth, and it led to the fall of Achaemenid Empire and of Darius III.


There is much more to read at the link above; of course, one can do further research and not rely on Wikipedia.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Tue Nov 08, 2022 5:24 pm

Boudica
by Ben Johnson
Britain has produced many fierce, noble warriors down the ages who have fought to keep Britain free, but there was one formidable lady in history whose name will never be forgotten – Queen Boudica or Boadicea as she is more commonly called.

At the time of the Roman conquest of southern Britain Queen Boudica ruled the Iceni tribe of East Anglia alongside her husband King Prasutagus.

Boudica was a striking looking woman. – “She was very tall, the glance of her eye most fierce; her voice harsh. A great mass of the reddest hair fell down to her hips. Her appearance was terrifying.” – Definitely a lady to be noticed!

The trouble started when Prasutagus, hoping to curry favour with the Romans, made the Roman Emperor Nero co-heir with his daughters to his considerable kingdom and wealth. He hoped by this ploy, to keep his kingdom and household free from attack.

But no! Unfortunately the Roman Governor of Britain at that time was Suetonius Paulinus who had other ideas on the subject of lands and property. After Prasutagus’s death his lands and household were plundered by the Roman officers and their slaves.

Not content with taking all the property and lands, Suetonius had Prasutagus’ widow Boudica publicly flogged and her daughters were raped by Roman slaves!

Other Iceni chiefs suffered in a like manner and their families were treated like slaves.

Not surprisingly these outrages provoked the Iceni, Trinobantes and other tribes to rebel against the Romans.

The Britons at first had great successes. They captured the hated Roman settlement of Camulodunum (Colchester) and the Roman division there was routed, the Imperial agent fleeing to Gaul.

Boudica and her allies gave no quarter in their victories and when Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St. Albans) were stormed, the defenders fled and the towns were sacked and burned! The revolting Britons even desecrated the Roman cemeteries, mutilating statues and breaking tombstones. Some of these mutilated statues can be seen today in Colchester Museum.


https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Boudica/

(...)

The Roman historian Tacitus in his ‘Annals of Rome’ gives a very vivid account of the final battle, which was fought in the Midlands of England, possibly at place called Mancetter near Nuneaton, in AD61.


(...)

Boudica was not killed in the battle but took poison rather than be taken alive by the Romans.

Boudica has secured a special place of her own in British folk history remembered for her courage; The Warrior Queen who fought the might of Rome. And in a way she did get her revenge, as in 1902 a bronze statue of her riding high in her chariot, designed by Thomas Thorneycroft, was placed on the Thames embankment next to the Houses of Parliament in the old Roman capital of Britain, Londinium – The ultimate in Girl Power!
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Wed Nov 09, 2022 4:52 pm

This Battlefield is not far from Richmond and I have visited this several years ago. It does NOT LOOK like a typical hill and I would not have noticed the slight and gradual rise in elevation if my Guide did not point this out to me.

The Seven Days battles ended with a tremendous roar at Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862. The contending armies collided for the final time that week on ground that gave an immense advantage to the defenders—in this case McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. With the security of the James River and the powerful United States Navy at his back, McClellan elected to stop and invite battle. The Confederates, elated by their victories but frustrated by their inability to achieve truly decisive battlefield results, obliged McClellan by attacking Malvern Hill.

The hill itself was a modest elevation about 2 ½ miles north of the James River. Its strength lay not in its height, but rather in its fields of fire. Gently sloping open fields lay in front of the Union position, forcing any Confederate attacks against the hill to travel across that barren ground. McClellan unlimbered as much artillery as he could at the crest of the hill, facing in three directions. Nearly 70,000 infantry lay in support, most of them crowded in reserve on the back side of the hill.

General Lee recognized the power of Malvern Hill. In tandem with James Longstreet, one of his top subordinates, Lee devised a plan where Confederate artillery would attempt to seize control of Malvern Hill by suppressing the Union cannon there. Lee believed his infantry could assault and carry the position if they did not have to contend with the fearsome Union batteries.

(...)

Late in the day, a few Union brigades and some fresh artillery raced to the hilltop in support. But in fact only a small segment of the Army of the Potomac saw action at Malvern Hill. The dominance of the position enabled less than one-third of the Union army to defeat a larger chunk of the Confederate army at Malvern Hill.

As with each of the other battles during the dramatic week, darkness concluded the action. Malvern Hill had demonstrated the power and efficiency of the Union artillery in particular. Confederate leaders and soldiers alike could look back on poor command and control as the principal cause of their defeat. The casualty totals were more balanced than expected for a battle in which the outcome never was in doubt. Slightly more than 5000 Confederates fell killed and wounded, while roughly 3000 Union soldiers met a similar fate.

Today Malvern Hill is the best preserved Civil War battlefield in central or southern Virginia. Nearly unaltered in appearance since 1862, the battlefield's rural setting and extensive walking trails offer an ideal environment for visitors to study the climactic battle of the Seven Days Campaign.


https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/mhbull.htm

btw: I will credit Duk with use of (...) to show that some details from the source was skipped and not quoted here. GOOD One, Duk. I am not sure you came up with this yourself, or if you borrowed it, but I really like it. This keeps the reading to the really important portion.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jimboston on Wed Nov 09, 2022 6:29 pm

jusplay4fun wrote:Queen Boudica or Boadicea as she is more commonly called.



My first two dogs were named for historical leaders and I wanted to name my last dog (a bitch) Boudica.
I tried convincing my daughters, and said her nickname would be “Booty” for short… but I couldn’t sell it.

When we got her from the rescue they were calling her “Leah” and “Leia” interchangeably… so I took that as a sign and decided we’d switch to fictional leaders and so she kept the name “Leia” after the bestest space opera princess of all time.

Other names tossed out as options but not really in contention…
Catherine
Elizabeth
Joan
Cleo

I liked Boudica because it’s not so well known and fun nickname.

If I get another female dog are there other names I should consider…. assuming we go back to the historical reference?

Helen?
Nefertiti?
Zenobia?

These don’t sound ‘cool’.

I could go for female leaders of movements like Susan B. Anthony (ugh!) or other famous historical females like Sacajawea…. but they need to be unique for a dog’s name and have a cool nickname.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby bigtoughralf on Thu Nov 10, 2022 3:57 am

If Boudicca's no good you could try Tomyris, she was pretty hench.

Or Mulan.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jimboston on Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:14 am

bigtoughralf wrote:If Boudicca's no good you could try Tomyris, she was pretty hench.

Or Mulan.


I was not familiar with Tomyris… how would you pronounce that?

“Toe-my-ris”?

You need to shorten a dog’s name for commands to one (or at most two) syllables that come out of your mouth easy and are easy for the dog to follow. Most stuff I’ve read say they only really follow the first syllable. So if that was her name, her nickname would be “Toe”. Not sure I like that.

Mulan would be sticking with the fictional theme… I mean I know the Disney story is based on an ancient legend/folktale but there’s no evidence of a “real” Mulan. She’s like a King Arthur in that regards. I kinda wanna get back to the historical theme.. and have Leia be my only exception. Also Milan wasn’t a leader really…

Plus if I have a Leia and Mulan people will think it’s a Disney theme.

Boudicca is my go-to… I just have to insist. When I hear the story of Boudicca in my mind I picture Xena the Warrior Princess. Even though Boudicca is in England and Xena was set in Greece that’s in my mind…

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I’ve started seeing the TV Show “Britannia” in my feed, and based in the synopsis it appears to be set in the approximate time of Boudicca and has a strong female protagonist… but there’s NO Boudicca character. I haven’t watched it yet… has anyone seen it? Any feedback?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia_(TV_series)

I’m kinda annoyed they just didn’t base it on Boudicca… I’m assuming they wanted to use fictional characters so they would have more freedom to veer from the history without people complaining…. but I’m disappointed because I think the real story is interesting enough and though we know the ending it can still be developed and made to last several seasons.


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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby mookiemcgee on Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:58 pm

I watched the first two season of britannia. I'm not sure where it streams in the US, I watched it 'illegally' when it was released in UK.

It's pretty psychedelic and weird, but I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'd call the main character a 'strong female' (i'm not even sure I'd call her the main character) in the first two seasons cus she's just a young teenager, but maybe the current seasons she's a little more grown and a badass i haven't seen it yet. Davis Morrisey is really great in it... it's basically the roman empire at it's peak extends its reach to totally uncivilized England. Pretty unique show, and i personally think it's worth a watch though I'm not sure how it did with critics

( i have no clue, but I'm sure it's at least inspired by your dog )
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jimboston on Fri Nov 11, 2022 7:19 am

( wise ass )
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:23 am

jimboston wrote:
jusplay4fun wrote:Queen Boudica or Boadicea as she is more commonly called.



My first two dogs were named for historical leaders and I wanted to name my last dog (a bitch) Boudica.
I tried convincing my daughters, and said her nickname would be “Booty” for short… but I couldn’t sell it.

When we got her from the rescue they were calling her “Leah” and “Leia” interchangeably… so I took that as a sign and decided we’d switch to fictional leaders and so she kept the name “Leia” after the bestest space opera princess of all time.

Other names tossed out as options but not really in contention…
Catherine
Elizabeth
Joan
Cleo

I liked Boudica because it’s not so well known and fun nickname.

If I get another female dog are there other names I should consider…. assuming we go back to the historical reference?

Helen?
Nefertiti?
Zenobia?

These don’t sound ‘cool’.

I could go for female leaders of movements like Susan B. Anthony (ugh!) or other famous historical females like Sacajawea…. but they need to be unique for a dog’s name and have a cool nickname.


Battledogs
TV Movie
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2457138/?ref_=tt_sims_tt_i_1

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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Tue Nov 15, 2022 1:43 am

Bombardment of Fort McHenry

Maryland | Sep 13, 1814
The failed bombardment of Fort McHenry forced the British to abandon their land assault on the crucial port city of Baltimore. This British defeat was a turning point in the War of 1812, leading both sides to reach a peace agreement later that year.


How it ended
United States victory. American forces resisted the dramatic British bombardment of Fort McHenry and proved they could stand up to a great world power. The exploding shells and rocket fire from British warships inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the lyrics to the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Seeing no way to penetrate American defenses, the British withdrew their troops and gave up their Chesapeake Campaign.

In context
Initially, the British strategy during the War of 1812 had been defensive. The British were more concerned with defeating Napoleon in Europe than fighting a minor war with the United States. This changed on April 6, 1814, with the defeat and abdication of Napoleon, which freed up veteran troops for a more aggressive strategy. Major General Robert Ross was sent to command all British forces on the East Coast of the United States, with Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane leading a fleet of warships.

Encouraged by their victory at Bladensburg on August 24, 1814, and the subsequent burning of Washington, D.C., the British turned north, intent on capturing the major port city of Baltimore, Maryland. Militarily, Baltimore was a far more important city than Washington because of its thriving port and strategic location. The British hoped the loss of both Washington and Baltimore would cripple the American war effort and force peace. However, the citizens and militia of Baltimore had been preparing for such an assault for more than a year. The imposing Fort McHenry, at the mouth of the inner harbor, provided the linchpin for the American defenses.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/war-1812/battles/fort-mchenry

a good map here:
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/bombardment-fort-mchenry-sep-13-14-1814
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HMAS Sydney vs. Kormoran (1941)

Postby HitRed on Sun Nov 20, 2022 1:22 am

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This was a battle of mutual destruction between a disguised freighter vs a purpose built warship.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_HMAS_Sydney
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:25 pm

Battle of Somme

On July 1, 1916, the Battle of Somme, now known as one of the bloodiest battles of World War I, took place near the Somme River in France, with over 1.5 million troops killed by its end in November. On the first day of battle, the British Army lost over 57,000 troops. Despite so many casualties, improved communications and battle tactics marked the Battle of Somme as an immense improvement for the British Army. An example of a tactic the British mastered was the “creeping barrage”, in which they fired artillery just ahead of their preceding soldiers to aid their advancement. This helped the battle become a real turning point in the war as a whole, because of the heavy losses inflicted on the German Army. The Battle of Somme also marked the first American lost in the First World War: Harry Butters, who died on August 31, 1916.

Following these battles, and others, on October 17, 1918, having the majority of control, the Allied Powers started moving in on the German borders. Soon after, Turkey and Austria-Hungary signed armistices, leaving Germany entirely on their own. With tensions at an all-time high, the German Army began internally falling apart, resulting in the German forces and Allied Powers reaching a peace agreement that ended World War I on November 11, 1918.

https://online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/6-important-battles-of-world-war-i
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jimboston on Fri Nov 25, 2022 8:31 am

mookiemcgee wrote:I watched the first two season of britannia. I'm not sure where it streams in the US, I watched it 'illegally' when it was released in UK.

It's pretty psychedelic and weird, but I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'd call the main character a 'strong female' (i'm not even sure I'd call her the main character) in the first two seasons cus she's just a young teenager, but maybe the current seasons she's a little more grown and a badass i haven't seen it yet. Davis Morrisey is really great in it... it's basically the roman empire at it's peak extends its reach to totally uncivilized England. Pretty unique show, and i personally think it's worth a watch though I'm not sure how it did with critics

( i have no clue, but I'm sure it's at least inspired by your dog )


Finished season one… good description. I agree with your assessment. Good watch.

Though it’s based on some historical facts, it’s got the ‘magic’ elements. Sometimes the writers let you think the ‘magic’ stuff is either hallucinatory drugs or hypnosis… but they push those boundaries of reality. Not too far to make it bad entertainment… but too far to be truly realistic. Or they cross the border and but hover near enough that it’s not all-out fantasy.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:40 am

Battle: Isandlwana

Battle of Isandlwana
the battle fought on 22nd January 1879, where the Zulus wiped out a substantial British force, including the 1st Battalion, 24th Foot and rocked Victorian society

War of the Battle of Isandlwana: Zulu War

Date of the Battle of Isandlwana: 22nd January 1879

Place of the Battle of Isandlwana: 10 miles east of the Buffalo River in Zululand, South Africa.

Combatants at the Battle of Isandlwana: Zulu army against a force of British troops, Natal units and African levies.

Commanders at the Battle of Isandlwana: Lieutenant Colonel Pulleine of the 24th Foot and Lieutenant Colonel Durnford commanded the British force at the battle. The Zulu Army was commanded by Chiefs Ntshingwayo kaMahole and Mavumengwana kaMdlela Ntuli.

Size of the armies at the Battle of Isandlwana: The British force comprised some 1,200 men. It is likely that they were attacked by around 12,000 Zulus.

Uniforms, arms and equipment at the Battle of Isandlwana: The Zulu warriors were formed in regiments by age, their standard equipment the shield and stabbing spear. The formation for their attack, described as the ‘horns of the beast’, was said to have been devised by Shaka, the Zulu King who established Zulu hegemony in Southern Africa. The main body of the army delivered a frontal assault, called the ‘loins’, while the ‘horns’ spread out behind each of the enemy’s flanks and delivered the secondary and often fatal attack in the enemy’s rear. Cetshwayo, the Zulu King, fearing British aggression, took pains to purchase firearms wherever they could be bought. By the outbreak of war, the Zulus had tens of thousands of muskets and rifles, but of a poor standard and the Zulus were ill-trained in their use.

The regular British infantry were equipped with the breach loading single shot Martini-Henry rifle and bayonet. The British infantry wore red tunics, white solar topee helmets and dark blue trousers, with red piping down the side. The irregular mounted units wore blue tunics and slouch hats.

Winner of the Battle of Isandlwana: The British force was wiped out by the Zulu Army.

Casualties at the Battle of Isandlwana:
52 British officers and 806 non-commissioned ranks were killed. Around 60 Europeans survived the battle. 471 Africans died fighting for the British. Zulu casualties have to be estimated and are set at around 2,000 dead, either on the field or from wounds. The Zulus captured 1,000 rifles with the whole of the column’s reserve ammunition supply.

Follow-up to the Battle of Isandlwana:
Chelmsford’s force was unaware of the disaster that had overwhelmed Pulleine’s troops, until the news filtered through that the camp had been taken. Chelmsford was staggered. He said, ‘But I left 1,000 men to guard the camp.’

Chelmsford’s column returned to the scene of horror at Isandlwana and camped near the battlefield.

Chelmsford’s nightmare was that the Zulus would invade Natal. In the distance, the British could see Rorke’s Drift mission station burning. From that, Chelmsford knew that the Zulus had crossed the Buffalo River.


https://www.britishbattles.com/zulu-war/battle-of-isandlwana/
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:15 pm

another Key Battle
Battle of Austerlitz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in the Austrian Empire (modern-day Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic). The decisive victory of Napoleon's Grande Armée at Austerlitz brought the War of the Third Coalition to a rapid end, with the Treaty of Pressburg signed by the Austrians later in the month.[6] The battle is often cited as a tactical masterpiece, in the same league as other historic engagements like Cannae or Gaugamela.[7][8]

After eliminating an Austrian army during the Ulm Campaign, French forces seized Vienna in November 1805. The Austrians avoided further conflict until the arrival of the Russians bolstered Allied numbers. Napoleon sent his army north in pursuit of the Allies,[clarification needed] but then ordered his forces to retreat so he could feign a grave weakness. Desperate to lure the Allies into battle, Napoleon gave every indication in the days preceding the engagement that the French army was in a pitiful state, even abandoning the dominant Pratzen Heights near Austerlitz. He deployed the French army below the Pratzen Heights and deliberately weakened his right flank, enticing the Allies to launch a major assault there in the hopes of rolling up the whole French line. A forced march from Vienna by Marshal Davout and his III Corps plugged the gap left by Napoleon just in time. Meanwhile, the heavy Allied deployment against the French right weakened the allied center on the Pratzen Heights, which was viciously attacked by the IV Corps of Marshal Soult. With the Allied center demolished, the French swept through both enemy flanks and sent the Allies fleeing chaotically, capturing thousands of prisoners in the process.

The Allied disaster significantly shook the faith of Emperor Francis in the British-led war effort. France and Austria agreed to an armistice immediately and the Treaty of Pressburg followed shortly after, on 26 December. Pressburg took Austria out of both the war and the Coalition while reinforcing the earlier treaties of Campo Formio and of Lunéville between the two powers. The treaty confirmed the Austrian loss of lands in Italy and Bavaria to France, and in Germany to Napoleon's German allies. It also imposed an indemnity of 40 million francs on the defeated Habsburgs and allowed the fleeing Russian troops free passage through hostile territories and back to their home soil. Critically, victory at Austerlitz permitted the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine, a collection of German states intended as a buffer zone between France and Central Europe. The Confederation rendered the Holy Roman Empire virtually useless, so the latter collapsed in 1806 after Francis abdicated the imperial throne, keeping Francis I of Austria as his only official title. These achievements, however, did not establish a lasting peace on the continent. Prussian worries about growing French influence in Central Europe sparked the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby ConfederateSS on Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:16 am

jusplay4fun wrote:another Key Battle
Battle of Austerlitz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in the Austrian Empire (modern-day Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic). The decisive victory of Napoleon's Grande Armée at Austerlitz brought the War of the Third Coalition to a rapid end, with the Treaty of Pressburg signed by the Austrians later in the month.[6] The battle is often cited as a tactical masterpiece, in the same league as other historic engagements like Cannae or Gaugamela.[7][8]

After eliminating an Austrian army during the Ulm Campaign, French forces seized Vienna in November 1805. The Austrians avoided further conflict until the arrival of the Russians bolstered Allied numbers. Napoleon sent his army north in pursuit of the Allies,[clarification needed] but then ordered his forces to retreat so he could feign a grave weakness. Desperate to lure the Allies into battle, Napoleon gave every indication in the days preceding the engagement that the French army was in a pitiful state, even abandoning the dominant Pratzen Heights near Austerlitz. He deployed the French army below the Pratzen Heights and deliberately weakened his right flank, enticing the Allies to launch a major assault there in the hopes of rolling up the whole French line. A forced march from Vienna by Marshal Davout and his III Corps plugged the gap left by Napoleon just in time. Meanwhile, the heavy Allied deployment against the French right weakened the allied center on the Pratzen Heights, which was viciously attacked by the IV Corps of Marshal Soult. With the Allied center demolished, the French swept through both enemy flanks and sent the Allies fleeing chaotically, capturing thousands of prisoners in the process.

The Allied disaster significantly shook the faith of Emperor Francis in the British-led war effort. France and Austria agreed to an armistice immediately and the Treaty of Pressburg followed shortly after, on 26 December. Pressburg took Austria out of both the war and the Coalition while reinforcing the earlier treaties of Campo Formio and of Lunéville between the two powers. The treaty confirmed the Austrian loss of lands in Italy and Bavaria to France, and in Germany to Napoleon's German allies. It also imposed an indemnity of 40 million francs on the defeated Habsburgs and allowed the fleeing Russian troops free passage through hostile territories and back to their home soil. Critically, victory at Austerlitz permitted the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine, a collection of German states intended as a buffer zone between France and Central Europe. The Confederation rendered the Holy Roman Empire virtually useless, so the latter collapsed in 1806 after Francis abdicated the imperial throne, keeping Francis I of Austria as his only official title. These achievements, however, did not establish a lasting peace on the continent. Prussian worries about growing French influence in Central Europe sparked the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806.


-------------- Napoleon considered it his Greatest Military Victory....His Favorite...
------------------- His second favorite, but the one I think was his best....By numbers , Geographic location, politics...Was his Victory...West Meets East....The Battle of The Pyramids(Egypt)...July 21st,1798 A.D...The British sorta forced Napoleon to be stuck in Egypt....The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire was threatened...He sent an army ...At the Battle of The Pyramids, Napoleon showed his master of typography, and his strategic greatest....The French lost a few 100 men...In their Victory....The Ottomans lost 10s of 1,000s dead or captured.... Napoleon now held Egypt....The British didn't like that.....But to them...They would rather have Napoleon in Egypt than Europe(Kind of like The Roman Senate , in regards to Caesar).....After being bored...In Egypt.... Napoleon would sneak past the British Fleet around Egypt and Returned to Europe...
... O:) ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... O:)
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Mon Dec 05, 2022 12:55 am

Battle of Cannae

Status in military history
The Battle of Cannae is famous for Hannibal's tactics as much as it is for the role it played in Roman history. Not only did Hannibal inflict a defeat on the Roman Republic in a manner unrepeated for over a century until the lesser-known Battle of Arausio, but the battle itself has acquired a reputation within the field of military history. As the military historian, Theodore Ayrault Dodge, once wrote: "Few battles of ancient times are more marked by ability… than the battle of Cannae. The position was such as to place every advantage on Hannibal's side. The manner in which the far from perfect Hispanic and Gallic foot was advanced in a wedge in échelon… was first held there and then withdrawn step by step, until it had the reached the converse position… is a simple masterpiece of battle tactics. The advance at the proper moment of the African infantry, and its wheel right and left upon the flanks of the disordered and crowded Roman legionaries, is far beyond praise. The whole battle, from the Carthaginian standpoint, is a consummate piece of art, having no superior, few equal, examples in the history of war". As Will Durant wrote, "It was a supreme example of generalship, never bettered in history… and [it] set the lines of military tactics for 2,000 years".

Hannibal's double envelopement at the Battle of Cannae is often viewed as one of the greatest battlefield maneuvers in history, and is cited as the first successful use of the pincer movement within the Western world, to be recorded in detail.

[.....start of article below.....]

The "Cannae Model"

The Battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War, taking place on August 2, 216 BC near the town of Cannae in Apulia in southeast Italy. The Carthaginian army under Hannibal destroyed a numerically superior Roman army under command of the consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. Following the Battle of Cannae, Capua and several other Italian city-states defected from the Roman Republic. Although the battle failed to decide the outcome of the war in favour of Carthage, it is today regarded as one of the greatest tactical feats in military history.

Having recovered from their previous losses at Trebia ( 218 BC) and Trasimene ( 217 BC), the Romans decided to confront Hannibal at Cannae, with roughly 87,000 Roman and Allied troops. With their right wing positioned near the Aufidus river, the Romans placed their cavalry on their flanks and massed their heavy infantry in an exceptionally deep formation in the centre. To counter this, Hannibal utilized the double-envelopment tactic. He drew up his least reliable infantry in the centre, with the flanks composed of Carthaginian cavalry. Before engaging the Romans, however, his lines adopted a crescent shape — advancing his centre with his veteran troops placed at the wings in echelon formation. Upon the onset of the battle, the Carthaginian centre withdrew before the advance of the numerically superior Romans. While Hannibal's centre line yielded, the Romans had unknowingly driven themselves into a large arc — whereupon the Carthaginian infantry and cavalry (positioned on the flanks) encircled the main body of Roman infantry. Surrounded and attacked on all sides with no means of escape, the Roman army was subsequently cut to pieces. An estimated 60,000–70,000 Romans were killed or captured at Cannae (including the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus and eighty Roman senators). In terms of the number of lives lost within a single day, Cannae is among the costliest battles in all of recorded human history.


Strategic background
Battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae.
Enlarge
Battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae.
Shortly after the start of the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal had boldly crossed into Italy by traversing the Alps during the winter, and had quickly won two major victories over the Romans at Trebbia and at Lake Trasimene. After suffering these losses, the Romans appointed Fabius Maximus as dictator to deal with the threat. Fabius set about fighting a war of attrition against Hannibal, cutting off his supply lines and refusing to engage in pitched battle. These tactics proved unpopular with the Romans. As the Roman people recovered from the shock of Hannibal’s initial victories, they began to question the wisdom of the Fabian strategy which had given the Carthaginian army the chance to regroup. Fabius’s strategy was especially frustrating to the majority of the people who were eager to see a quick conclusion to the war. It was also widely feared that if Hannibal continued plundering Italy unopposed, Rome's allies might believe Rome was incapable of protecting them, and defect to the Carthaginians.

Unimpressed with Fabian's strategy, the Roman Senate did not renew his dictatorial powers at the end of his term, and command was given back to the consuls Gnaeus Servilius Geminus and Gaius Flaminius. In 216 BC elections resumed with Caius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus elected as consuls and given command of a newly raised army of unprecedented size in order to counter Hannibal. Polybius writes:

Battle of Cannae
The Senate determined to bring eight legions into the field, which had never been done at Rome before, each legion consisting of five thousand men besides allies. […] Most of their wars are decided by one Consul and two legions, with their quota of allies; and they rarely employ all four at one time and on one service. But on this occasion, so great was the alarm and terror of what would happen, they resolved to bring not only four but eight legions into the field
Battle of Cannae
- Polybius, The Histories of Polybius
These eight legions, along with an estimated 2,400 Roman cavalry, formed the nucleus of this massive new army. As each legion was accompanied by an equal number of allied troops and an additional 4,000 allied cavalry, the total strength of the army which faced Hannibal could not have been much less than 90,000. Some estimates place the Roman forces at about 100,000 men, although historical evidence for such a large force is questionable.

https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/b/Battle_of_Cannae.htm#:~:text=The%20Battle%20of%20Cannae%20was,Paullus%20and%20Gaius%20Terentius%20Varro.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Tue Dec 06, 2022 1:16 am

ConfederateSS wrote:---------- Alexander the Great's crushing defeat of the Persian Empire....Speaking of Alex, Jp4fun gave the other name......I call it the Battle of Arbela...10-1-331 B.C....2353 years ago Today...... O:) ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... O:) ....
-------- Outnumbered....By the Persian Army.....On top of that...The Persians chose the battle's location..The Persian Cavalry/Chariots were the Best fighting force....I like how Alex took care of them....He had his men form like an open box....The back and two sides...With spears...The Persian Chariot would go straight into them...Alex's men would kill the horses, then the men.... Almost reminds me of Wellington forming squares against Napoleon's army at the battle of Waterloo......


Let me add more here on this battle:

Battle of Gaugamela, also called Battle of Arbela, (Oct. 1, 331 BC) battle in which Alexander the Great completed his conquest of Darius III’s Persian Empire. It was an extraordinary victory achieved against a numerically superior army on ground chosen by the Persians. As at Issus, the aggression of the Macedonian cavalry led by Alexander carried the day.

Attempting to stop Alexander’s incursion into the Persian empire, Darius prepared a battleground on the Plain of Gaugamela, near Arbela (present-day Irbīl in northern Iraq), and posted his troops to await Alexander’s advance. Darius had the terrain of the prospective battlefield smoothed level so that his many chariots could operate with maximum effectiveness against the Macedonians. His total forces greatly outnumbered those of Alexander, whose forces amounted to about 40,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry.

Alexander’s well-trained army faced Darius’ massive battle line and organized for attack, charging the left of the Persians’ line with archers, javelin throwers, and cavalry, while defending against Darius’ outflanking cavalry with reserve flank guards. A charge by Persian scythed chariots aimed at the centre of Alexander’s forces was defeated by Macedonian lightly armed soldiers. During the combat, so much of Darius’ cavalry on his left flank were drawn into the battle that they left the Persian infantry in the centre of the battle line exposed. Alexander and his personal cavalry immediately wheeled half left and penetrated this gap and then wheeled again to attack the Persians’ flank and rear. At this Darius took flight, and panic spread through his entire army, which began a headlong retreat while being cut down by the pursuing Greeks. Darius was later murdered by one of his satraps, and Alexander took the Persian capital Babylon. The Macedonian victory spelled the end of the Persian empire founded by Cyrus II the Great and left Alexander the master of southwest Asia.

Losses: Macedonian, 700 of 47,000; Persian, possibly 20,000 of 100,000.


The above stats adds the amazing odds of the battle and its significance, that and the fact that this basically destroyed the
Persian empire founded by Cyrus II the Great and left Alexander the master of southwest Asia.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Gaugamela

also:

While Darius had a significant advantage in numbers, most of his troops were of a lower quality than Alexander's. Alexander's pezhetairoi were armed with a six-metre pike, the sarissa. The main Persian infantry was poorly trained and equipped in comparison to Alexander's pezhetairoi and hoplites. The only respectable infantry Darius had were his 2,000 Greek hoplites[7] and his personal bodyguard, the 10,000 Immortals.[34] The Greek mercenaries fought in a phalanx, armed not with a heavy shield but with spears no longer than three metres, while the spears of the Immortals were two metres long. Among the other Persian troops, the most heavily armed were the Armenians, who were armed the Greek way and probably fought as a phalanx.

(...)

Beginning of the battle
Alexander began by ordering his infantry to march in phalanx formation towards the center of the enemy line. The Macedonians advanced with the wings echeloned back at 45 degrees to lure the Persian cavalry to attack. While the phalanxes battled the Persian infantry, Darius sent a large part of his cavalry and some of his regular infantry to attack Parmenion's forces on the left.

During the battle Alexander employed an unusual strategy which has been duplicated only a few times. While the infantry battled the Persian troops in the centre, Alexander began to ride all the way to the edge of the right flank, accompanied by his Companion Cavalry. His plan was to draw as much of the Persian cavalry as possible to the flanks, to create a gap within the enemy line where a decisive blow could then be struck at Darius in the centre. This required almost perfect timing and maneuvering and Alexander himself to act first. He would force Darius to attack (as they would soon move off the prepared ground), though Darius did not want to be the first to attack after seeing what happened at Issus against a similar formation. In the end, Darius' hand was forced, and he attacked.

The cavalry battle in the Hellenic right wing

The Scythian cavalry from the Persian left wing opened the battle by attempting to flank Alexander's extreme right. What followed was a long and fierce cavalry battle between the Persian left and the Macedonian right, in which the latter, being greatly outnumbered, was often hard-pressed. However, by careful use of reserves and disciplined charges, the Greek troops were able to contain their Persian counterparts, which would be vital for the success of Alexander's decisive attack.

As told by Arrian:

Then the Scythian cavalry rode along the line, and came into conflict with the front men of Alexander's array, but he nevertheless still continued to march towards the right, and almost entirely got beyond the ground which had been cleared and levelled by the Persians. Then Darius, fearing that his chariots would become useless, if the Macedonians advanced into the uneven ground, ordered the front ranks of his left wing to ride round the right wing of the Macedonians, where Alexander was commanding, to prevent him from marching his wing any further. This being done, Alexander ordered the cavalry of the Grecian mercenaries under the command of Menidas to attack them. But the Scythian cavalry and the Bactrians, who had been drawn up with them, sallied forth against them and being much more numerous they put the small body of Greeks to rout. Alexander then ordered Aristo at the head of the Paeonians and Grecian auxiliaries to attack the Scythians, and the barbarians gave way. But the rest of the Bactrians, drawing near to the Paeonians and Grecian auxiliaries, caused their own comrades who were already in flight to turn and renew the battle; and thus they brought about a general cavalry engagement, in which more of Alexander's men fell, not only being overwhelmed by the multitude of the barbarians, but also because the Scythians themselves and their horses were much more completely protected with armour for guarding their bodies. Notwithstanding this, the Macedonians sustained their assaults, and assailing them violently squadron by squadron, they succeeded in pushing them out of rank.[46]

The tide finally turned in the Greek favor after the attack of Aretes' Prodromoi, likely their last reserve in this sector of the battlefield. By then, however, the battle had been decided in the center by Alexander himself.

The Persians also who were riding round the wing were seized with alarm when Aretes made a vigorous attack upon them. In this quarter indeed the Persians took to speedy flight; and the Macedonians followed up the fugitives and slaughtered them.[47]

Attack of the Persian scythed chariots
Darius now launched his chariots at those troops under Alexander's personal command; many of the chariots were intercepted by the Agrianians and other javelin-throwers posted in front of the Companion cavalry. Those chariots who made it through the barrage of javelins charged the Macedonian lines, which responded by opening up their ranks, creating alleys through which the chariots passed harmlessly. The Hypaspists and the armed grooms of the cavalry then attacked and eliminated these survivors.


Alexander's decisive attack

As the Persians advanced farther and farther to the Greek flanks in their attack, Alexander slowly filtered in his rear guard. He disengaged his Companions and prepared for the decisive attack. Behind them were the guard's brigade along with any phalanx battalions he could withdraw from the battle. He formed his units into a giant wedge, with him leading the charge. The Persian infantry at the center was still fighting the phalanxes, hindering any attempts to counter Alexander's charge. This large wedge then smashed into the weakened Persian center, taking out Darius' royal guard and the Greek mercenaries. Darius was in danger of being cut off, and the widely held modern view is that he now broke and ran, with the rest of his army following him. This is based on Arrian's account:

For a short time there ensued a hand-to-hand fight; but when the Macedonian cavalry, commanded by Alexander himself, pressed on vigorously, thrusting themselves against the Persians and striking their faces with their spears, and when the Macedonian phalanx in dense array and bristling with long pikes had also made an attack upon them, all things together appeared full of terror to Darius, who had already long been in a state of fear, so that he was the first to turn and flee.
[47]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gaugamela#Strategic_analysis

(There is a good map in this article, but it will not copy here.)

Minor point: I did not see any references to "open box" but I did read about use of phalanx by both the Greek/Macedonians and Greek mercenaries.
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby jusplay4fun on Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:50 pm

The Battle of Antioch, 28th June 1098

The Battle of Antioch was part of the conflict known as the First Crusade, in which Christian European forces rallied together after Pope Urban II’s famous Council at Clermont in 1095 to aid their Byzantine brethren in the East against Muslim forces.

After fighting at Nicaea and Dorylaeum, the Crusaders reached Antioch. Their goal was to take Jerusalem (which they were eventually successful at — to an extent), so why has the victory at Antioch been included in this list of medieval battles?

For a start, where Antioch was situated was key for the Crusaders. It was located in present-day Antakya, Turkey, east of the Orontes River. This meant that supplies could be shipped from Europe, and through the river systems of Greece and Turkey to reach the Crusaders. In addition, the Battle of Antioch was the culmination of what became known as the Siege of Antioch: an eight-month long siege of the city, which lasted from October 1097 to June 1098.

The Christians had to defend Antioch, or all of their attempts to reach Jerusalem — the Holy Land — would have been in vain. Eventually, six divisions of the starving Christian troops emerged from the gates. The Muslim leader, Kerbogha, ordered an immediate attack, but Bohemond of Taranto — a Crusader leader — had planned for this, and a seventh division of Christian soldiers managed to hold off the attack.

The Crusaders allegedly saw visions of St George which boosted their morale, and eventually, the Muslim troops retreated, scattered in numerous different directions and the Crusaders kept hold of their precious city of Antioch.


After taking the cross in 1096, Bohemond led a small army to Constantinople, where he joined forces with the other First Crusaders. He became one of the expedition’s most influential leaders, and he played a particularly important role during the Siege of Antioch (1097-1098): the city ultimately fell to the crusaders through a betrayal arranged by him. After contentious political maneuvering, Bohemond was able to gain sole control over Antioch, where he remained as the the other crusaders marched on Jerusalem.

https://medievaldigital.ace.fordham.edu/siegeofantioch/people/bohemond-of-taranto/
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby ConfederateSS on Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:21 pm

jusplay4fun wrote:
The Battle of Antioch, 28th June 1098

The Battle of Antioch was part of the conflict known as the First Crusade, in which Christian European forces rallied together after Pope Urban II’s famous Council at Clermont in 1095 to aid their Byzantine brethren in the East against Muslim forces.

After fighting at Nicaea and Dorylaeum, the Crusaders reached Antioch. Their goal was to take Jerusalem (which they were eventually successful at — to an extent), so why has the victory at Antioch been included in this list of medieval battles?

For a start, where Antioch was situated was key for the Crusaders. It was located in present-day Antakya, Turkey, east of the Orontes River. This meant that supplies could be shipped from Europe, and through the river systems of Greece and Turkey to reach the Crusaders. In addition, the Battle of Antioch was the culmination of what became known as the Siege of Antioch: an eight-month long siege of the city, which lasted from October 1097 to June 1098.

The Christians had to defend Antioch, or all of their attempts to reach Jerusalem — the Holy Land — would have been in vain. Eventually, six divisions of the starving Christian troops emerged from the gates. The Muslim leader, Kerbogha, ordered an immediate attack, but Bohemond of Taranto — a Crusader leader — had planned for this, and a seventh division of Christian soldiers managed to hold off the attack.

The Crusaders allegedly saw visions of St George which boosted their morale, and eventually, the Muslim troops retreated, scattered in numerous different directions and the Crusaders kept hold of their precious city of Antioch.


After taking the cross in 1096, Bohemond led a small army to Constantinople, where he joined forces with the other First Crusaders. He became one of the expedition’s most influential leaders, and he played a particularly important role during the Siege of Antioch (1097-1098): the city ultimately fell to the crusaders through a betrayal arranged by him. After contentious political maneuvering, Bohemond was able to gain sole control over Antioch, where he remained as the the other crusaders marched on Jerusalem.

https://medievaldigital.ace.fordham.edu/siegeofantioch/people/bohemond-of-taranto/


----------------That is what you went with Today... December 8th, 2022 A.D....

-------''THE BATTLE of HONG KONG"...WW2...
----------------- On December 8th , 1941 A.D.....The Japanese would Invade Hong Kong, their main take over of Asia....With The crippling of The American Navy at Pearl Harbor, and The British Navy in the Indian Ocean ....
-------------- Fun fact, Although the Polish road bicycles with machine guns on them , attacking German Panzers...That had no effect, the Polish were trying, throwing everything including the kitchen sink at the Germans...
---------------- The Japanese were the 1st to use Bicycles as a tactical unit....The Japanese planning of the take over , included a part...Where it was vital to get to a key point...Where Trucks, Tanks could not pass... only people could get through, as the British would march infantry twords it....The Japanese strapped bicycles to the backs of their 1st landers...They hopped on their bikes....Road to and secured the key spot.... Holding back the British.....As the main Japanese force...poured onto Hong Kong....The British surrendered on Christmas Day...Hey, just like WWI.... Christmas Day ends fighting...:)...
.... O:) ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion).. O:)
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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby HitRed on Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:30 pm

Confed you’ll love this then

Bicycles at war

In the early morning of April 9th 1940 the Danish army is placed on high alert.


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Re: Great Military Battles in History

Postby ConfederateSS on Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:40 pm

HitRed wrote:Confed you’ll love this then

Bicycles at war

In the early morning of April 9th 1940 the Danish army is placed on high alert.




--------------- I Do, Thank You Kindly... 8-) 8-) 8-) =D> =D> =D> =D> .....Those were , better, but like the Polish... Defense attempts.....
------------- On more Europe fact.....A WW2 Bicycle Hero.....Who worked for the underground....Award Winning Actress Audrey Hepburn....She as a young child....Was a messager ....The Germans just thought, hey look a little girl delivering groceries....She fooled them....Nice job Audrey... =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> ....weird fact , she died the moment ...President Clinton was sworn in as President...She was not at the swearing in ceremony...just weird...
.... O:) ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion).... O:)
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