The Battle of Waterloo by William Sadler.

Generally, a battle is an instance of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. Battles are most often fought during wars or military campaigns and can usually be well defined in time, space and action. Wars and campaigns are guided by strategy whereas battles are the stage on which tactics are employed. German strategist Carl von Clausewitz stated that "the employment of battles to gain the end of war" was the essence of strategy. The battle of Waterloo, by William Sadler This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The battle of Waterloo, by William Sadler This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Combatants France Anglo-Allied/Prussian/ Dutch Commanders Napoléon Bonaparte Duke of Wellington Gebhard von Blücher Strength 73,000 67,000 Anglo-Allied 60,000 Prussian (48,000 engaged by about 18:00) Casualties 34,000 23,000 Map of the Waterloo campaign The Battle of Waterloo, fought on... William Sadler as Luther Sloan on Star Trek: Deep Space 9 William Sadler (born April 13, 1950 in Buffalo, New York) is an American actor. ... Combat, or fighting, is purposeful conflict between one or more persons, often involving violence and intended to establish dominance over the opposition. ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ... War is a state of widespread conflict between states, organisations, or relatively large groups of people, which is characterised by the use of lethal violence between combatants or upon civilians. ... In the military sciences, a military campaign encompass related military operations, usually conducted by a defense or fighting force, directed at gaining a particular desired state of affairs, usually within geographical and temporal limitations. ... Military strategy in the Waterloo campaign Military strategy is a collective name for planning the conduct of warfare. ... Military tactics is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ... A young Clausewitz Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz (June 1, 1780 - November 16, 1831) was a Prussian general and influential military theorist. ...

Characteristics of battle

British military historian Sir John Keegan suggested an ideal definition of battle as "something which happens between two armies leading to the moral then physical disintegration of one or the other of them" though the origins and outcomes of battles can rarely be summarised so neatly. Military history is the recording (in writing or otherwise) of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. This may range from a dispute between two tribes that come to blow over a plot of land, to a world war. ... Sir John Keegan (born 1934) is an English military historian specializing in 20th-century wars. ... Army (from French armée) can, in some countries, refer to any armed force. ...

The "action" of battle is to reach a decision — the ideal decision is victory but strategy and circumstances often require a compromise. One party is deemed to have achieved victory when its opponent has surrendered, been dispersed, forced to retreat or been rendered militarily ineffective for further combat operations. However, a battle may end in a Pyrrhic victory which ultimately favours the defeated party. If no decision is reached in battle, the result is a stalemate. A conflict in which one side is unwilling to reach a decision in battle often becomes an insurgency. Surrender is when soldiers give up fighting and become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers . ... A Pyrrhic victory (pronounced pirric) is a victory which is won at too great a cost for the victor. ... Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move has no legal moves but is not in check. ... An insurgency is an organized rebellion that engages in deliberate actions to cause the downfall of a governmental authority, through destruction and armed actions. ...

Up until the 20th century the majority of battles were of short duration, many lasting a day or less — the Battle of Gettysburg was exceptional for lasting three days. This was mainly due to the difficulty of supplying an army in the field. Typically the means of prolonging a battle was by siege warfare. Improvements in transportation and the onset of trench warfare, with its siege-like nature, saw the duration of battles increase to weeks and months, peaking during the First World War. Nevertheless, in a long battle the regular rotation of units meant that the periods of intensive combat to which an individual soldier was subjected tended to remain brief. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Main article: Gettysburg Campaign The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the largest battle ever fought in North America, and is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. ... A siege is a prolonged military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ... Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Battles may be small scale, only involving a handful of individuals, perhaps two squads, up to battles on army levels where hundreds of thousands may be engaged in a single battle at one time. The space a battle occupies depends on the range of the weapons of the combatants. Until the advent of artillery and aircraft, battles were fought with the two sides in sight, if not reach, of each other. The depth of the battlefield has also increased in modern warfare with supporting units in the rear areas — supply, artillery, medical, etc. — now outnumbering the front-line combat troops. A squad is a small military unit subordinate to an infantry platoon. ... Army (from French armée) can, in some countries, refer to any armed force. ... The bayonet, still used in war as both knife and spearpoint. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... Modern warfare is a complex affair, involving the widespread use of highly advanced technology. ...

Battles are, on the whole, made up of a multitude of individual combats and the individual will usually only experience a small part of the events. To the infantryman, there may be little to distinguish between combat as part of a minor raid or a major offensive, nor is it likely that they anticipate the future course of the battle; few of the British infantry who went over the top on the first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, would have anticipated that they would be fighting the same battle in five months time. Conversely, some of the Allied infantry who had just dealt a crushing defeat to the French at the Battle of Waterloo fully expected to have to fight again the next day. Infantry of the 36th Ulster Division, in the First World War Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, mainly with small arms and operate within organized military units. ... The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the British and French offensive that became the Battle of the Somme. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Combatants France Anglo-Allied/Prussian/ Dutch Commanders Napoléon Bonaparte Duke of Wellington Gebhard von Blücher Strength 73,000 67,000 Anglo-Allied 60,000 Prussian (48,000 engaged by about 18:00) Casualties 34,000 23,000 Map of the Waterloo campaign The Battle of Waterloo, fought on...

The factors of battles

Battles are decided by various factors. The number of men, the commanders of each army, and the terrain advantages are among the most prominent factors. Battles throughout history have shown that morale and the quality of troops are often more important than quantity. The Persian Wars, for example, show that superior morale can overcome numerical disadvantages, especially in the Battle of Thermopylae. A good example of the opposite is the Battle of Arbela. Quality of the army is determined by morale, that is, spirit of the troops; equipment, and training of the troops. A unit may charge with high morale but less discipline and still emerge victorious. This tactic was effectively employed by Napoleon. Weapons and armor may also play as a decisive factor, however, during the Wars of Scottish Independence the Scots did not have as good weapons as the English but they still emerged victorious. Discipline within the troops is also important; at the Battle of Alesia, the Romans were greatly outnumbered but won because of superior training. A squad that does not retreat is far more valuable than an army that flees upon sight. Battles are also be determined by terrain. Capturing high ground, for example, has been the central strategy in inumerable battles. An army that holds the high ground forces the enemy to climb, and thus wear down. Although this does not hold as much in modern warfare, with the advent of aircraft, terrain is still vital for camouflauge, especially for guerrilla warfare. Generals and commanders also play a decisve war during combat. Napoleon Bonaparte and Julius Caesar were both legendary generals and, consequently, their armies were extremely successful. An army that can trust the commands of their leader's with convinction in its success invariably has a higher morale than an army that doubts its every move. The British in the naval battle of Trafalgar, for example, owed its success to the reputation of celebrated admiral Lord Nelson. Insignia of a United States Navy Commander Commander is a military rank used in many navies but not generally in armies or air forces. ... Morale is a term for the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal. ... Quality refers to the inherent or distinctive characteristics or properties of a person, object, process or other thing. ... The Greco-Persian Wars or Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Greek world and the Persian Empire that started about 500 BC and lasted until 448 BC. The term can also refer to the continual warfare of the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire against the Parthians and... Combatants Greek city-states Persia Commanders Leonidas† Xerxes I of Persia Strength About 7000 Herodotus claims a total strength of 3. ... In the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated Darius III of Persia. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. ... Scots may refer to: The Scots language People from Scotland Scottish ethnicity, histroically people of Dalriada, a Gaelic-speaking kingdom in western Scotland Scots (ethnic group) Scottish Gaelic language, sometimes Scots outside of Scotland This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... Combatants Roman Republic Gallic Tribes Commanders Julius Caesar Vercingetorix Commius Strength about 60,000 about 80,000 besieged about 100,000 relief forces Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia was a conflict fought in September 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major... Guerrilla War redirects here. ... Napoleon I of France, by Jacques-Louis David Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution, and the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from 11 November 1799 to 18 May 1804, then as Emperor of the... A bust of Julius Caesar. ... Trafalgar can refer to: Cape Trafalgar in south west Spain The Battle of Trafalgar, fought near the cape. ... Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ...

Types of battle

The battle of Gettysburg, Pa. July 3d. 1863, by Currier and Ives

Battles can be fought on land, sea, or by the modern age, in the air. Naval battles have occurred since before the 5th century BC. Air battles have been far less common, due to its late conception, the most prominent being the Battle of Britain in 1940. However since the Second World War land or sea battles have have come to rely on air support. Indeed, during the Battle of Midway, five aircraft carriers were sunk without either fleets coming in to direct contact. Download high resolution version (900x569, 409 KB)The battle of Gettysburg, Pa. ... Download high resolution version (900x569, 409 KB)The battle of Gettysburg, Pa. ... Main article: Gettysburg Campaign The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the largest battle ever fought in North America, and is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. ... The French battleship Orient burns, 1 August 1798, during the Battle of the Nile A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. ... (6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) The 5th and 6th centuries BC are a period of philosophical brilliance among advanced civilizations. ... Combatants British Royal Air Force and allies Nazi German Luftwaffe Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength approx 700 fighters (at the beginning) 1,260 bombers; 316 dive-bombers; 1,089 fighters Casualties 1,547 aircraft; Civilian: 27,450 dead, 32,138 wounded 1,887 aircraft A major campaign of... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... The Battle of Midway took place on June 5, 1942 (June 4 – June 7 in U.S. time zones). ... An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ...

There are numerous types of battle. A "battle of encounter" is a meeting engagement where the opposing sides collide in the field without either having prepared their attack or defence. The goal of a "battle of attrition" is to inflict greater loss on the enemy than you suffer yourself; many battles of the First World War were intentionally (Verdun) or unintentionally (Somme) attrition battles. A "battle of breakthrough" aims to pierce the enemy's defences, thereby exposing the vulnerable flanks which can be turned. A "battle of encirclement" — the Kesselschlacht of the German Blitzkrieg — surrounds the enemy in a pocket. A "battle of envelopment" involves an attack on one or both flanks; the classic example being the double-envelopment of the Battle of Cannae. A "battle of annihilation" is one in which the defeated party is destroyed in the field, such as the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile. In warfare, a meeting engagement is a combat action that occurs when a moving force, incompletely deployed for battle, engages an enemy at an unexpected time and place. ... Combatants France Germany Commanders Philippe Pétain Robert Nivelle Erich von Falkenhayn Strength About 30,000 on 21 February 1916 About 150,000 on 21 February 1916 Casualties 377,000–542,000 total (of which 162,308 killed or missing) 336,000–434,000 total (of which about 100,000... Combatants United Kingdom, France, Canada, India, Newfoundland, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia Germany Commanders Douglas Haig Ferdinand Foch Max von Gallwitz Fritz von Below Strength 13 British & 6 French divisions (initial) 51 British divisions (final) 10. ... Blitzkrieg relies on close co-operation between infantry and panzers (tanks). ... In military terms, a salient is a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory. ... A flank is the side of either a horse or a military unit. ... The Battle of Cannae, August 2, 216 BC, was a significant battle of the Second Punic War. ... The Battle of the Nile, known in France as the Battle of Aboukir Bay, was an important naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars between a British fleet commanded by Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson and a French fleet under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys DAigalliers. ...

A "decisive battle" is one of particular importance; often by bringing hostilities to an end, such as the Battle of Hastings, or as a turning point in the fortunes of the belligerents, such as the Battle of Stalingrad. A decisive battle can have political as well as military impact, changing the balance of power or boundaries between countries. The concept of the "decisive battle" became popular with the publication in 1851 of Edward Creasy's The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World. British military historians J.F.C. Fuller (The Decisive Battles of the Western World) and B.H. Liddell Hart (Decisive Wars of History), among many others, have written books in the style of Creasy's work. Combatants Normans Anglo-Saxon English Commanders William of Normandy, Odo of Bayeux Harold Godwinson† Strength 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Casualties Unknown, thought to be around 2000 killed and wounded Unknown, but significantly more than the Normans The Battle of Hastings was the most decisive Norman victory... A belligerent in warfare is one of the sovereign power or, at times an insurgent force to the conflict; that is, one of the powers at war, in contrast to neutral countries and non-belligerents. ... Combatants Axis Powers Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein Friedrich Paulus Georgy Zhukov Vasily Chuikov Strength 500,000 (6th Army) 1,700,000 Casualties 850,000 military 750,000+ military 40,000+ civilian The Battle of Stalingrad was a major turning point in World War II, and is considered the... Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy (1812 - 1878), historian, was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and called to the Bar in 1837. ... The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World is a book written by Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy and published in 1851. ... Military history is the recording (in writing or otherwise) of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. This may range from a dispute between two tribes that come to blow over a plot of land, to a world war. ... J.F.C. Fuller (September 1, 1878 – February 10, 1966), full name John Frederick Charles Fuller, was a British Major General, military historian and strategist, notable as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorising principles of warfare. ... Basil Henry Liddell Hart (October 31, 1895 _ January 29, 1970) was a military historian and is considered among the great military strategists of the 20th century. ...

The differences among land battles throughout history

There is an obvious difference in the way battles have been fought throughout time. Early battles were probably fought between rival hunting bands as disorganized mobs. However, during the Battle of Kadesh, the first documented battle, in 1275 BC, actual discipline was instilled in both armies. This continued through the Ancient Times and the Middle Ages. However, during the many wars of the Roman Empire, barbarians continued using mob tactics. As the Age of Enlightenment dawned, armies began to fight in highly diciplined lines. Each would follow the orders from their officers and fight as a single unit instead of individuals. Each army was successively divided into regiments, battalions, companies, and platoons. These armies would march, line up, and fire in divisions. Native Americans, on the other hand, did not fight in lines and utilizing instead guerrilla tactics. The United States of America during the American Revolution also followed suit. Europe, during the Napoleonic Wars, continued using diciplined lines, continuing into the American Civil War. A new style, during World War I, known as trench warfare, developed nearly half a decade later. This also lead to radio for communication between batallions. Chemical warfare also emerged with the use the use of poisonous gas during World War I and the Austro-Prussian War. By World War II, the use of the smaller divisions, platoons and companies, became much more important as precise operations became vital. Instead of the locked trench warfare of World War I, during World War II, a dynamic network of battles developed where small groups encountered other platoons. As a result, elite squads became much more recognized and distinguishable. Vehicle warfare also developed with an astonishing pace with the advent of the tank, replacing the archaic cannons of the Enlightenment Age. Artillery has since gradually replaced the use of frontal troops. Modern battles now continue to resemble that of World War II, though prominent innovations have been added. Indirect combat through the use of aircraft and missles now comprise of a large portion of wars in place of battles, where battles are now mostly reserved for capturing cities. The Battle of Kadesh (also spelled Qadesh) took place between Egypt and the Hittite forces of Muwatalli, on the Orontes River of modern Syria, generally dated to 1274 BC during the reign of Ramesses II (1279 – 1213 BC). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation) The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine... barbarians is a mini-series on the history channel which tells the story of four of the most barbariac tribes of the early and late middle ages. ... The Age of Enlightenment refers to the 18th century in European philosophy, and is often thought of as part of a larger period which includes the Age of Reason. ... A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... In military terminology, a battalion consists of two to six companies typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel. ... // US Army In the United States military, infantry companies are usually made up of three rifle platoons and a heavy weapons platoon; tank companies are usually made up of three tank platoons and a command element. ... See also Platoon (movie) and platoon (automobile) for the concept for reducing traffic congestion. ... Assiniboin Boy, an Atsina Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, and their descendants in modern times. ... The American Revolution is the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. ... The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars fought during Napoleon Bonapartes rule over France. ... The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-four mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the... Clockwise from top: Trenches in frontline, a British Mark I Tank crossing a trench, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the battle of the Dardanelles, a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks and a Sopwith Camel biplane. ... Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... Clockwise from top: Trenches in frontline, a British Mark I Tank crossing a trench, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the battle of the Dardanelles, a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks and a Sopwith Camel biplane. ... The Austro-Prussian War (also called the Seven Weeks War or the German Civil War) was a war fought between the Austrian Empire and Prussia in 1866 that resulted in Prussian dominance in Germany. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest...

The difference of naval battles throughout history

One significant difference of modern naval battles as opposed to earlier forms of combat is the use of marines, which introduced amphibious warfare. Today, a marine is actually an infantry regiment that sometimes fights soley on land and is no longer tied to the navy. A good example of an old naval battle is the Battle of Salamis. Most ancient naval battles were fought by fast ships using the battering ram to sink oppsing feets or steer close enoguh for boarding in hand-to-hand combat. Troops were often actually used to storm enemy ships as used by Romans and pirates. This tactic was usually used by civilizations that could not beat the enemy with ranged weaponry. Another invention in the late Middle Ages was the use of Greek fire by the Byzantines, which was used to light enemy fleets on fire. Empty demolition ships utilized the tactic to crash into opposing ships and set it afire with an explosion. After the invention of cannons, naval warfare became useful as support units for land warefare. A prime example of this was at the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, where British ships bombarded the American Fort Henry into surrender. During the 19th Century, the development of mines led to a new type of naval warfare. The ironclad, first used in the American Civil War, resistant to cannons, soon made the wooden ship obsolete. The invention of a U-Boat, that is, submarine, during World War I by the Germans brought naval warefare to both above and below the surface. With the development of aircraft during World War II, battles were fought in sky as well as below the ocean. Aircraft carriers have since become the central unit in naval warefare, acting as a mobile base for lethal aircraft. France Marines is the name of a commune in the département of Val dOise, France. ... Combatants Greek city-states Persia Halicarnassus Commanders Eurybiades of Sparta Themistocles of Athens Adeimantus of Corinth Aristides of Athens Xerxes I of Persia Ariamenes † Artemisia Strength 371 ships 1207 ships Casualties 40 ships 200 ships The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle between the Greek city-states and Persia... Replica battering ram at Ch teau des Baux, France A battering ram is a weapon used from ancient times. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... This article is about sea pirates. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Depiction of Greek fire in the Madrid Skylitzes manuscript. ... In the Battle of Baltimore, one of the turning points in the War of 1812, American forces warded off a combined British land and sea invasion of the busy port city of Baltimore. ... This page refers to the war between the United States of America and Great Britain. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ... The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-four mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... Clockwise from top: Trenches in frontline, a British Mark I Tank crossing a trench, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the battle of the Dardanelles, a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks and a Sopwith Camel biplane. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... Two aircraft carriers, USS (left), and HMS Illustrious (right), showing the difference in size between a supercarrier and a light V/STOL aircraft carrier. ...

Aerial battles throughout history

The most common aerial form of battle is the dog fight. This type of battle can lead to pilots becoming elite. One example of this was the German pilot Manfred von Richthofen, deemed the Red Baron because he took out 80 airplanes for the Germans. The two types of warplanes are bombers and fighters. Fighters are designed to be good against other planes and bombers are designed to bombard enemy troops, cities, or buildings. Sometimes bombers would encounter enemy fighters and win. Today, stealth bombers rarely engage in combat against other aircraft. Dog fight is a common term used to describe close-range aerial combat between military aircraft. ... Portrait of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Fighter has a number of meanings: A fighter aircraft is a warplane designed to destroy other warplanes in combat. ...

During World War I, battles were fought between wooden planes with machine guns. Bombers would have a co-pilot drop the bombs by hand. These bombers were very inaccurate. Better armored jet aircraft would be introduced during World War II. Also, during World War II, bombs would be dropped from the plane by the pilots. Today, bombs and rockets are usually aimed from a scope and a button is pressed by the pilot to release the bomb. Another invention from World War II was the helicopter. It was discovered first by the Japanese but went unused by them during the war. The United States discovered them later. The helicopter was immortalized in the Vietnam War. Helicopters added a new aspect to air battles and to land battles in general. The helicopters were armed with rockets to fire on enemy positions and with a machine gun turret to fire on enemy infantry. They could not, however, face other enemy aircraft: they were made to carry and support the infantry. Jet aircraft with condensation trail Jet aircraft are aircraft with jet engines. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ... The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam), allied with the National Liberation Front (NLF, or Viet Cong) against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), and its allies — notably the United States military in support of... You may mean rocket, as in vehicles, missiles or aircrafts which obtain thrust by the reaction to the ejection of a fast moving exhaust from within a rocket engine. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Turret (highlighted) attached to a tower on a baronial building in Scotland In architecture, a turret (from Italian: torretta, little tower; Latin: turris, tower) is a small tower that projects from the wall of a building, such as a medieval castle or baronial house. ...

Battle naming

Battle of Gibraltar of 1607 by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom.

Battles are almost invariably named after some feature of the battlefield geography, such as the name of a town, forest or river. Occasionally battles are named after the date on which they took place, such as The Glorious First of June. In the Middle Ages it was considered important to settle on a suitable name for a battle which could be used by the chroniclers. For example, after Henry V of England defeated a French army on 25 October 1415, he met with the senior French herald and they agreed to name the battle after the nearby castle and so it was called the Battle of Agincourt. In other cases, the sides adopted different names for the same battle, such as the Battle of Gallipoli which is known in Turkey as the Battle of Çanakkale. Some place names have become synonymous with the battles that took place there, such as Passchendaele, Pearl Harbor or the Alamo. Military operations, many of which result in battle, are given codenames, which are not necessarily meaningful or indicative of the type or the location of the battle. Operation Market Garden and Operation Rolling Thunder are examples of battles known by their military codenames. Download high resolution version (1105x770, 150 KB)Battle of Gibraltar 1607 The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Download high resolution version (1105x770, 150 KB)Battle of Gibraltar 1607 The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... On April 25, 1607 during the Eighty Years War, a Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a Spanish fleet anchored at the Bay of Gibraltar. ... Events January 20 - Tidal wave swept along the Bristol Channel, killing 2000 people. ... Battle of Gibraltar, oil on canvas. ... Glorious First of June Conflict French Revolutionary Wars Date June 1, 1794 Place 400 miles west of Ushant Result Indecisive The Glorious First of June (also known as the Third Battle of Ushant and in French as the Bataille du 13 prairial An 2) was a naval battle fought in... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Generally a chronicle (Latin chronica) is historical account of facts and events in chronological order. ... Henry V, (August 9 or September 16, 1387 – August 31, 1422), King of England (1413-1422), son of Henry IV by Mary de Bohun, was born at Monmouth, Wales, in August or September 1386 or 1387. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... Events Friedrich I Hohenzollern (b. ... A herald was originally a messenger sent by a king or nobleman to convey a message or proclamation. ... The main gatehouse of Harlech Castle, Wales. ... Combatants Kingdom of England France Commanders Henry V of England Jean Le Maingre (Bouccicault), Charles dAlbret Strength 6,000-9,000 troops 25,000-50,000 troops Casualties 100-500 5,000-8,000 with over 1,000 prisoners The Battle of Agincourt was fought on 25 October 1415... Combatants United Kingdom France India Australia New Zealand Newfoundland Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Ian Hamilton Otto Liman von Sanders Strength 5 divisions (initial) 14 divisions (final) 6 divisions (initial) 14 divisions (final) Casualties 252,000 (205,000 British, 47,000 French) dead 97,000 wounded 145,000+ sick 253,000... The Battle of Gallipoli took place on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli in 1915 during the First World War. ... Synonyms (in ancient Greek syn συν = plus and onoma όνομα = name) are different words with similar or identical meanings. ... Passchendaele village, before and after the Battle of Passchendaele The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, otherwise known as the Third Battle of Ypres, was one of the major battles of World War I, fought by British, ANZAC, and Canadian soldiers against the German army near Ypres (Ieper in Flemish) in West... Combatants United States of America Empire of Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN) Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 9 destroyers, 8 tankers, 23 fleet submarines, 5 midget submarines, 441... Combatants Republic of Mexico Mexican state of Coahuila y Texas Commanders Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón William Travis Jim Bowie David Crockett Strength 1,600 in attack 183 to 250 Casualties 300 to 400 dead 183 to 250 dead The Battle of the Alamo... Planning, calculating, or the giving or receiving of information. ... A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. ... Waves of paratroops land in Holland during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. ... Operation Rolling Thunder was the code name for the supposedly non-stop, but often interrupted bombing raids in North Vietnam conducted by the United States armed forces during the Vietnam War. ...

When a battleground is the site of more than one battle in the same conflict, the instances are distinguished by ordinal number, such as the First and Second Battles of Bull Run. An extreme case are the twelve Battles of the Isonzo — First to Twelfth — between Italy and Austria-Hungary during the First World War. Commonly, ordinal numbers, or ordinals for short, are numbers used to denote the position in an ordered sequence: first, second, third, fourth, etc. ... The First Battle of Bull Run, referred to as the First Battle of Manassas in the South, (July 21, 1861), was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John Pope Robert E. Lee Thomas J. Jackson Strength 63,000 54,000 Casualties 1,747 killed, 8,452 wounded, 4,263 captured/missing 1,553 killed, 7,812 wounded, 109 captured/missing The Second Battle of Bull Run, known... The Battle of the Isonzo is the name given to numerous battles fought in the Isonzo River valley of Slovenia. ... The Battle of Caporetto (or Battle of Karfreit as it was known by the Central Powers), took place from October 24 to November 9, 1917, near Kobarid (now Slovenia) on the Austro-Italian front of World War I. Austro-Hungarian forces, reinforced by German units, were able to break into... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...

Some battles are named for the convenience of military historians so that periods of combat can be neatly distinguished from one another. Following the First World War, the British Battles Nomenclature Committee was formed to decide on standard names for all battles and subsidiary actions. To the soldiers who did the fighting, the distinction was usually academic; a soldier fighting at Beaumont Hamel on 13 November 1916 was probably unaware he was taking part in what the committee would call the "Battle of the Ancre". Military history is the recording (in writing or otherwise) of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. This may range from a dispute between two tribes that come to blow over a plot of land, to a world war. ... The Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont Hamel Beaumont-Hamel is a commune of the Somme département, in northern France. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... The Battle of the Ancre was the final act of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. ...

Many combats are too small to merit a name. Terms such as "action", "skirmish", "firefight", "raid" or "offensive patrol" are used to describe small-scale battle-like encounters. These combats often take place within the time and space of a battle and while they may have an objective, they are not necessarily "decisive". Sometimes the soldiers are unable to immediately gauge the significance of the combat; in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo, some British officers were in doubt as to whether the day's events merited the title of "battle" or would be passed off as merely an "action". Combatants France Anglo-Allied/Prussian/ Dutch Commanders Napoléon Bonaparte Duke of Wellington Gebhard von Blücher Strength 73,000 67,000 Anglo-Allied 60,000 Prussian (48,000 engaged by about 18:00) Casualties 34,000 23,000 Map of the Waterloo campaign The Battle of Waterloo, fought on...

The effects of a battle

Battles cause both individually and politically affects. The individual effect of a battle is that of a psychological or a physical effect. The effect psychologically can be in the memories of the men battle. This is often the case in many war veterans whom still to this day have nightmares about wars such as the Korean War or World War II. The physical effects of battle can be death or injury. The injuries in battles throughout time can be such things as scars, severed body parts, loss of hearing, and paralysis. The Korean War, from June 25, 1950 to cease-fire on July 27, 1953 (technically speaking, the war has not yet ended), was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest...

Battles also affect politics. A decisive battle that is won can cause one side to surrender or that same victory can be a Pyrrhic Victory. A descisive victory can usually force one side to submit to the intersts of the victor, often through ceding territory or changing policies. Battles have been fought in civil wars to decide the fate of monarchs and different political factions. A few examples are the War of the Roses and the Jacobite Uprisings. Battles have also affected such things as the continuance of a war. One example would be the Battle of Inchon. Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Politics Look up Politics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Politics (disambiguation) Democracy History of democracy List of democracy and elections-related topics List of years in politics List of politics by country articles Progressivism Progressive Logic Political corruption Political economy Political movement... A Pyrrhic victory (pronounced pirric) is a victory which is won at too great a cost for the victor. ... ... This article treats the generic title monarch. ... The War or Wars of the Roses may refer to, or have been referred to by: The historical Wars of the Roses, the civil war that took place in Mediæval Britain between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. ... Each Jacobite Rising formed part of a series of military campaigns by Jacobites attempting to restore the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland (and after 1707, Great Britain) after James VII of Scotland and II of England was deposed in 1688 and the thrones usurped by his... The Battle of Inchon (code name: Operation Chromite) was a decisive 15-day invasion and battle during the Korean War. ...

See also

• Naval battle
• Pitched battle
• Military tactics
• Warfare
• List of battles

The French battleship Orient burns, 1 August 1798, during the Battle of the Nile A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. ... A pitched battle is a battle were both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges. ... Military tactics is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ... History -- Military history -- Lists of battles This is a partial list of battles that have entries in Wikipedia. ...

References

• Keegan, John (1976). The Face of Battle, Pimlico. ISBN 1844137481.

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