World History
General Knowledge

Important Battles



Important Battles

Name of the Battle Year Countries involved
Battle of Marathon 490 BC Athenians and Persians. King Darius of Persia defeated
Battle of Thermoplaye 480 BC Spartans led by Leonidas and Persians led by Xeroxes. Greeks defeated
Battle of Salamis 480 BC Athenian fleet and Persian fleet in Bay of Salamis; Persian fleet defeated
Battle of Plates 479 BC Greek and Persians forces; Persian forces defeated
Battle of Mycale 479 BC Greek and Persian fleets; Persian fleet defeated
Spartan War I 459 BC Sparta and Athens, lasted for 30 years
Spartan War II 431 BC Sparta and Athens; Spartans victorious
Battle of Arabia 331 BC Greek and Persian forces; Greeks victorious
Battle of Magnesia 190 BC Syrian and Roman forces; Syrian forces defeated (north-west Lydia)
Battle of Pharasalus 48 AD Caesar defeated Pompey
Pharasalus Battle of Hastings 1066 William, the Duke of Normandy defeated Harold the King of England. England came under the control of Normans
Hundred-Year War 1338 - 1453 Fought between France and England
The cause of the war was the succession question to the throne of France which was claimed by Edward III of England. The war was resumed by Henry V and was brought to an end by the heroism of Joan of Arc— A country girl who overthrew the power of England . Joan of Arc was burnt alive at the stakes in 1431
War of the Roses 1455 - 1485 Civil War in England; The cause of the war was a struggle for the throne of England between the two royal houses of Lancaster and York
Anglo-Spanish War 1588 Spanish and English fleets fought in the English Channel. The English fleet under Lord Howard defeated of the Spanish Armada
Battle of Gibraltar Way 1607 The Dutch defeated the Spanish and Portuguese
Thirty-Year War 1618 - 1648 Started as religious-cum-political war between the Lutherans and Catholics in Germany and developed into an international war
Civil War in England 1642 - 1649 Between Cavaliers (King Charles I of Parliament led by Oliva Cromwell King Charles executed
Battle of Blenheim 1704 England and Austria headed by Marlborough defeated
War of Austrian Succession 1740 - 1748 Queen of Austria, Maria Theresa (daughter of Charles VII ) was challenged by King Frederick II of Prussia, England supported the queen and Frederick II was helped by France. Ended with a Treaty which recognized the Queen’s right to the throne after the death of King Frederick.
Seven-Year War (Anglo-French War III) 1756-1763 Britain and France against Austria and Prussia; the british alliance won
Name of the Battle Year Countries involved
Battle of the Nile 1798 British and French fleets, Britain victorious
Battle of Trafelgar 1805 British fleets of France and Spain. British commanded by Admiral Nelson. who was killed during the battle
Battle of Austerliz 1805 Britain, Asutria, Russia and Prussia on one side and France on the other. Neoleon ( France ) defeated Austria and Russia
Battle of Borodino 1812 Between France and Russia. Napolean invaded WM at Borodino, and nearly defeated the Russians, However on reaching Moscow, his army suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat. Napolean's ill-fated attack on Russia marked the beginning of the downfall of the French Empire
Battle of Leipzig 1813 Germany and combined forces of Austria, Prussia and Russia, defeated Napoleon
Battle of Waterloo 1815 British forces led by Duke of Wellington (Sir.Arthur Wellesly) defeated French forces led by Napolean Napolean was captured and exiled to St. Helena where he died in 1821
First Opium War 1840 China and Britain; Chinese yielded opium. It was a trade war
Crimean War 1854 - 1856 The combined forces of the British, French and Turks defeated Russia
American Civil War 1861-1865 Northern states of America under Abraham Lincon defeated the Southern states and established a Federalstate and abolished the slavery.
Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895 Japan defeated China and occupied Formosa and Korea
Battle of Omdurman 1898 The British and Egyptian forces defeated the forces of Khalifa (Mehdists)
Boer War 1899 - 1901 The revolt of Transvaal Boers was suppressed by the British forces. Boers belonged to Dutch Protestant stock who opposed Britishers because of abolition of slavery by Britain.
Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 Russia and Japan in the sea of Japan. Russia defeated; It led the wave of the idea of Asian Resurgence.
Balkan War I 1912 Turkey and Balkan countries (Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece), Turkey defeated.
Balkan War II 1913 Invasion of Serbia and Greece by Bulgaria.Bulgaria was defeated by combined forces of Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Montengro who stripped Turkey of most of Its European territories
World War I 1914 - 1918 Central Powers (Germany and its allies) against the Allied Powers (Britain and its allies); Central Power were defeated.
Famous Battles :
1. First battle of Marne (1914) — France defeated Germany
2. Battle of Jutland (1916)— Naval battle between England and Germany. England defeated Germany
3. Battle of Verdun (1916) — Fought between France & Germany
4. Second battle of Marne (1918) — France defeated Germany
World War II 1939 - 1945 Axis Powers (Germany and its allies) against the Allied Powers (Britain and its allies); Axis Powers were defeated.
Famous Battle : Battle of El Alamein (1942) — The Allies victory during the World War II and retreat of General Rommel's forces