What is the most amazing military victory in the history of the world?

[Zkribbler]

It isn't so much the fact that the UN won against Iraq in Desert Storm as much as it is the fact they took out the world's 4th largest army (battle hardened) while losing only 100 killed.

Thanks to David Floyd for reminding us of Midway and the 6-Day War. Both are excellent nominations.

For consideration, I'd like to add Nelson's victories at Tafalgar and the Battle of the Nile, Wellington's many victories--especially in India, the WWII German victory over the French & British when they flanked the Maginot Line, and Washington's surprise attack on Trenton in which rebel forces had zero casualties.

But my vote goes to the Battle of Marathon. The grossly outnumbered Athenians destroyed the invading Persian Army and lost, IIRC, a mere 86 men. No advanced weapons, no great position, no clever tactics, just your standard frontal assault followed by some determined hack and slash.

[Buck Birdseed]

"Battle Hardened" my ass. "Consisting almost entirely of unwilling, untrained conscripts" would be a better description. Lovely military victory, wasn't it? Only cost some 200 000 lives (approx. twice as many as Saddam had killed up to that point) plus another million from the sanctions. Carpet Bombing cities anyone?

Anyway, we're always taught that it's Narva in swedish schools. But then it's probably some sort of 19th-century social romantic bollocks that's stuck.

[Traianvs]

de gulden sporenslag was indeed a remarkable voctory, although many belgians (flemish to be more precise) exaggerate this... once again, the french lost due to bad tactics, while the flemish had good leadership... the french knights just stormed ahead, not even knowing what terrain they are facing and what kind of troops they have to kill... it was a nice win, but in 1304 the French finished it, not by winning a battle, but by luck.. they lost once again, but the Flemish assuming they had lost (but in fact they had won), fled from the battlefield... and that was the end of the short military superiority of Flanders

No it was more remarkable because it started a period where armies consisting primarily of knights wasn't invincible anymore (before that, no army consisting of foot soldiers had beaten a knight army)


I'd say Cannae was pretty impressive, i don't think they had lost 90k troops, which would be nearly 23 legions (if that would have happened half the roman army from that time was killed in 1 battle!), and their opponents weren't light troops or so.. except for the numidian cavalry that didn't serve as shock troops but for skirmishes and quick raids, attacks in the flank and the back etc...

Hannibal primarily won because the roman cavalry on the right wing was defeated by the superior carthaginian cav (roman cavalry never was that good, they relied primarily on allies and Gauls)

Alesia was nice, but if you look at his fortifications...storming Caesar was comitting suicide...

[Urban Ranger]

Depends on what you meant by "amazing." Do you mean that victory alone changed the course of history, or are you merely comparing ratios?

[MrWhereItsAt]

Hellloooooo!

The Mongols took China, all of northern Asia and Europe as far as Prague (IIRC). If that ain't an amazing military victory over the vast majority of the advanced, civilised nations of the Old World, I don't know what is.

[Traianvs]

ya but they employed cowardly hit and run operations.. and much of the land they conquered (except china and eastern europe and maybe some other areas) consisted of smaller weak foes

[Urban Ranger]

So what? You can say the same thing with Alexandar or anybody else.

[Ned]

Desert Storm taught us again that no army has a chance under conditions the Iraqi army faced. When the opponent has that much airpower, it cannot win.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Battle of Kalastajasaarento. My grandfather fought there. 35 Finns against over 2,000 russians. At the end of the day, 14 finns and over 450 russians lay dead. The russians retreated.

[Pavlov]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
Battle of Kalastajasaarento. My grandfather fought there. 35 Finns against over 2,000 russians. At the end of the day, 14 finns and over 450 russians lay dead. The russians retreated.

You know, if this hadn't been the Finnish winter war I'd say you were lying. But Finns are damn tough.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Yeah, they call it sisou.

[MrFun]

I will go with David Floyd's suggestion -- the Six Day War with Israel and her enemies.

Incredible turn-around in an extremely short time.

[Traianvs]

So what? You can say the same thing with Alexandar or anybody else.

not really, Alexander conquered the middle east, which was inhabited by advanced peoples... the Persians for example were no simple tribe...

[David Floyd]

What about the U-Boat under Lt. Prien that infiltrated Scapa Flow and sunk the (IIRC) Royal Oak? Pretty amazing stuff, that.