The World's Biggest Battles Visualised

THE 20 BIGGEST EPIC BATTLES IN WORLD HISTORY Battles win wars, change history and redraw borders. From the Siege of Baghdad to Battle of Wagram, here are the 20 biggest battles in world history. BATTLE OF BERLIN (16 APRIL - 2 MAY 1945) BATTLE OF VERDUN (21 FEB - 20 DEC 1916) TOTAL TOTAL 24 MILLION FRENCH 1.1M TROOPS 3.3 MILLION TROOPS TROOPS SOVIET 2.5 M TROOPS GERMANY 766.000 TROOPS GERMANY 1.2 M TROOPS The Battle of Berlin was the final major offensive between the Soviet Union and Germany in the European theatre of World War II. The Battle of Verdun lasted for 303 days and became the longest and one of the most costly battles in human history. BATTLE OF HUAI (6 NOV 1948 - 10 JAN 1949) SIEGE OF LENINGRAD (8 SEP 1941- 27 JAN 1944) TOTAL TOTAL 1.8 MILLION 1.6 MILLION TROOPS COMMUNIST IM TROOPS TROOPS SOVIET IM TROOPS CHINESE 8000,000 TROOPS GERMANY 600,000 TROOPS Hai was the final major fight between the armies of the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party of Kuomintang. It was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history and overwhelmingly the most costly in terms of casualties. BATTLE OF KIEV (23 AUG - 26 SEP 1941) BATTLE OF CHANGPING (APRIL 262 BC - JULY 260 BC) TOTAL TOTAL 1.3 MILLION 1 MILLION TROOPS TROOPS IN 550,000 TROOPS SOVIET 850.000 TROOPS GERMANY 500,000 TROOPS ZHAO 4500,000 TROOPS The First Battle of Kiev resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. It's considered the largest encirclement of troops in history. Military campaign that took place during the Warring States period in China. It concluded in 260 BC with a decisive victory by the state of Qin over the State of Zhao and allowed Qin to conquer and unify China. SIEGE OF BUDAPEST (29 DEC 1944- 13 FEB 1945) BATTLE OF DIDGORI (12 AUGUST 1121) TOTAL TOTAL 680,000 655,000 TROOPS TROOPS GERMANY 500,000 TROOPS SELJUQ 600,000 TROOPS SOVIET 180,000 TROOPS GEORGIA 55,000 TROOPS The battle resulted in King David IV of Georgia's decisive victory over a Seljuk invasion army under Ilghazi and the subsequent reconquest of a Muslim - held Tbilisi, which became the royal capital. For the Soviet troops, the Siege of Budapest was a final rehearsal before the Battle of Berlin. BATTLE OF THYMBRA (DECEMBER 547 BC) BATTLE OF LEIPZIG (16-19 OCTOBER 1813) TOTAL TOTAL 616,000 605,000 TROOPS TROOPS PRUSSIAN 380,000 TROOPS LYDIAN 420.000 TROOPS ACHAEMENID 196,000 TROOPS FRENCH 225.000 TROOPS After the battle all the Lydian lands were annexed by the Persian empire including the Greek cities of lonia and Aeolis, which led to conflict between Greece and Persia. As the largest clash in history up to that time, Leipzig led to the fall of Paris and the abdication of Napoleon. BATTLE OF TUMA (I SEPTEMBER 1449) SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN (26 MAY - 13 AUG 1521) TOTAL TOTAL 520,000 500,000 TROOPS TROOPS AZTEC 300,000 TROOPS MING DYNASTY 500,000 TROOPS MONGOLS 20,000 TROOPS SPAIN 200,000 TROOPS Frontier conflict between the Oirat Mongols and the Chinese Ming Dynasty which led to the capture of the Zhentong Emperor and the defeat of an army of 500 000 troops. The siege of Tenochtitlan, the capital of Aztec Empire, was a decisive event in the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The Aztec forces were destroyed and Aztec's surrendered on 13 August 1521. BATTLE OF STALINGRAD (23 AUG 1942 - 2 FEB 1943) BATTLE OF PLATAEA (AUGUST 479 BC) TOTAL TOTAL 457,000 410,000 TROOPS* GERMANY TROOPS 270.000 TROOPS ACHAEMENID 300,000 TROOPS SOVIET 187,000 TROOPS GREEK CITY 110,000 TROOPS Stalingrad has been described as the biggest defeat in the history of the German Army. It's often identified as the turning point on the Eastern Front, and even the greatest turning point in the Second World War. With the twin victories of Plataea and Mycale, the second Persian invasion of Greece was over. Moreover, the threat of future invasion was abated. BATTLE OF VIENNA (14 JULY - 12 AUG 1683) BATTLE OF WAGRAM (5 -6 JULY 1809) TOTAL 312,000 * TROOPS TOTAL 400,000 TROOPS AUSTRIA 158,000 TROOPS OTTOMAN EMPIRE 300,000 TROOPS HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE 100,000 TROOPS FRANCE 154.000 TROOPS The victory at Vienna set the stage for the reconquering of Hungary and some of the Balkan lands in the following years, The battle marked the historic end of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe. One of the most important military engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle virtually spelled the destruction of the Fifth Coalition, the Austrian and British-led alliance against France. BATTLE OF ARAUSIO (6 OCTOBER 105 BC) BATTLE OF KULIKOVO 8 SEPTEMBER 1380) TOTAL TOTAL 280,000 210,000 * TROOPS TROOPS TEURONES 200,000 TROOPS BLUE HORDE 150,000 TROOPS ROMAN REPUBLIC 80,000 TROOPS RUSSIA 60,000 TROOPS The defeat of Roman Republic left them with a critical Battle was won by Dmitri, who became known as Donskoy after the battle. According to historians, battle was the turning point when Mongol influence began to wane and Muscovite power to rise. shortage of manpower but also with a terrifying enemy camped on the other side of Alpine passes. BATTLE OF WATERLOO (18 JUNE 1815) BATTLE OF ANTIETAM (17 SEPTEMBER 1862) TOTAL TOTAL 191,000 TROOPS 113,000 TROOPS* COALITION 118,000 TROOPS U. STATES 75,000 TROOPS FRANCE 73,000 TROOPS CONFEDERACY 38,000 TROOPS The Allied victory over Napoleon Bonaparte at the battle of Waterloo in 1815 brought an end to French domination of Europe and began a period of peace on the continent that lasted for nearly half a century. The Battle of Antietam stopped the first Confederate invasion of the North. It also ensured that European countries would not recognize the Confederacy. THE 20 BIGGEST EPIC BATTLES myfamilysilver.com IN WORLD HISTORY |||