50- Important Decisive Battles in World History : General Awareness

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	Despite their defeat by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, the Persians were not finished with their determination to conquer mainland Greece. Spartans led by Leonidas and Persians led by Xerexes. Greeks defeated.
Battle of Salamis	480 BC	Naval battle ,Athenian fleet and Persian fleet in bay of Salamis; Persian fleet defeated.
Battle of Platae	479 BC	Greek and Persians forces defeated.
Battle of Mycale	479 BC	Greek and Persian fleets; Persian fleet defeated.
Spartan War I (Peloponesian War)	459 BC	Sparta and Athens, lasted for 30 years.
Spartan War II	431 BC-421	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	The Battle of Pharsalus was a decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War. Caesar defeated Pompey.
Battle of Hastings	1066	William, the Duck 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 was claimed to the throne of France which was claimed by Edward III of England. The war was resume 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 ‘. John 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 o England between the two royal houses of Lancaster and York.
Anglo-Spanish War (Spanish armada War)	1588	Spanish and England fleets fought in the England 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	Stated 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 supporters)and forces of Parliament led by Oliver Cromwell, king Charles I executed .
Battle of Blenheim	1704	England and Austria headed by Marlborough defended France and Russia.
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.
Battle of the Nile	1798	British and French fleets, Britain victorious.
Battle of Trafolgar	1805	British fleet defeated fleets of France and Spain. British fleets were commanded by Admiral Nelson, who was killed during the Battle.
Battle of Austerliz	1805	Britain , Austria ,Russia and Prussia .On side and France on the other. Napoleon (France) defeated Austria and Russia.
Battle of Borodino	1812	Between France and Russia. Napolean invaded Russia 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 market the beginning of the downfall of the French Empire.
Battle of Leipzing	1813	Germany and combined force of Austria, Prussia and Russia, Defeated Napolean.
Battle of Waterloo	1815	British forces and 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 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 (Mehdits).
Bear 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 (Battle of Port Arthur& Battle of Yalu)	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 Power (Germany and its allies) Against the Allied Power (Britain and its allies); Central power were deeated. Famous Battles : (1). First battle of Marne (1914)- France defeated Germany. (2). Battle o 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 Power (Britain and its allies); Axis Power were defeated. Famous Battle: Battle of EI Alamein (1942)-The Allies victory during the World War II and retreat of General Rommel’s forces.

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