Most epic battles

[Duuring]

Well yes, but I still wouldn't say they considered the Carthaginians barbarians, at least not on the same level as the Iberians, Celts, etc.

Anyways didn't come here to start an argument, just thought his statement was a bit odd.

Calling someone barbarians is more of a way of 'evil-izing' the enemy. Celts that allied themselves to Romans, for example, aren't called barbarians for as far I know. Not that my knowledge on Roman use of language is THAT good. 

[Captain Vincent]

   Throughout media outlets and a multitude of books being altered, in representing the 3 day engagement, it has been Largely exaggerated, however, still a battle of great Importance.
   
   Thermopylae was the main location of conflict, but was also fought on the sea. Including two major commanders of the time, one of which being Themistocles, a name that would forever Change and uphold the development of western Democratic Civilization; for as if the Persians would have prevailed, Greece, along with a various amount of other Countries would have befell to the Persian Empire Lead by King Xerxes.
   
     The Spartans(300), Lead by King Leonidas, was also Accompanied by about another 6000 Greeks, that Held off a little over 300,000 Persian forces just long enough to Let their Other Greek comrades(Composed of Thespians, Thebans, Peloponnesians, etc.) retreat and Fortify themselves;  not to include the Athenian Fleet of about 300 Holding off about 1000 Persian Ships.
(200 Of the Persian Ships Sailed outward, thinking they didn't need all of their fleet, but were destroyed in a storm; THAT MADE ME LAWL)

   During the Third Day of Engagement, It had come to light that the Pass of Thermopylae was to become surrounded by the Persian Forces. Some of the Greek Troops Fled, for fearing of a direct attack of their homeland, while others were ordered to leave from King Leonidas. He, and 1500 Other Greek forces(Including the 300 Spartan Men) Stood their Ground to Cover the retreating forces so that they may fight another day. Every Soldier Perished, and it was rumored that King Leonidas Died Early on in the battle, However, his men, With only about 11 left, Fought for his body until they were killed Valiantly.
With his men, the Greeks Slaughtered over 20,000 Persians, Defending the Pass until every Greek perished in a Final Arrow Barrage, and furthermore, Defended the Other Greek forces in their tactical Withdrawal..
King Leonidas Died with his 300 Spartan Warriors Valiantly.
No Retreat, No Surrender; That is Spartan Law.



This Video is meant to Be played during battles Of Mass proportion... or When one loses his/her Virginity.

[Rogov]

Heh, I just mentioned Thermopylae in another thread, an epic battle indeed.

[Rejestone]

I remember i saw this thread earlier, and i decided to YouTube
"The battle of Long Tan" and found this, enjoy

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gUSq7pxux4[/youtube]

[Dom13WorstNW]

                    The Maryland Campaign
     
                                 Background
 

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Background
 
The year 1862 started out well for Union forces in the Eastern Theater. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac had invaded the Virginia Peninsula during the Peninsula Campaign and by June stood only a few miles outside the Confederate capital at Richmond. But, when Robert E. Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia on June 1, 1862, fortunes reversed. Lee fought McClellan aggressively in the Seven Days Battles; McClellan lost his nerve, and his army retreated down the Peninsula. Lee then conducted the Northern Virginia Campaign in which he outmaneuvered and defeated Maj. Gen. John Pope and his Army of Virginia, most significantly at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas). Lee's Maryland Campaign can be considered the concluding part of a logically connected, three-campaign, summer offensive against Federal forces in the Eastern Theater.
 
The Confederates had suffered significant manpower losses in the wake of the summer campaigns. Nevertheless, Lee decided his army was ready for a great challenge: an invasion of the North. His goal was to reach the major Northern states of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and cut off the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line that supplied Washington, D.C. His movements would threaten Washington and Baltimore, so as to "annoy and harass the enemy.
 
Several motives led to Lee's decision to launch an invasion. First, he needed to supply his army and knew the farms of the North had been untouched by war, unlike those in Virginia. Moving the war northward would relieve pressure on Virginia. Second was the issue of Northern morale. Lee knew the Confederacy did not have to win the war by defeating the North militarily; it merely needed to make the Northern populace and government unwilling to continue the fight. With the Congressional elections of 1862 approaching in November, Lee believed that an invading army playing havoc inside the North could tip the balance of Congress to the Democratic Party, which might force Abraham Lincoln to negotiate an end to the war. He told Confederate President Jefferson Davis in a letter of September 3 that the enemy was "much weakened and demoralized.
 
There were secondary reasons as well. The Confederate invasion might be able to incite an uprising in Maryland, especially given that it was a slave-holding state and many of its citizens held a sympathetic stance toward the South. Some Confederate politicians, including Jefferson Davis, believed the prospect of foreign recognition for the Confederacy would be made stronger by a military victory on Northern soil, but there is no evidence that Lee thought the South should base its military plans on this possibility. Nevertheless, the news of the victory at Second Bull Run and the start of Lee's invasion caused considerable diplomatic activity between the Confederate States and France and England.
 
After the defeat of Pope at Second Bull Run, President Lincoln reluctantly returned to the man who had mended a broken army before—George B. McClellan after the Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas). He knew that McClellan was a strong organizer and a skilled trainer of troops, able to recombine the units of Pope's army with the Army of the Potomac faster than anyone. On September 2, 1862, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital. The appointment was controversial in the Cabinet, a majority of whom signed a petition declaring to the president "our deliberate opinion that, at this time, it is not safe to entrust to Major General McClellan the command of any Army of the United States. The president admitted that it was like "curing the bite with the hair of the dog." But Lincoln told his secretary, John Hay, "We must use what tools we have. There is no man in the Army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops of ours into shape half as well as he. If he can't fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight.

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  1st battle : The Battle of Harpers Ferry
       

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  As Jackson's three columns approached Harpers Ferry, Col. Dixon S. Miles, Union commander of the garrison, insisted on keeping most of the troops near the town instead of taking up commanding positions on the surrounding heights. The South Carolinians under Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw encountered the slim defenses of the  most important position, Maryland Heights, but only brief skirmishing ensued. Strong attacks by the brigades of Kershaw and William Barksdale on September 13 drove the mostly inexperienced Union troops from the heights.
 
During the fighting on Maryland Heights, the other Confederate columns arrived and were astonished to see that critical positions to the west and south of town were not defended. Jackson methodically positioned his artillery around Harpers Ferry and ordered Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill to move down the west bank of the Shenandoah River in preparation for a flank attack on the Federal left the next morning. By the morning of September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly 50 guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights. He began a fierce artillery barrage from all sides and ordered an infantry assault. Miles realized that the situation was hopeless and agreed with his subordinates to raise the white flag of surrender. Before he could surrender personally, he was mortally wounded by an artillery shell and died the next day. Jackson took possession of Harpers Ferry and more than 12,000 Union prisoners, then led most of his men to join Lee at Sharpsburg, leaving Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill's division to complete the occupation of the town.

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    Images of Harpers Ferry

             

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 2nd Battle : Battle of South Mountain

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Pitched battles were fought on September 14 for possession of the South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill defended Turner's and Fox's Gaps against Burnside. To the south, Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws defended Crampton's Gap against Franklin. Franklin was able to break through at Crampton's Gap, but the Confederates were able to hold Turner's and Fox's, if only precariously. Lee realized the futility of his position against the numerically superior Union forces, and he ordered his troops to Sharpsburg. McClellan was then theoretically in a position to destroy Lee's army before it could concentrate. McClellan's limited activity on September 15 after his victory at South Mountain, however, condemned the garrison at Harpers Ferry to capture and gave Lee time to unite his scattered divisions at Sharpsburg.

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Images of  South Mountain
                     

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    Battle 3 : Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg)

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On September 16, McClellan confronted Lee near Sharpsburg, defending a line to the west of Antietam Creek. At dawn on September 17, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's I Corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee's left flank that began the bloody battle. Attacks and counterattacks swept across the Miller Cornfield and the woods near the Dunker Church as Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Mansfield's XII Corps joined to reinforce Hooker. Union assaults against the Sunken Road ("Bloody Lane") by Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner's II Corps eventually pierced the Confederate center, but the Federal advantage was not pressed. In the afternoon, Burnside's IX Corps crossed a stone bridge over Antietam Creek and rolled up the Confederate right. At a crucial moment, A.P. Hill's division arrived from Harpers Ferry and counterattacked, driving back Burnside's men and saving Lee's army from destruction. Although outnumbered two to one, Lee committed his entire force, while McClellan sent in only four of his six available corps. This enabled Lee to shift brigades across the battlefield and counter each individual Union assault. During the night, both armies consolidated their lines. In spite of crippling casualties—Union 12,401, or 25%; Confederate 10,316, or 31%—Lee continued to skirmish with McClellan throughout September 18, while transporting his wounded men south of the Potomac. McClellan did not renew the offensive. After dark, Lee ordered the battered Army of Northern Virginia to withdraw across the Potomac into the Shenandoah Valley

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   Images of Antietam (Sharpsburg)

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Battle 4 : The Battle of Shepherdstown

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On September 19, a detachment of Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter's V Corps pushed across the river at Boteler's Ford, attacked the Confederate rear guard commanded by Brig. Gen. William N. Pendleton, and captured four guns. Early on September 20, Porter pushed elements of two divisions across the Potomac to establish a bridgehead. A.P. Hill's division counterattacked while many of the Federals were crossing and nearly annihilated the 118th Pennsylvania (the "Corn Exchange" Regiment), inflicting 269 casualties. This rearguard action discouraged further Federal pursuit

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Images of the battle of Shepherdstown

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Aftermath and diplomatic implications

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Lee successfully withdrew across the Potomac, ending the Maryland Campaign and summer campaigning altogether. President Lincoln was disappointed in McClellan's performance. He believed that the general's cautious and poorly coordinated actions in the field had forced the battle to a draw rather than a crippling Confederate defeat. He was even more astonished that from September 17 to October 26, despite repeated entreaties from the War Department and the president, McClellan declined to pursue Lee across the Potomac, citing shortages of equipment and the fear of overextending his forces. General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck wrote in his official report, "The long inactivity of so large an army in the face of a defeated foe, and during the most favorable season for rapid movements and a vigorous campaign, was a matter of great disappointment and regret. Lincoln relieved McClellan of his command of the Army of the Potomac on November 7, effectively ending the general's military career. Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside rose to command the Army of the Potomac. The Eastern Theater was relatively quiet until December, when Lee faced Burnside at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
 
Although a tactical draw, the Battle of Antietam was a strategic victory for the Union. It forced the end of Lee's strategic invasion of the North and gave Abraham Lincoln the victory he was awaiting before announcing the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, which took effect on January 1, 1863. Although Lincoln had intended to do so earlier, he was advised by his Cabinet to make this announcement after a Union victory to avoid the perception that it was issued out of desperation. The Confederate reversal at Antietam also dissuaded the governments of France and Great Britain from recognizing the Confederacy. And, with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, it became less likely that future battlefield victories would induce foreign recognition. Lincoln had effectively highlighted slavery as a tenet of the Confederate States of America, and the abhorrence of slavery in France and Great Britain would not allow for intervention on behalf of the South.

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Videos
The battle of South Mountain:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6CSRk9FlYo[/youtube]

More Info videos and pics Coming Soon I hope you enjoy 

[Bramif]

Battle of Lyndanisse

i find this battle epic not becuase of an army that is heavily outnumbered wins or anything like that but becuase of what actually happened.

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The Battle

Valdemar II, along with Archbishop Anders Sunesen of Lund, Bishop Theoderik of Estonia, and his vassals Count Albert of Nordalbingia and Vitslav I of Rügen, sailed to the northern Estonian province of Revalia at the beginning of June. The crusading army camped at Lyndanisse and built a castle there, named Castrum Danorum, which the Estonians called Taani-linn (later Tallinn), meaning Danish castle. The Estonians sent several negotiators, but they were only playing for time as they assembled an army large enough to fight the Danes.

On 15 June 1219, the Estonians attacked the Danes near the castle, right after suppertime. They advanced from five different directions and completely surprised the crusaders, who fled in all directions. Bishop Theoderik was killed by the Estonians, who thought he was the king. The Danes were saved by their Wendish vassals, as Vitslav led a quick counterattack which stopped the Estonian advance. This gave the crusaders time to regroup, and the Estonians were routed.
Dannebrog
Archbishop Anders Sunesen at the Battle of Lyndanisse

Tradition has maintained that the flag appeared at the battle of Lyndanisse on 15 June 1219. Legend holds that during the battle, in the Danes' hour of need, the Danish flag, the Dannebrog, fell from the sky and gave them renewed hope. As the Estonians attacked the Danish stronghold, the Danes were hard pressed. Anders Sunesen, the Archbishop of Lund, raised his hands to the sky in prayer, and the defenders held tight as long as his hands were raised. As Archbishop Sunesen became exhausted, he eventually had to lower his arms, and the Estonians were on the verge of victory. Then, a red flag with a white cross fell from the sky, and gave the Danes the victory.

This account builds on two different versions from the early 16th century, of an even older source. According to legend, Denmark received its national flag, the Dannebrog, during the battle. This legend is mentioned in History of the Kings and heroes of the Danes in the last three volumes (14-16) which describe Danish conquests on the south shore of the Baltic Sea and the Northern Crusades. The Latin volumes of Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae, were edited by Danish Canon, Christiern Pedersen, and published by Jodocus Badiuson March 15, 1514.

This older source set the emergence of Dannebrog as a battle in Livonia in 1208. But the Franciscan monk Peder Olsen (c. 1527) rectified the year as 1219. The legend became affixed to the Battle of Lyndanisse. The legend of Dannebrog as originating in the Northern Crusades holds true, as the red flag with a white cross originated as a crusader symbol.

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[Gokiller]

Battle of Stalingrad WWII - 1942 28th June - February 2, 1943

Why the most epic battle? Because the Soviets putted the battle from defeat, to victory. When the Germans entered Stalingrad in 28th of June 1942 they we're clearing out the city, and a point the Germans had 90% of the city. But even untill then the Soviets fought with whatever they had. The Germans even had a superiority in aircraft and artillery. And in the end they knew to assemble enough troops behind the Wolga to counterattack on the Romanian, and Hungarian flank "guards", and to encircle the 6th army in Stalingrad and to capture even a Field Marshall after the battle. I therefor think this is the most (or one of the most) epic battles of the times. With some great strategies from both sides. But esp the Soviets, who kept the City, and counterattacked, encircled and destroyed the German forces!

Main Information about the Battle

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The Battle of Stalingrad was a major and decisive battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in the southwestern Soviet Union. The battle took place between August 23, 1942 and February 2, 1943 and was marked by constant close-quarters combat and lack of regard for military and civilian casualties. It is among the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with the higher estimates of combined casualties amounting to nearly two million. The heavy losses inflicted on the German army made it a significant turning point in the whole war. After the Battle of Stalingrad, German forces never recovered their earlier strength, and attained no further strategic victories in the East.
The German offensive to capture Stalingrad commenced in late summer 1942, and was supported by intensive Luftwaffe bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. The German offensive eventually became mired in building-to-building fighting; and despite controlling nearly all of the city at times, the Wehrmacht was unable to dislodge the last Soviet defenders clinging tenaciously to the west bank of the Volga River.
On 19 November 1942, the Red Army launched Operation Uranus, a two-pronged attack targeting the weaker Romanian and Hungarian forces protecting the German 6th Army's flanks. After heavy fighting, the weakly held Axis flanks collapsed and the 6th Army was cut off and surrounded inside Stalingrad. As the Russian winter set in, the 6th Army weakened rapidly from cold, starvation and ongoing Soviet attacks. Command ambiguity coupled with Adolf Hitler's resolute belief in their will to fight further exacerbated the German predicament. Eventually, the failure of outside German forces to break the encirclement, coupled with the failure of resupplying by air, led to the final collapse. By the beginning of February 1943, Axis resistance in Stalingrad had ceased and the remaining elements of the 6th Army had either surrendered or been destroyed. The battle lasted a grueling 5 months, 1 week, and 3 days.

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Details Armies

German 6th Army, + 4th Pantzer Army            Russian Stalingrad Front
Led by Paulus                                                       Led by Zhukov
1,011,500 men                                                     1,000,500 men
10,290 artillery guns                                            13,541 artillery guns
675 tanks                                                             894 tanks
1,216 planes                                                        1,115 planes

Losses (end of the battle)
Killed+Wounded: 650,000-750,000                     478,741+650,878     
Captured: 91,000                                                40,000 Civilians Dead

Maps

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Pictures

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[Orcaryo]

Either Saratoga, Gettysburg, or Waterloo, I really do not know that much about famous Roman battles.

[zizbird55]

Even though the Texas revolution was very small. The stories of some of the battles are quite fascinating. The big three were The battle of the Alamo, San Jacinto, and Goliad.

[Augy]

One time, We had to play a rugby match versus some Belgian team in the Dutch national stadium.
One minute in, the Belgian Team Captain called ours a "son of a whore" in French and within a split second we were in a giant brawl.

was a pretty epic fight, i took out a fat scrummer and a flanker plus helped chase that Captain off the field.

i hope it counts as a battle, was pretty epic as loads of people watched it go down.

[Duuring]

One time, We had to play a rugby match versus some Belgian team in the Dutch national stadium.
One minute in, the Belgian Team Captain called ours a "son of a whore" in French and within a split second we were in a giant brawl.

was a pretty epic fight, i took out a fat scrummer and a flanker plus helped chase that Captain off the field.

i hope it counts as a battle, was pretty epic as loads of people watched it go down.

LOL. Yeah...I guess that counts 

[GoblinOverlord]

A little list:

- Defence of Constantinople;
- Battle of Alesia;
- Stalingrad;
- Gettysburg;
- Battle of Berlin (WW2);
- Battle of Verdun and the Somme (WW1)

[Ryno2626]

Battle of Waterloo

[von_Bismarck]

The battle of Karansebes.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kar%C3%A1nsebes

Austrians troops inflicting themselves a defeat

[Josef Lenin]

I second GoKiller with Stalingrad, Nice layout btw.