Favorite Historical Battle?

[radomu]

The title says it all.

I choose the Battle of Bosworthfield, the final battle in the War of Roses between Richard III and Henry VII

 

[StopgapThe Dude]

I'd say Gettysburg because it changed the course not only of American history, but world history as well. If Picketts Charge had succeeded and broken the Union Army, America and America's impact on the world stage would be very, very different.

 

[radomu]

I'd say Gettysburg because it changed the course not only of American history, but world history as well. If Picketts Charge had succeeded and broken the Union Army, America and America's impact on the world stage would be very, very different.

It would be definately funny if the Confederate States of America prospered.

Though I'm pretty sure that slavery would be abolished even then

 

[Violator79]

I'd say Gettysburg because it changed the course not only of American history, but world history as well. If Picketts Charge had succeeded and broken the Union Army, America and America's impact on the world stage would be very, very different.

Agreed. I've been there many times and I love studying the battle.

It would be definately funny if the Confederate States of America prospered.

Though I'm pretty sure that slavery would be abolished even then

I don't know if slavery would've been abolished because Lincoln would've have any power over the Southern people if the South had won the battle and the war.

 

[Jagger69]

Great topic. There are so many from which to choose for which serious arguments could be made:

The Battle of Salamis, 480 BC
The Battle of Cannae, 216 AD
The Battle of Hastings, 1066
The Battle of Agincourt, 1415
The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
The Battle of Verdun, 1916
The Battle of Britain, 1940
The Battle of the Coral Sea, 1942
The Battle of Kursk, 1943

But the winner for me has to be.....

The Battle of Stalingrad, 1943

 

[radomu]

Great topic. There are so many from which to choose for which serious arguments could be made:

The Battle of Salamis, 480 BC
The Battle of Cannae, 216 AD
The Battle of Hastings, 1066
The Battle of Agincourt, 1415
The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
The Battle of Verdun, 1916
The Battle of Britain, 1940
The Battle of the Coral Sea, 1942
The Battle of Kursk, 1943

But the winner for me has to be.....

The Battle of Stalingrad, 1943

Stalingrad was EPIC in a huge scale. It was long, deadly, cold and loud...

 

[Jagger69]

I don't know if slavery would've been abolished because Lincoln would've have any power over the Southern people if the South had won the battle and the war.

It is highly debatable that a Confederate victory at Gettysburg would have sealed the deal for the South. The Union victory there was more of a turning point against the Confederacy than a rebel win would have been against the North. The plain truth is, the Union was destined to win the war eventually due to the simple fact that it was already significantly involved in the industrial revolution and the agrarian South was not. Unless there would have been intervention by one of the European powers on their behalf (and the South lobbied long and hard for that to no avail), the Confederacy had no chance to win a war a attrition with the Union....and that's exactly what happened.

As far as slavery goes.....yeah. One would hope that eventually the human rights movement would have forced the southern landowners to relinquish their hold on the slaves and they would have been freed. It would likely have taken quite a while I imagine.

 

[Eric Lindros]

I'm not good at this, but is allways nice to learn from others.
Great thread.

I would choose The battle of Arnhem, WW II.
The Germans got the bridge over the Rhine, the Alliance troops needed the Bridge to defeat the Germans and go on through Germany to end the war.

Arnhem is still thankfull to all the paratroopers who did a great job.
http://board.freeones.com/showpost.php?p=2008013&postcount=198

 

[tackdriver]

As a smaller part of Gettysburg:


Chamberlain's flank defense at Little Round Top culminating with the bayonet charge when they were out of ammunition and options.

 

[Facial_King]

The Cola Wars

 

[radomu]

As a smaller part of Gettysburg:


Chamberlain's flank defense at Little Round Top culminating with the bayonet charge when they were out of ammunition and options.

Neville Chamberlain?
Oh no his tactics were appeasement...

 

[Violator79]

It is highly debatable that a Confederate victory at Gettysburg would have sealed the deal for the South. The Union victory there was more of a turning point against the Confederacy than a rebel win would have been against the North. The plain truth is, the Union was destined to win the war eventually due to the simple fact that it was already significantly involved in the industrial revolution and the agrarian South was not. Unless there would have been intervention by one of the European powers on their behalf (and the South lobbied long and hard for that to no avail), the Confederacy had no chance to win a war a attrition with the Union....and that's exactly what happened.



As far as slavery goes.....yeah. One would hope that eventually the human rights movement would have forced the southern landowners to relinquish their hold on the slaves and they would have been freed. It would likely have taken quite a while I imagine.

I've thought that over myself. But remember Lee was virtually unstoppable and say they did win the battle, Washington, D.C. was in their grasp with nothing to stop them from taking it. Also there a letter that was to be delivered to Lincoln the after Lee destroyed the Army of the Potomac, a letter which offered peace. As for slavery, I seriously doubt the South would've gotten rid it.

As a smaller part of Gettysburg:


Chamberlain's flank defense at Little Round Top culminating with the bayonet charge when they were out of ammunition and options.

Good choice. I remember being about 10 years ago my mom and I went there and this group of people were asking questions and there wasn't a guide around so I took the liberty and gave them all the info they wanted in detail. I've been studying the battle and the Civil War since I was 10 years old. After that group got what they wanted I got a big applause and my mom got kudos for having a smart history buff.

 

[gunslingingbird]

The storming of Normandy.

 

[BlueBalls]

The Battle of Trafalgar, has always interested me.

 

[bodie54]

Unless there would have been intervention by one of the European powers on their behalf.

A victory at Gettysburg might have made that a reality.

Gettysburg is a great battle to study.
One of Lee's very rare blunders, though imo a good deal of blame falls on Jeb Stuart. In retrospect Longstreet's idea to flank the round tops was sound, but without his "eyes" (Stuart's cavalry) Lee wasn't willing to risk it.

 

[Violator79]

A victory at Gettysburg might have made that a reality.

Gettysburg is a great battle to study.
One of Lee's very rare blunders, though imo a good deal of blame falls on Jeb Stuart. In retrospect Longstreet's idea to flank the round tops was sound, but without his "eyes" (Stuart's cavalry) Lee wasn't willing to risk it.

Thank you! I feel the same way. But one little thing I differ on is Lee didn't want to risk a flanking move. He wanted to break the center line as a sign of Southern invincibility and it would've split the line into 2 parts. But yes Longstreet was right about the flanking move and Jeb Stuart did have time the night and the day after he showed up to scout the Union line but the cavalry battle stopped that.

 

[Fresno]

American Revolutionary War

 

[Jagger69]

A victory at Gettysburg might have made that a reality.

This is possible yes. It is also possible that Lee might have attacked DC afterwards and forced a Union capitulation. It is also true that there were many "Peace Democrats" who were actively pushing for some sort of reconciliation that would have brought hostilities to a close. This group's sympathy for the south, which extended well into and after reconstruction, was the reason that for many decades after the war, the former Confederate states were referred to as the "Solid South" as they invariably were solidly (and, in retrospect, ironically) democratic in their voting preference. Nowadays, these are the "red states" that are solidly (or, at least in recent decades have been) republican.

Excellent discussion....

:thumbsup:

 

[Violator79]

It is also true that there were many "Peace Democrats" who were actively pushing for some sort of reconciliation that would have brought hostilities to a close. This group's sympathy for the south, which extended well into and after reconstruction, was the reason that for many decades after the war, the former Confederate states were referred to as the "Solid South" as they invariably were solidly (and, in retrospect, ironically) democratic in their voting preference. Nowadays, these are the "red states" that are solidly (or, at least in recent decades have been) republican.

Excellent discussion....

:thumbsup:

If the Civil War was fought in this era, I'd be a "Peace Democrat". Part of me believes that the South was right all along about state's rights. I'm not a supporter of slavery, so that's not the point I'm stating. All I'm stating is the South may have been right to let each state govern themselves instead of one center point controlling everything. With the way this country is today, I think the South was on to something.

 

[Jagger69]

If the Civil War was fought in this era, I'd be a "Peace Democrat". Part of me believes that the South was right all along about state's rights. I'm not a supporter of slavery, so that's not the point I'm stating. All I'm stating is the South may have been right to let each state govern themselves instead of one center point controlling everything. With the way this country is today, I think the South was on to something.

To tell the truth, I would have been as well until Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. After that, it became a struggle of right vs. wrong instead of a states-rights issue (or perhaps in addition to).