Brillant Military Leaders/Strategists - Part I Quiz

Answer: Battle of Borodino (1812)

The Battle of Borodino was the bloodiest of the Napoleonic Wars. It was the single bloodiest day of battle in military history, until WWI. Napoleon's Grande Armee lost at least 32,000 killed or wounded. The Russians suffered even worse casualties, losing 45,000 killed or wounded. In total, there were over 70,000 casualties in only twelve hours. Napoleon began his invasion of Russia with over 600,000 men. By the time he returned to France the Grand Armee had lost over 500,000 men.

Marshall Kutuzov retreated from Borodino to Moscow. He was left with a choice, to defend Moscow or retreat and save the army. His decision to retreat allowed Napoleon to take Moscow, but his Grand Armee had been reduced to about 50,000 troops. His occupation of Moscow lasted less than a month. Kutuzov's strategic retreat saved the Russian army and allowed it to attack Napoleon's rear guard.

Answer: Battle of Fontenoy (1745)

The Battle of Fontenoy was the first time a French king had presided over the defeat of an English army. Marshall Hermann Maurice de Saxe became a hero in France and gained a reputation as one of the great military minds of the 18th century. De Saxe's emphasis on training and discipline produced a formidable army.

The War of Austrian Succession, of which this battle was a part, was one of the so-called "lace wars" fought in the 18th century. So-called because they were commanded by gentlemen, with in-step marches, orderly drills, impeccably dressed soldiers and precisely conceived battle plans. Members of royalty were made generals, even though they had no military training and were often quite young. Such was the case at the Battle of Fontenoy. De Saxe's opponent was the Duke of Cumberland, King George II's favorite son, aged 23. De Saxe's offensive plan gave him the initiative and enabled him to control the battle. Cumberland's only option was to react.

Answer: Battle of Marathon (490 BC)

Miltiades led the Athenians to victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon in 4980 BC. The battle was the first of the Greco-Persian Wars. The Persian force was led by Darius I and numbered about 30,000. Miltiades hastily gathered an Athenian army of about 10,000.

The two armies met on the plains of Marathon. Being outnumbered Miltiades' strategy was to move soldiers from his center to his flanks. Doing so allowed the Persians to march through the center, only to find themselves bottled in from the rear. Miltiades' victory was the source of extreme pride in Athens. Marathon is located 26 miles northeast of Athens. The story of Pheidippides running from the battlefield to Athens with news of the victory was the beginning of the first marathon.

Answer: Battle of Falkirk (1298)

In the summer of 1298 King Edward I led the largest, best trained and equipped army in English history up to that time, 15,000 men to meet a Scottish army of about 10,000 led by William Wallace, the hero of the Battle of Sterling Bridge. This time the Scots were facing Edward I, a great ruler and one of the best field commanders and military innovators of the time. Paid military regulars, a chain of command, and tight discipline, with an emphasis on infantry over cavalry, all were among his innovations. Edward I won the day and although Wallace escaped, his standing among the Scots was severely diminished.

Answer: Battle of Yarmouk (636AD)

Battle of Yarmouk was one of the most important and decisive battles in history. In just six days, a vastly outnumbered Arab army succeeded in annihilating a significantly larger Byzantine force. This defeat led to the permanent loss of not only Syria and Palestine, but also of Egypt and large portions of Mesopotamia.

Khalid ibn al-Walid was a commander in the service of the prophet Muhammad. He is widely regarded today as one of the most influential military leaders of the 7th century. He is responsible for spreading Islam from Arabia to the outside world. He was one of the first generals to make use of psychological warfare. Khalid was the first Arabian military leader to meet the Persian and Roman armies and be victorious. Khalid was the only one to be given the title of "Sword of God" by Muhammad himself.

Answer: The Great Wall

Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China and built the Great Wall. Qin Shi Huang combines the words for "mystical ruler" and "god".

One of the most important outcomes of the Qin conquest of the other Chinese dynasties of the time was the standardization of a written script across all of China, replacing the previous regional scripts. This script was simplified to allow faster writing, useful for record keeping. The new script enabled parts of the empire that did not speak the same language to communicate. Qin also standardized weights and measures which simplified trade and commerce throughout the empire.

In addition to the Great Wall, Qin tasked 700,000 workers to build his tomb, which consisted of an underground city replete with buildings, statues and a terracotta army.

Answer: Battle of Zana (202BC)

The Battle of Zana (Zama) was the last battle of the Second Punic War. It took place in what is present day Tunisia. It was also the last time Hannibal was to command the Carthaginians. The battle was one of the most important battles in history because it laid the groundwork for the Roman empire that followed. Scipio's defeat of the Carthaginians resulted in Carthage ceding Spain to Rome.

After his victories in Africa Scipio was rewarded with the title "Africanus".

Answer: Battle of Actium (31BC)

The Battle of Actium was naval battle off the west coast of Greece and was fought between Octavian and forces under Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Agrippa and Octavian (Augustus) had been close since childhood. Octavian was a member of the Second Triumvirate which ruled Rome after the death of Julius Caesar. Another member of the triumvirate was Mark Antony. Antony fell under the spell of Cleopatra as had Julius Caesar before him. Antony broke with the Second Triumvirate and joined Cleopatra. This alliance led to the Battle of Actium. Marcus Agrippa was Octavian's closest companion, his most skilled subordinate commander, and his right-hand man.

Agrippa's most important legacy would not be his skill as a military commander, but rather the energy and skill that he dedicated to the betterment of the city with his aqueducts, building projects, road systems, festivals, public art, and general administration of Rome.

Answer: Holy Roman Empire

The name Holy Roman Empire reflected Charlemagne's claim that his empire was the successor to the Roman Empire. He further believed that he was God's deputy on earth and was equally as powerful as the pope. As emperor, Charlemagne rapidly expanded his kingdom, and personally led military campaigns to Christianize Europe.

Answer: Battle of Ice (1272)

The Battle of Ice was actually on the ice of Lake Leipus in Russia. Lake Leipus today forms part of the boundary between Estonia and Russia. The Teutonic Knights were presumed to be engaged in the laudable task of converting heathen pagans to Christianity. In actuality many were more interested in land and pillage. Although both the Russians and the Germans were Christian, each side felt that God fought exclusively with them, and each would use this belief to justify the destruction they were about to inflict upon one another. Although initially successful, the Teutonic Knights tired quickly from their disordered charge, and swinging their broadswords (broadswords weighted from 3-5 lbs. and were up to 3 feet long).

Twenty-year old Prince Alexander Nevsky retreated to Lake Leipus and formed his troops on the far bank so the Crusaders would have to cross the frozen lake to engage them. As their horses stumbled on the ice it gave way in spots, making progress all the more disorganized. The Russian prince then released his own cavalry, the druzhina.

The cavalry was fresh and eager to fight. The Crusaders quickly realized how desperate their situation had become. The Prince was unable to revel in his victory. The vicious Mongols were knocking at the door from the east.