Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts, LIT-NAV

Wars, battles, and other domestic or international conflicts, whether armed or diplomatic, are often the outcome of a dispute over natural resources or a struggle for power, influence, and wealth. Major conflicts between nations, peoples, and political groups can end up shifting the cultural and political geography of the world and can also effect change, whether intentional or not, in societal values and the balance of power.
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Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts Encyclopedia Articles By Title

Little Bighorn, Battle of the
Battle of the Little Bighorn, (June 25, 1876), battle at the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, U.S., between......
Livonian War
Livonian War, (1558–83), prolonged military conflict, during which Russia unsuccessfully fought Poland, Lithuania,......
Lodi, Battle of
Battle of Lodi, (May 10, 1796), small but dramatic engagement in Napoleon Bonaparte’s first Italian campaign, in......
Lone Pine, Battle of
Battle of Lone Pine, World War I conflict on August 6–10, 1915, that exemplified the courage and skills of Australian......
Long Island, Battle of
Battle of Long Island, successful British action in Brooklyn, New York, on August 27–29, 1776, against the American......
Long March
Long March, (1934–35), the 6,000-mile (10,000-km) historic trek of the Chinese communists, which resulted in the......
Lookout Mountain, Battle of
Battle of Lookout Mountain, in the American Civil War, one of the battles that ended the Confederate siege of Union......
Lord Dunmore’s War
Lord Dunmore’s War, (1774), Virginia-led attack on the Shawnee Indians of Kentucky, removing the last obstacle......
Lowestoft, Battle of
Early in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch navy suffered a bloody defeat in a savage battle fought off Lowestoft,......
Lucknow, Siege of
What was the Siege of Lucknow? The Siege of Lucknow was an assault on the British Residency in Lucknow from May......
Lund, Battle of
Under the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 following war between the two countries, Denmark was forced to......
Lundy’s Lane, Battle of
Battle of Lundy’s Lane, (July 25, 1814), engagement fought a mile west of Niagara Falls, ending a U.S. invasion......
Lützen, Battle of
Battle of Lützen, (November 16 [November 6, Old Style], 1632), military engagement of the Thirty Years’ War in......
M-19
M-19, Colombian Marxist guerrilla group that coalesced in 1973–74 and demobilized in 1990, transforming into a......
Maastricht, Siege of
The Siege of Maastricht showed the genius of Sébastien Le Preste de Vauban, the most renowned military engineer......
Maccabees
Maccabees were a priestly family of Jews who organized a successful rebellion against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus......
Macedonian Wars
Macedonian Wars, (3rd and 2nd centuries bc), four conflicts between the ancient Roman Republic and the kingdom......
Madiun Affair
Madiun Affair, communist rebellion against the Hatta-Sukarno government of Indonesia, which originated in Madiun,......
Mafeking, Siege of
Siege of Mafeking, Boer siege of a British military outpost in the South African War at the town of Mafeking (also......
Magdeburg, Sack of
The Thirty Years’ War had been raging in what is now Germany for a dozen years when, in 1630, its scope widened......
Magenta, Battle of
Battle of Magenta, engagement on June 4, 1859, between France and Austria in the Franco-Piedmontese War during......
Maipú, Battle of
Battle of Maipú, (April 5, 1818), during the South American wars of independence, a victory won by Argentine and......
Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army
Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), guerrilla movement formed originally to oppose the Japanese occupation......
Maldon, Battle of
Battle of Maldon, in English history, a conflict fought in 991 between Saxons and victorious Viking raiders. The......
Malplaquet, Battle of
Battle of Malplaquet, (Sept. 11, 1709), the duke of Marlborough’s last great battle in the War of the Spanish Succession......
Malta, Siege of
Siege of Malta, one of the most savagely contested encounters of the 16th century, carried out from May to September......
Manila Bay, Battle of
Battle of Manila Bay, (May 1, 1898), defeat of the Spanish Pacific fleet by the U.S. Navy, resulting in the fall......
Manila, Battle of
Battle of Manila, first and largest battle of the Philippine-American War, a conflict between the United States......
Mantua, Siege of
Siege of Mantua, (June 4, 1796–Feb. 2, 1797), the crucial episode in Napoleon Bonaparte’s first Italian campaign;......
Manzikert, Battle of
Battle of Manzikert, battle on August 26, 1071, in which the Byzantines under the emperor Romanus IV Diogenes were......
Maratha Wars
Maratha Wars, (1775–82, 1803–05, 1817–18), three conflicts between the British and the Maratha confederacy, resulting......
Marathon, Battle of
Battle of Marathon, (September 490 bce), in the Greco-Persian Wars, decisive battle fought on the Marathon plain......
Marengo, Battle of
Battle of Marengo, (June 14, 1800), narrow victory for Napoleon Bonaparte in the War of the Second Coalition, fought......
Marignano, Battle of
Battle of Marignano, (Sept. 13–14, 1515), French victory over a Swiss army in the first Italian campaign of Francis......
Maritsa River, Battle of the
Battle of the Maritsa River, (September 26, 1371), Ottoman Turk victory over Serbian forces that allowed the Turks......
Marne, First Battle of the
First Battle of the Marne, (September 6–12, 1914), an offensive during World War I by the French army and the British......
Marne, Second Battle of the
Second Battle of the Marne, (July 15–18, 1918), last large German offensive of World War I. Following the success......
Mars
Mars, ancient Roman deity, in importance second only to Jupiter. Little is known of his original character, and......
Mars-la-Tour and Gravelotte, Battles of
Battles of Mars-la-Tour and Gravelotte, (Aug. 16–18, 1870), two major engagements of the Franco-German War in which......
Marston Moor, Battle of
Battle of Marston Moor, the first major Royalist defeat in the English Civil Wars, and the largest and arguably......
Masada, Siege of
After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 ce, Emperor Titus returned to Rome and received a triumphant welcome for his......
May 1968, events of
events of May 1968, student revolt that began in a suburb of Paris and was soon joined by a general strike eventually......
Medway, Battle of the
Battle of the Medway, the first major recorded battle of the Roman invasion of Britain under the orders of the......
Medway, Raid on the
On June 12–14, 1667, a Dutch fleet raided the royal dockyards of the River Medway, which meets the River Thames......
Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration, in Japanese history, the political revolution in 1868 that brought about the final demise of......
Messenian Wars
Messenian Wars, (8th–7th century bc), contests between Sparta and Messenia in ancient Greece. Many modern historians......
Messines, Battle of
Battle of Messines, battle during World War I, fought June 7–14, 1917, between German and British forces, resulting......
Meuse-Argonne, battles of the
battles of the Meuse-Argonne, (September 26–November 11, 1918), a series of final confrontations on the Western......
Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution, (1910–20), a long and bloody struggle among several factions in constantly shifting alliances......
Mexican-American War
Mexican-American War, war between the United States and Mexico (April 1846–February 1848) stemming from the United......
Midway, Battle of
Battle of Midway, (June 3–6, 1942), World War II naval battle, fought almost entirely with aircraft, in which the......
military-industrial complex
military-industrial complex, network of individuals and institutions involved in the production of weapons and......
Milvian Bridge, Battle of
Battle of Milvian Bridge, (October 28, 312 ce), major battle in a Roman civil war between Constantine I and Maxentius.......
Minorca, Battle of
In 1756, an Anglo-French conflict called the French and Indian War, which began in North America without a declaration......
Mississippi Valley Campaign
Mississippi Valley Campaign, the campaigns and battles of the American Civil War that were fought for control of......
Miāni, Battle of
Battle of Miāni, (February 17, 1843), engagement between a British force of about 2,800 troops under Sir Charles......
Mobile Bay, Battle of
Battle of Mobile Bay, naval engagement of the American Civil War on August 5–23, 1864, during which Union Admiral......
mobilization
mobilization, in war or national defense, organization of the armed forces of a nation for active military service......
Mogadishu, Battle of
Battle of Mogadishu, battle between U.S. forces and Somali militia fighters in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 3–4,......
Mohi (Sajo River), Battle of
On April 10, 1241, at the Battle of Mohi during the Mongolian invasion of Europe, Batu Khan and his chief general,......
Mohács, Battle of
Battle of Mohács, decisive defeat of Hungary, led by King Louis II, by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire, led by......
Monitor and Merrimack, Battle of the
Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack, (March 9, 1862), in the American Civil War, naval engagement at Hampton Roads,......
Monmouth, Battle of
Battle of Monmouth, indecisive engagement in the American Revolution, fought on June 28, 1778, at Monmouth, New......
Monocacy, Battle of
Battle of Monocacy, (July 9, 1864), American Civil War engagement fought on the banks of the Monocacy River near......
Monongahela, Battle of the
Battle of the Monongahela, (July 9, 1755), in the last French and Indian War, thorough defeat of General Edward......
Mons Lactarius, Battle of
Battle of Mons Lactarius, (553), decisive engagement fought near Naples, Italy, in which the Byzantine general......
Mons, Battle of
Battle of Mons, (August 23, 1914) engagement between the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the German army......
Mons, Battle of
Battle of Mons, engagement fought on the last day of World War I—November 11, 1918—in which Canadian forces captured......
Monte Cassino, Battle of
Battle of Monte Cassino, battle at Cassino, Italy, during World War II from January 17 to May 18, 1944, between......
Monterrey, Battle of
Battle of Monterrey, an engagement of the Mexican-American War that was fought on September 20–24, 1846. On May......
Montu
Montu, in ancient Egyptian religion, god of the 4th Upper Egyptian nome (province), whose original capital of Hermonthis......
Moore’s Creek Bridge, Battle of
Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge, (February 27, 1776), in the American Revolution, battle in which North Carolina......
Morat, Battle of
Battle of Morat, (June 22, 1476), battle in Switzerland that constituted a major victory for the Swiss Confederation......
Morgarten, Battle of
Battle of Morgarten, (Nov. 15, 1315), the first great military success of the Swiss Confederation in its struggle......
Moro National Liberation Front
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Muslim separatist movement in the southern Philippines that has employed......
Moro Wars
Moro Wars, (1901–13), in Philippine history, a series of scattered campaigns involving American troops and Muslim......
Moscow, Battle of
Battle of Moscow, battle fought between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union from September 30, 1941 to January 7,......
Mukden, Battle of
Battle of Mukden, battle fought between forces of Imperial Russia and Japan from February 20 to March 10, 1905,......
Mulaydah, Battle of Al-
Battle of Al-Mulaydah, (1891), decisive victory for Ibn Rashīd, the ruler of the Rashīdī kingdom at Ḥāʾil, near......
Munda, Battle of
Battle of Munda, (45 bc), conflict that ended the ancient Roman civil war between the forces of Pompey the Great......
Muret, Battle of
Battle of Muret, (September 12, 1213), military engagement of the Albigensian Crusade. It played a significant......
Mursa, Battle of
Battle of Mursa, (Sept. 28, ad 351), defeat of the usurper Magnentius by the Roman emperor Constantius II. The......
mutual assured destruction
mutual assured destruction, principle of deterrence founded on the notion that a nuclear attack by one superpower......
Mylae, Battle of
Battle of Mylae, (260 bc), conflict in the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage, whose navy had been harassing......
Myriocephalon, Battle of
Battle of Myriocephalon, (September 1176), victory of the Seljuq Turks under Qïlïch Arslan II over the Byzantine......
Mysore Wars
Mysore Wars, four military confrontations (1767–69; 1780–84; 1790–92; and 1799) in India between the British and......
Nagashino, Battle of
In Japan’s Age of Warring States, a series of feudal wars with contending samurai armies, Nagashino castle, in......
Nahāvand, Battle of
Battle of Nahāvand, (ad 642), military clash in Iran between Arab and Sāsānian forces that was a major turning......
Namur, sieges of
sieges of Namur, two campaigns (1692 and 1695) during the War of the Grand Alliance (1689–97) against the city......
Naning War
Naning War, (1831–32), disastrous attempt by the British to exact tribute from the Minangkabau people of the Malay......
Nanjing, Battle of
Battle of Nanjing, Zheng Chenggong, also known as Koxinga or Coxinga, was the most loyal supporter of the final......
Nanjing, Third Battle of
Third Battle of Nanjing, the last major battle, fought March–July 1864, of the Taiping Rebellion. At the time of......
Narva, Battle of
In 1700, Czar Peter I of Russia challenged the long-established Swedish domination of the Baltic in alliance with......
Naseby, Battle of
Battle of Naseby, battle fought on June 14, 1645, between the Parliamentary New Model Army under Oliver Cromwell......
Nashville, Battle of
Battle of Nashville, (December 15–16, 1864), American Civil War engagement in which Confederate Lieut. Gen. John......
Navarino, Battle of
Battle of Navarino, decisive naval engagement on October 20, 1827, during the War of Greek Independence against......
Navas de Tolosa, Battle of Las
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, (July 16, 1212), major battle of the Christian reconquest of Spain in which the......

Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts Encyclopedia Articles By Title