Top Ten Medieval Battles

I'm more impressed that the Scots have a history beyond killing English, kilts, and dour Presbyterianism.
"Killing each other" takes up more of their history than killing the English does. Also, they spent a lot of time being killed by Vikings. And they invaded Ireland once, that was pretty funny.
 
Yes it takes up more of their history but at least they killed more of the English than of each other because the English were numerous and Scots were but few.

While the English killed lots of each other on numerous instances.

Also, they spent a lot of time being killed by Vikings.

Like the English did too. And other Britons. And they killed some Vikings too.
 
Bonus for points for those who get the irony that Largs was one of the most pointlessly indecisive battles in Scottish history.

Are you talking about the fact that it wasn't the battle that stop the Norwegians but the death of Harold that led to the Treaty of Perth?


"Killing each other" takes up more of their history than killing the English does. Also, they spent a lot of time being killed by Vikings. And they invaded Ireland once, that was pretty funny.

The Scottish doing anything offensive is hilarious. Like the Scottish army in France at Baugé
 
Yes it takes up more of their history but at least they killed more of the English than of each other because the English were numerous and Scots were but few.
They weren't particularly effective at it, though. Scots still killed more Scots than anybody else.
 
Are you talking about the fact that it wasn't the battle that stop the Norwegians but the death of Harold that led to the Treaty of Perth?
Pretty much, yeah. The whole conflict was basically Norway trying and failing to re-establish military hegemony over the Isles; Largs is remembered because it was the only sizeable engagement, rather than because it actually achieved anything.

They weren't particularly effective at it, though. Scots still killed more Scots than anybody else.
We're not a patch on the Irish, though. They can kill each other like nobody's business.
 
I think number "10" is not enough to list all decisive battles of Medieval.

Feel free to add more to this list (or argue with it if you don't agree):

Recknitz 955
Lechfeld 955
Hastings 1066
Manzikert 1071
Hattin 1187
Las Navas de Tolosa 1212
Bouvines 1214
Kalka River 1223
Mohi 1241
Ain Jalut 1260
Durbe 1260
Kulikovo 1380
Nicopolis 1396
Grunwald 1410
Orleans 1428-1429
 
Pretty much, yeah. The whole conflict was basically Norway trying and failing to re-establish military hegemony over the Isles; Largs is remembered because it was the only sizeable engagement, rather than because it actually achieved anything.
the search for the mythical decisive battle is usually going to be in vain
 
Unless we are going to list the real number of decisive battles - not artificially limit their number to just 10 (for example).
battles that are legitimately decisive are painfully rare and most of the ones listed in this thread wouldn't really qualify
 
The Scottish doing anything offensive is hilarious. Like the Scottish army in France at Baugé

And let us never forget the Scottish attempt at colonialism that essentially ended Scotland as an independent country (though that was likely for the best really).

Also, quite enjoy the wikipedia article on Baugé, if only for learning of Sir John Swinton, 15th of that Ilk. Now there's a name.
 
Unless we are going to list the real number of decisive battles - not artificially limit their number to just 10 (for example).

A "Top Ten" List is just a popularly used organization device. The debate on what belongs in the top ten is usually more important than the list itself.
 
the search for the mythical decisive battle is usually going to be in vain
This is particularly blatant, though, because it's held up as one of the Battles That Forged The Scottish Nation or whatever, but in reality it was just the largest pointless crap of a series of pointless scraps. (To be honest, I think that people just like the idea that it was some real-life Deadliest Warrior thing, "Viking vs. Highlander".)
 
battles that are legitimately decisive are painfully rare and most of the ones listed in this thread wouldn't really qualify

That's not what Liddell Hart said :lol:
 
I think number "10" is not enough to list all decisive battles of Medieval.

Feel free to add more to this list (or argue with it if you don't agree):

Recknitz 955
Lechfeld 955
Hastings 1066
Manzikert 1071
Hattin 1187
Las Navas de Tolosa 1212
Bouvines 1214
Kalka River 1223
Mohi 1241
Ain Jalut 1260
Durbe 1260
Kulikovo 1380
Nicopolis 1396
Grunwald 1410
Orleans 1428-1429

I've always personally thought that Orleans was not as important to the English loss in France as the outcome of the Burgundian Civil War was. No Castile and no Burgundy make England a lot less powerful.


man you didn't even read that book

Didn't have too, he repeated it all again in Guderian's book.
 
I'll throw in the Battle on the Marchfeld (1278). It ended the Přemyslid ambitions in HRE and enabled a rise of the nobodies from the House of Hapsburg.
 
That's not what Liddell Hart said :lol:

What I remember of Liddell-Hart was essentially a rehash of what Sun Tzu said - 'if he's in good order and waiting for you to hit his front, don't hit his front', and 'if he's happy, make him unhappy'. Of course, this was from lectures in what has been described as 'the world's largest sleeping bag' at Sandhurst.
 
Tolbiac, AD 496
 
I have two, I don't know the name of this battle but it was when the Spanish Moors invaded France and I think Charlamagne annihilated them. Why was this important? Well, it could have meant the Islamification of another part of Europe and the end of Christendom. Massive implications.
Second battle was when the Ottomans were also stopped at the gates of..Vienna - again if they succeeded we may all be living in a European caliphate.

Thoughts Dachs?
 
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