View source for Art and Culture/Wars and Battles - 20th C

{| class="wikitable"
|War
|Campaign
|Date Started
|Date Ended
| colspan="2" |Protaganists
| colspan="7" |Major  Battles/Sieges
|
| colspan="2" |Treaty/Armistice
|Comments
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Year  or Date Started
|Year  or Date Ended
|Location
| colspan="4" |Commanders
|Victor
|Date
|Location
|
|-
| rowspan="13" |Boer Wars
| rowspan="2" |1st
|1880
|1881
|Britain
|Boer Republics
|28 January 1881
|
|Laing's Neck
|Sir George  Colley
|British
|P J Joubert
|Boers
|Boers
|3August 1881
|Pretoria
|British attack  repulsed
|-
| colspan="4" |
|27  February 1881
|
|Majuba  Hill
|Sir  George Colley
|British
|P  J Joubert
|Boers
|Boers
| colspan="2" |
|British  driven off the hill
|-
| rowspan="11" |2nd
|1899
|1902
|British  Empire
|Boer Republics
|13  October 1899
|17  May 1900
|Mafeking
|Robert  Baden-Powell
|British
|Piet Cronje
|Boers
|British
|31 May 1902
|Vereeniging
|Relieved  by combined mounted columns. Use of "concentration" camps borrowed  from Cuban War 
|-
| colspan="3" rowspan="10" |
|Orange Free State
|15  October 1899
|15  February 1900
|Kimberley
|Robert  Kekewich
|British
|Wessels
|Boers
|British
| colspan="2" rowspan="10" |
|Siege  broken cavalry division under Sir John French
|-
|Transvaal
|2  November 1899
|28  February 1900
|Ladysmith
|Sir  George White
|British
|P J Joubert
|Boers
|British
|Siege  broken by Sir Redvers Buller
|-
| rowspan="8" |
|28  November 1899
|
|Modder River
|Lord  Methuen
|British
|Piet Cronje
|Boers
|British
|Relief  force for Kimberley held up
|-
|10 December 1899 (Black Week)
|
|Stormberg
|Sir  William Gatacre
|British
|J H Olivier
|Boers
|Boers
|British  force got lost and attacked a strong Boer position
|-
|10 December 1899 (Black Week)
|11  December 1899
|Magersfontein
|Lord  Methuen
|British
|Piet Cronje
|Boers
|Boers
|Relief  force for Kimberley turned back
|-
|15 December 1899 (Black Week)
|
|Colenso
|Redvers  Buller
|British
|Louis Botha
|Boers
|Boers
|Buller  was replaced by Roberts. Ghandi was a stretcher bearer for British
|-
|19 January 1900
|24  January 1900
|Spion Kop
|Redvers  Buller
|British
|Louis Botha
|Boers
|Boers
|Relief  force for Ladysmith turned back
|-
|18 February 1900
|27  February 1900
|Paardeberg
|Lord  Roberts
|British
|Piet Cronje
|Boers
|British
|Cronje  surrendered and his army was destroyed
|-
|31 March 1900
|
|Sanna's Post
|Robert  Broadwood
|British
|Christiaan De Wet
|Boers
|Boers
|British  column destroyed near Bloemfontein
|-
|11 June 1900
|12  June 1900
|Diamond Hill
|Lord  Roberts
|British
|Louis Botha
|Boers
|British
|Boer  guerrillas driven off from Pretoria
|-
|Boxer  Rebellion
|
|1900
|1900
|Foreign  Diplomats in Peking
|Boxers
|20  June 1900
|14  August 1900
|Peking
|Sir  Claude MacDonald
|Foreign  Diplomats
|Prince  Tuan
|Boxers
|Foreign  Diplomats
| colspan="2" |
|Siege broken by  international relief expedition
|-
| rowspan="8" |Russo - Japanese
| rowspan="8" |
|1904
|1905
|Russia
|Japan
|30 April 1904
|1  May 1904
|Yalu River
|Alexei  Kuropatkin
|Russia
|Iwao Oyama
|Japan
|Japan
|5  September 1905
|Portsmouth  (USA)
|First  "industrialised" war - trenches, barbed wire, machine guns etc.  Japanese crossed river and invaded Manchuria
|-
| colspan="4" rowspan="7" |
|25  May 1904
|
|Nanshan
|Alexei  Kuropatkin
|Russia
|Iwao  Oyama
|Japan
|Japan
| colspan="2" rowspan="7" |
|Japanese  opened way to Port Arthur
|-
|1 June 1904
|2  January 1905
|Port Arthur
|Anatoli  Stroessel
|Russia
|Maresuke Nogi
|Japan
|Japan
|Port  Arthur surrendered after 6 month siege
|-
|25 August 1904
|3  September 1904
|Liaoyang
|Alexei  Kuropatkin
|Russia
|Iwao  Oyama
|Japan
|Japan
|Russians  withdrew towards Mukden
|-
|5 October 1904
|17  October 1904
|Sha-Ho River
|Alexei  Kuropatkin
|Russia
|Iwao  Oyama
|Japan
|Inconclusive
|
|-
|26 January 1905
|27  January 1905
|Sandepu
|Alexei  Kuropatkin
|Russia
|Iwao  Oyama
|Japan
|Inconclusive
|
|-
|21 February 1905
|10  March 1905
|Mukden
|Alexei  Kuropatkin
|Russia
|Iwao  Oyama
|Japan
|Japan
|Russians  forced to withdraw
|-
|May 1905
|
|Tsushima
|Rozhdestvenskiy
|Russia
|Togo
|Japan
|Japan
|Russian  Baltic fleet defeated after circumnavigation
|-
| rowspan="43" |World War I
| rowspan="21" |Western Front
|28 July 1914
|11  November 1918
|Triple  Entente
|Triple Alliance
|14 August 1914
|23 August 1914
|Lorraine
|Noel de  Castenau
|France
|Pince Rupprecht
|Germany
|Germany
|11  November 1918
|Versailles
|French elan  failed to overcome German firepower and Plan XVII (invasion of Germany)  failed
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="42" |
|Brittish Empire
|Germany
|23 August 1914
|
|Mons
|Horace  Smith-Dorrien
|Britain
|von  Kluck
|Germany
|Britain
| colspan="2" rowspan="42" |
|British  checked but failed to halt German advance
|-
|France
|Austria-Hungary
|26 August 1914
|
|Le  Cateau
|Horace  Smith-Dorrien
|Britain
|von  Kluck
|Germany
|Britain
|British  fought out of potential envelopement and withdrew to the South. Smith-Dorrien  was a survivor of Isandhlwana
|-
|Russia
|Turkey
|29 August 1914
|
|Guise
|Joseph  Joffre
|France
|von  Kluck
|Germany
|France
|Germans  wheeled towards Paris prematurely. Also known as St Quentin
|-
|Italy
|
|5  September 1914
|10  September 1914
|Marne  (1st)
|Joseph  Joffre
|Allies
|von  Moltke
|Germany
|Allies
|Germans  outmanoeuvred and forced to withdraw to Noyon-Verdun line. Von Moltke  replaced by von Falkenhayn
|-
|Romania
|
|13  September 1914
|27  September 1914
|Aisne
|Joseph  Joffre
|Allies
|von  Falkenhayn
|Germany
|Allies
|Once  Allied advance stopped both sides began to entrench
|-
|Japan
|
|18  October 1914
|30  November 1914
|Ypres  (1st)
|Joseph  Joffre
|Allies
|von  Falkenhayn
|Germany
|Stalemate
|The  end of the "Race to the Sea" as each side tried to turn the other's  northern flank
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="36" |
|22  April 1915
|25  May 1915
|Ypres  (2nd)
|Sir  John French
|Allies
|von  Falkenhayn
|Germany
|Stalemate
|1st  use of gas by Germans in West failed to eliminate Ypres salient
|-
|25 September 1915
|8  October 1915
|Loos
|Sir  John French
|Allies
|von  Falkenhayn
|Germany
|Stalemate
|1st  use of gas by British. Haig replaced French
|-
|21 February 1916
|18  December 1916
|Verdun
|Joseph  Joffre
|Allies
|von  Falkenhayn
|Germany
|Stalemate
|Germans  failed to take this important fortress with each side suffering over 300,000  casualties
|-
|1 July 1916
|18  November
|The  Somme
|Sir  Douglas Haig
|Allies
|von  Falkenhayn
|Germany
|Stalemate
|Allies  gained strip of land 20 miles long and 7 miles wide at a cost of over 600,000  casualties
|-
|9 April 1917
|14  June 1917
|Arras,  Vimy, Messines
|Sir  Douglas Haig
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Britain
|Vimy  Ridge captured by Canadian troops. Messines Ridge  was captured after successful mining  operation. Nivelle Offensives failed leading to mutiny in French army
|-
|31 July 1917
|6  November 1917
|Ypres  (3rd) (Passchendaele)
|Sir  Douglas Haig
|Allies
|Prince  Rupprecht
|Germany
|Stalemate
|Allied  offensive stalled in heavy mud and ended with the capture of Passchendale  ridge and village
|-
|20 November 1917
|3  December 1917
|Cambrai
|Sir  Douglas Haig
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Stalemate
|1st  use of tanks. Early gains not exploited and untimately lost
|-
|21 March 1918
|13  June 1918
|Ludendorf  Offensives
|Sir  Douglas Haig
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Allies
|"Michael",  "Georgette", "Blucher" and "Gneisenau".  Progressively desparate attempts by the Germans to use troops released from  Russian front to finally break Allied lines before arrival of United States
|-
|30 May 1918
|17  June1918
|Chateau  Thierry
|Denis  Duchene
|Allies
|von  Bohn
|Germany
|Allies
|Counter-attack  by US Divisions threw Germans back over The Marne
|-
|15 July 1918
|7  August 1918
|Marne  (2nd)
|Ferdinand  Foch
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Allies
|French  counter-attack against 5th Ludndorff Offensive  ("Marneschutz-Rheims") forced Germans to retreat
|-
|8 August 1918
|11  August 1918
|Amiens
|Ferdinand  Foch
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Allies
|Massed  tank attack achieved progressive breakthrough. Ludedorff described 8 August  as "The Black Day of the German Army"
|-
|12 September 1918
|16 September  1918
|St Mihiel
|Ferdinand  Foch
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Allies
|1st major  action by US troops under Pershing
|-
|26 September 1918
|11 November  1918
|Meuse-Argonne
|Ferdinand  Foch
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Allies
|Allied advance  reached Sedan
|-
|27 September 1918
|17 October 1918
|Hindenburg  Line
|Ferdinand  Foch
|Allies
|Erich  Ludendorff
|Germany
|Allies
|German  defences breached
|-
| rowspan="9" |Eastern Front
|20  August 1914
|
|Gumbinnen
|Pavel  Rennenkampf
|Russia
|von  Prittwitz
|Germany
|Russia
|Early  succes for Russians led to replacement of Prittwitz by Paul von Hindenburg
|-
|26 August 1914
|30 August 1914
|Tannenberg
|Alexnader  Samsonov
|Russia
|von  Hindenburg
|Germany
|Germany
|Russian  Second Army destroyed.
|-
|3 September 1914
|11  September 1914
|Rava  Russkaya
|Nikolai  Ivanov
|Russia
|von  Hotzendorff
|Austria
|Russia
|Austrian  defeat led them to ask for German assistance
|-
|9 September 1914
|14  September 1914
|Masurian  Lakes
|Pavel  Rennenkampf
|Russia
|von  Hindenburg
|Germany
|Germany
|Russian  First Army forced to retreat into Russia
|-
|29 December 1914
|3  January 1915
|Sarikamesh
|Vorontsov-Dashkov
|Russia
|Enver  Pasha
|Turkey
|Russia
|Turkish  invasion of Russia through the Caucasus thwarted
|-
|2 May 1915
|27  June 1915
|Gorlice-Tarnow
|Nikolai  Ivanov
|Russia
|von  Falkenhayn, von Hotzendorff
|Austria
|Austria
|Combined  Austro-German army recovered lost ground and turned war on Eastern Front.  Tsar repleced Grand Duke Nicholas with himself as overall commander
|-
|18 March 1916
|14  April 1916
|Lake  Narotch
|Alexei  Kuropatkin
|Russia
|von  Hindenburg
|Germany
|Stalemate
|Massive  Russian attack requested by French to relieve pressure on Verdun was a  failure
|-
|4 June 1916
|20  September 1916
|Brusilov  Offensive
|Alexei  Brusilov
|Russia
|von  Hotzendorff
|Austria
|Russia
|Most  successful Russian operation brought the collapse of both the Austrian and  its own Empires closer
|-
|1 September 1917
|5  September 1917
|Riga
|Klembovsky
|Russia
|Oskar  von Hutier
|Germany
|Germany
|Riga  captured by Germans
|-
| rowspan="5" |Italian Front
|23  June 1915
|15  September 1917
|Isonzo  (11 battles)
|Luigi  Cadorna
|Italy
|von  Hotzendorff
|Austria
|Stalemate
|Constant  pressure by the Italians brought few gains but forced the Austrians to seek  German aid
|-
|15 May 1916
|17  June 1916
|Asiago
|Luigi  Cadorna
|Italy
|von  Hotzendorff
|Austria
|Stalemate
|Austrian  gains retaken by Italian reinforcements
|-
|24 October 1917
|7  November 1917
|Caporetto
|Luigi  Cadorna
|Italy
|Archduke  Eugen
|Austria
|Austria
|Italians  routed and forced back to Piave. Erwin Rommel 1st distinguished himself at  Caporetto
|-
|15 June 1918
|22  June 1918
|Piave
|Armando  Diaz
|Italy
|Arz  von Straussenburg
|Austria
|Allies
|Austrians  forced to abandon attempt to cross the Piave
|-
|24 October 1918
|4  November 1918
|Vittorio  Veneto
|Armando  Diaz
|Italy
|Arz  von Straussenburg
|Austria
|Allies
|Austrians  decisively defeated and an armistice signed
|-
| rowspan="7" |Turkish Front
|25 April 1915
|9 January 1916
|Gallipoli
|Sir  Ian Hamilton
|Allies
|von  Sanders
|Turkey
|Turkey
|Good strategy  ruined by terrible execution. Allies forced to evacuate after 8 months
|-
|22 November 1915
|25  November 1915
|Ctesiphon
|Sir  Charles Townshend
|Britain
|Nur-ed-Din  Pasha
|Turkey
|Britain
|British  advance on Baghdad stalled followed by withdrawal to Kut-al-amara
|-
|8 December 1915
|26 April 1916
|Kut-al-Amara
|Sir  Charles Townshend
|Britain
|Khalil  Pasha
|Turkey
|Turkey
|British  army starved into surrender. 1st attempt to supply a besieged garrison by air
|-
|3 August 1916
|5 August 1916
|Romani
|Sir  Archibald Murray
|Britain
|Kress  von Kressenstein
|Turkey
|Britain
|Turkish  forces pushed into Sinai
|-
|13 December 1916
|11  March 1917
|Baghdad
|Sir  Frederick Maude
|Britain
|Khalil  Pasha
|Turkey
|Britain
|British  forces captured Baghdad
|-
|28 October 1917
|7  November 1917
|Gaza  (3rd)
|Sir  Edmund Allenby
|Britain
|von  Falkenhayn
|Turkey
|Britain
|Turkish  line broken and Jerusalem captureed
|-
|18 September 1918
|31  October 1918
|Megiddo
|Sir  Edmund Allenby
|Britain
|Liman  von Sanders
|Turkey
|Allies
|One  of the most complete victories in the history of warfare. Three Turkish  armies destroyed
|-
|Naval
|31 May 1916
|
|Jutland
|Jellicoe
|Britain
|Scheer
|Germany
|Britain
|Only major  naval engagement of the war
|-
|Russo-Polish
|
|1920
|1921
|Russia
|Poland
|16 August 1920
|25 August 1920
|Warsaw
|Tukhachevsky
|Russia
|Pilsudski
|Poland
|Poland
|March 1921
|Riga
|Red Army defeated by Polish  counter-attack
|-
| rowspan="2" |Graeco - Turkish
| rowspan="2" |
|1920
|1922
|Greece
|Turkey
|10  January 1920
|30  March 1920
|Inonu  (1st and 2nd)
|Papoulas
|Greece
|Ismet  Pasha
|Turkey
|Turkey
|24  July 1923
|Lausanne
|Greek advances  halted
|-
| colspan="4" |
|24  August 1921
|16  September 1921
|Sakaria  River
|King  Constantine
|Greece
|Kemal  Ataturk
|Turkey
|Turkey
| colspan="2" |
|Narrow Turkish victory
|-
| rowspan="2" |Spanish Civil War
| rowspan="2" |
|1936
|1939
|Nationalists
|Republicans
|8  March 1937
|16  March 1937
|Guadalajara
|Moscarda
|Nationalists
|Pavlov
|Republicans
|Republicans
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
|Nationalist  offensive defeated
|-
| colspan="4" |
|1  April 1937
|18  June 1937
|Bilbao
|Mola
|Nationalists
|Encomienda
|Republicans
|Nationalists
|Guernica  bombed by German squadron 25 April 1937. Republican "Ring of Steel"  broken
|-
|Sino-Japanese
|
|1937
|1945
|China
|Japan
|April 1938
|
|Taierchwang
|Li  Tsung-jen
|China
|?
|Japan
|China
| colspan="2" |
|First  Japanese defeat in modern history
|-
| rowspan="81" |World War II
| rowspan="15" |Western Front
|1 September 1939
|16 September  1945
|Allies
|Axis
|10 May 1940
|25 June 1940
|France,  Belgium and Holland
|Maurice Gamelin
|France
|Walter von  Brauchitsch
|Germany
|Germany
| colspan="2" rowspan="81" |
|Operation  "Sichelschnitt" (Sickle-Cut). Germany invaded France via Holland  and Belgium thus cutting off BEF.
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="80" |
|British Empire
|Germany
|21  May 1940
|
|Arras
|H  E Franklyn
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Germany
|Germany
|Allied  counter-attack failed but did allow breathing space for Dunkirk evacuation
|-
|United States
|Italy
|26  May 1940
|4  June 1940
|Dunkirk
|Lord  Gort
|Allies
|Gerd  von Rundstedt
|Germany
|Germany
|Successful  evacuation of 400,000 allied troops from envelopment
|-
|France
|Japan
|11  November 1940
|12  November 1940
|Taranto
|Cunningham
|Allies
|?
|Italy
|Allies
|Air  attack which crippled the Italian fleet in harbour. Blue print for Pearl  Harbor
|-
|Russia
|Finalnd
|28  March 1941
|
|Cape  Matapan
|Cunningham
|Allies
|Iachino
|Italy
|Allies
|Italian  fleet routed in Mediterranean
|-
|Poland
|
|19 August 1942
|
|Dieppe
|H  F Roberts
|Allies
|Konrad  Hasse
|Germany
|Germany
|Apparently  an expensive failure but achieved political objective of persuading Stalin  that a 2nd Front was not yet possible
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="75" |
|6  June 1944
|
|D-Day
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Germany
|Allies
|Operation  "Overlord" secured beach-head in Normandy. "Utah",  "Omaha", "Gold", "Juno" and "Sword"
|-
|7 June 1944
|25  July 1944
|Caen
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Germany
|Allies
|Montgomery  employed attritional tactics to allow US armour to perform breakout
|-
|17 September 1944
|25  September 1944
|Arnhem
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Walter  Model
|Germany
|Germany
|A  bridge too far. Airborne assault failed to capture objectives. Operation  "Market Garden"
|-
|4 October 1944
|1  December 1944
|Aachen
|Omar  Bradley
|Allies
|Walter  Model
|Germany
|Stalemate
|Siegfried  Line breached but Allied offensive abandoned in face of strong German  resistance
|-
|9 October 1944
|8  November 1944
|Scheldt  Estuary
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Walter  Model
|Germany
|Allies
|Cleared  the shipping lanes and opened Antwerp to Allied shipping
|-
|13 August 1944
|21  August 1944
|Falaise  Gap
|Dwight  Eisenhower
|Allies
|Gunther  von Kluge
|Germany
|Allies
|German  armies in Normandy destroyed
|-
|16 December 1944
|16  January 1945
|The  Bulge
|Dwight  Eisenhower
|Allies
|Gerd  von Rundstedt
|Germany
|Germany
|Operation  "Christrose" or "Wacht am Rhein" enjoyed initial surprise  but soon bogged down
|-
|8 February 1945
|3  March 1945
|Reichswald
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Johannes  Blaskowitz
|Germany
|Allies
|Clearing  of left bank of the Rhine prior to crossings. Operations  "Veritable" and "Grenade"
|-
|7 March 1945
|31  March 1945
|Rhine  Crossings
|Dwight  Eisenhower
|Allies
|Albrecht  Kesselring
|Germany
|Allies
|Capture  of Bridge at Remagen precipitated final battles in the West after which  German armies were a spent force
|-
| rowspan="18" |Eastern Front
|9  September 1939
|15  September 1939
|The  Bzura
|Smigly-Ridz
|Poland
|Brauchitsch
|Germany
|Germany
|Poles  failed to break out of double envelopment
|-
|30 November 1939
|13  February 1940
|Mannerheim  Line
|Timoshenko
|Russia
|Carl  Mannerheim
|Finland
|Russia
|Russians  suffered massive casualties but drove Finns to sue for peace
|-
|11 December 1939
|6  January 1940
|Suomossalmi
|Semyon  Timoshenko
|Russia
|Carl  Mannerheim
|Finland
|Finland
|Russian  army destroyed
|-
|25 June 1941
|30  June 1941
|Brody-Dubno
|Mikhail  Kirponos
|Russia
|Gerd  von Rundstedt
|Germany
|Germany
|Russians  slowed but could not stop Operation "Barbarossa"
|-
|17 July 1941
|5  August 1941
|Smolensk
|Semyon  Timoshenko
|Russia
|Fedor  von Bock
|Germany
|Germany
|Russian  army trapped in pocket. Hitler began to use this tactic to detriment of  forward momentum of invasion
|-
|1 September 1941
|27  January 1944
|Leningrad
|L  A Govorov
|Russia
|Ernst  Busch
|Germany
|Russia
|City  relieved after siege lasting 900 days
|-
|9 September 1941
|26  September 1941
|Kiev
|Semen  Budenny
|Russia
|Gerd  von Rundstedt
|Germany
|Germany
|Over  600,000 Russioan troops trapped in pocket and captured
|-
|5 October 1941
|20  October 1941
|Vyazma-Bryansk
|Semyon  Timoshenko
|Russia
|Fedor  von Bock
|Germany
|Germany
|Closing  of Vyazma and Bryansk pockets
|-
|8 October 1941
|30  April 1942
|Moscow
|Josef  Stalin
|Russia
|Adolf  Hitler
|Germany
|Russia
|Failure  to capture Moscow and Russian counter offensive can be seen as turning point  of the war
|-
|29 October 1941
|3  July 1942
|Sevastopol
|Semyon  Budenny
|Russia
|Gerd  von Rundstedt
|Germany
|Germany
|Sevastopol  captured and Crimea occupied
|-
|12 May 1942
|22  May 1942
|Kharkov  (1)
|Semyon  Timoshenko
|Russia
|Ewald  von Kleist
|Germany
|Germany
|Major  Russian defeat with 250,000 troops captured in pocket
|-
|19 August 1942
|2  February 1943
|Stalingrad
|Andrei  Yeremenko
|Russia
|Freiherr  von Weichs
|Germany
|Russia
|von  Paulus in command of the German 6th Army was trapped and forced to surrender
|-
|16 February 1943
|15  March 1943
|Kharkov  (2)
|Filipp  Golikov
|Russia
|Erich  von Manstein
|Germany
|Germany
|Russian  attempt to recapture Kharkov thwarted by German counter-attack. Last major  German victory on the Russian Front
|-
|5 July 1943
|17  July 1943
|Kursk
|Georgi  Zhukov
|Russia
|Erich  von Manstein
|Germany
|Russia
|Largest  tank battle in history. German attempt to eliminate the Kursk Salient.  Operation "Zitadelle"
|-
|22 June 1944
|27  August 1944
|"Bagration"
|I  K Bagramyan
|Russia
|Ernst  Busch
|Germany
|Russia
|Byelorussia  recaptured and German Army Group Centre destroyed
|-
|1 August 1944
|2  October 1944
|Warsaw
|Tadeusz  Bor-Komorowski
|Poland
|Erich  von Bach-Zelewski
|Germany
|Germany
|Polish  Home Army uprising ruthlessly put down by the SS
|-
|20 August 1944
|30  August 1944
|Jassy-Kishinev
|Rodion  Malinovsky
|Russia
|Johannes  Freissner
|Germany
|Russia
|German  6th Army isolated by double envelopment
|-
|16 April 1945
|2  May 1945
|Berlin
|Georgi  Zhukov
|Russia
|Adolf  Hitler
|Germany
|Russia
|Berlin  isolated by double envelopment. Hitler committed suicide
|-
| rowspan="13" |North Africa
|9  December 1940
|12  December 1940
|Sidi  Barrani
|Archibald  Wavell
|Allies
|Rudolfo  Graziani
|Italy
|Allies
|Italian  forces routed
|-
|3 January 1941
|5  January 1941
|Bardia
|Richard  O'Connor
|Allies
|Bergonzoli
|Italy
|Allies
|Comprehensive  defeat for Italian army in North Africa
|-
|21 January 1941
|22  January 1941
|Tobruk  (1)
|Richard  O'Connor
|Allies
|Pitassi  Mannella
|Italy
|Allies
|Major  Italian defeat
|-
|5 Febraury 1941
|7  Febraury 1941
|Beda  Fomm
|Richard  O'Connor
|Allies
|Rodolfo  Graziani
|Italy
|Allies
|Italian  10th Army trapped and destroyed
|-
|20 May 1941
|1  June 1941
|Crete
|Freyberg
|Allies
|Alexander  Lohr
|Germany
|Germany
|Airborne  invasion captured island. Operation "Merkur"
|-
|18 November 1941
|7  December 1941
|Tobruk  (2)
|Alan  Cunningham
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Germany
|Allies
|Relieved  Tobruk after fierce fighting. Operation "Crusader"
|-
|26 May 1942
|21  June 1942
|Gazala
|Claude  Auchinleck
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Axis
|Germany
|8th  Army defeated and forced to withdraw to Egypt. Tobruk captured
|-
|1 July 1942
|27  July 1942
|El  Alamein (1)
|Claude  Auchinleck
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Axis
|Stalemate
|Germans  unable to break through but British unable to counter-attack
|-
|30 August 1942
|2  September 1942
|Alam  Haifa
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Axis
|Britain
|Germans  unable to break through used up most of their resources in the attempt
|-
|23 October 1942
|4  November 1942
|El  Alamein (2)
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Axis
|Britain
|Decisive  British victory which spelled beginning of end of Axis campaign in North  Africa
|-
|14 February 1943
|22  February 1943
|Kasserine  Pass
|Dwight  Eisenhower
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Germany
|Allies
|Early  German success contained and Rommel forced to withdraw
|-
|6 March 1943
|
|Medenine
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Erwin  Rommel
|Germany
|Allies
|German  counter-attack repulsed and Rommel replaced
|-
|20 March 1943
|27  March 1943
|Mareth  Line
|Bernard  Montgomery
|Allies
|Giovanni  Messe
|Italy
|Allies
|Messe  forced to abandon the Mareth Line and retreat to Wadi Akarit
|-
| rowspan="5" |Italy
|9  September 1943
|18  September 1943
|Salerno
|Harold  Alexander
|Allies
|Albrecht  Kesselring
|Germany
|Allies
|Narrow  allied victory in amphibious landing which led to capture of Naples
|-
|12 October 1943
|14  November 1943
|Volturno  River
|Harold  Alexander
|Allies
|Albrecht  Kesselring
|Germany
|Allies
|Allied  forces crossed river at heavy cost
|-
|17 January 1944
|22  May 1944
|Cassino
|Harold  Alexander
|Allies
|Albrecht  Kesselring
|Axis
|Allies
|Allies  finally broke through to join up with Anzio beachhead and capture Rome
|-
|22 January 1944
|23  May 1944
|Anzio
|Mark  Clark
|Allies
|Albrecht  Kesselring
|Axis
|Stalemate
|Attempting  to outflank Cassino line, Anzio beachhead quickly contained. Operation  "Shingle"
|-
|30 August 1944
|28  October 1944
|Gothic  Line
|Harold  Alexander
|Allies
|Albrecht  Kesselring
|Germany
|Allies
|Allies  finally breached line in late Autumn, too late to exploit
|-
| rowspan="28" |Burma, Far East and Pacific
|7  December 1941
|
|Pearl  Harbor
|Short
|Allies
|Chuichi  Nagumo
|Japan
|Japan
|Surprise  attack on US Pacific Fleet base which destroyed 12 battleships
|-
|8 December 1941
|23  December 1941
|Wake  Atoll
|Winfield  Cunningham
|Allies
|Sadamichi  Kajioka
|Japan
|Japan
|Massive  Japanese operation resisted strongly by small US force
|-
|2 January 1942
|6  May 1942
|Bataan
|Douglas  MacArthur
|Allies
|Masahuru  Homma
|Japan
|Japan
|Largest  capitulation of a US army. Philippines captured
|-
|8 February 1942
|15  February 1942
|Singapore
|Arthur  Percival
|Allies
|Tomoyuki  Yamashita
|Japan
|Japan
|Worst  military disaster in the history of the British Empire
|-
|4 May 1942
|8  May 1942
|Coral  Sea
|Frank  Fletcher
|Allies
|Shigeyoshe  Inouye
|Japan
|Allies
|Tactical  Japanese victory but strategic Allied victory. Naval invasion of Port Moresby  thwarted
|-
|4 June 1942
|6  June 1942
|Midway
|Frank  Fletcher, Ray Spruance
|Allies
|Isoroku  Yamamoto
|Japan
|Allies
|Allied  victory which saw 4 Japanese carriers destroyed and severely curtailed as an  attacking force
|-
|7 August 1942
|7  February 1943
|Guadalcanal
|Robert  Gormley
|Allies
|Shigeyoshe  Inouye
|Japan
|Allies
|Desperate  battle to prevent Japan from building landing strip on Solomon Islands
|-
|20 November 1942
|22  January 1943
|Buna
|Robert  Eichelberger
|Allies
|Hatazo  Adachi
|Japan
|Allies
|Japanese  invasion of Papua New Guinea thwarted and Japanese forces in the area wiped  out
|-
|11 May 1943
|15  August 1943
|Aleutian  Islands
|Francis  Rockwell
|Allies
|?
|Japan
|Allies
|Islands  recaptured
|-
|20 November 1943
|23  November 1943
|Tarawa  Atoll
|Chester  Nimitz
|Allies
|Keichi  Shibasaki
|Japan
|Allies
|Capture  of Gilbert Islands
|-
|1 February 1944
|4  February 1944
|Kwajalein  Atoll
|Holland  Smith
|Allies
|Akiyama
|Japan
|Allies
|Capture  of part of Marshall Islands
|-
|6 February 1944
|17  February 1944
|Korsun
|Ivan  Konev
|Russia
|Stemmermann
|Germany
|Russia
|Stemmermann  killed. Some German troops managed to break out of pocket
|-
|6 February 1944
|25  February 1944
|Admin  Box
|A  F P Christison
|Allies
|Hanaya
|Japan
|Allies
|Heavy  defeat for Japanese, first clear-cut British victory
|-
|17 February 1944
|23  February 1944
|Eniwetok  Atoll
|Thomas  Watson
|Allies
|Yoshima  Nishida
|Japan
|Allies
|Capture  of remainder of Marshall Islands
|-
|25 March 1944
|16  April 1944
|Kamenets-Podolsk
|Georgi  Zhukov
|Russia
|Erich  von Manstein
|Germany
|Germany
|First  Panzer Army broke through Russian trap
|-
|29 March 1944
|22  June 1944
|Imphal
|William  Slim
|Allies
|Masakuzu  Kawabe
|Japan
|Allies
|Brilliant  Allied victory which marked turning point of war in Burma
|-
|5 April 1944
|30  May 1944
|Kohima
|William  Slim
|Allies
|Renya  Mutaguchi
|Japan
|Allies
|Japanese  failed to prevent the relief of Imphal
|-
|15 June 1944
|9  July 1944
|Saipan
|Chester  Nimitz
|Allies
|Hideyoshi  Obata
|Japan
|Allies
|Capture  of the Marianas Islands
|-
|19 June 1944
|21  June 1944
|Philippine  Sea
|Ray  Spruance
|Allies
|Jisaburo  Ozawa
|Japan
|Allies
|Naval  battle and decisive American victory. A further 3 Japanese carriers destroyed
|-
|21 July 1944
|10  August 1944
|Guam
|Chester  Nimitz
|Allies
|Hideyoshi  Obata
|Japan
|Allies
|Fall  of the Marianas. Two survivors of the Japanese garrison surrendered in 1960
|-
|24 July 1944
|31  July 1944
|Tinian
|Chester  Nimitz
|Allies
|Hideyoshi  Obata
|Japan
|Allies
|Capture  of part of the Marianas
|-
|15 September 1944
|25  November 1944
|Pelelieu-Anguar
|Chester  Nimitz
|Allies
|Sadai  Inoue
|Japan
|Allies
|Capture  of the Caroline Islands
|-
|24 October 1944
|25  October 1944
|Leyte  Gulf
|William  Halsey
|Allies
|Jisaburo  Ozawa
|Japan
|Allies
|Greatest  naval battle in history. Offensive capacity of Japanese fleet destroyed
|-
|20 October 1944
|25  December 1944
|Leyte
|Douglas  MacArthur
|Allies
|Tomoyuki  Yamashita
|Japan
|Allies
|Japanese  army on the Philippines destroyed
|-
|14 January 1945
|21  March 1945
|Mandalay
|William  Slim
|Allies
|Hoyotaro  Kimura
|Japan
|Allies
|Tactical  masterstroke isolated each Japanese army in Burma and each was destroyed in  turn
|-
|3 February 1945
|4  March 1945
|Manila
|Walter  Krueger
|Allies
|Tomoyuki  Yamashita
|Japan
|Allies
|Last  stand of Japanese naval garrison led to destruction of the city
|-
|19 February 1945
|16  March 1945
|Iwo  Jima
|Harry  Schmidt
|Allies
|Todomichi  Kuribyashi
|Japan
|Allies
|US  forces secured Bonin islands for use as airstrips for bombing Japan
|-
|1 April 1945
|22  June 1945
|Okinawa
|Chester  Nimitz
|Allies
|Mitsuru  Ushijima
|Japan
|Allies
|Ushijima  committed suicide. Fight put up by Japanese convinced Truman to unleash the  atom bombs
|-
| rowspan="2" |Other Theatres
|30  April 1941
|5  May 1941
|Habbaniya
|H  G Smart
|Allies
|Rashid  Ali
|Iraq
|Allies
|Iraqi  rebels defeated
|-
|9 August 1945
|17  August 1945
|Manchuria
|Alexandr  Vasilevsky
|Russia
|Yamada  Otozo
|Japan
|Russia
|Russians  drove Japanese out of Manchuria and imposed communist rule in Northern Korea
|-
| rowspan="5" |Korean War
| rowspan="5" |
|1950
|1953
|South Korea
|North Korea
|5 August 1950
|15 September  1950
|Pusan Perimeter
|Douglas  MacArthur
|Allies
|Choe Yong Gun
|North Korea
|Allies
| colspan="2" rowspan="5" |
|North Korean  Peoples Army virtually destroyed
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="4" |
|UN Forces
|China
|15  September 1950
|25  September 1950
|Inchon
|Douglas  MacArthur
|Allies
|Choe  Yong Gun
|North  Korea
|Allies
|Strategic  masterstroke which captured Seoul and isolated North Korean troops
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="3" |
|27  November 1950
|15  December 1950
|Chosin  Reservoir
|Oliver  Smith
|Allies
|Sung  Shih-lun
|China
|Allies
|Fighting  withdrawal to evacuate UN troops
|-
|22 April 1951
|30  April 1951
|Imjin  River
|James  van Fleet
|Allies
|Peng  The-huai
|China
|Allies
|Allied  forces (British/Belgian/US) resisted attempt to capture Seoul
|-
|16 April 1953
|18  April 1953
|Pork  Chop Hill
|Arthur  Trudeau
|Allies
|Peng  The-huai
|China
|Allies
|Contest  of resolve by Chinese during peace negotiations
|-
|French Indochina War
|
|1946
|1954
|France
|Vietnam
|20  November 1953
|7  May 1954
|Dien  Bien Phu
|Christian  de Castres
|France
|Vo  Nguyen Giap
|Vietnam
|Vietnam
| colspan="2" |
|French  forced to surrender fortified garrison
|-
| rowspan="6" |Vietnam War
| rowspan="6" |
|1956
|1975
|South Vietnam
|North Vietnam
|19  October 1965
|26  November 1965
|La  Drang Valley
|Harry  Kinnard
|United  States
|Chu  Huy Man 
|North  Vietnam
|United  States
| colspan="2" rowspan="6" |
|Viet  Cong suffered crippling losses
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="5" |
|United States
|China
|18  August 1966
|
|Long  Tan
|O  D Jackson
|United  States
|?
|Viet  Cong
|United  States
|Serious  defeat for the Viet Cong
|-
|Australia
|
|22  February 1967
|14  May 1967
|Junction  City
|William  Westmoreland
|United  States
|?
|North  Vietnam
|United  States
|US  forces cleared the "Iron Triangle" near Saigon
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="3" |
|19  November 1967
|23  November 1967
|Dak  To (Hill 875)
|Leo  Schweitzer
|United  States
|?
|North  Vietnam
|United  States
|Vietnamese  army attempt to distract US forces prior to the Tet Offensive
|-
|21 January 1968
|14  April 1968
|Khe  San
|David  Lownds
|United  States
|?
|North  Vietnam
|United  States
|US  forces resisted siege of fortified camp
|-
|31 January 1968
|25  February 1968
|Hue
|Ngo  Quang Truong
|South  Vietnam
|Nguyen  Trong Dan
|North  Vietnam
|South  Vietnam
|Hue  was captured by the Viet Cong at the start of the Tet Offensive but  recaptured after protracted street fighting
|-
| rowspan="6" |Arab-Israeli Wars
|
|1956
|1973
|Israel
|Arab States
|29  October 1956
|5  November 1956
|Sinai  (1)
|Moshe  Dayan
|Israel
|Abd  el Hakim Amer
|Egypt
|Israel
| colspan="2" rowspan="6" |
|Israeli  army overran Sinai and captured Sharm el Sheikh but stopped short of Suez  Canal as agreed with British and French
|-
|Suez Canal Crisis
| colspan="4" rowspan="5" |
|5  November 1956
|7  November 1956
|Suez  Canal Landings
|Hugh  Stockwell
|Allies
|Abd  el Hakim Amer
|Egypt
|Stalemate
|Britain  and France were forced to break off operations in face of opposition from UN  and US
|-
| rowspan="2" |Six Day War
|5  June 1967
|8  June 1967
|Sinai  (2)
|Yeshayahu  Gavish
|Israel
|Abd  el Mohsen Mortagy
|Egypt
|Israel
|Egyptian  army destroyed and defence line esatblished on Suez Canal
|-
|9 June 1967
|10  June 1967
|Golan  Heights (1)
|David  Elazar
|Israel
|Souedan
|Syria
|Israel
|Israel  captured Golan Heights and established a defensible frontier with Syria
|-
| rowspan="2" |
|6  October 1973
|8  October 1973
|Suez  Canal Crossing
|Shmuel  Gonen
|Israel
|Ahmed  Ismail Ali
|Egypt
|Stalemate
|Early  Egyptian gains from surprise attack on Yom Kippur were subsequently wiped out
|-
|6 October 1973
|10  October 1973
|Golan  Heights (2)
|Yitzak  Hofi
|Israel
|Hefez  al Assad
|Syria
|Israel
|Israel  beat off an attempt by Syria to retake the Golan Heights lost in 1967
|-
| rowspan="2" |Falklands War
| rowspan="2" |
|1982
|1982
|Britain
|Argentina
|27  May 1982
|28  May 1982
|Goose  Green
|H  Jones
|Britain
|Wilson  Pedroza
|Argentina
|Britain
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
|Col  H Jones killed
|-
| colspan="4" |
|11  June 1982
|14  June 1982
|Port  Stanley
|Jeremy  Moore
|Britain
|Mario  Menendez
|Argentina
|Britain
|Argentinian  defence lines breached and Argentinian commander surrendered
|-
|Grenada
|
|1983
|1983
|United States
|Grenada
|25  October 1983
|27  October 1983
|Grenada
|Joseph  Metcalf
|United  States
|Austin  Hudson
|Grenada
|United  States
| colspan="2" |
|Communists  defeated
|-
|Gulf War
|
|1990
|1991
|U N Forces
|Iraq
|24  February 1991
|28  February 1991
|Kuwait
|Norman  Schwarzkopf
|Allies
|Saddam  Hussein
|Iraq
|
| colspan="2" |
|Iraqi  army in Kuwait destroyed. Operation "Desert Sabre"
|}