6 Forgotten Battles That Changed the Course of History

Starting our list of forgotten battles is the Battle of Tours, also known as the Battle of Poitiers. A Muslim army led by Spain’s Morrish General Abd-er Rahman crossed the Western Pyrenees to reach Tours, France, to expand their influence farther into Europe. However, these forces were met by the Frankish forces of Charles “The Hammer” Martel, who managed to defeat the Muslim army without cavalry. Many historians believe that Islam could have become the dominant religion in Europe is Abd-er Rahmna succeeded.

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Fifth on our list of forgotten battles is the Battle of Poltava, part of the Great Northern War in 1700. A group of Baltic armies teamed up, intending to end Swedish hegemony in the region. After six years of beating all of them except Russia, Swedish King Charles XII invaded and laid siege against the city of Poltava. Russian Tsar Peter the Great went out to meet Charles, who was wounded and ill after the attack, handing over command to a subordinate. After a failed counterattack, a third of the Swedish Army was decimated and with the loss, Swedish supremacy ended.

Next up for the forgotten battles of history is the Battle of Thermopylae. While the battle got lots of attention after the blockbuster 300, the real events are quite different. The battle had more than 300 Spartans, estimated instead around 2,000 soldiers, made up of Spartans, Helots, Thebans, and Thespians. The troops held the coastal pass at Thermopylae against the Persian King Xerxes, buying time for Greek forces to arrive and push back the Persian army. Not only does it show the use of terrain to defeat an enemy, but the patriotic feelings evoked by defending one’s homeland.

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Rounding out the top three forgotten battles is the Battle of Marathon. During the Greco-Persian Wars, Greek soldiers fought against the Persian invaders sent by King Darius I. While they were vastly outnumbered, the Greeks drove the Persians back, losing only 200 soldiers compared to more than 6,000 Persians. The battle was pivotal, marking the first time the Greeks won against the Persians and showing they could be defeated.

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Second on our list of forgotten battles is the Battle of Talas. If you’ve ever wondered while the ancient Chinese philosophers were so good at making war and weapons of war but never conquered more of the world, this battle is why. When the armies of the Arab Abbasid Caliphate met those of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, the Abbasids managed to stop the Tang expansion, securing oases along the Silk Road for themselves and increasing Arab Muslim in the area for the next few centuries.

Last but not least on our list of forgotten battles is the Battle of Ain Jalut. During the reign of the Mamluks in Egypt and much of the Fertile Crescent, the feared Mongol hordes under Hulagu Khan sought to defeat the Mamluks. Like many before them, the Mamluks defended their land against 10,000 troops led by General Kitbuqa, meeting in Palestine for the ultimate clash. The Mongols were crushed by Mamluk forces, making it the first time the Mongol expansion was stopped in its tracks.

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