The most bloody battle in the history of mankind - Stalingrad. Nazi Germany lost 841,000 soldiers in the battle. USSR losses amounted to 1,130,000 people. Accordingly, the total number of deaths was 1,971,000 people.
By mid-summer 1942, the battles of the Great Patriotic War had reached the Volga. The German command also included Stalingrad in the plan for a large-scale offensive in the south of the USSR (Caucasus, Crimea). Hitler wanted to implement this plan in just a week with the help of Paulus's 6th Field Army. It included 13 divisions, with about 270,000 people, 3 thousand guns and about five hundred tanks. On the USSR side, German forces were opposed by the Stalingrad Front. It was created by decision of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command on July 12, 1942 (commander - Marshal Timoshenko, since July 23 - Lieutenant General Gordov).
August 23 German tanks approached Stalingrad. From that day on, fascist aircraft began to systematically bomb the city. The battles on the ground also did not subside. The defending troops were ordered to hold the city with all their might. Every day the fighting became more and more fierce. All houses were turned into fortresses. The battles took place over floors, basements, and individual walls.
By November, the Germans had captured almost the entire city. Stalingrad was turned into complete ruins. The defending troops held only a low strip of land - a few hundred meters along the banks of the Volga. Hitler hastened to announce to the whole world the capture of Stalingrad.
On September 12, 1942, at the height of the battles for the city, the General Staff began developing the offensive Operation Uranus. Marshal G.K. Zhukov was involved in its planning. The plan was to strike the flanks of the German wedge, which was defended by Allied troops (Italians, Romanians and Hungarians). Their formations were poorly armed and did not have high morale. Within two months, near Stalingrad, in conditions of the deepest secrecy, a strike force was created. The Germans understood the weakness of their flanks, but could not imagine that the Soviet command would be able to assemble such a number of combat-ready units.
On November 19, the Red Army, after powerful artillery preparation, launched an offensive with tank and mechanized units. Having overthrown Germany's allies, on November 23, Soviet troops closed the ring, surrounding 22 divisions numbering 330 thousand soldiers.
Hitler rejected the option of retreat and ordered the commander-in-chief of the 6th Army, Paulus, to begin defensive battles in encirclement. The Wehrmacht command tried to release the encircled troops with a strike from the Don Army under the command of Manstein. There was an attempt to organize an air bridge, which was stopped by our aviation. The Soviet command presented an ultimatum to the encircled units. Realizing the hopelessness of their situation, on February 2, 1943, the remnants of the 6th Army in Stalingrad surrendered.
2 "Verdun Meat Grinder"
The Battle of Verdun was one of the largest and one of the bloodiest military operations in the First World War. It took place from February 21 to December 18, 1916 between the troops of France and Germany. Each side tried unsuccessfully to break through the enemy's defenses and launch a decisive offensive. During the nine months of battle, the front line remained virtually unchanged. Neither side achieved a strategic advantage. It was no coincidence that contemporaries called the Battle of Verdun a “meat grinder.” 305,000 soldiers and officers on both sides lost their lives in a futile confrontation. The losses of the French army, including killed and wounded, amounted to 543 thousand people, and the German army - 434 thousand. 70 French and 50 German divisions passed through the “Verdun meat grinder”.
After a series of bloody battles on both fronts in 1914-1915, Germany did not have the forces to attack on a wide front, so the goal of the offensive was a powerful blow in a narrow area - in the area of the Verdun fortified area. Breaking through the French defense, encircling and defeating 8 French divisions would mean free passage to Paris, followed by the surrender of France.
On small area On a front 15 km long, Germany concentrated 6.5 divisions against 2 French divisions. To maintain a continuous offensive, additional reserves could be introduced. The skies were cleared of French aircraft so that German fire spotters and bombers could operate unhindered.
The Verdun operation began on February 21. After a massive 8-hour artillery preparation, German troops went on the offensive on the right bank of the Meuse River, but met stubborn resistance. The German infantry led the attack in dense combat formations. During the first day of the offensive, German troops advanced 2 km and occupied the first French position. In the following days, the offensive was carried out according to the same pattern: during the day the artillery destroyed the next position, and by the evening the infantry occupied it.
By February 25, the French had lost almost all of their forts. The Germans managed to take the important fort of Douaumont almost without resistance. However, the French command took measures to eliminate the threat of encirclement of the Verdun fortified area. Along the only highway connecting Verdun with the rear, troops from other sectors of the front were transferred in 6,000 vehicles. During the period from February 27 to March 6, about 190 thousand soldiers and 25 thousand tons of military cargo were delivered to Verdun by vehicles. The advance of the German troops was stopped by almost one and a half superiority in manpower.
The battle became protracted; from March the Germans transferred the main blow to the left bank of the river. After intense fighting, German troops managed to advance only 6-7 km by May.
The last attempt to capture Verdun was made by the Germans on June 22, 1916. They acted, as always, according to a template: first, a powerful artillery barrage was followed by the use of gas, then the thirty-thousandth German vanguard went on the attack, acting with the desperation of the doomed. The advancing vanguard managed to destroy the opposing French division and even take Fort Tiamon, located only three kilometers north of Verdun, the walls of the Verdun Cathedral were already visible ahead, but there was simply no one to continue the attack further, the advancing German troops were killed on the battlefield almost completely, reserves ran out, the general offensive floundered.
The Brusilov breakthrough on the Eastern Front and the Entente operation on the Somme River forced German troops to go on the defensive in the fall, and on October 24 French troops went on the offensive and by the end of December reached the positions they occupied on February 25, pushing the enemy 2 km from Fort Duamon.
The battle did not bring any tactical or strategic results - by December 1916, the front line had moved to the lines occupied by both armies by February 25, 1916.
3 Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War, with more than 1,000,000 people killed and wounded, making it one of the deadliest battles in human history. On the first day of the campaign alone, July 1, 1916, the British landing force lost 60,000 people. The operation dragged on for five months. The number of divisions participating in the battle increased from 33 to 149. As a result, French losses amounted to 204,253 people, British - 419,654 people, a total of 623,907 people, of which 146,431 people were killed and missing. German losses amounted to more than 465,000 people, of which 164,055 were killed and missing.
The offensive plan on all fronts, including the Western, was developed and approved at the beginning of March 1916 in Chantilly. The combined army of the French and British was supposed to launch an attack on fortified German positions in early July, and the Russian and Italian 15 days earlier. In May, the plan was significantly changed; the French, having lost over half a million soldiers killed at Verdun, could no longer field in the upcoming battle the number of soldiers that the allies demanded. As a result, the length of the front was reduced from 70 to 40 kilometers.
On June 24, British artillery began intensive shelling of German positions near the Somme River. As a result of this shelling, the Germans lost more than half of all their artillery and the entire first line of defense, after which they immediately began to pull reserve divisions into the breakthrough area.
On July 1, as planned, the infantry was launched, which easily overcame the practically destroyed first line of German troops, but when moving to the second and third positions, it lost a huge number of soldiers and was driven back. On this day, over 20 thousand British and French soldiers died, more than 35 thousand were seriously injured, some of them were taken prisoner. At the same time, the outnumbered French not only captured and held the second line of defense, but also took Barle, however, leaving it a few hours later, since the commander was not ready for such a rapid development of events and ordered a retreat. A new offensive on the French sector of the front began only on July 5, but by this time the Germans had pulled several additional divisions to this area, as a result several thousand soldiers died, but the city that was so recklessly abandoned was not taken. The French tried to capture Barle from the moment of their retreat in July until October.
Just a month after the start of the battle, the British and French lost so many soldiers that 9 additional divisions were brought into the battle, while Germany transferred as many as 20 divisions to the Somme. By August, against 500 British aircraft, the Germans were able to field only 300, and against 52 divisions, only 31.
The situation for Germany became greatly complicated after the Russian troops carried out the Brusilov breakthrough; the German command exhausted all its reserves and was forced to switch to a planned defense with the last of its strength, not only on the Somme, but also near Verdun.
Under these conditions, the British decided to make another breakthrough attempt, scheduled for September 3, 1916. After the artillery shelling, all available reserves, including French ones, were brought into action, and on September 15, tanks went into battle for the first time. In total, the command had about 50 tanks with a well-trained crew at its disposal, but only 18 of them actually took part in the battle. A big miscalculation of the designers and developers of the tank offensive was discarding the fact that the area near the river was swampy, and the bulky, clumsy tanks simply could not get out of the swampy quagmire. However, the British were able to advance several tens of kilometers deep into enemy positions and on September 27 they were able to capture the heights between the Somme River and the small Ancre River.
A further offensive made no sense, since the exhausted soldiers would not have been able to hold the positions they had regained, therefore, despite several offensive attempts made in October, in fact, since November, no military operations had been carried out in this area, and the operation was completed.
4 Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, is the largest battle in the series of Napoleonic Wars and in world history before the First World War. According to rough estimates, the French army lost 70-80 thousand soldiers near Leipzig, of which approximately 40 thousand were killed and wounded, 15 thousand prisoners, another 15 thousand were captured in hospitals and up to 5 thousand Saxons went over to the Allied side. According to the French historian T. Lenz, the losses of the Napoleonic army amounted to 70 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners, another 15-20 thousand German soldiers went over to the Allied side. In addition to combat losses, the lives of soldiers of the retreating army were claimed by a typhus epidemic. Allied losses amounted to up to 54 thousand killed and wounded, of which up to 23 thousand Russians, 16 thousand Prussians, 15 thousand Austrians and 180 Swedes.
From October 16 to 19, 1813, a battle took place near Leipzig between the armies of Napoleon I and the sovereigns united against him: Russian, Austrian, Prussian and Swedish. The forces of the latter were divided into three armies: Bohemian (main), Silesian and northern, but of these, only the first two took part in the battle on October 16. The bloody actions of that day did not bring any significant results.
On October 17, both warring sides remained inactive, and only on the northern side of Leipzig did a cavalry skirmish occur. During this day, the position of the French deteriorated significantly, since only one corps of Rainier (15 thousand) came to reinforce them, and the allies were strengthened by the newly arrived northern army. Napoleon found out about this, but did not dare to retreat, because, retreating, he left the possessions of his ally, the King of Saxony, at the mercy of the enemies, and finally abandoned the French garrisons scattered at different points on the Vistula, Oder and Elbe to the mercy of fate. By the evening of the 17th, he pulled his troops to new positions, closer to Leipzig; on October 18, the allies resumed their attack along the entire line, but, despite the enormous superiority of their forces, the result of the battle was again far from decisive: on Napoleon’s right wing all attacks of the Bohemian army were repulsed; in the center the French ceded several villages and moved back to Leipzig; their left wing held its position north of Leipzig; in the rear, the French retreat route to Weissenfels remained clear.
The main reasons for the small success of the Allies were the timing of their attacks and the inaction of the reserve, which Prince Schwarzenberg was unable or unwilling to use properly, contrary to the insistence of Emperor Alexander. Meanwhile, Napoleon, taking advantage of the fact that the route of retreat remained open, began to send back his convoys and separate units of troops even before noon, and on the night of 18-19 the entire French army retreated to Leipzig and beyond. For the defense of the city itself, 4 corps were left. The commander of the rearguard, MacDonald, was ordered to hold out until at least 12 o'clock next day, and then retreat, blowing up the only bridge on the Elster River behind them.
On the morning of October 19, a new Allied attack followed. Around one o'clock in the afternoon, the allied monarchs could already enter the city, in some parts of which fierce battle was still in full swing. Due to a disastrous mistake for the French, the bridge on Elster was blown up prematurely. The cut-off troops of their rearguard were partly captured, and partly died trying to escape by swimming across the river.
The Battle of Leipzig, due to the size of the forces of both sides (Napoleon had 190 thousand, with 700 guns; the Allies had up to 300 thousand and more than 1300 guns) and due to its enormous consequences, is called by the Germans “the battle of the nations.” The consequence of this battle was the liberation of Germany and the fall of the troops of the Confederation of the Rhine from Napoleon.
5 Battle of Borodino
Considered to be the bloodiest one-day battle in history battle of Borodino. During it, every hour, according to the most conservative estimates, about 6 thousand people were killed or injured. During the battle, the Russian army lost about 30% of its strength, the French - about 25%. IN absolute numbers this is about 60 thousand killed on both sides. But, according to some sources, up to 100 thousand people were killed during the battle and died later from injuries.
The Battle of Borodino took place 125 kilometers west of Moscow, near the village of Borodino, on August 26 (September 7, old style) 1812. French troops under the leadership of Napoleon I Bonaparte invaded the territory of the Russian Empire in June 1812 and by the end of August reached the capital itself. Russian troops constantly retreated and, naturally, caused great discontent both among society and Emperor Alexander I himself. To turn the situation around, Commander-in-Chief Barclay de Tolly was removed, and Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov took his place. But the new leader of the Russian army also preferred to retreat: on the one hand, he wanted to wear down the enemy, on the other, Kutuzov was waiting for reinforcements to give a general battle. After the retreat near Smolensk, Kutuzov’s army settled down near the village of Borodino - there was nowhere to retreat further. It was here that the most famous battle of the entire Patriotic War of 1812 took place.
At 6 am, French artillery opened fire along the entire front. The French troops lined up for the attack launched their onslaught on the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment. Desperately resisting, the regiment retreated beyond the Koloch River. The flashes, which would become known as the Bagrationovs, protected the chasseur regiments of Prince Shakhovsky from encircling. Ahead, the rangers also lined up in a cordon. Major General Neverovsky's division occupied positions behind the flushes.
The troops of Major General Duka occupied the Semenovsky Heights. This sector was attacked by the cavalry of Marshal Murat, the troops of Marshals Ney and Davout, and the corps of General Junot. The number of attackers reached 115 thousand people.
The course of the Battle of Borodino, after the repelled attacks of the French at 6 and 7 o'clock, continued with another attempt to take flushes on the left flank. By that time, they were reinforced by the Izmailovsky and Lithuanian regiments, Konovnitsin’s division and cavalry units. On the French side, it was in this area that serious artillery forces were concentrated - 160 guns. However, subsequent attacks (at 8 and 9 am) were, despite the incredible intensity of the fighting, completely unsuccessful. The French briefly managed to capture flushes at 9 am. But they were soon driven out from the Russian fortifications by a powerful counterattack. The dilapidated flashes stubbornly held on, repelling subsequent enemy attacks.
Konovnitsin withdrew his troops to Semenovskoye only after holding these fortifications ceased to be necessary. The Semenovsky ravine became the new line of defense. The exhausted troops of Davout and Murat, who did not receive reinforcements (Napoleon did not dare to bring the Old Guard into the battle), were unable to carry out a successful attack.
The situation was extremely difficult in other areas as well. Kurgan Heights was attacked at the same time that the battle for taking flushes was raging on the left flank. Raevsky's battery held the height, despite the powerful onslaught of the French under the command of Eugene Beauharnais. After reinforcements arrived, the French were forced to retreat.
The actions on the right flank were no less intense. Lieutenant General Uvarov and Ataman Platov, with a cavalry raid deep into enemy positions, carried out at about 10 o’clock in the morning, drew off significant French forces. This made it possible to weaken the onslaught along the entire front. Platov was able to reach the rear of the French (Valuevo area), which suspended the offensive in the central direction. Uvarov made an equally successful maneuver in the Bezzubovo area.
The Battle of Borodino lasted all day and began to gradually subside only at 6 o’clock in the evening. Another attempt to bypass Russian positions was successfully repulsed by soldiers of the Life Guards of the Finnish Regiment in the Utitsky Forest. After this, Napoleon gave the order to retreat to their original positions. The Battle of Borodino lasted more than 12 hours.
The battles are very different. Some last several hours, others stretch out over long days and even months. The final outcome of the war depends on some, while others decide absolutely nothing. Some are carefully planned and prepared, some break out accidentally, as a result of ridiculous misunderstandings. But battles of all times and peoples have one thing in common: people die in them. We invite you to look at the list of the bloodiest battles in human history.
Of course, what was considered a huge loss for ancient world, in the age of carpet bombings and tank raids, it doesn’t look so scary anymore. But each of the battles we presented was considered a real disaster for its time.
Battle of Plataea (9 September 479 BC)
This collision decided the outcome Greco-Persian wars and put an end to the claims of King Xerxes to rule over Hellas. In order to defeat a common enemy, Athens and Sparta put aside their eternal feuds and joined forces, but even their joint army was much smaller than the countless hordes of the Persian king.
The troops positioned themselves opposite each other along the banks of the Asopus River. After several skirmishes, the Persians managed to block the Greeks' access to water and force them to begin retreating. Having rushed in pursuit, the Persians came across a harsh rebuff from one of the Spartan detachments remaining in the rear. At the same time, the Persian military leader Mardonius was killed, which greatly undermined the morale of his army. Having learned about the successes of the Spartans, the remaining Greek troops stopped retreating and counterattacked. Soon the Persian army fled, was trapped in its own camp and was completely killed. According to the testimony of Herodotus, only 43 thousand Persian soldiers under the command of Artabazus survived, who were afraid to engage in battle with the Spartans and fled.
Sides and commanders:
Union of Greek Cities - Pausanias, Aristides
Persia - Mardonius
Strengths of the parties:
Greeks-110 thousand
Persians - about 350 thousand (120 thousand according to modern estimates)
Losses:
Greeks - about 10,000
Persians - 257,000 (about 100,000 thousand according to modern estimates)
Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BC)
The largest battle of the Second Punic War was a triumph for the Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca. Before this, he had already twice won major victories over the proud Romans - at Trebia and at Lake Trasimene. But this time the residents Eternal City decided to repel the conqueror who boldly invaded Italy. A huge army was moved against the Punes under the command of two Roman consuls. The Romans outnumbered the Carthaginian forces by more than two to one.
However, everything was decided not by numbers, but by skill. Hannibal skillfully positioned his troops, concentrating light infantry in the center and placing cavalry on the flanks. Having taken the brunt of the Roman attack, the center failed. At this time, the Punic cavalry pushed through the Roman flanks, and the legionnaires, carried away by the offensive, found themselves inside a concave arc of enemy forces. Soon they were hit by sudden attacks from both flanks and from the rear. Finding themselves surrounded and in panic, the Roman army was completely routed. Among others, the consul Lucius Aemilius Paulus and 80 Roman senators were killed.
Sides and commanders:
Carthage - Hannibal Barca, Magarbal, Mago
Roman Republic - Lucius Aemilius Paulus, Gaius Terence Varro
Strengths of the parties:
Carthage - 36 thousand infantry and 8 thousand horsemen
Romans - 87 thousand soldiers
Losses:
Carthage - 5700 killed, 10 thousand wounded
Romans - from 50 to 70 thousand killed
Battle of Chaplin (260 BC)
At the beginning of the 3rd century BC. Chinese kingdom of qin conquered the neighbors one by one. Only the northern kingdom of Zhou was able to provide serious resistance. After several years of low-intensity fighting, the time has come for the decisive battle between these two rivals. On the eve of the pitched battle, both Qin and Zhou replaced their commanders-in-chief. The Zhou army was led by the young strategist Zhao Ko, who knew military theory very well, but had absolutely no experience in combat. Qin placed Bai Hi at the head of her forces, a talented and experienced commander who had earned a reputation as a ruthless killer and butcher who knew no mercy.
Bai He easily deceived his inexperienced opponent. Feigning a retreat, he lured the Zhou army into a narrow mountain valley and locked it there, blocking all the passes. Under such conditions, even small Qin detachments could completely block the enemy army. All attempts to make a breakthrough were unsuccessful. After being under siege for 46 days, suffering from hunger, the Zhou army surrendered in full force. Bai Qi showed unheard-of cruelty - on his orders, 400 thousand captives were buried alive in the ground. Only 240 people were released so that they could talk about it at home.
Sides and commanders:
Qin - Bai He, Wang He
Zhou - Lian Po, Zhao Ko
Strengths of the parties:
Qin - 650 thousand
Zhou - 500 thousand
Losses:
Qin - about 250 thousand
Zhou - 450 thousand
Battle of Kulikovo Field (September 8, 1380)
Exactly on Kulikovo field For the first time, the united Russian army inflicted a crushing defeat on the superior forces of the Horde. From that moment it became clear that the power of the Russian principalities would have to be taken seriously.
In the 70s of the 14th century, the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich inflicted several small but sensitive defeats on the temnik Mamai, who proclaimed himself the head of the Golden Horde. To strengthen his power and rein in the unruly Russians, Mamai moved a large army. In order to resist him, Dmitry Ivanovich had to show miracles of diplomacy, gathering an alliance. And yet the assembled army was smaller than the Horde.
The main blow was taken by the Big Regiment and the Left Hand Regiment. The battle was so hot that the fighters had to stand directly on the corpses - the ground was not visible. The front of the Russian troops was almost broken through, but they were still able to hold out until the Ambush Regiment struck the Mongolian rear. This came as a complete surprise to Mamai, who did not think about leaving a reserve. His army fled, and the Russians pursued and beat those fleeing for about 50 miles.
Sides and commanders:
Union of Russian Principalities - Dmitry Donskoy, Dmitry Bobrok, Vladimir Brave
Golden Horde- Mamai
Strengths of the parties:
Russians - about 70,000
Horde - about 150,000
Losses:
Russians - about 20,000
Horde - about 130,000
Tumu disaster (September 1, 1449)
The Mongolian Northern Yuan dynasty gained considerable strength in the 15th century and was not afraid to compete with the powerful Chinese Ming Empire. Moreover, the Mongol leader Esentaishi intended to return China to the rule of the Northern Yuan, as it had been under Genghis Khan.
In the summer of 1449, a small but well-trained Mongol army invaded China. A huge but extremely poorly organized Ming army moved towards him, commanded by Emperor Zhu Qizhen, who relied in everything on the advice of the chief eunuch of the ritual department, Wang Zhen. When the armies met in the area of Tumu (modern Chinese province of Hubei), it turned out that the Chinese had no idea what to do with the super-mobile cavalry of the Mongols, which delivered lightning strikes in the most unexpected places. No one understood what to do or what battle formations to form. A Mongols seemed to be everywhere at once. As a result, the Ming army was killed by almost half. The Mongols suffered minor losses. Wang Zhen died and the emperor was captured. True, the Mongols never succeeded in completely conquering China.
Sides and commanders:
Northern Yuan - Esentaishi Empire
Ming - Zhu Qizhen
Strengths of the parties:
Northern Yuan - 20000
Losses:
Northern Yuan - unknown
Min - more than 200000
Naval Battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571)
Due to their specific nature, naval battles are rarely very bloody. However, the Battle of Lepanto stands out from the general background. This was one of the main clashes between the Holy League (a union of Catholic states created to fight Turkish expansion) and its main enemy.
Two huge fleets maneuvering in the Mediterranean Sea unexpectedly met near the entrance to the Gulf of Patras - 60 kilometers from the Greek city of Lepanto. Due to the fact that all changes were made by oars, the heavy Turkish galliots fell behind, weakening the front. Nevertheless, the Turks managed to encircle the left flank of the League. But they were unable to take advantage - the Europeans had stronger and more numerous boarding teams. The turning point in the battle came after the Turkish naval commander Ali Pasha was killed in a shootout. His head was raised on a long pike, after which panic began among the Turkish sailors. This is how Europe learned that the previously invincible Turks could be beaten both on land and at sea.
Sides and commanders:
Holy League - Juan of Austria
Ottoman Empire- Ali Pasha
Strengths of the parties:
Holy League - 206 galleys, 6 galleasses
Ottoman Empire - about 230 galleys, about 60 galliots
Losses:
Holy League - about 17 ships and 9,000 men
Ottoman Empire - about 240 ships and 30,000 people
Battle of the Nations at Leipzig (October 16-19, 1813)
This battle was considered the largest in world history until the First World War. Bonaparte, expelled from Russia, did not lose hope of maintaining his dominion over Europe. However, in the fall of 1813, near Leipzig, he had to meet with the powerful forces of a new coalition, in which the main roles were played by Russia, Austria, Sweden and Prussia.
The battle lasted four days, and during this time the palm of fortune changed hands more than once. There were moments when it even seemed that the success of Napoleon's military genius was inevitable. However, October 18 became a turning point. Successful actions of the coalition on the flanks pushed back the French. And in the center a real disaster broke out for Napoleon - at the height of the battle, the Saxon division went over to the side of the coalition. It was followed by parts of other German principalities. As a result, October 19 became the day of the chaotic retreat of the Napoleonic army. Leipzig was occupied by coalition forces, and Saxony was completely abandoned by the French. Soon Napoleon lost other German principalities.
Sides and commanders:
Sixth Anti-Napoleonic Coalition - Karl Schwarzenberg, Alexander I, Karl Bernadotte, Gebhard von Blücher
French Empire- Napoleon Bonaparte, Michel Ney, Auguste de Marmont, Jozef Poniatowski
Strengths of the parties:
Coalition - about 350,000
France - about 210,000
Losses:
Coalition - about 54,000
France - about 80,000
Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)
This battle doesn't look too impressive. Most of the losses are wounded and missing. Only 7863 people were killed. However, all the time Civil War in the USA there were no deaths in one battle more people. And this despite the fact that the war itself is considered one of the bloodiest in history, if we consider the ratio of the number of deaths to total number population.
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of General Lee, unexpectedly encountered the Northern Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg. The armies approached very carefully, and battles broke out between individual detachments. At first the southerners were successful. This reassured Lee too much, who misjudged the enemy's numbers. However, when it came to a close clash, it became clear that the northerners (who also occupied a defensive position) were stronger. Having exhausted his army by storming fortified positions, Lee tried to provoke the enemy into a counterattack, but was unsuccessful. As a result, he retreated. Only the indecision of General Meade saved the army of the southerners from complete destruction, but they had already lost the war.
Sides and commanders:
United States of America - George Mead, John Reynolds
Confederate States of America - Robert E. Lee
Strengths of the parties:
USA - 93921 people
KSA - 71699 people
Losses:
USA - 23055 people
KSA - 23231 people
Battle of the Somme - (1 July - 18 November 1916)
Is it worth comparing a months-long operation with battles that lasted one or several days? More than a million people died in the Battle of the Somme, and about 70,000 of them on the very first day, July 1, 1916, which forever remained inscribed in bloody letters in the history of the British army.
The British relied on massive artillery preparation, which was supposed to scatter German defensive positions into dust, after which British and French forces were supposed to calmly occupy a bridgehead in northern France. The artillery preparation lasted from June 24 to July 1, but did not bring the expected effect. The British units that went on the offensive came under machine-gun fire, which literally mowed down their ranks. And the German snipers began a real hunt for the officers (their uniforms stood out very much). The French were doing a little better, but by dark, only a few of the intended targets had been occupied. There were four months of fierce trench warfare ahead.
Sides and commanders:
Entente (Great Britain and France) - Douglas Haig, Ferdinand Foch, Henry Rawlinson, Emile Fayol
Germany - Ruprecht of Bavaria, Max von Gallwitz, Fritz von Below
Strengths of the parties:
Entente - 99 divisions
Germany - 50 divisions
Losses:
Entente - 623,907 people (about 60,000 on the first day)
Germany - about 465,000 (8-12 thousand on the first day)
Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943)
The largest land battle in human history is also the bloodiest. Stalingrad was a principled position - letting the enemy through here meant losing the war and devaluing the feat accomplished by Soviet soldiers in the defense of Moscow, so throughout the operation the battles were extremely fierce. Despite the fact that Luftwaffe bombing turned Stalingrad into ruins, and enemy troops were able to occupy about 90 percent of the city, they were never able to win. At the cost of incredible efforts, the most difficult conditions urban battles, Soviet troops managed to hold their positions.
In the early autumn of 1942, preparations began for a Soviet counterattack, and on November 19, Operation Uranus was launched, as a result of which the city was liberated and the enemy defeated. About 110 thousand soldiers, 24 generals and Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus were captured. But this victory was bought at a high price...
Sides and commanders:
USSR - Alexander Vasilevsky, Nikolai Voronov, Konstantin Rokossovsky
Axis countries (Germany, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Croatia) - Erich von Manstein, Maximilian von Weichs, Friedrich Paulus
Strengths of the parties:
USSR - 1.14 million (386,000 at the beginning of the operation)
Axis countries - 987,300 people (430,000 at the beginning of the operation)
Losses:
USSR - 1,129,619 people
Axis countries - 1,500,000 people
Magazine: Military History, No. 10 - October 2015
Category: The most, the most
From:
World War II, Great Patriotic War. It was the most brutal and bloody war in human history.
During this massacre, more than 60 million citizens of the most different countries peace. Historian scientists have calculated that every war month, an average of 27 thousand tons of bombs and shells fell on the heads of military and civilians on both sides of the front!
Let's remember today, on Victory Day, the 10 most formidable battles of World War II.
Source: realitypod.com/
It was the largest air battle in history. The Germans' goal was to gain air superiority over the British Royal Air Force in order to invade unhindered. British Isles. The battle was fought exclusively by combat aircraft of the opposing sides. Germany lost 3,000 of its pilots, England - 1,800 pilots. Over 20,000 British civilians were killed. Germany's defeat in this battle is considered one of the decisive moments in World War II - it did not allow the elimination of the USSR's Western allies, which subsequently led to the opening of a second front.
Source: realitypod.com/
The longest long battle of World War II. During naval battles, German submarines tried to sink Soviet and British supply ships and warships. The allies responded in kind. Everyone understood the special significance of this battle - on the one hand, Western weapons and equipment were supplied by sea to Soviet Union, on the other hand, Britain was supplied with everything necessary mainly by sea - the British needed up to a million tons of all kinds of materials and food in order to survive and continue the fight. The cost of the victory of the members of the anti-Hitler coalition in the Atlantic was enormous and terrible - about 50,000 of its sailors died, and the same number of German sailors lost their lives.
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This battle began after German troops at the end of World War II made a desperate (and, as history shows, the last) attempt to turn the tide of hostilities in their favor by organizing offensive operation against Anglo-American forces in mountainous and wooded areas in Belgium under the code name Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine). Despite all the experience of British and American strategists, the massive German attack took the Allies by surprise. However, the offensive ultimately failed. Germany lost more than 100 thousand of its soldiers and officers killed in this operation, and the Anglo-American allies lost about 20 thousand military personnel killed.
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Marshal Zhukov wrote in his memoirs: “When people ask me what I remember most from the last war, I always answer: the battle for Moscow.” Hitler considered the capture of Moscow, the capital of the USSR and the largest Soviet city, as one of the main military and political goals of Operation Barbarossa. In German and Western military history it is known as "Operation Typhoon". This battle is divided into two periods: defensive (September 30 - December 4, 1941) and offensive, which consists of 2 stages: counteroffensive (December 5-6, 1941 - January 7-8, 1942) and general offensive Soviet troops(January 7-10 - April 20, 1942). The losses of the USSR were 926.2 thousand people, the losses of Germany were 581 thousand people.
LANDING OF THE ALLIES IN NORMANDY, OPENING OF THE SECOND FRONT (FROM JUNE 6, 1944 TO JULY 24, 1944)
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This battle, which became part of Operation Overlord, marked the beginning of the deployment of a strategic group of Anglo-American allied forces in Normandy (France). British, American, Canadian and French units took part in the invasion. The landing of the main forces from Allied warships was preceded by a massive bombardment of German coastal fortifications and the landing of paratroopers and gliders on the positions of selected Wehrmacht units. Allied Marines landed on five beaches. Considered one of the largest amphibious operations in history. Both sides lost more than 200 thousand of their troops.
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The last strategic offensive operation of the armed forces of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War turned out to be one of the bloodiest. It became possible as a result of a strategic breakthrough of the German front by units of the Red Army carrying out the Vistula-Oder offensive operation. It ended with complete victory over Nazi Germany and the surrender of the Wehrmacht. During the battles for Berlin, the losses of our army amounted to more than 80 thousand soldiers and officers, the Nazis lost 450 thousand of their military personnel.
War is the worst thing that can happen in our lives. This must not be forgotten.
Especially about these five battles. The amount of blood in them is amazing...1. Battle of Stalingrad, 1942-1943
Opponents: Nazi Germany vs. USSR
Losses: Germany 841,000; Soviet Union 1,130,000
Total: 1,971,000
Result: Victory of the USSR
The German offensive began with a devastating series of Luftwaffe raids that left much of Stalingrad in ruins. But the bombing did not completely destroy the urban landscape. As they advanced, the German army became embroiled in brutal street fighting with Soviet forces. Although the Germans took control of more than 90% of the city, Wehrmacht forces were unable to dislodge the remaining stubborn Soviet soldiers.
Cold weather set in, and in November 1942 the Red Army launched a double attack on the German 6th Army in Stalingrad. The flanks collapsed, and the 6th Army was surrounded both by the Red Army and by the harsh Russian winter. Hunger, cold and sporadic attacks by Soviet troops began to take their toll. But Hitler did not allow the 6th Army to retreat. By February 1943, after a failed German breakout when food supply lines were cut, the 6th Army was defeated.
2. Battle of Leipzig, 1813
Opponents: France vs. Russia, Austria and Prussia
Casualties: 30,000 French, 54,000 Allied
Total: 84000
Result: Victory of the Coalition forces
The Battle of Leipzig was the largest and most severe defeat suffered by Napoleon, and biggest battle in Europe before the outbreak of the First World War. Faced with attacks from all sides, the French army performed surprisingly well, keeping their attackers at bay for over nine hours before they began to be outnumbered.
Realizing his inevitable defeat, Napoleon began to withdraw his troops in an orderly manner across the only remaining bridge. The bridge was blown up too early. More than 20,000 French soldiers were thrown into the water and drowned while trying to cross the river. The defeat opened the door to France for Allied forces.
3. Battle of Borodino, 1812
Opponents: Russia vs France
Losses: Russians – 30,000 - 58,000; French – 40,000 - 58,000
Total: 70,000
Result: Various interpretations results
Borodino is considered the bloodiest one-day battle in history. Napoleon's army invaded the Russian Empire without declaring war. The rapid advance of the powerful French army forced the Russian command to retreat deeper into the country. Commander-in-Chief M.I. Kutuzov decided to give a general battle not far from Moscow, near the village of Borodino.
During this battle, every hour on the battlefield, about 6 thousand people were killed or injured, according to the most conservative estimates. During the battle, the Russian army lost about 30% of its strength, the French - about 25%. In absolute numbers, this is about 60 thousand killed on both sides. But, according to some sources, up to 100 thousand people were killed during the battle and died later from injuries. Not a single one-day battle that took place before Borodino was so bloody.
Opponents: Britain vs Germany
Losses: Britain 60,000, Germany 8,000
Total: 68,000
Result: Inconclusive
The British Army suffered the bloodiest day in its history in the opening stages of a battle that would last for months. More than a million people were killed as a result of the hostilities, and the original military tactical situation remained largely unchanged. The plan was to wear down the German defenses with artillery bombardment to the point that the attacking British and French forces could simply move in and occupy the opposing trenches. But the shelling did not bring the expected destructive consequences.
As soon as the soldiers left the trenches, the Germans opened fire with machine guns. Poorly coordinated artillery often covered its own advancing infantry with fire or was often left without cover. As darkness fell, despite the massive loss of life, only a few targets were occupied. Attacks continued in this manner until October 1916.
5. Battle of Cannae, 216 BC
Opponents: Rome vs Carthage
Losses: 10,000 Carthaginians, 50,000 Romans
Total: 60,000
Result: Carthaginian victory
The Carthaginian general Hannibal led his army through the Alps and defeated two Roman armies at Trebia and Lake Trasimene, seeking to engage the Romans in a final decisive battle. The Romans massed their heavy infantry in the center, hoping to break through the middle of the Carthaginian army. Hannibal, in anticipation of a central Roman attack, deployed his best troops on the flanks of his army.
As the center of the Carthaginian forces collapsed, the Carthaginian sides closed in on the Roman flanks. The mass of legionnaires in the back ranks forced the first ranks to move forward uncontrollably, not knowing that they were driving themselves into a trap. Eventually, the Carthaginian cavalry arrived and closed the gap, thus completely encircling the Roman army. In close combat, the legionnaires, unable to escape, were forced to fight to the death. As a result of the battle, 50 thousand Roman citizens and two consuls were killed.
