The 10 biggest battles in the history of mankind.

The Battle of Stalingrad (1942 - 1943) - lasted almost a year, while in this large-scale battle, which marked the beginning of the defeats of Hitler and his army, nearly 1.5 million people were killed. The German army, which previously did not tolerate such major defeats, was completely defeated, more than 90,000 Hitler's soldiers were detained. It was the Battle of Stalingrad that became the last straw, after which the German army could not escape the huge losses. The Red Army of the USSR also suffered some losses. Thus, about 643,842 Russian soldiers were killed. In honor of the Battle of Stalingrad, many monuments were erected around the world.

The Midway battle (1942) is an air-sea battle that occurred between the armies of the United States and Japan in 1942, some historians equate to the Battle of Stalingrad. During this battle, the general of the Japanese army, Yamamoto, planned to capture the small island of Milwai, which is located near Hawaii. Near the island, the Japanese army of General Yamamoto met with the US Army under the command of Chester Nimitz. During the battle, the Japanese army was defeated, losing its best pilots and several aircraft carriers. It was the Battle of Milwaie that put an end to Japan's attempts to seize American territory.

The Battle of Actium (31 BC) is one of the largest and most amazing battles in the history of the ancient world, as well as the last naval battle of Antiquity. In this battle, which took place on the sea, not far from Cape Accium (Greece), the forces of Octavian August and Mark Antony agreed. It was the victory of Octavian's troops that put an end to the long civil war that took place on the territory of Rome. The fleet of Mark Antony numbered about 360 ships, which opposed 260 ships of Octavian. Thanks to the innovation of Octavian commander Mark Vipsania Agrippa, his army won. The defeat at the Aktion led to the suicide of Mark Antony.

The Battle of Waterloo (1815) - known in the history of France, as the last battle of Emperor Napoleon I, who is considered the greatest and brave military leader of the XIX century. The Battle of Waterloo was the last chance for the great general to regain his title and power in France. Despite the fact that the army of Napoleon suffered many defeats during the campaign against Russia, it was the famous Battle of Waterloo that became final in the famous "Napoleonic Plans." The battle took place between the troops of the French Emperor and the Seventh Coalition of European monarchs. In the army of Napoleon there were only 128 thousand people, and in the army of opponents - 700 thousand.

The Battle of Gettysburg (1863) - a battle that occurred between Unionists and Confederates, is considered one of the most bloody battles in the civil war in the United States. It is the Battle of Gettysburg that is considered the final point that forced the Confederate army to retreat from the North. General Lee, having won in the battle of Chaneselorsville, decided to take another attempt to conquer the North. During the battle, under the command of General Lee, there were only about 70,000 people who opposed the 90,000-strong army under the command of Hooker. The fighting lasted three days, during which General Li lost 20,000 people.

The Battle of Poitiers (732) - this battle is known in the history of the world even as a battle at Tours. This battle took place near the city of Tours between the army of the Frankish Kingdom and Aquitaine. During the battle, two army armies - Frankish and Arabian - collided. During the Battle of Poitiers, the victory was won by the Frankish army under the command of Major General Carl Martell. During the battle, the Arab commander Abdul-Rahman ibn Abdallah died, and Martell's army passed farther to the south. Historians call the Battle of Poitiers the decisive battle in resisting Islam. It was Martell's victory that became decisive in the life of the entire Christian world.

The Battle of Vienna (1683) - became a battle after a two-month siege by the Ottoman troops of the city of Vienna, the capital of Austria. After the victory in the battle, Austria became one of the most powerful states in Europe, and Christianity forever put an end to the conquests of the Muslims. Austrian troops under the command of King of Poland Jan III Sobieski fought with the great vizier Mehmed IV Kara-Mustafa. The Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Kara-Mustafa had about 90,000 people at its disposal, while almost 85 thousand troops of the Sacred League acted against them. During the battle, the Turks lost about 15 thousand people.

The siege of Yorktown (1781) - this was the final battle in the course of the Virginia campaign, which became an episode during the War of Independence of the United States. During the battle, the army of the coalition, led by George Washington and the French army under the command of the Count de Roshambo, won. It was the defeat of the army of Charles Cornwallis at the siege of Yorktown was the beginning of negotiations between the British government and the US government about the end of the conflict. During the siege, about 7 thousand British surrendered, which caused a government crisis in Britain. It was the siege of Yorktown that led to the proclamation of US Independence in 1783.

Salamis battle (480 BC) is a battle on the sea that took place between the army of the Persians and Greeks during the famous Greco-Persian war. The battle took place near the island of Salamis, which is located near Athens. According to some reports, the Greek fleet consisted of 311 or 380 ships, which could easily defeat a much larger fleet of 1,000 Persian ships in a narrow strait. The chief commander of the fleet of the Greeks was the Spartan Euribiades, who opposed the fleet under the command of Xerxes. It was the Salamis battle that became a turning point in the course of the Greco-Persian warrior.

The Battle of Adrianople (378) is a battle between the troops of the Roman Emperor Valente and the Visigoth army, as well as slaves who joined her. The battle took place near the city of Andrianople, on the territory of modern Edirne, which is in Turkey. The Roman army of Valente suffered the greatest defeat in world history, because it was completely destroyed. It was the defeat at the Battle of Andrianople that marked the beginning of the disintegration of the Roman Empire, into which the Federates began to enlist. It was the Battle of Andrianople, according to some historians, the end of the Ancient Age.