Wars That Changed History: 50 of the World's Greatest Conflicts: 50 of the World's Greatest Conflicts

A thorough study of significant wars throughout history and their influence on world affairs--from the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmore III's Campaigns during 479-459 BCE through the Iraq War of 2003-2011. For hundreds of years, wars have played a determining role in history and have decided the rise and fall of civilizations. Many believe that understanding the causes and consequences of warfare may move humankind towards world peace. This selection of the 50 most consequential wars, compiled by award-winning military historian Spencer C. Tucker, presents each conflict in chronological order and discusses its causes, its course, and its significance in world history. Through thoughtful essays and supporting visual evidence, this reference work examines the types of weapons systems employed and their effects in the field; the roles played by individual leaders such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, and Adolf Hitler; and the impact of geography and economics on the battlefield. The work includes fascinating information about warfare, addressing subjects such as how transportation and logistics changed the face of war over time, what invention marked the ascendancy of infantry over cavalry, why World War I remains the most important war in the 20th century, and which war killed nearly half of the population of Germany. Each essay includes the latest interpretations of strategy, agendas, and consequences of the featured event. Features Illustrations, maps, and photographs to visually engage readers Discusses the significance of major conflicts and their broad historical consequences Offers the most recent interpretations as to the causes and effects of each war covered Provides a list of books for additional reading to expand learning opportunities Reveals the meaning of the term tech-tac disjoint and explains its relevance to to modern use of technology-enabled weaponry Cover 1 Contents 8 Chronological Entry List 10 Alphabetical Entry List 12 Preface 14 Entries 16 Thutmose III’s Campaigns (ca. 1479–1459 BCE) 16 Greco-Persian Wars (499–479 BCE) 19 Peloponnesian Wars (460–404 BCE) 29 Wars of Alexander the Great (335–323 BCE) 39 Punic Wars (264–146 BCE) 49 Qin Wars of Unification (230–221 BCE) 66 Gallic Wars (58–51 BCE) 71 Caesarian-Pompeian Civil War (49–45 BCE) 78 Barbarian Invasions of the Roman Empire (363–476) 86 Muslim Wars of Expansion (623–732) 94 Charlemagne’s Wars (772–814) 106 Norman Conquest (1066) 111 Crusades (1096–1291) 115 Mongol Conquests (1206–1287) 128 Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453) 140 Aztec-Spanish War (1519–1521) 158 Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) 164 Imjin War (1592–1598) 170 Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) 176 Great Northern War (1700–1721) 197 War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) 209 War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) 223 Carnatic Wars (1746–1748, 1749–1754, and 1757–1763) 232 French and Indian War (1754–1763) 238 Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) 247 American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) 260 French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) 274 Napoleonic Wars (1803–1814, 1815) 294 Greek War of Independence (1821–1832) 326 Opium Wars (1839–1842, 1856–1860) 332 Mexican-American War (1846–1848) 337 Wars of Italian Unification (1848–1870) 345 Taiping Rebellion (1851–1864) 359 American Civil War (1861–1865) 363 Wars of German Unification (1864–1871) 383 Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) 401 Spanish-American War (1898) 406 Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) 414 World War I (1914–1918) 422 Chinese Civil War and Communist Revolution (1927–1949) 463 World War II (1939–1945) 474 Indochina War (1946–1954) 515 Israeli War of Independence (1948–1949) 523 Korean War (1950–1953) 529 Vietnam War (1958–1975) 542 Six-Day War (1967) 553 Yom Kippur War (1973) 561 Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989) 570 Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) 577 Iraq War (2003–2011) 584 Index 596 A 596 B 598 C 600 D 602 E 603 F 603 G 605 H 606 I 607 J 608 K 609 L 610 M 611 N 613 O 614 P 614 Q 616 R 616 S 617 T 619 U 621 V 621 W 622 X 623 Y 623 Z 624 About the Author 626 "For hundreds of years, wars have played a determining role in history and have decided the rise and fall of civilizations. Many believe that understanding the causes and consequences of warfare may move humankind towards world peace. This selection of the 50 most consequential wars, compiled by award-winning military historian Spencer C. Tucker, presents each conflict in chronological order and discusses its causes, its course, and its significance in world history. Through thoughtful essays and supporting visual evidence, this reference work examines the types of weapons systems employed and their effects in the field; the roles played by individual leaders such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, and Adolf Hitler; and the impact of geography and economics on the battlefield. The work includes fascinating information about warfare, addressing subjects such as how transportation and logistics changed the face of war over time, what invention marked the ascendancy of infantry over cavalry, why World War I remains the most important war in the 20th century, and which war killed nearly half of the population of Germany. Each essay includes the latest interpretations of strategy, agendas, and consequences of the featured event"--Publisher's website