Heritage > 'British Battles'

Foreword:

War is not glorious. It is not the ambition of this section to attempt to intimate that war equates to glory. It is the purpose of the section to attempt to explain the battles that have shaped the United Kingdom and it’s society of today.

Not all of the battles have been fought on British soil, indeed not all are land battles, and some may not be as familiar to us as others but all have had a great effect on the United Kingdom.

War is not glorious, life is glorious and to honour those who have paid the ultimate price is only right and proper. This section will attempt to provide an impartial testimony to the reasons for and the social and political consequences of each battle. From Hastings to El Alamein, from 1066 to 1942 these battles all added vital ingredients to make the modern Great Britain.

The Battle of Agincourt

A 'tiny' English force in France led by Henry V try to make it back to England after a successful campaign but have to take on the French Nobles in a fight to the finish in 1415. [more]

The Battle of Bosworth Field

In 1485 the great houses of Lancaster and York fought out the final battle in the 'Wars of the Roses' and it was to be a fight to the finish and the throne of England [more]

The Spanish Armada

The year is 1588 and the Spanish Armada sets out to crush the English. The weather looks bad though and in Sir Francis Drake they had a formidable opponent. This battle shaped the course of Europe. [more]

The Battle of Hastings

The crown of England was in dispute. William of Normandy had claimed the right to the throne after a pledge made by the now deceased Saxon King Edward 'the Confessor' while living in exile in Normandy. The English had a new King though and Harold didn't want to give the throne up. [more]

The Battle of Bannockburn

The Scottish Wars of Independence resulted in this battle with th English led by King Edward II Vs the Scots led by Robert the Bruce in 1314. [more]

The Battle of Waterloo

The small town of Waterloo was to prove the final battleground for Napoleon in 1815. The allied armies were led by the English General Wellington and it was he who decided that the ground would be suitable for one of the most important battles of the century. [more]

The Battle of Culloden

After the battle of Falkirk the English force had a new leader - the King's second son. Seeing this, 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' of Scotland decided he could lead the Scots into the battle of Culloden and one of the biggest disasters in military history. [more]

The Battle of Naseby

1645, and the English civil war between the Royalist Cavaliers and the Parliamentarian Roundheads had been raging for over two years. While not a decisive battle with regard to the final outcome of the war it did give an indicator of the things to come [more]

The Battle of El Alamein

1942, and with Allied Morale at a low the 'Desert Rats' led by Montgomery just had to defeat the Afrika Corps led by 'Desert Fox' Rommel. [more]

The Battle of Britain

The second world war saw many acts of bravery and none more so than the valiant resistance of the Royal Air Force who held off Hitler's advance for many months in the the Battle of Britain in 1940. [more]

The Battle of Trafalgar

Before Napoleon could invade England he'd have to take care of the Royal Navy. In 1805 he sent out a combined French and Spanish fleet to find and destroy the Royal Naval fleet. They didn't realise that the Royal Navy was already looking for them and led by Horatio Nelson the battle would take place at Trafalgar. [more]

The Battle of Rorkes Drift

A record number of Victoria Crosses were awarded for this engagement in the Zulu homeland in 1879. [more]



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