From the oldest records of war by mankind, warships and naval battles occupy the most important place. Naval warfare is an extension of land warfare, but it is not just an extension of land warfare.
For some sea power countries, from the earliest Athens to the later Britain, it can be said that land power is just an extension of sea power. Whoever controls the sea can control the land. Historical facts over the past two thousand years have repeatedly proven this. The following is a selection of the ten most important naval battles in human history
No. 10: Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland is the second largest naval battle in human history The naval battle (the first being Leyte Gulf) was also the largest battleship decisive battle in history. The British dispatched 28 battleships and 9 battlecruisers. The Germans also dispatched 16 battleships and 5 battlecruisers. But it wasn’t the scale that made the Battle of Jutland one of the most important naval battles in history.
Although the British lost three battlecruisers in this battle, they actually succeeded in "defeating" the German Ocean Fleet. With the battlecruiser reconnaissance support of the vanguard force, The main battleship twice frightened the Germans into turning around 180 degrees and running away. They even had to force the Germans to launch a suicide charge with battlecruisers to escape.
Everyone knows that World War I was a war of attrition, and Germany on the European continent was actually not self-sufficient at all. After the defeat of the decisive battle in 1914, the Germans were blockaded from the sea. The Battle of Jutland was the only time the Germans made a determined effort to mobilize the entire navy in an attempt to break through the blockade.
Then it was completely defeated by the powerful British fleet. From then on, until the surrender in 1918 and the entire army was escorted to British custody, the German navy never dared to leave the harbor (except for submarines) . It can be said that it was the Battle of Jutland that broke the last hope of the Germans to win the war.
Number 9: The Battle of Actium (31 BC)
In 31 BC, the Roman Empire was in the process of transforming from a peace system to a monarchy. on the threshold of control. Caesar, Pompey, Cato the Younger, Scipio and other giants all died violent deaths. It was the younger generation Octavian and Antony who competed for the throne of Rome. Each side assembled 300 warships, and eventually Octavian defeated the coalition of Antony and Cleopatra and won the rule of Rome.
Ten famous naval battles that changed world history
Although this battle seemed to be just a civil war. But it had a greater impact on world history. Octavian's capital was in Rome, but Antony's was in Egypt. If David Wu wins, Rome will become a closed empire with the national character of the Romans at its core.
If Antony wins, Rome will become an open empire that inherits Alexander's open mind, continues to expand to the east, and pursues national integration. Facts have proved that under the leadership of Octavian, although Rome won a long-term peace, it gradually lost its vitality and fighting spirit, and was eventually invaded and destroyed by barbarians.
No. 8: The Battle of Midway (1942)
In June 1942, the Japanese Empire was at its peak. However, in the Battle of Midway, the arrogant Nagumo Mobile Force was ambushed by the U.S. Pacific Fleet and lost four aircraft carriers and one heavy cruiser. The Americans only lost one aircraft carrier and one destroyer. This was the first defeat the Japanese navy had suffered since its establishment in the late 19th century.
Of course, the significance of this naval battle is far more than that. Everyone knows that the fate of Japan in World War II was decided by the war in the Pacific. Here, the Japanese Navy originally formulated a defense strategy of "fortress + mobile reserve". Build airports on the Pacific islands, set up defensive positions, and place long-range combat aircraft on each island as an aviation defense line.
If the Americans launch an attack on a certain island, a mobile reserve consisting of aircraft carriers will be sent near the island to flank the US fleet. In the Battle of Midway, the loss of four aircraft carriers destroyed the Japanese mobile reserves, making it impossible for them to concentrate enough power to resist the U.S. attack in the subsequent three-year battle for the islands. They suffered successive defeats and were never able to win at any time. Win the battle.
It can be said that although the Japanese faced the extremely powerful United States, they never had a chance to win. But it was the Battle of Midway that destroyed his chances of drawing peace with the United States or at least prolonging the war. The rapid liberation of the people of East Asia was also one of the indirect consequences of the Battle of Midway.
No. 7: The Battle of Tsushima (1905)
If you want to select the most one-sided naval battle in world history, the Battle of Tsushima must definitely be among the best. Starting in 1904, Japan and Russia started the Russo-Japanese War for control of Northeast China. At this time, Japan was prospering on the strength of its victory over the Qing Empire 10 years ago, while the decadent and dilapidated Tsarist Russia, although still possessing great strength, had turned into a malfunctioning machine.
Ten famous naval battles that changed the history of the world
To support the Pacific Fleet that had been blockaded by the Japanese in Lushun since the beginning of the war. The Russian Navy mobilized the most advanced, cutting-edge, and powerful battleships from the Baltic Sea to form the Second Pacific Fleet, and later added the Third Pacific Fleet composed of honest battleships.
The entire fleet totaled up to 8 battleships.
In contrast, the Japanese, who lost two battleships due to mine strikes, only had 4 battleships. But even so, when the Russians crossed the ocean and sailed 18,000 nautical miles to the Sea of ??Japan. The Japanese navy, which had been recuperating for several months, was intercepted in the Tsushima Strait and completely destroyed with precise firepower and superb and bold tactical maneuvers. It became a textbook classic naval battle in which the weak attacked the strong.
The significance of the Battle of Tsushima is. At that time, the land battlefield of the Russo-Japanese War had reached a stalemate. Although Russia suffered an initial defeat, it had already assembled hundreds of thousands of troops to prepare for a counterattack. As a small country, Japan's national power is actually exhausted.
Ten famous naval battles that changed the history of the world
However, the news of the defeat in the Battle of Tsushima gave Russia a slap in the face. All morale was suddenly lost, and the momentum of domestic uprising began to rise. Out of the water, the army was in no mood to fight, forcing the Tsar to make peace with the Japanese monkeys, whom he despised.
After the Battle of Tsushima, the Japanese became the overlord of East Asia by virtue of their prestige in defeating the white powers. Tsarist Russia fell into a whirlpool of unrest and domestic conflicts. And eventually made Japan one of the world's great powers before World War II, but Tsarist Russia was completely overthrown
No. 6: The Battle of Luliang (1598)
In 1598, North Korea was invaded The Japanese army was at the end of its tether and could only hold a few port fortresses on the south coast. At this time, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ruled Japan, had just died of illness, and no one in the Japanese army wanted to stay in Korea for one more day.
Commander Konishi of the Japanese First Army was surrounded by the Ming army and could not move. Shimazu Yoshihiro had to lead the fleet to rescue. However, the two were attacked by the combined fleets of Ming Army General Deng Zilong and North Korean General Yi Sunchen in the Battle of Luliang, and almost their entire army was annihilated. The joint navy of China and North Korea surrounded 500 Japanese warships with 800 warships in the Noliang Sea, almost annihilating them all, and resulting in tens of thousands of Japanese deaths.
Ten famous naval battles that changed world history
After this battle, the Japanese did not dare to invade the Asian continent again until the end of the 19th century. In addition, the Ming Dynasty always refused to establish diplomatic relations with Japan, and Japan later adopted a closed policy. As a result, Japan did not dare to set foot on the Asian continent for nearly three centuries, and obediently locked itself away.
No. 5: Battle of Trafalgar (1805)
Do you really think Napoleon really lost in Moscow, Leipzig and Waterloo? Wrong! Big mistake! This guy The fate of the great emperor had been sealed as early as 1805, his most glorious year! A great and astute military strategist like Napoleon had long known that he had only one real enemy, and that was Britain.
Ten famous naval battles that changed world history
The most effective way to defeat Britain is to land on the British Isles. But why didn't they land? Two points. One is that the British bribed Prussia, Austria and Russia to threaten the French mainland from land. The second is to defeat the French fleet from the sea.
On October 21, 1805, the fleets of both sides met in the sea off Cape Trafalgar, Spain. A decisive battle was inevitable. The battle lasted for 5 hours. Because the British command, tactics and training were superior, the French coalition The fleet suffered a decisive blow, commander Villeneuve was captured, and 21 battleships were captured.
The British commander, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, was also killed in the battle. After this battle, the French navy's elite was wiped out and it never recovered. Napoleon was forced to give up his plan to attack the British mainland. And Britain's position as maritime supremacy was consolidated.
Ten famous naval battles that changed the history of the world
The Battle of Trafalgar was the largest naval battle between wooden sailing ships equipped with solid cannonballs. This battle freed Britain from the threat of Napoleon's invasion. Some people say: "One Trafalgar and one Moscow drove the arrogant Napoleon from power."
No. 4: Battle of Baijiangkou (663)
In 663 AD, the Japanese army (with more than 400 warships) and the Tang army (120 warships) launched a fierce naval battle at the mouth of Baijiang River in North Korea. General Liu Rengui of the Tang Dynasty commanded the fleet to change its formation and divide it into two teams, the left and right, to surround the Japanese army. The ships collided with each other and could not turn around, and the soldiers were in chaos. In the end, all Japanese warships were burned and tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers were killed or drowned.
This shattered Japan’s ambition to invade the Korean Peninsula, and Japan did not dare to use troops against North Korea for a thousand years. And he obediently sent Tang envoys to study for nearly 1,000 years. Then he wanted to be an uncle, but Liang Lu was beaten again in the naval battle, and went back to continue being a grandson for 300 years!
No. 3: The failure of the Spanish Armada (1588)
In the 16th century, the European Middle Ages had just ended. Spain expelled the Arabs from the Iberian Peninsula and established itself as a powerful power in Europe. At that time, Britain was still a not very powerful island country. However, in the Battle of Graveline, the British Navy used surprise attack tactics to completely defeat the Spanish Armada that dominated the sea, almost wiping out its entire army.
Ten famous naval battles that changed the history of the world
How did Britain become the greatest maritime empire in human history that has informed the world's oceans for 300 years? It was because of this Graveline Naval battle! From this point on, the Spanish Empire, which had colonized the Americas, went into decline. Britain captured the Atlantic Ocean and finally pushed the country into a period of rapid development.
No. 2: The Naval Battle of Lepanto (1571)
The modern West is a Christian country, but Christianity has been in a precarious position more than once. On the ground, Leo, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, and Charles the Hammer, king of the Franks, guarded the borders of Christendom at the east and west ends. But at sea, until the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire, which believed in Islam, continued to expand its maritime power in the Mediterranean.
Ten famous naval battles that changed the history of the world
Until 1571, led by Spain, almost the entire Christian world united to form a combined fleet to fight against the Turks They fought it out at the Battle of Lepanto, eventually defeating the latter. The Battle of Lepanto was not only the last great sea battle of the era of oars. It also delineated the boundaries between the Christian world and the Islamic world to this day.
No. 1: Naval Battle of Salamis (480 BC)
In 480 BC, King Xerxes of Persia, who occupied 4/5 of the world’s territory (except China) Si, led hundreds of thousands of troops to invade Greece. The entire Western world is in danger and will soon fall under the iron heel of Asia. After the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes went all the way to Athens and reduced this city, the center of Greek civilization, to ruins.
All Athenian citizens were transferred to the island of Salamis. And here, they united all the Greeks who were fighting against the Persian invasion and fought to the death with the Persians in the Strait of Salamis. Taking advantage of the narrow terrain of the strait, they defeated 600 Persian warships with only more than 300 warships. After this battle, Xerxes felt that his authority was shaken and evacuated Greece out of fear of rebellion by the newly conquered peoples behind him.
The following year, the Greek army defeated the Persian army and regained Athens. Although this naval battle cannot be regarded as a great victory from a military perspective. But as historians know. The Battle of Salamis is undoubtedly a pillar of Western civilization.
Without this naval battle, the Greeks would never have been able to withstand the Persians' attack by land and sea. If Greece was destroyed, Greek culture would be destroyed. It is the fruits and influence of Greek culture that created the entire Western world today. Therefore, the Battle of Salamis, as a single naval battle, has the greatest impact on the world.
Refer to China Military Network