Antiquity: Tough pick. I would say Issus (334 BCE), as it solidified Greek hegemony over Near Asia and set the stage for the Alexandrian Empire, which would have a profound impact on world history. If Near Asian battles don't count, then i'm unsure about which to pick.
Late Antiquity: Another tough pick. Either the obscure Naissus (268 AD) for breathing some tremendously useful air into the then apparently dying Roman Empire, or Milvian Bridge (312 AD), for guaranteeing Christian domination over European affairs. I discount Adrianople (378 AD), since there were other opportunities for Rome to shake off Barbarian invasions later on (such as longer lives for Theodosius I, Stilicho, Constantius III, or Flavius Aetius), and Chalons (451 AD), seeming as Attila still posed a threat to the Empire after he died.
Early Middle Ages: Yarmouk (636 AD).
High Middle Ages: My vote goes to the Siege of Constantinople (717 AD).
Late Middle Ages: Crécy (1346), for setting the rise of England as a major military power.
Early Modern Age: Pavia (1525), for ultimately setting the stage for Charles V and the Habsburgs to mostly dominate Europe.
Middle Modern Age: Vienna (1683), for reviving Habsburg fortunes in the Balkans and preventing an overall Ottoman takeover of and consolidation in southeastern Europe.
Late Modern Age: I would argue that Plassey (1757) was the most important battle of the Seven Years' War for introducing England into its most important future cash cow, India, but, since this only deals with European battles, i'll vote for Quiberon Bay (1759) as the main engagement of this important conflict.
French Revolutionary Wars: Fleurus (1794). I consider this one more important than Valmy because it not only allowed the French Revolution to spread, but it also relieved France's desperation, causing the demise of Robespierre's regime.
Napoleonic Wars: Either Austerlitz (1805) for laying Napoleon's red carpet or Leipzig (1813) for rolling it back in.
19th century: Koniggratz (1866). Preserved the momentum of Bismarckian Prussia.
Late Antiquity: Another tough pick. Either the obscure Naissus (268 AD) for breathing some tremendously useful air into the then apparently dying Roman Empire, or Milvian Bridge (312 AD), for guaranteeing Christian domination over European affairs. I discount Adrianople (378 AD), since there were other opportunities for Rome to shake off Barbarian invasions later on (such as longer lives for Theodosius I, Stilicho, Constantius III, or Flavius Aetius), and Chalons (451 AD), seeming as Attila still posed a threat to the Empire after he died.
Early Middle Ages: Yarmouk (636 AD).
High Middle Ages: My vote goes to the Siege of Constantinople (717 AD).
Late Middle Ages: Crécy (1346), for setting the rise of England as a major military power.
Early Modern Age: Pavia (1525), for ultimately setting the stage for Charles V and the Habsburgs to mostly dominate Europe.
Middle Modern Age: Vienna (1683), for reviving Habsburg fortunes in the Balkans and preventing an overall Ottoman takeover of and consolidation in southeastern Europe.
Late Modern Age: I would argue that Plassey (1757) was the most important battle of the Seven Years' War for introducing England into its most important future cash cow, India, but, since this only deals with European battles, i'll vote for Quiberon Bay (1759) as the main engagement of this important conflict.
French Revolutionary Wars: Fleurus (1794). I consider this one more important than Valmy because it not only allowed the French Revolution to spread, but it also relieved France's desperation, causing the demise of Robespierre's regime.
Napoleonic Wars: Either Austerlitz (1805) for laying Napoleon's red carpet or Leipzig (1813) for rolling it back in.
19th century: Koniggratz (1866). Preserved the momentum of Bismarckian Prussia.
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