Which Famous Battle Were You Meant to Fight In?

Code named Operation OVERLORD, the purpose of this WWII battle was to get allied troops on the continent of Europe to fight the Germans. It was the largest invasion by sea in history and took months of planning. Not only did they rehearse their roles, but they also prepared a trick plan, called Operation Fortitude, to make the Germans think that the battle would happen in Norway. Then, on June 6, 1944, over 150,000 allied troops landed on the Normandy coast in France and by June 17th, over half a million troops arrived to defeat the Germans. They were successful, allowing Europe to be freed from Nazi occupation.

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General Robert E. Lee, who led the South in the battle against the North during the American Civil War, was feeling pretty good about his victories. However, on July 1, 1863, when he ran into Union troops in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, he made a crucial error. After 3 long days, Lee's downfall was when he ordered an attack by fewer than 15,000 troops on the Union forces' center, causing thousands of rebel casualties. He then withdrew, and this battle turned the tables and helped the North take back the South and free the slaves.

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After the French Army's defeat in Agincourt against the English in the One Hundred Years' War, France was feeling pretty crumby. Then in 1428 out comes Joan of Arc, a peasant girl with a vision of defeating the English. She cropped her hair and wore men's clothes, and, thanks to her charisma and ability to boost morale, was able to take soldiers with her into battle. She took back Orleans and, in the end, allowed France to kick the English off their land. Thanks to the soldiers in this battle, France avoided the same fate as Ireland, which fell under English control.

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Sick and tired of being oppressed by the British government, the colonists rebelled, starting the American Revolutionary War. George Washington led the patriots, and in the fall of 1781, he brought the war to a close after leading a siege against British troops who were resting on the Yorktown Peninsula in Virginia. The victory was ensured with the help of France, supplying even more soldiers and a fleet of ships. Cornwallis' British troops were surrounded, and after three weeks of fighting, surrendered, ultimately ending the war and giving the colonists their independence.

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Though short in stature, Napoleon Bonaparte was a force to be reckoned with. He was able to expand his empire across western and central Europe. After a series of unsuccessful battles, he abdicated the throne only to return, regaining many supporters. Austrians, British, Prussians and Russians were not happy about his return. In 1815, 68,000 British soldiers prepared to battle Napoleon's 72,000 troops. However, Napoleon made a fatal mistake, waiting till midday to strike because of wet ground. This delay gave the Prussians time to join the British forces, and the resulting battle ended Napoleon's rule once and for all, as he went into exile.

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Back in 490 BC, the Persian Empire was expanding across the Mediterranean and its reach included Ionia, where a rebellion took place. Athens sent troops to assist with it and Darius the Great, King of Persia, was not pleased. He sent his army to mainland Greece out of vengeance. The Greeks were outnumbered 10,000 to 25,000. However, their strategy of encircling the enemy helped them claim victory. After the battle, it is said that a messenger ran 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the defeat of the Persians. After delivering the message, he died out of exhaustion.

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