History

5 Great Battles That Changed the World

Few events can claim to change the course of history overnight. But battles, at least a few of them, certainly did.
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5 Great Battles That Changed the World
The Code Talkers of the 4th Signal Company were among the soldiers who landed at Utah Beach in Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Public domain
Walker Larson
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At certain moments, history coalesces into a single decisive moment when the future depends on the actions of a few courageous people. Not infrequently, the contour of world events has been shaped by the military action occurring on one, pivotal battlefield. A last stand, a desperate charge, a bold tactic—and a new chapter of history begins. This article outlines five of these world-shaking battles that made and unmade empires and rewrote our collective story.

Salamis

The Battle of Salamis, 19th-century illustration. (Public Domain)
The Battle of Salamis, 19th-century illustration. Public Domain
Walker Larson
Walker Larson
Author
Prior to becoming a freelance journalist and culture writer, Walker Larson taught literature and history at a private academy in Wisconsin, where he resides with his wife and daughter. He holds a master's in English literature and language, and his writing has appeared in The Hemingway Review, Intellectual Takeout, and his Substack, The Hazelnut. He is also the author of two novels, "Hologram" and "Song of Spheres."