10 Brilliant Military Tactics That Changed History and 10 That Backfired on Their Creators

The Persian king Cambyses II used cats to attack the Egyptians. The Persians used the cats as a shield to advance into Egypt and launch their attack, knowing full well that cats were sacred to the Egyptians. This ultimately led to the Persians conquering Egypt, since harming a cat was punishable by death for the Egyptians.

One of the most famous military tactics in all of history, the Trojan Horse, was a Greek strategy used against the city of Troy. The Greeks built a giant wooden horse and hid inside it, presenting it to the Trojans as a gift. Once the horse had been brought into the city, the Greeks waited until nightfall to open the gates for their soldiers.

During the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror used a feigned retreat to lure the English forces out of their strong defensive positions. Once they went on the offensive, the Normans counterattacked. It was a very clever way to overcome a seemingly impenetrable defense.

The Carthaginian forces led by Hannibal Barca had a brilliant plan to seemingly reduce the size of the Roman army. They lured the Romans into a narrow pass near Lake Trasimene, where they ambushed them and defeated them much more easily. It was a clever way to defeat a much larger army.

The Germanic chieftain Arminius pretended to form an alliance with the Roman forces. He lured them into dense forests, where warriors ambushed and defeated three Roman legions. This clever tactic put an end to Roman expansion in Germania.

The Greek fleet was vastly outnumbered by the Persian navy, which meant certain defeat unless they could come up with a plan. The Greeks finally decided to try to lure the Persian ships into a narrow strait off Salamis. The confined waters reduced the number of Persian ships, allowing the Greeks to defeat them because they were outnumbered.

During World War II, Allied forces used a variety of tactics to deceive and mislead the Germans. They employed fake radio transmissions, sound effects, inflatable tanks, and strategic fake radio signals to mislead the Germans about the D-Day landing sites.

The famous phalanx formation was used by the Greeks as an impenetrable defense against larger armies. The soldiers formed tight ranks, interlocking their shields and long spears to create an offensive defense. This tactic dominated ancient warfare for centuries.

During World War II, Japan launched incendiary balloons across the Pacific Ocean. The goal was to attack North America without incurring any risk or causing any casualties. Although this strategy was not successful, it represented an innovative use of the first unmanned long-range air attacks.

After the city of Tyre refused to surrender, Alexander the Great had to get creative. He built a bridge to reach the island city and lay siege to it. Despite Tyre’s formidable defenses, Alexander the Great overcame the city’s resistance.

Now that we’ve discussed the most effective military tactics, here are 10 that backfired completely on their creators.

Napoleon decided to send his army into Russian territory to invade it. This plan posed a major problem, as the harsh Russian winter and the vast Russian territory proved to be more than a challenge. By the time Napoleon’s forces encountered Russian resistance, his army had been weakened and decimated by the weather conditions.

The French army decided to attack Egypt by crossing uncharted desert areas. However, it greatly underestimated the difficulty of traversing the unforgiving terrain of these deserts. The heat, dehydration, and a lack of sufficient resources and supplies led to casualties and the ultimate failure of the mission.

The Spanish fleet intended to invade and conquer England. This proved more difficult than expected, as the Spanish were unprepared for the harsh weather conditions around England. Spain lost a significant number of troops and resources, marking the definitive failure of the invasion.

One of the greatest disasters in military tactics was undoubtedly the lack of communication during the Crimean War. The British cavalry charged a heavily fortified Russian artillery position, resulting in heavy casualties and a massive strategic failure. Without a plan and with limited forces, the British were forced to retreat, marking one of their most disastrous defeats.

France had set up extensive defensive lines to protect itself against the German invasion. Although strong, these defenses proved ineffective. The Germans bypassed all of France’s strategic positions by invading Belgium, thereby rendering the French static defenses useless.

Although powerful and strategically important, the Byzantine mercenaries were unable to prevent the sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. Some members of the Varangian Guard betrayed their commanders. This led to the fall of Constantinople, marking one of the most significant and ironic failures of this elite guard.

In the battle between French and English forces, one side held a more advanced and strategic position than the other. The French knights underestimated the English longbows, which led to their ultimate defeat. This outcome brought about a historically significant shift in military strategy toward the use of ranged weapons.

Although initially successful, Louis XIV’s forces proved too ambitious in their invasion. The overly broad deployment of his forces led to the formation of a coalition of European powers against them. This strategy, intended to maintain pressure, backfired on Louis XIV, costing him dearly.

The traditional Zulu formation known as “Buffalo Horns” was used to encircle enemies and gain a strategic advantage. This tactic failed at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift because the British forces were well-prepared defensively. Although casualties were relatively low, the defeat undermined the Zulus’ morale and reputation.

General Edward Braddock led the British army through the dense forests of North America using a well-prepared and strategic invasion tactic. Although many warned him about ambushes in those forests, he chose to ignore them and press on. This quickly turned out to be a massive disaster, as the British forces were decimated by French and Native American troops.