20 Times a Small Military Force Defeated a Larger Army

Athens assembled a small army to fight the Persian invaders. Although hopelessly outnumbered, the Greeks charged. They attacked the Persians’ weaker center, securing victory through their strategy and patience. The Battle of Marathon inspired the modern marathon race.

The young Alexander faced a massive Persian army. Instead of retreating, he broke through their center and focused on their command structure. Once their command structure was destroyed, their numbers no longer mattered.

Instead of fleeing, Rome sent all its available soldiers to face Hannibal. Cannae was a magnificent battle, worthy of a military textbook, led by Hannibal. Letting the Romans advance, he surrounded them and destroyed them in a brilliant double encirclement maneuver.

Three Roman legions believed they had gained the upper hand over Germania. The native tribes ambushed them in a fierce battle in the forest. Rome never again attempted to expand east of the Rhine.

As in countless battles before this one, the English soldiers outnumbered the Scots. But instead of charging, Commander William Wallace waited for the perfect moment. That patience allowed him to turn their numerical superiority against them.

The English forces vastly outnumbered the Scottish troops. Bruce’s army used tight formations and the muddy terrain to counter the heavy cavalry. Scotland proved itself, winning its independence and the right to boast.

Among other problems, the English were sick, exhausted, and outnumbered. Their longbows never missed their mark, decimating the ranks of the French knights, who were slowed by illness and the weather. Medieval warfare would never be the same again.

Trapped inside a fortified city, Julius Caesar rallied his warriors, who were outnumbered by their enemies. Reinforcements were on their way, so Caesar built fortifications on both sides. He managed to win a battle on two fronts.

General Pompey’s forces outnumbered Caesar’s and had longer supply lines. The flexibility of the military formations and the determination of the soldiers would change everything. The Battle of Pharsalus would mark the end of the Roman Republic.

The mighty Mongol Empire had defeated all who had resisted it. The Mamluks provoked and taunted the much-vaunted horde, turning their retreat into a trap. History remembers this as the Mongols’ first major defeat on land.

The Russian army vastly outnumbered the Swedish army in terms of both troops and weaponry. But King Charles XII waited until visibility was reduced by a violent snowstorm before launching his attack. By the time the Russians realized what was happening, it was too late.

British troops hoped to crush the colonial resistance through a series of swift battles. Things did not go as planned, and this led to France’s entry into the war. This decision would help secure the colonial victory within a few years.

Due to serious mistakes, the Continental Army was in trouble. George Washington rallied his troops by attacking the enemy at Trenton. It was just one battle, but America needed that victory.

The British army had more troops and more combat experience in Carolina. But a clever trap caused all of the British advantages to backfire. Instead of victory, they suffered a total collapse.

Two companies of British soldiers held a supply post against thousands of enemies. Although vastly outnumbered, they managed to hold their ground thanks to fortifications and a fierce defense. This is one of many examples of why it is important to remain calm.

At the start of the war, Japan had more experience and a larger number of aircraft carriers. But American code-breaking and bold leadership exploited its weaknesses. Overnight, control of the Pacific shifted in favor of the United States.

The French thought that destroying an enemy fort would be a quick task. What they didn’t know was how long it would take the Viet Minh to get their artillery into position. Before long, French Indochina was a thing of the past.

An Australian company realized it was outnumbered. Nearly all the surrounding enemy forces had closed in to attack them. Their individual courage and quick thinking kept them alive. In the end, it was a miracle that they were still standing.

Faced with a Japanese fleet thousands of times larger, Admiral Yi refused to give in to panic. Thanks to his strategy and his knowledge of the terrain, he inflicted one of the most improbable defeats in history upon them. Knowledge of the terrain was crucial in this battle.

At the start of World War I, German forces were attacked by two converging Russian armies. Careful maneuvers and accurate intelligence made all the difference. The Russians found themselves surrounded and were defeated in a highly unexpected manner.