July 31

Events - Wars & Conflicts

30 BC

Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.

In 30 BC, at Alexandria, Mark Antony won a fleeting victory over Octavian's forces but saw most of his army desert him, leading to his eventual suicide.
In the summer of 30 BC, Mark Antony and Octavian clashed in a final confrontation near Alexandria. Antony managed to rout segments of Octavian's legions, achieving a minor battlefield success in the waning days of the Roman Republic. However, his triumph proved hollow when his troops lost faith and deserted en masse. Deprived of support, Antony retreated into Egypt, where he faced the wrath of Octavian. With his forces shattered and his political career ruined, Antony chose to take his own life. This battle marked a decisive step toward Octavian's unchallenged rise, culminating in his transformation into the first Roman emperor, Augustus.
30 BC Battle of Alexandria Mark Antony Octavian
1423day.year

Hundred Years' War: Battle of Cravant: A Franco-Scottish army is defeated by the Anglo-Burgundians at Cravant on the banks of the river Yonne.

During the Hundred Years' War in 1423, an Anglo-Burgundian force defeated the Franco-Scottish army at the Battle of Cravant on the Yonne River.
The Battle of Cravant took place on July 31, 1423, near the town of Cravant in Burgundy. A coalition of English and Burgundian troops faced a Franco-Scottish army aiming to relieve the siege of Auxerre. Utilizing superior archery tactics, the Anglo-Burgundian forces broke the allied line and routed their opponents. The victory solidified English control in northern France and weakened the Franco-Scottish alliance. The battle also demonstrated the effectiveness of longbowmen against heavily armored knights. Cravant remains a notable encounter in the protracted conflict of the Hundred Years' War.
1423 Hundred Years' War Battle of Cravant Yonne
1655day.year

Russo-Polish War (1654–67): The Russian army enters the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilnius, which it holds for six years.

During the Russo-Polish War, Russian forces entered Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, on July 31, 1655 and occupied it for six years.
On July 31, 1655, amid the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667), the Russian army captured Vilnius after a brief siege. The fall of the Lithuanian capital marked a significant blow to the Commonwealth’s resistance in the eastern theater. Russian occupation authorities imposed harsh measures, including requisitions and forced conversions. The city remained under Russian control until 1661, experiencing economic hardship and population displacement. The capture of Vilnius demonstrated Muscovy’s growing influence and foreshadowed the eventual partitions of Poland-Lithuania. The war would continue for another decade, reshaping the balance of power in Eastern Europe.
1655 Russo-Polish War (1654–67) Grand Duchy of Lithuania Vilnius
1741day.year

Charles Albert of Bavaria invades Upper Austria and Bohemia.

In 1741, Charles Albert of Bavaria launched an invasion into Upper Austria and Bohemia, escalating the War of the Austrian Succession.
Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, challenged Habsburg rule by invading Upper Austria and Bohemia in July 1741. His claim to the Austrian crown triggered wider conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession. Bavarian forces initially advanced rapidly, capturing key towns and threatening Vienna itself. Empress Maria Theresa rallied her allies, including Britain and the Dutch Republic, to counter the invasion. The campaign highlighted shifting alliances and the fragility of Habsburg authority in Central Europe. Although Charles Albert briefly assumed the title of Emperor, the war’s complex diplomacy ultimately limited his gains.
1741 Charles Albert of Bavaria Upper Austria Bohemia
1763day.year

Odawa Chief Pontiac's forces defeat British troops at the Battle of Bloody Run during Pontiac's War.

In 1763, Native American forces under Odawa Chief Pontiac defeated British troops at the Battle of Bloody Run in Pontiac’s War.
Pontiac, an Odawa leader, organized a confederation of tribes resisting British expansion in the Great Lakes region. On July 31, 1763, his forces ambushed British soldiers near Fort Detroit at a site later called Bloody Run. The British garrison suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat into the fort, demoralizing their troops. The battle underscored Native American resistance to colonial policies following the French and Indian War. Though Pontiac’s War ultimately failed to expel the British, it led to the Royal Proclamation of 1763 limiting settlement west of the Appalachians. The conflict remains a significant chapter in early American frontier history.
1763 Odawa Pontiac Battle of Bloody Run Pontiac's War
1904day.year

Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Hsimucheng: Units of the Imperial Japanese Army defeat units of the Imperial Russian Army in a strategic confrontation.

In July 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, Japanese forces secured a crucial victory over Russian troops at Hsimucheng.
On July 31, 1904, the Battle of Hsimucheng took place in Manchuria as part of the Russo-Japanese War. Japanese infantry, supported by coordinated artillery, executed a series of strategic assaults against Russian positions on Hsimucheng Hill. Despite fierce resistance, the Imperial Russian Army was forced to withdraw after sustaining heavy casualties. The Japanese victory disrupted Russian supply lines and paved the way for subsequent operations around Liaoyang. This engagement showcased Japan’s rapid modernization and military effectiveness on the international stage. News of the triumph bolstered morale in Tokyo and raised concerns in European capitals about the shifting balance of power in East Asia. The outcome at Hsimucheng set a precedent for Japan’s further advances in the conflict.
1904 Russo-Japanese War Battle of Hsimucheng Imperial Japanese Army Imperial Russian Army
1917day.year

World War I: The Battle of Passchendaele begins near Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium.

In July 1917, Allied and German forces launched the grueling Battle of Passchendaele near Ypres, enduring muddy, war-torn terrain.
On July 31, 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres—later known as Passchendaele—officially began under incessant rain and artillery bombardments. British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand troops faced German defensive lines in a waterlogged battlefield riddled with shell craters. Mud and flooding hindered movement, causing tanks to become mired and infantry to struggle under heavy fire. Despite initial gains, the Allies suffered mounting casualties and stalled advances against well-entrenched German positions. The campaign symbolized the brutal attrition warfare of World War I and the tragic human cost of frontal assaults. Passchendaele’s legacy endures as a testament to soldier endurance and the horrific conditions of trench warfare. The battle continued into November, resulting in massive losses on both sides with limited territorial gains.
1917 World War I The Battle of Passchendaele Ypres West Flanders Belgium
1941day.year

The Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Nazi official Hermann Göring orders SS General Reinhard Heydrich to "submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired Final Solution of the Jewish question."

On July 31, 1941, Hitler authorized Hermann Göring to commission Reinhard Heydrich to formulate the administrative and financial framework for the ‘Final Solution.’
Acting on Adolf Hitler’s directive, Reichsmarshal Hermann Göring tasked SS General Reinhard Heydrich on July 31, 1941, with planning the systematic extermination of Europe’s Jewish population. Göring’s order called for a comprehensive blueprint detailing administrative structures, logistical arrangements, and financial provisions. This memorandum laid the bureaucratic groundwork that would culminate in the Wannsee Conference of January 1942. Heydrich’s plan coordinated SS, police, and government agencies in orchestrating mass deportations and killings. The document marked a chilling transition from persecution to organized genocide within the Nazi regime. It stands as one of the earliest formal endorsements of the Final Solution, highlighting the regime’s ideological and operational extremity. The memo’s legacy underscores the lethal efficiency of state-sponsored atrocity machinery.
1941 The Holocaust Adolf Hitler Nazi Hermann Göring SS Reinhard Heydrich Final Solution Jewish
1941day.year

World War II: The Battle of Smolensk concludes with Germany capturing about 300,000 Soviet Red Army prisoners.

On July 31, 1941, the Battle of Smolensk ended with German forces capturing around 300,000 Soviet troops during Operation Barbarossa.
Concluding on July 31, 1941, the Battle of Smolensk was one of the first major engagements on the Eastern Front of World War II. German Army Group Centre encircled and overwhelmed Soviet defenses, taking approximately 300,000 Red Army soldiers prisoner. The fierce battle, marked by rapid armored thrusts and urban combat, slowed the German advance toward Moscow. Soviet resistance demonstrated growing Red Army determination despite heavy losses and disorganization. Although a tactical victory for Germany, the protracted fighting delayed the timing of Case Blue and adversely affected later operations. Smolensk’s outcome had significant strategic consequences, foreshadowing the brutal war of attrition to come. The battle remains a testament to the intensity and scale of the Eastern Front conflict.
World War II Battle of Smolensk Red Army
1945day.year

Pierre Laval, the fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.

On July 31, 1945, Pierre Laval, former head of Vichy France, surrendered to Allied troops in Austria after months as a fugitive.
Pierre Laval, who had served as Prime Minister of Vichy France under Nazi occupation, eluded capture until his July 31 surrender in Austria. Identified in a small Austrian village, Laval turned himself in to Allied soldiers, ending his attempts to seek refuge. Accused of collaboration and war crimes, he was soon extradited to France to face trial for his role in the oppressive Vichy regime. During his leadership, Laval had implemented anti-Semitic laws and cooperated closely with German authorities. His apprehension marked a symbolic moment of reckoning for France’s wartime government. Laval’s subsequent trial and execution underscored the complexities of justice in post-war Europe. The event illustrated the Allies’ determination to hold pro-Nazi collaborators accountable.
1945 Pierre Laval Vichy France Allied
1948day.year

USS Nevada is sunk by an aerial torpedo after surviving hits from two atomic bombs (as part of post-war tests) and being used for target practice by three other ships.

In July 1948, the battleship USS Nevada was deliberately sunk during postwar weapons tests after enduring atomic bomb blasts and live-fire exercises.
Having withstood atomic detonations at Bikini Atoll in 1946, USS Nevada was designated for final disposal as a target ship. On July 31, 1948, an aerial torpedo strike finished off the venerable battleship after gunfire from three vessels. The operation demonstrated the destructive power of modern naval weapons against hardened warships. Nevada’s sinking provided crucial data on hull integrity, blast resistance, and damage control techniques. The tests influenced future naval architecture and underscored the declining role of battleships in the atomic age. Today, the wreck lies in the Pacific, a testament to the evolution of military technology after World War II. The USS Nevada’s story reflects both the ship’s storied service and the dawn of a new era in warfare.
USS Nevada
1972day.year

The Troubles: In Operation Motorman, the British Army re-takes the urban no-go areas of Northern Ireland. It is the biggest British military operation since the Suez Crisis of 1956, and the biggest in Ireland since the Irish War of Independence. Later that day, nine civilians are killed by car bombs in the village of Claudy.

During Operation Motorman on July 31, 1972, the British Army retook Northern Ireland’s urban no-go areas amid the Troubles.
Operation Motorman was launched by the British Army to dismantle fortified Republican and Nationalist “no-go areas.” Early on July 31, 1972, over 22,000 troops moved into cities such as Derry and Belfast to reestablish governmental control. It was the British military’s largest operation since the Suez Crisis, using armored vehicles and heavy equipment. Later that day, car bombs in the village of Claudy killed nine civilians, casting a tragic shadow over the mission’s success. Operation Motorman temporarily quelled street barricades but deepened sectarian tensions and mistrust across Northern Ireland. The event remains a pivotal and controversial chapter in the history of the Troubles.
1972 The Troubles Operation Motorman no-go areas Northern Ireland Suez Crisis Irish War of Independence killed by car bombs Claudy