9day.year
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hundred years.
In AD 9, three Roman legions under Publius Quinctilius Varus marched into the Teutoburg Forest. Germanic tribes led by Arminius orchestrated a crushing ambush, annihilating the Roman forces. This defeat halted Roman expansion east of the Rhine and set it as the Empire's boundary for four centuries.
In AD 9, three Roman legions under Publius Quinctilius Varus marched into the Teutoburg Forest.
Germanic tribes led by Arminius orchestrated a crushing ambush, annihilating the Roman forces.
This defeat remains Rome's greatest military disaster in its history.
The aftermath halted Roman expansion east of the Rhine River.
For the next four centuries, the Rhine served as the stable frontier between Rome and the Germanic tribes.
9
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Roman Empire
Rhine
barbarians
1297day.year
Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots jointly led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeat the English.
Scottish forces under William Wallace and Andrew Moray rout an English army at Stirling Bridge, marking a pivotal victory in the First War of Scottish Independence.
On September 11, 1297, William Wallace and Andrew Moray led Scottish troops against the English at Stirling Bridge.
Using the narrowness of the Old Stirling Bridge, the Scots timed their attack to ambush half of the English force.
The surprise assault caused the English army to panic and retreat into the River Forth.
This decisive victory boosted Scottish morale and galvanized the resistance against King Edward I.
The triumph at Stirling Bridge became an enduring symbol of Scottish national pride.
It temporarily secured Scottish control over the central Lowlands before later conflicts resumed.
1297
Battle of Stirling Bridge
William Wallace
Andrew Moray
1390day.year
Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92): The Teutonic Knights begin a five-week siege of Vilnius.
The Teutonic Knights launch a five-week siege of Vilnius during the internal Lithuanian Civil War, challenging Grand Duke Vytautas' authority.
In 1390, the Teutonic Knights commenced a five-week siege of Vilnius amid the Lithuanian Civil War (1389–1392).
Allied with rival claimant Vytautas the Great, the Knights sought to enforce their influence in the Grand Duchy.
The city's defenses were bolstered by residents and surviving Lithuanian loyalists.
Despite heavy bombardment and mining operations, the Knights failed to breach the walls.
The siege ultimately ended without capturing Vilnius, reflecting the resilience of Lithuanian fortifications.
This episode deepened the animosity between Lithuania and the Teutonic Order before a negotiated peace.
1390
Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92)
Teutonic Knights
Vilnius
1541day.year
Santiago, Chile, is attacked by indigenous warriors, led by Michimalonco, to free eight indigenous chiefs held captive by the Spaniards.
Indigenous warriors led by Michimalonco attack Santiago to free captive chiefs, challenging Spanish colonial authority.
On September 11, 1541, Michimalonco, a local Picunche leader, rallied indigenous warriors against Spanish settlers in Santiago.
Their goal was to liberate eight native chiefs held captive by Governor Pedro de Valdivia.
The assault caused significant damage to early colonial fortifications and buildings.
Spanish forces eventually repelled the attack but suffered casualties and lost control of key buildings.
This conflict highlighted the tensions and resistance of Mapuche and Picunche peoples to colonial rule.
The event remains a notable example of early indigenous uprisings in Chile.
1541
Santiago
Michimalonco
1565day.year
Ottoman forces retreat from Malta ending the Great Siege of Malta.
Ottoman forces withdraw from Malta, ending their months-long siege and securing a decisive Christian victory.
On September 11, 1565, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's army lifted the Great Siege of Malta.
Knights Hospitaller and Maltese defenders under Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette held Fort Saint Elmo and Birgu against overwhelming odds.
Heavy casualties and disease weakened the Ottoman assault, forcing a retreat toward Constantinople.
The victory preserved Christian control of Malta and bolstered European morale against Ottoman expansion.
The surviving defenders were hailed as heroes and La Valette began planning the fortified city that bears his name.
The siege is remembered as a turning point in Mediterranean power struggles.
1565
Ottoman
Malta
Great Siege of Malta
1649day.year
Siege of Drogheda ends: Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian troops take the town and execute its garrison.
Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces capture Drogheda and execute its Royalist garrison in a ruthless storming of the town.
On September 11, 1649, Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army concluded the Siege of Drogheda in Ireland.
After breaching the walls, Parliamentarian troops massacred the Royalist defenders and many civilians.
Cromwell justified the killings as a necessary terror tactic to discourage further resistance.
The brutal sack of Drogheda remains one of the most controversial episodes of the English Civil War.
News of the massacre sent shockwaves across Europe and deepened sectarian divides in Ireland.
It established a reputation for Cromwell's uncompromising military methods during subsequent campaigns.
1649
Siege of Drogheda
Oliver Cromwell
Parliamentarian
1683day.year
Coalition forces, including the famous winged Hussars, led by Polish King John III Sobieski lift the siege laid by Ottoman forces ahead of the Battle of Vienna.
King John III Sobieski leads Polish and allied forces, including winged Hussars, to lift the Ottoman siege of Vienna.
On September 11, 1683, the Polish King John III Sobieski arrived at Vienna with a relief army to confront the Ottoman besiegers.
The renowned winged Hussars charged down Kahlenberg Mountain in a decisive cavalry assault.
Their attack broke the Ottoman lines and forced a full retreat back toward the Balkans.
This triumph ended the two-month Siege of Vienna and halted Ottoman expansion into Central Europe.
The victory marked a turning point in the Great Turkish War, shifting momentum to the Holy League.
Sobieski's leadership and the Hussars' valor became legendary symbols of Christian Europe's defense.
1683
winged Hussars
John III Sobieski
Battle of Vienna
1697day.year
Battle of Zenta: a major engagement in the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history.
A major 1697 battle in Serbia where Habsburg forces defeated the Ottoman army, decisively impacting the Great Turkish War.
The Battle of Zenta occurred on September 11, 1697, near Zenta (present-day Senta, Serbia). The Imperial Habsburg army under Prince Eugene of Savoy launched a surprise attack on the Ottoman camp. The Ottoman Grand Vizier, Sürmeli Ali Pasha, was killed and their forces suffered catastrophic losses. The Habsburg victory effectively ended Ottoman control over Hungary. It paved the way for the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, reshaping power in Central Europe. The battle is remembered as one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history.
1697
Battle of Zenta
Great Turkish War
Ottoman
1708day.year
Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the turning point in the Great Northern War. The army is defeated nine months later in the Battle of Poltava, and the Swedish Empire ceases to be a major power.
Swedish King Charles XII halted his advance on Moscow at Smolensk in 1708, marking a key turning point in the Great Northern War.
In 1708, during the Great Northern War, Charles XII of Sweden abandoned his ambitious march on Moscow and instead laid siege to the fortified city of Smolensk. The decision overstretched his supply lines and strained his army. Harsh winter conditions and the resurgence of Russian forces under Peter the Great further eroded Swedish strength. The setback at Smolensk foreshadowed the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Poltava in 1709. After Poltava, Sweden lost its status as a leading Baltic power. Russia emerged as the new dominant force in Northern Europe. Charles XII’s campaign remains a classic study in the challenges of logistics and overextension.
1708
Charles XII of Sweden
Smolensk
Great Northern War
Battle of Poltava
Swedish Empire
major power
1709day.year
Battle of Malplaquet: Great Britain, Netherlands, and Austria fight against France.
One of the bloodiest battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, where Allied forces clashed with the French at Malplaquet in 1709.
The Battle of Malplaquet took place on September 11, 1709, near the village of Malplaquet in present-day northern France. Allied forces under John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, and Prince Eugene of Savoy attempted to break through French defensive works. Despite eventually forcing a French withdrawal, the Allies suffered extraordinarily high casualties. French commanders used well-prepared fortifications to inflict heavy losses, making the victory costly. The battle demonstrated the brutal nature of early 18th-century warfare. Its staggering death toll shocked contemporaries and influenced subsequent military tactics. Though it lacked a clear strategic victor, Malplaquet underscored the resilience of the French army under Louis XIV.
1709
Battle of Malplaquet
1714day.year
Siege of Barcelona: Barcelona, capital city of the Principality of Catalonia, surrenders to Spanish and French Bourbon armies in the War of the Spanish Succession.
In 1714, Bourbon forces captured Barcelona, ending Catalan resistance in the War of the Spanish Succession.
The Siege of Barcelona lasted from July 1713 until September 11, 1714, during the final stages of the War of the Spanish Succession. Spanish and French Bourbon armies, commanded by the Duke of Berwick, encircled the city’s fortifications. Catalan defenders, loyal to the Habsburg claimant, endured relentless bombardment and blockade. After running out of supplies and ammunition, Barcelona surrendered on September 11. The fall of the city marked the end of Catalan autonomy under the new Bourbon monarchy. Philip V consolidated royal authority and centralized the Spanish state. The event is commemorated each year as the National Day of Catalonia (Diada Nacional de Catalunya).
1714
Siege of Barcelona
Barcelona
Principality of Catalonia
Bourbon
War of the Spanish Succession
1758day.year
Battle of Saint Cast: France repels British invasion during the Seven Years' War.
A coastal clash in 1758 where French forces repelled a British amphibious landing during the Seven Years' War.
On September 11, 1758, the Battle of Saint Cast unfolded on the shores of Brittany, France, during the Seven Years' War. British troops aimed to raid the French coast and divert attention from continental campaigns. French defenders, aided by local militia and naval support, ambushed the British during their retreat to the ships. The result was a rout, with the invaders suffering heavy casualties and abandoned equipment. The victory bolstered French morale and secured the region against further amphibious threats. It highlighted the effectiveness of combining regular forces with local militias in coastal defense. The battle is remembered as a notable example of successful French resistance to British raids.
1758
Battle of Saint Cast
Seven Years' War