Leaders
This ancient Macedonian king created one of the largest empires in history by the age of 30 and never lost a battle.
Alexander the Great
The Hundred Years’ War was fought between these two nations over claims to the French throne
England and France
World War II began in this year when Germany invaded Poland and ended six years later.
1939 to 1945
World War II
70–85 million deaths
World War II
when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939
This English king led the successful invasion of Normandy in 1415, achieving victory at the Battle of Agincourt.
Henry V
The Napoleonic Wars pitted France against a series of coalitions that included this island nation, its greatest rival.
France and Britain
World War I started with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and ended with the Treaty of Versailles.
1914 to 1918
World War I
15–20 million total deaths
World War I
the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary,
This 17th-century Swedish monarch revolutionized warfare with mobile artillery and died at the Battle of Lützen in 1632.
Gustavus Adolphus
The Thirty Years’ War began as a conflict between Protestant and Catholic states within this central European empire, drawing in Sweden and France.
Holy Roman Empire and various European powers
The Napoleonic Wars followed the French Revolution and ended after the Battle of Waterloo.
1803 to 1815
Thirty Years’ War
4–8 million deaths
Thirty Years’ War
a struggle between Catholic and Protestant states within the Holy Roman Empire.
This 19th-century Prussian statesman and strategist unified Germany through wars against Denmark, Austria, and France.
Otto von Bismarck
The Crimean War of the 1850s saw Britain and France ally with the Ottoman Empire to fight against this northern power.
Russia
The Thirty Years’ War devastated much of Central Europe, beginning with the Bohemian Revolt and ending with the Peace of Westphalia.
1618 to 1648
Franco-Prussian War
180,000 deaths
Napoleonic Wars
Napoleon’s desire to dominate Europe and Britain’s opposition to his expansion
This Russian general earned fame for his scorched-earth tactics against Napoleon’s invasion in 1812, forcing the French army’s retreat.
Mikhail Kutuzov
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was primarily fought between these two kingdoms over control of the Baltic Sea.
Sweden and Russia
The Hundred Years’ War, despite its name, lasted longer — concluding with the Battle of Castillon.
1337 to 1453
Crimean War
750,000 total deaths
Hundred Years’ War
the English monarch claimed the French throne