With a history dating as far back as the Roman Empire (then as the Gauls - which we include as France here - and later as the Franks), French military exploits and some forgettable moments can cover some hundreds of years. This, our ever-growing list, showcases the ups and downs as related to the French empire throughout its long-established military history - remember this is the empire that established the knight as the mounted chivalric warrior, produced military tacticians such as Joan of Arc and Napoleon Bonaparte and the nation that would go on to earn military victories against many of the principalities governing Europe and the Middle East in their time.
A special thanks for the contributions by Pierre M and Nicolas C.
"...and a certain unconscious brutality of hurry and gesture in the men is related to their inexhaustible and extraordinary military courage. (…) Let a fool hate France."
- G.K. Chesterton, French and English
"The French soldiers are grand. They are grand.
There is no other word to express it."
- Arthur Conan Doyle, A visit to three fronts (1916)

VICTORY |
387 B.C. |
Battle of Allia - 387 B.C.
The Gauls led by Brennus defeat the army of the Roman Republic led by Quintus Sulpicius and go on to sack Rome itself. |
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DEFEAT |
295 B.C. |
Battle of Sentinum - 295 B.C.
The Gauls and Samniums under Egnatius are defeated by Decius Mus and Fabius Maximus Rullianus of the Roman Republic. |
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DEFEAT |
224 B.C. |
Battle of Telamon - 224 B.C.
The out-numbered Gauls led by Concolitanus and Aneorestus are defeated by Atiliua Regulus and Aemilius Papus of the Roman Republic. |
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VICTORY |
52 B.C. |
Battle of Gergovia - 52 B.C.
The Gallic Tribes led by Vercingetorix defeat the Roman Republic army of Julius Caesar. Despite the victory, the Gauls take heavy casualties among their ranks, forcing a retreat to Alesia. |
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DEFEAT |
52 B.C. |
Battle of Alesia - September, 52 B.C.
The Gauls - led by Vercingetorix and Commius and despite owning an advantage in numbers against the Roman Republic - lose some 40,000 to 250,000 souls in a decisive Roman victory orchestrated by Julius Caesar. The siege is considered one of Caesar's most notable military achievements. |
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VICTORY |
486 A.D. |
Battle of Soissons - 486 A.D.
The Franks led by King Clovis I defeat Syagrius and the remains of the Western Roman Empire. |
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VICTORY |
496 |
Battle of Tolbaic - 496
The Franks led by Clovis I are victorious over the Alamanni. |
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VICTORY |
507 |
Battle of Vouille - 507
The Franks led by Clovis I defeat Alaric II (the conqueror of Spain) and his Visigoths in a decisive victory. |
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VICTORY |
732 |
Battle of Tours - 732
The Franks, led by Charles Martel, decidedly defeat a large invading Muslim force |
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VICTORY |
773 |
Battle of Pavia - 773
Charlemagne and his Frankish forces utterly defeat King Desiderius of the Lombards. |
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VICTORY |
885-886 |
Battle for Paris - 885-886
The Franks are victorious over the invading barbarian hordes, which had lay seige to the city. |
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VICTORY |
1047 |
Battle of Val-es-Dunes - 1047
William, the Duke of Normandy and King Henry I of France are victorious against the rebel Normans led by Guy of Burgundy. |
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VICTORY |
1066 |
Battle of Hastings - October 14, 1066
The Normans led by William the Conquerer defeat King Harold II and his Anglo-Saxon army. William would go on to conquer all of England. |
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VICTORY |
1097 |
Battle of Dorylaeum - 1097
Unified Christian Crusaders defeat the Seljuk Turks. |
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VICTORY |
1099 |
Battle of Ascalon - 1099
Godfrey de Bouillon and his Crusader army defeat the Fatimids. |
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DEFEAT |
1119 |
Battle of Bremule - 1119
Louis VI of France and his invasion force is defeated by Henry I of England. |
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VICTORY |
1177 |
Battle of Montgisard (1177)
King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald de Chatillon gain a major victory over Saladin. |
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DEFEAT |
1198 |
Battle of Gisors - September 27, 1198
Richard I of England is victorious over Philip Augustus of France. |
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DEFEAT |
1213 |
Battle of Damme - May 30-31, 1213
In a preemptive strike, King John of England sends William de Longespee to attack the harbor of Damme, finding only light resistance, whilst King Philip II of France and his army is away in Flanders. |
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VICTORY |
1214 |
Battle
of Bouvines - July 27, 1214
Philip Augustus of France overwhelmingly defeat Germany's Otto IV and Count
Ferrand of Flanders. |
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DEFEAT |
1217 |
Battle of Lincoln - May 20, 1217
Louis VIII of France is beaten by King Henry III of England. |
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DEFEAT |
1340 |
Battle of Sluys - June 24, 1340
The English, led by Edward III of England, are victorious over the French, led by Hugues Quieret and Nicolas Behuchet. |
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VICTORY |
1342 |
Battle of Morlaix - 1342
French forces beat back the attacking English and force a retreat. |
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DEFEAT |
1345 |
Battle of Auberoche - October 21, 1345
The French led by Louis of Poiters are defeated by the English led by Henry, the Earl of Derby. |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle of Saint-Pol-de-Leon - June 9, 1346
The House of Blois allied with France (Charles of Blois) are defeated by the House of Montfort allied with England (Sir Thomas Dagworth). |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle of Caen - July 26, 1346
The French and Raoul II of Brienne lose Caen to the British and Edward III of England. |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle of Blanchetaque - August 24, 1346
The French and Gudemar du Foy fail to stop the English river crossing of the Somme led by Edward III. |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle
of Crecy - August 26, 1346
Philip VI of France falls to Edward III of England. |
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DEFEAT |
1347 |
The Siege of Calais - September 4, 1346 - August 3, 1347
The French and Jean de Fosseux surrender after nearly a year-long seige by Edward III and the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1347 |
Battle of La Roche-Derrien - 1347
The French and Duke Charles of Blois are defeated by the English and Sir Thomas Dagworth. |
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DRAW |
1349 |
Battle of Lunalonge - 1349
French forces force the withdrawal of the combined Anglo-Gascons. |
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VICTORY |
1351 |
Battle of Ardres - 1351
French forces lead victorious over the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1352 |
Battle of Mauron - 1352
The French come up losers as a combined Anglo-Breton force earns the victory. |
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DEFEAT |
1356 |
Battle
of Poitiers - September 19, 1356
John II of France is thoroughly beaten by Edward, the Black Prince of England. |
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VICTORY |
1364 |
Battle of Cocherel - May 16, 1364
The French and Bertrand du Guesclin find victory against Charles II of Navarre. |
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DEFEAT |
1364 |
Battle
of Auray - September 29, 1364
Charles of Blois falls to Sir John Chandos of England and John
de Montfort of France. |
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DEFEAT |
1367 |
Battle of Najera - April 3, 1367
Pedro the Cruel and his English allies are victorious over brother Henry of Trastamara and his French allies. |
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VICTORY |
1369 |
Battle of Montiel - 1369
The Franco-Castilian combined forces led by Henry II of Castile find victory against a conglomerate of Portuguese, Jewish, Granadine and Marinid forces led by Pedro of Castile. |
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VICTORY |
1372 |
Battle of La Rochelle - June 22, 1372
The French-Castilion fleet wins control of the Channel after a decisive victory over the English. |
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VICTORY |
1373 |
Battle of Chiset - 1373
French forces, whilst laying siege to Chiset, repel an English relief force. |
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VICTORY |
1382 |
Battle of Roosebeke - November 27, 1382
Louis II of Flanders and Philip the Bold lay waste to Philip Van Artevelde and the Flemish. |
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DEFEAT |
1396 |
Battle of Nicopolis - September 25, 1396
The French Crusaders fall to the Ottoman Turks near Nicopolis. |
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DEFEAT |
1415 |
Battle
of Agincourt - October 25, 1415
Jean Le Maingre and Charles d'Albret fall to Henry V of England in what would become a massacre of their men-at-arms knights. |
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DEFEAT |
1419 |
Siege of Rouen - July 1418-January 1419
The city of Rouen and Guy le Bouteiller fall to the English siege. |
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VICTORY |
1421 |
Battle of Bauge - March 21, 1421
A combined force from France and Scotland defeat the English in one of the earliest English defeats of the Hundred Years' War. |
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DEFEAT |
1421 |
Siege of Meaux - March 21, 1421
The city of Meaux falls to the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1423 |
Battle
of Cravant - July 31, 1423
Comte de Vendome of France falls to Thomas Montacute of England in a renewel of English-Franco hostilities. |
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DEFEAT |
1424 |
Battle of Verneuil - August 17, 1424
England and John, the Duke of Bedford, is victorious over a combined Franco-Scotish force led by Viscount Aumale. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Siege
of Orleans - October 12, 1428-May 8, 1429
Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc), Gilles de Rais and Jean d'Orleans
of France defeat the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Earl of Salisbury
and the Duke of Suffolk. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Battle of Jargeau - June 11-12, 1429
Jeanne d'Arc for France leads victorious against William de la Pole of England. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Battle of Beaugency - June 16-17, 1429
Jeanne d'Arc delivers another French victory over the English. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Battle
of Patay - June 18, 1429
La Hire and Poton de Xaintrailles of France defeat Sir John
Fastolf of England, effectively turning the tide of the Hundred Years' War. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Siege of Compiegne - June 18, 1429
Though Jeanne d'Arc is taken prisoner (and ultimately executed), the French resist the English siege from Philip the Good and John II of Luxembourg. |
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VICTORY |
1435 |
Battle of Gerbevoy - 1435
French forces led by commander La Hire and Jean Poton Xaintrailles defeat the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1444 |
Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs - August 26, 1444
French forces are forced to retreat at the hands of the determined Swiss Pikemen. |
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VICTORY |
1450 |
Battle
of Formigny - April 15, 1450
Comte de Clermont and Comte de Richemont of France defeat Thomas
Kyriell of England. |
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VICTORY |
1453 |
Battle
of Castillon - July 17, 1453
Charles VII of France defeats John Talbot of England. |
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VICTORY |
1509 |
Battle of Agnadello - 1509
French forces are decidedly victorious over the Venetians. |
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VICTORY |
1515 |
Battle of Marignano - 1515
Francis I and his French forces defeat the Swiss. |
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VICTORY |
1544 |
Battle of Ceresole - 1544
French forces defeat the Spanish Imperial Army. |
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VICTORY |
1643 |
Battle of Rocroi - 1643
French forces are victorious over the Spanish. |
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VICTORY |
1645 |
Battle of Nordlingen - 1645
French forces are victorious over an army fielded by the Holy Roman Empire. |
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VICTORY |
1648 |
Battle of Lens - 1648
French forces, once again, defeat the Holy Roman Empire's Imperial fielding. |
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VICTORY |
1658 |
Battle of Dunes - 1658
A combined Anglo-French army is victorious over the Spanish. |
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VICTORY |
1690 |
Battle of Fleurus - 1690
This naval battle sees the French victorious over the Anglo-Dutch. |
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VICTORY |
1690 |
Battle of Beachy Head - 1690
Another naval battle sees the French victorious over their Anglo-Dutch counterparts. |
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VICTORY |
1693 |
Battle of Landen - 1693
Marshal Luxembourg and his French forces decidedly defeat an Anglo-Dutch contingent. |
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DEFEAT |
1708 |
Battle
of Oudenarde - July 11, 1708
The Duke of Burgundy and the Duc de Vendome fall to the coalition
of nations between Britain, the Netherlands and the Holy Roman
Empire. |
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VICTORY |
1712 |
Battle of Denain - 1712
French forces led by Marshal Villars are victorious over the Austrian and Dutch forces. |
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VICTORY |
1742 |
April 20th, 1742
French forces successfully take Eger. |
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DEFEAT |
1743 |
Battle
of Dettingen - June 16th, 1743
As the War of Austrian Succession, an alliance of British, Hanover and Hesse forces defeat the French Army. |
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VICTORY |
1745 |
Battle of Fontenoy - May 11th, 1745
Maurice de Saxe and his French army defeat a contingent of Anglo-Austrian-Dutch-Hano troops. |
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VICTORY |
1746 |
Battle of Roucoux - 1746
Maurice de Saxe is once again victorious over the Anglo-Austrian-Dutch-Hano forces. |
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VICTORY |
1747 |
Battle of Lauffeld - 1747
Maurice de Saxe is, yet again, victorious over the Anglo-Austrian-Dutch-Hano forces. |
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VICTORY |
1747 |
April 20th, 1756
The Galissonniere at Minorca secure the landing of Richelieu by defeating the British Navy led by Admiral Byng. |
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VICTORY |
1757 |
Battle of Hastenbeck - 1757
French forces in Germany defeat an English army. |
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VICTORY |
1758 |
Battle of Carillon - 1758
General Montcalm and his vastly outnumbered French forces are victorious over the British. |
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DEFEAT |
1759 |
Battle
of the Plains of Abraham - September 12-13, 1759
French General Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm leads his New French militia to defeat at the hands of the British led by General James Wolfe outside of Quebec City in what is today Canada. Both generals are mortally wounded in the fray. The defeat signals the beginning for the end for French control in North America. |
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VICTORY |
1781 |
Battle of Yorktown - 1781
French forces, allied with the Americans, are victorious over Cornwallis and his English army. |
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VICTORY |
1781 |
Battle
of the Chesapeake - September 5, 1781
France, coming the aid of America's George Washington, defeats
the British in a strategic victory. |
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VICTORY |
1792 |
Battle
of Valmy - September 20, 1792
France defeats the invading armies of Prussia and Austria. |
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VICTORY |
1794 |
Battle of Fleurus - 1794
Jourdan and his French forces are victorious over the Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1794 |
Battle
of the Vosges - July 13, 1794
France defeats a coalition of Prussian, Austrian and Saxon troops. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
April 21st, 1796
Napoleon Bonaparte is victorious over the Piedmontese in Mondovi. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
Battle of Lodi - 1796
The French beat back another force of Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
Battle of Castiglione - 1796
The French are victorious over the Austrians yet again. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
Battle
of the Bridge of Arcole - November 17, 1796
Napoleon Bonaparte I of France leads victorious over the Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1797 |
Battle of Diersheim, April 20th, 1797
French General Moreau is victorious against Austrian General Staray. |
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VICTORY |
1797 |
Battle of Rivoli - 1797
Napoleon's French forces win over the Austrian forces once again. |
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VICTORY |
1798 |
Battle of the Pyramids - 1798
French forces route Egyptian Mamelukes. |
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VICTORY |
1799 |
Battle of Mount Tabor - 1799
Outnumbered French forces decimate a much larger Turkish force. |
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DEFEAT |
1799 |
Battle
of Trebia - June 19, 1799
French General Macdonald loses to the Russians led by General
Suvorov. |
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DEFEAT |
1799 |
Battle
of Novi - August 15, 1799
General Barthelemy Catherine Joubert loses to the combined forces
of Austria and Russia led by Fieldmarshal Alexander Suvorov. |
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VICTORY |
1799 |
Battle of Abukir - 1799
Napoleon's French forces defeat another Turkish force in Egypt. |
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VICTORY |
1799 |
Second Battle of Zurich - 1799
Massena and his French force routes the Russians in Switzerland. |
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VICTORY |
1800 |
Battle of Marengo - 1800
Napoleon's French forces are victorious over Melas and his Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1800 |
Battle
of Hohenlinden - December 3, 1800
A decisive French victory by General Moreau over the Austrian
Empire led by Archduke John. |
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DEFEAT |
1803 |
Haitian Independence - November
1803
Napoleon Bonaparte's army, led by Charles LeClerc is defeated
by the Haitian indigenous army, led by Dessalines. |
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DEFEAT |
1805 |
Battle of Trafalgar - October 21,
1805
Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve and his combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 33 ships is defeated by Viscount Horatio Nelson and his smaller band of 27 British ships in this decisive naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars. |
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VICTORY |
1805 |
Battle
of Austerlitz - December 2, 1805
Napoleon I of France is decidedly victorious over Russia and
the Austrian Empire. |
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