Victory Against All Odds: 2 Unlikely Battles That Shaped History
When you sit down and research historical events, you quickly realize that countries, civilizations, and other human settlements have repeatedly been at war with one another. Military leaders sometimes devised wartime strategies that seemed foolish or impossible, but more often than not, their efforts proved fruitful, allowing them to claim victory over their enemies. Here are the true stories behind two of the most bizarre wartime battle victories you likely haven’t heard about. The Siege of Tyre Alexander the Great is one of the most famous leaders in human history. As King of Macedonia, he led a lengthy military campaign to conquer significant areas in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Before Alexander led his army to Egypt, he announced he wanted to make a sacrifice to Heracles in Tyre (present-day Lebanon). The Tyrians believed Alexander was planning to occupy their city and refused, which Alexander took as a declaration of war. The problem with conquering Tyre was that it was half a mile offshore and protected by tall walls and a sizeable navy. To reach the city, Alexander directed his men to build a causeway connecting Tyre to the mainland, but the Tyrians wouldn’t just let this happen. They countered by setting the causeway ablaze, making Alexander realize he needed naval forces of his own. Soon after the causeway fire, he returned to Tyre with 220 ships. The Tyrians were shocked to see the size of Alexander’s navy but maintained their defenses. Unfortunately for them, Alexander’s military continued to build the causeway while his ships laid siege to the city. After six months, Alexander finally crossed the city walls and conquered Tyre. He made his sacrifice to Heracles before hosting a torch race and triumphal procession in the streets of Tyre, then left to resume his military campaign in Egypt. The Beginning of the End of the Inca Empire In the early 1530s, Francisco Pizarro led a Spanish expedition of less than 200 men to conquer the Inca Empire and capture their gold
and silver. Atahualpa, the recently named Incan emperor, was aware of the Spanish forces but allowed them to progress further into his land. Historical records differ regarding who invited whom, but the two groups met for the first time in November 1532 in Cajamarca. Atahualpa traveled with 80,000 warriors but only brought his immediate guard of 7,000–9,000 unarmed individuals into Cajamarca. Spanish records indicate that negotiations quickly broke down, thus starting the battle, but the Incan account differs. It claims the Spaniards poured out a ceremonial cup offered to them, which caused Atahualpa to announce, “If you disrespect me, I will also disrespect you.” Pizarro responded by ordering his men to attack. The Spanish fired their muskets and cannons, shocking the Incas — they had never encountered firearms before. The Spaniards took advantage of the situation, capturing Atahualpa and slaughtering many of his guards. When the battle ended, the Spanish lost only one or two men, while 2,000–7,000 Incas died. Although the Spaniards were outnumbered nearly 45 to 1, they came away victorious. This battle started the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, and within 40 years, they successfully took over every Incan state.
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