| Dave Crowell | 06 Jul 2010 6:53 a.m. PST |
The Greatest Defeat Poll has me wondering, which are histrory's greatest hollow victories. Battles that were won, but ultimately proved futile. Coming to mind are:
Thermopylae The persians won the battle, but lost the campaign. The Alamo: Santa Anna won this battle, but the Texicans won the war. Pearl Harbour: The Japanese crippled the Pacific Fleet, but so riled the US that they opened a new front in the war. Little Big Horn… |
| Jamesonsafari | 06 Jul 2010 7:22 a.m. PST |
Isandhlwana. Casualties were so heavy and the British response in a massive reinforcement to the theater of operations doomed the Zulu nation. |
| John the OFM | 06 Jul 2010 7:23 a.m. PST |
Guilford Courthouse. British "won", and then ended up at Yorktown. ANY Confederate victory. 
Really, any battles that the losers in the war won would qualify.
How about any French victories in the Napoleonic Wars? Quatre Bras? |
| Jovian1 | 06 Jul 2010 8:14 a.m. PST |
Define "won the war" because that would then include Crecy, Agincourt, Poitiers, Zama, Gaugamela, yeah, any battle won by any country/nation/king/emperor/etc. which/who no longer is in power. |
aecurtis  | 06 Jul 2010 9:27 a.m. PST |
The 1998 World Cup. How low France has fallen--even faster than Napoleon! Allen |
| Dave Crowell | 06 Jul 2010 9:51 a.m. PST |
Now, now Allen, don't go bringing current events into it. At least not till I check the rankings… |
| aecurtis | 06 Jul 2010 10:46 a.m. PST |
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| Crucible Orc | 06 Jul 2010 12:22 p.m. PST |
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| Steve Hazuka | 07 Jul 2010 3:38 a.m. PST |
The British burning Washington DC. |
| Lentulus | 07 Jul 2010 4:56 a.m. PST |
"The British burning Washington DC." It's only hollow if you loose the war. Now, the Americans burning York, that was hollow. |
| Lentulus | 07 Jul 2010 4:57 a.m. PST |
"The British burning Washington DC." It's only hollow if you loose the war. Now, the Americans burning York, that was hollow. Or the American victory at New Orleans, seeing as the terms of the peace had already been signed off. |
Deucey  | 06 Aug 2010 7:28 a.m. PST |
This seems to be the mirror of what the other poll was SUPPOSED TO BE. |
| dejvid | 25 Aug 2010 1:21 p.m. PST |
>>American victory at New Orleans, seeing as the terms of the peace had already been signed off. You beat me to it – rarely has such pointlessness been exceeded. However, Ausculum, the original Pyrrhic victory must be on the list. Thebes' victory at Mantinea where Epaminodas was killed is also an obvious one. |
| e4warde | 27 Aug 2010 4:42 p.m. PST |
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