Top 10 Biggest Military Disasters of All Time

A military disaster on both sides of the war. The Germans were initially successful during the early stages of the war, but as the war continued, supplies were lacking and the USSR began beating back. The failure of German armies to capture Stalingrad marked the turning point of the war. However, this was also a tragedy for the Soviet Union as received 4,000,000 casualties during the course of the war.

Russian Winter was the only reason why the Nazis lost. If not for that, the Soviet Union would have lost.

Napoleon's invasion of Russia resulted in the destruction of French forces. Of the 680,000 men that participated in the operation, only 120,000 survived. 380,000 were killed and 180,000 were captured. The failure was mainly due to the bad weather.

The first barbarossa before ww2. The French were the ones who just like the Germans were off to a strong start and even took Moscow, but the Russians burned down Moscow while fleeing, making winter even more bitter because of the shelter and supplies being in ashes, making the French retreat back to France to defend the country against the newly regrouped restrengthened Russian army that marched right across Europe to the gates of Paris, just like ww2, but Paris being Berlin.

Attacks on the Somme proved fatal as the British army suffered a total of 800,000 and the German army with 540,000 men, with a combined total of 1,340,000 men killed or captured. The British victory was proven vital for the Allies' success in the Western front of the First World War.

Italy's attacks on Isonzo, present-day Slovenia, proved tragic as Italy failed to take the area despite it's 11 attempts to take it. This forced the combined German and Austrian to attack Italy, resulting in heavy casualties.

Failed joint attempt by Britain, the Commonwealth, and France to captured Istanbul, subsequently abodoned.

This Campaign was rushed. It needed to be planned well. This lead to the lives of many allies. Atatürk and his men defended well.

General Custer's suicidal attack on an army of thousands of Native-Americans resulted in the destruction of almost his entire command, the only survivor that retreated successfully, a lone horse.

British and French failure to defend France marked the beginning of German succession. The French made a solid Maginot line to keep advancing at bay, but these defenses were ultimately abandoned as the Germans easily went around this by going through Belgium, the Netherlands, and even Ardennes Forest.

Ah yes, the one where Britain refused to take part. Therefore 'murica was doomed to failure.

A small Scottish army of 7000 men defeated a far superior British army of 20,000. Edward II of England and Humphrey de Bohun of Hereford barely escaped

By far the most devastating defeat of the German Army in the second world war and arguable the largest military disaster in the 20th century. On the 22nd June 1944 the Soviet union launched their summer offensive the Belorussian strategic offensive operation or Operation Bagration named after a Russian Prince who fought Napoleon at Boredino. in 2 weeks it had smashed its way through army group center, destroying 28 divisions and retaking Minsk. in 5 weeks it had resulted in the killing and capturing of over 500,000 German Soldiers. along sode the destruction of Army Group Center, Army Group North had been trapped in the Curland peninsular and Army Group North Ukraine has also taken horrific losses. Along side the human losses there was also over 2000 tanks and 2000 aircraft that Germany wouldn't be able to replace. Talking about not being able to replace, many of the soldiers killed and captured were veterans of the war, the loss of these well trained soldiers would be a difficult ...more

This battle DESTROYED Army group center cut off army group north and paved the way to Berlin. Worst of all Hitler as usual blamed his generals rather then himself.

A Mongol army under the command of Baidar successfully a combined force of Poles, Germans, and Bohemians. Their leader, King Henry II, was killed.

A big failure for the Germans.

Everybody expected Karl XII of Sweden to steamroll Russia and end the Great Northern War.
His lose shifted the powers in the Baltic and Europe and enabled Russia to become a Powerhouse.

Disastrous defeat of Italian army by Ethiopian rebels, signalling the independence of Ethiopia.