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41 Bloodsoaked Bits of Trivia About War and Epic Battles That’ll Make You Wonder How We Survived This Long

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41 Bloodsoaked Bits of Trivia About War and Epic Battles That’ll Make You Wonder How We Survived This Long

January 15, 2025

Since the dawn of humanity, brave men and women have fought in countless battles while not-so-brave men and women like us just wrote about them. Whether it was for noble or dishonorable reasons, these people brutally went at it. Luckily for us, our cowardly forefathers were on the sidelines jotting it all down for their cowardly descendants to then relay to you.

From the safety of our keyboards, we bring you tidbits from history’s biggest battles that shaped the world we know today.

41

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is about Mexican independence, right? Wrong. It's all about America. May 5 isn't Mexican Independence Day. it's the day a ragtag army in the state of Puebla defeated the French army. Although that battle was won, Mexico pretty much lost that war until America eventually stepped in and helped out. And outside of Puebla itself, Cinco de Mayo is a much bigger holiday in the United States than it is in Mexico. CRACKED.COM nbcnews.com/news/atin/ho-cinco-de-mayo-not-mexican-independence-day-here-s-n567041 — Source

40

One-Eyed Zizka

A Bohemian general requested his skin be made into drums after his death. CRACKED.COM General Jan Zizka, or One-Eyed Zizka, was con- sidered one of the greatest military leaders of all time and never lost a battle. Не re- quested that war drums be made from his skin to lead his men even after his death. — Source

39

The Battle of River Raisin

Remember the Raisin became a rallying cry for America during the War of 1812. The Battle of the River Raisin led to the deaths of dozens of Kentucky soldiers when British forces and their Native American allies counterattacked Kentucky volunteers that secured present-day Detroit. CRACKED.COM — Kentucky History

38

War Chief

Joseph Medicine Crow became the last Plains Indian war chief during WWII. CRACKED.COM Joseph completed all four required tasks while fight- ing in Europe, including touching an enemy soldier, stealing his weapon, lead- ing a successful war party, and stealing an enemy's horse. — Economist

37

Chinese Death Toll in World War II

china lost 80 million people to World War II. CRACKEDCOMT Russia's loss is often overlooked, but China's is far more overlooked and is nearly as big. China's civilian toll, at 16 million, was even more than Russia's. — Source: CNN

36

The Battle of Stalingrad

In one day of heavy fighting during the Battle of Stalingrad, a local railway station changed hands from Soviet to German control and back again fourteen times in six hours. CRACKED.COM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle of Stalingrad — Source: 33 Little Facts About History

35

Kangaroos in World War I

WWI troops smuggled kangaroos: Europe's wild wallabies living proof? GRACKED.COM Australian troops in Egypt during WWI smuggled kangaroos and other marsupials as mascots, with some even being taken to the Serbian front. The fate of these animals is largely unknown but stories persist about wild wallabies living across Europe today. — Australian Geographic

34

Napoleon

NAPOLEON: LEADER, STATESMAN, ROMANCE NOVELIST? Before Josephine, before his conquest of Europe, a broken-hearted Napoleon wrote Clisson et Eugénie, a romance novella based on his doomed rela- tionship with Eugénie Désirée Clary. At the end of the novella, the hero dies tragically in battle, pierced by a thousand blows. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

Adrian Carton de Wiart

CRACKED EVERYTHING WAR CAN THROW AT YOU Adrian Carton de Wiart lost an eye and a hand in battle, but still managed to fight in three wars over the course of six decades. Не was even able to survive plane crashes and being held as a prisoner of war. — BBC

32

The Hundred Years’ War

When the Hundred Years' War started, the blind King of Bohemia wanted to fight. So he got his men to tie their own horses to his horse, and to lead him into battle. Не refused to retreat, and died in battle. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

Oscar-Winning World War II Veteran

GRACKED HAROLD RUSSELL WON AN OSCAR AS A DISABLED VETERAN. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES The WWII veteran who lost both hands was cast by director William Wyler in his film about veterans coming home from the war. In 1947, he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. — Mentalfloss / EW

30

Christianity

The fate of Christianity hinged on one battle in 732. GRACKED COM During the Battle of Tours, an Arab invasion force was defeated, preventing the spread of Islam to all of Western Europe and preserving Christianity as the religion of Europe. — War History Online

29

George Washington

George Washington was really bad at war. When it came to strategy, His near-perfect record Washington lost virtually of retreat and defeat every major battle that stretched back to his he fought. pre-revolutionary days. GRACKED.COM ABA Journal, June 1995. — Source: 22 Facts That Shatter Your Image of American Presidents

28

The First Recorded Battle in History

The first recorded battle in history was the Battle of Megiddo in 1457 В.С. It left such an impression on the Levantine people there that they believed the final battle of humani- ty would take place there as well. That's where the word Armageddon comes from. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — The Battles of Armageddon

27

The Six-Day War

The last time Suez ships got stuck, sailors were trapped for eight years. CRACKED.com The Suez canal was sealed off during the Six-Day War in 1967, to keep Israel from using the canal and attacking Egypt, trapping 15 ships for 8 years. Egypt kept the ships, two from America and 13 from across Europe, stocked with supplies while they were stranded, and the sailors enjoyed the amenities of the various ships which included a swimming pool and movie theater. Finally, in 1974, the US led an effort to clear the mines and the other wreckage and reopen the canal.

26

Ancient Battles

Ancient battles didn't turn into melee combat as soon as the armies met. You didn't win because your fighters were individually better in single combat than your enemy- -you won because your soldiers stayed in boring, organized formations. Any army who just charged into battle to take on their foes one-to-one was called the losing side. — More: 5 Stupid War Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks To Movies)

25

El Cid

A medieval Spanish warlord was so feared that his embalmed corpse was sent into battle. GRACKED.COM During the siege of Valen- cia, El Cid was posthu- mously fitted with his ar- mor and set on his horse to boost the morale of the troops, who won a thun- dering charge against Va- lencia's besiegers. — Source

24

Casablanca

CRACKED.COM Romantic? Yes. But Casablanca is also a masterpiece of World War II propaganda. Warner Brothers produced the film following a pro-war rubric outlined by the U.S. Department of War. The Department was hoping to shift the American public's stance against intervention in the escalating conflict in Europe. When will you realize that in this world, today, isolationism is no longer a practical policy? -Signor Ferrari, to American Rick Blaine — Source

23

A Sign From Above

A solar eclipse helped end a six-year war in 585 ВСЕ. CRACKED.COM When the sky suddenly darkened during a battle between the Lydians and the Medes in modern Turkey, soldiers took it as a sign to cease fighting. — Source: Wired

22

Kraft Mac and Cheese

CRACKED KRAFT MAC AND CHEESE WAS ORIGINALLY SOLDIER RATIONS. Kraft mac and cheese was created in 1916 and was first sold to the U.S. military to feed troops during World War I. — Source

21

The War of 1812

AMERICAN TROOPS FIGHT EACH OTHER AND GIVE UP 1812 CRACKED.co COM During the War of 1812, the British led a nighttime ambush in Stoney Creek. American General John Chandler rode into the melee, was knocked off his horse, and woke up soon after confused. Chandler ran to the artillery emplacement to rally his troops, but found only British soldiers. His second in command rushed in and was similarly captured. American troops fought each other and retreated, leaving the British as the victors. — More: The 6 Most Embarrassing War Stories of All Time

20

The ‘Attack’ on Los Angeles

The US Military fired anti-air artillery at an object hovering over Los Angeles in 1942. The target of the aerial bar- rage was thought to be an at- tacking force from Japan, but speaking at a press confer- ence shortly afterward, Sec- retary of the Navy Frank Knox called the purported at- tack a false alarm. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

19

Rob Lowe’s Ancestor Was Hired to Kill George Washington

CRACKED ROB LOWE'S ANCESTOR WAS HIRED TO KILL GEORGE WASHINGTON. His 5th great-grandfather Christoph Oste was a German soldier hired by the British, and in a direct battle with Washington, his regiment was captured. Не survived and later became a tax-paying American. — Source

18

Snipers

The longest kill shot in military history is claimed by an unnamed Canadian soldier. The soldier, from Joint Task Force 2 (JFT2), hit the target from 3,450 meters. His heart- beat could have made him miss his target. Canadian sol- diers currently claim three of the top five longest con- firmed shots recorded. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Global News

17

Dressed to Kill

Hundreds of women disguised themselves as men during the Civil War to join the military and fight for their beliefs. Annie Etheridge and Marie Тере are two of the most famous of these women, who even fought in battle wearing dresses. Gender- Bending Badasses CRACKED — Library of Congress
The New York Times

16

Tween Soldiers in World War II

A 12-year-old fought in World War II. When a tween boy lies to his mom about what he's doing, it's usually not to pretend to be older and enlist in the Navy, but that's exactly what Calvin Graham did. His military career ended when his mom spotted him in a newsreel. By then, he had a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. GRACKED.COM — Source

15

Muslim Troops in World War I

AROUND 400.000 MUSLIMS FOUGHT FOR BRITAIN IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR. The Muslim role in the War to End All Wars is rarely discussed, but many fought an

14

King Neptune

In WWII, the U.S. Navy had a mascot: a 700-pig called King Neptune. They auctioned off parts of the pig, even though people knew the pig wouldn't be slaughtered - the auction winner just got a war bond. That way, the Navy raised $19 million in war bonds. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Now-You-Know Facts About Movies (And Other Cool Stuff)

13

Blind King John

A blind king fought and died in a battle during the Hundred Years War. CRACKED GOM Blind King John of Bohemia ordered his men to tie their horses to his and guide him into the battle. As the battle turned sour, he was advised to flee but he replied Far be it that the King of Bohemia should run away. — Source

12

Wilmer McLean’s House

THE CIVIL WAR BEGAN AT WILMER'S HOUSE. IT ENDED THERE TOO. The Battle of Bull Run broke out near Wilmer McLean's hometown, and a cannonball went down his chimney. Не fled the area and moved to Appomattox, Virginia. In April 1865, General Lee officially surrendered ... in the parlor of Wilmer's new home. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

The Pastry War

French pastry shop dispute leads to Mexican-French War. The Pastry War was a conflict between Mexico and France that lasted from 1838 to 1839. It was triggered by a dispute over a French pastry shop owner's claim for compensation for damages suffered during the Mexican civil war. CRACKED — Sonya illustration/Shutterstock
ThoughtCo.

10

World War I Casualties

CRACKED A DISTURBINGLY SMALL NUMBER OF ENGLISH VILLAGES HAD NO WORLD WAR I CASUALTIES. In the 1930s, Arthur Mee coined the term Thankful Villages to refer to communities in England who had lost no men in World War I. More recent research has found 41 such villages throughout England and Wales. — coxy58/Shutterstock
Historic UK

9

The Spanish Civil War

Turkey parachutes CRACKED.COM During the Spanish Civil War, an occupied monastery was resupplied by attaching packages to a flock of turkeys, and dropping them out of an airplane. Just like Zelda hang gliding on a CUCCO, they simply flapped harmlessly to the ground. — Source: 6 Insane Uses of Animals in Wartime (That Actually Worked)

8

The Last Surrender

The American Civil War officially ended in England, 6 months after the final battle. Captain Waddell of the CSS Shenandoah was unaware of the Confederate surrender and continued to sink Union ships off Alaska. When he ran into a Liverpool ship he sailed for Liverpool to surrender. CRACKED.COM — Liverpool Museums

7

Uncivil War

CRACKED MASS OVER 2% OF AMERICANS WERE KILLED DURING THE CIVIL WAR. 620,000 people died during the war, or around one in four people involved in battle. — Everett Collection/Shutterstock
American Battlefield Trust

6

Ancient Bullet

ANCIENT BULLET 2007 CRACKED.COM A 77-year old woman lost consciousness, and when doctors checked her out, they saw she'd had a bullet in her brain for 64 years. Japanese soldiers had shot her back in World War II. — Reuters

5

The Shortest War

The -Zanzibar War was the shortest war in recorded history. The 1896 skirmish between the British Empire and the Zanzibar Sultanate lasted 45 minutes, — Source: Historic UK

4

Blair Mountain

CRACKEDc A huge battle was fought to stop a strike. The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest on American soil since the Civil War. 10,000 striking — More: American Horror Stories That Didn't Make It Into Your Textbooks

3

Civil War Fistfights

A Civil War battle stopped SO the soldiers could watch a fistfight. In the Battle of the Wilderness, a Confederate and a Union soldier hiding in the s

2

Civil War Veterans During World War II

GRAGKED.COM People who fought in the American Civil War... ... were still alive by the time of World War II. — Source: 27 Facts That Will Shatter Your Perception Of Time

1

Civil War Widows

THE LAST CIVIL WAR WIDOW DIED IN 2008 Maudie Hopkins wasn't alive during the Civil War, but her (much older) husband fought for the Confederacy. She n

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