Brad's Battle Maps

Wairau (1843) On 17 June 1843, the Battle of Wairau, or Wairau Affray, was fought between the British under Arthur Wakefield and Henry Thompson against the Maori under Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta during the New Zealand Wars. Why did it happen?   On 6 February 1840, the British Empire signed a treaty with the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, the Maori, known as the Treaty of Waitangi. This treaty agreed that while the Maori could keep ownership of their lands, the country

Black Line (1830) On 7 October-26 November 1830, Operation Black Line was fought between the British under George Arthur against the Aborigines under Mannalargenna during the Black War. Why did it happen? In 1803, the first permanent British settlement was established in Tasmania at Risdon Cove. Originally consisting of military personnel and convicts, the British population swelled from 3,000 in 1804 to 23,500 by 1830. As the British population in Tasmania grew, they came i

Hingakaka (1790) In 1790, the Battle of Hingakaka was fought in New Zealand between the Waikato tribes under Te Rauangaanga against the Tainui Confederation under Pikauterangi during the Maori Tribal Wars. Why did it happen? In 1787, the Waikato tribes lived under the authority of the Tainui chief, Pikauterangi. It was customary for the iwi living in the interior to visit their relatives on the coast to assist them in catching the fish that entered the rivers to spawn. Howev

Kaiapoi (1831-32) In 1831-1832, the Siege of Kaiapoi was fought in New Zealand between Ngati Toa under Te Rauparaha against Ngai Tahu under Pureko during the Musket Wars. Why did it happen? In 1824, after leading Ngati Toa southward from Kawhia, Te Rauparaha captured Kapiti Island, which he used as a springboard for his campaigns in the South Island. In 1829, Te Rauparaha travelled south to Kaiapoi Pa to trade for greenstone, but when Te Pehi Kupe was killed, Te Rauparaha vow

Vinegar Hill (1804) On 5 March 1804, the Battle of Vinegar Hill was fought in Australia between the British under George Johnston and the Irish under Philip Cunningham during the Castle Hill Rebellion. Why did it happen? Following an unsuccessful rebellion in Ireland against the British in 1798, hundreds of Irish men, women and children were transported to Sydney, Australia for their role in the uprising. Determined to fight against British oppression, the Irish attempted to

Leuthen (1757) On 5 December 1757, the Battle of Leuthen was fought in Poland between the Prussians under Frederick the Great and the Austrians under Charles of Lorraine during the Seven Years War. Why did it happen? The Seven Years War began in 1756 after Austria attempted to regain the province of Silesia, which had been occupied by the Prussians under Frederick the Great during the War of the Austrian Succession. Austria forged alliances with France and Russia while Pruss

One Tree Hill (1843) On 12-13 September 1843, the Battle of One Tree Hill was fought in Australia between the British under Arthur Hodgson and the Aborigines under Multuggerah during the Australian Frontier Wars. Why did it happen? In 1840, Brisbane was the most northerly outpost of Australia to be settled by Europeans. This area of Queensland was dominated on all sides by an alliance of Aboriginal tribes that could muster 1,500 warriors to defend their lands. Over the next f

Trafalgar (1805) On 21 October 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar was fought between the British under Horatio Nelson and the Franco-Spanish under Pierre-Charles Villeneuve during the Napoleonic Wars. Why did it happen? Following the Peace of Amiens in 1803, Napoleon planned the invasion of Britain, since this would remove the most formidable hurdle to French supremacy in Europe. In the summer of 1805, Napoleon encamped his 210,000 strong army at Boulogne but required the French a

Moremonui (1807) In 1807, the Battle of Moremonui was fought in New Zealand between the Nga Puhi under Pokaia and the Ngati Whatua under Taoho and Murupaenga during the Musket Wars. Why did it happen? In the early nineteenth century, The Nga Puhi and Ngati Whatua tribes living in the North Island of New Zealand had engaged in years of raids and counterraids designed to exact utu , or ‘payback’, over perceived wrongs inflicted on them by the other. The conflict came to a head

Breitenfeld (1631) On 17 September 1631, the Battle of Breitenfeld was fought between Sweden-Saxony under Gustavus Adolphus and John George and the Imperialists under Count Tilly during the Thirty Years War. Why did it happen? The Thirty Years War began in 1618 as an attempt by the Habsburg emperor Ferdinand II to eliminate Protestantism and reimpose Catholicism in Bohemia. By 1630, it looked as though the Imperialists had gained the upper hand in the conflict and were about

Waterloo (1815) On 18 June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought between the Allies under the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard Blucher against the French under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. Why did it happen? Following his defeat in 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island of Elba and the French monarchy was restored in the person of Louis XVIII. However, in February 1815, Napoleon left Elba and arrived in France with 1,100 men and 4 artillery. Due t

Panipat (1526) On 21 April 1526, the Battle of Panipat was fought in India between the Mughals under Babur and the Delhi Sultanate under Ibrahim Lodi during the Mughal Conquest of India. Why did it happen? In 1504, the Timurid prince Babur, a descendent of both Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, took control of Kabul in Afghanistan after losing his home city of Samarkand in 1494. Using his new base as a springboard for wider ambitions, the wealth of India enticed him. In 1525, he wa