Brad's Battle Maps

Hastings (1066) On 14 October 1066, the Battle of Hastings was fought between the Normans under William the Conqueror against the Anglo-Saxons under Harold II during the Norman Conquest of England. Why did it happen?   On 5 January 1066, the English king, Edward the Confessor, died, and Harold Godwinson was named his successor. Crowned Harold II, his coronation sparked two other claimants to vie for the English throne: Harald Hardrada of Norway and Duke William of Normandy. O

Alesia (52 BCE) On 30 September-3 October 52 BCE, the Battle of Alesia was fought between the Romans under Julius Caesar and the Gauls under Vercingetorix during the Gallic Wars. Why did it happen? In 58 BCE, the Romans, under Gaius Julius Caesar, began the conquest of Gaul (modern-day France). By 53 BCE, Caesar had subdued most of Gaul from southern France to the North Sea Coast and had even invaded Britain twice in 55-54 BCE. However, in 52 BCE, a Gallic leader named Verci

Gaugamela (331 BCE) On 1 October 331 BCE, the Battle of Gaugamela was fought between the Macedonians under Alexander the Great and the Persians under Darius III during the Wars of Alexander the Great. Why did it happen?   In 359 BCE, Philip II became king of Macedon in northern Greece. A highly ambitious monarch, Philip sought to unite Greece in a crusade against the Persian Empire. Philip defeated the Greek city-states at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE, but upon Philip's

Born : 20 May 1808. Died: 8 June 1888. Duncan Cameron (1808-1888) Duncan Cameron was probably the most capable general in the British army during the New Zealand Wars. A veteran of the Crimean War, he came from a distinguished family who had served in the British army since 1745. Although his enemies criticised him for his cautious approach to conducting military campaigns, he was among the first to admit that he had no real solution to the problem of the modern pa. Ultimate

Far Drop (303 HE) In 303 HE, the Siege of Far Drop was fought on the Brink between the Aeropans under Duke Skyheed and the Sky Pirates under Barter during the Aeropan-Sky Pirate War. Why did it happen?   When Captain Phoenix rebelled against the Aeropans and founded the Sky Pirates in 300 HE, he recruited many of his men from Far Drop, a town in a massive cave called Pirate’s Cove. Hidden from the Aeropans for most of its history, Far Drop was led by the Lurker Barter, who de

Aeropa City (303 HE) In 303 HE, the Siege of Aeropa City was fought on the Brink between the Aeropans under Duke Skyheed against the Sky Pirates under Captain Phoenix during the Aeropan-Sky Pirate War. Why did it happen?   Aeropa was a city-state located on the Brink. Led by Duke Skyheed and Chancellor Ruskin, the Aeropans began a Dark Warrior Program in 300 HE to turn the tide of their war against the Metal Heads. However, when the commander of the Aeropan Air Forces, Phoeni

The Incredible Shrinking Man (left) & The Kybalion (right). The 1957 film The Incredible Shrinking Man  is widely regarded as one of the best science fiction films of the 1950s. The film is considered significant due to its ending, which touches upon important themes, principally metaphysics and humanity’s place in the cosmos. Indeed, the themes expressed, such as the relationship between the macrocosm and microcosm, have parallels with the ancient philosophy of Hermeticism,

Born:  1767. Died:  27 November 1849. Te Rauparaha (1767-1849) Te Rauparaha is one of New Zealand’s most famous historical figures. Dubbed the “Napoleon of New Zealand”, his military campaigns during the Musket Wars changed the entire tribal structure of the North and South Island forever. Through his conquests, he created the nearest thing to a Maori empire with territory that straddled both sides of the Cook Strait. However, even he was powerless to stop the growing encroac

Changping (260 BCE) In 260 BCE, the Battle of Changping was fought between Qin under Bai Qi against Zhao under Zhao Kuo during the Warring States Period. Why did it happen?   The Warring States Period (476-221 BCE) was an era of continual warfare between feudal Chinese kingdoms. By the third century BCE, seven kingdoms vied for power: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin. Following the decline of Wei after the Battle of Maling in 341 BCE, Qin gradually asserted its dominance

The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Timeline. Throughout recorded history, there have been recurring patterns where men and women have tried to recreate human society based on the partnership social structure that existed before the rise of dominator societies in the fifth millennium BCE. Two historical movements have been chosen to show that the desire for peace and harmony between men and women is not merely wishful thinking. For example, during the twelfth century in southern Fr

Born: 69 BCE. Died: 12 August 30 BCE. Cleopatra (69-30 BCE) Cleopatra is undoubtedly one of the most famous women in all of history. Although most famous for her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, she was also a very intelligent woman and a shrewd politician who was popular with her Egyptian subjects. According to Plutarch, it was her charm, intelligence, and sweet voice rather than her physical beauty that made Caesar and Antony fall in love with her. Indeed,

A Holistic View of the Four Loves report. “It matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love or how you love, it...

Pumping Station (300 HE) In 300 HE, the Battle of the Pumping Station was fought outside Haven City between the Krimzon Guard under Ashelin Praxis against the Metal Heads under Metal Kor during the Metal Head Wars. Why did it happen? When Mar I fell in battle against the Metal Heads, he was buried inside a secret tomb with the Precursor Stone to safeguard it until the day came when a new leader emerged to receive his legacy. During the reign of Baron Praxis, Krimzon Guard pa

Born: 19 December 1594. Died: 16 November 1632. Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632) Nicknamed “The Lion of the North”, Gustavus Adolphus is widely considered the father of modern warfare. Although most famous for his intervention in the Thirty Years War in 1630-32, Gustavus Adolphus's career started when he was only sixteen years old, fighting and learning the art of war through conflicts with Denmark, Poland, and Russia. In his battles, he emphasized flexibility and firepower ov

One Million Years B.C. (left) & The Chalice and the Blade (right). It seems a simple story. At first glance, it appears to be a series of fantasy films set in an alternate prehistory where humans coexisted with dinosaurs. Hammer Studios produced four films in the genre between 1966 and 1971: One Million Years B.C. , Prehistoric Women , When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth and Creatures the World Forgot . However, hidden behind the scantily clad cavewomen and stop-motion animated d

Marne (1914) On 5-9 September 1914, the Battle of the Marne was fought between the Allies under Joseph Joffre against the Germans under Helmuth von Moltke during the First World War. Why did it happen? On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated by Serbian nationalists in Sarajevo, Bosnia. On 28 July, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia, and Germany allied with Austria-Hungary before invading Belgium and Fra

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

Grunwald (1410) On 15 July 1410, the Battle of Grunwald was fought between the Teutonic Knights under Ulrich von Jungingen against the Polish-Lithuanians under King Wladyslaw Jagiello and Duke Witold during the Wars of the Teutonic Knights. Why did it happen? Founded in Acre in 1190 during the Third Crusade, the Order of Teutonic Knights moved to East Prussia in 1230 to convert the Pagans living around the Baltic Sea to Christianity. By the fourteenth century, the Teutonic K

Gondolin (510 FA) On 20-21 June 510 FA, the Siege of Gondolin was fought in Middle Earth between Angband under Gothmog against the Elves of Gondolin under Turgon during the Wars of Beleriand. Why did it happen? Founded in 104 FA by Turgon under the inspiration of Ulmo, the city of Gondolin was one of the greatest kingdoms of Elves during the First Age. Protected by the Encircling Mountains and guarded by the Eagles of Thorondor, the city was largely unknown to Morgoth for mos

Manoeuvre warfare is the movement of forces to gain and keep the initiative over enemy forces while keeping them off balance. In his 1974...