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In 200 BC, the Han court, led by Emperor Gaozu, launched an expedition against the Xiongnu (a group of nomadic tribes) in response to incursions into Chinese lands. The Han forces, reportedly over 300,000 strong (almost certainly exaggerated, modern estimates are 20,000-40,000), suffered a major defeat after being ambushed and surrounded at Baideng for seven days.

Following this fiasco, the Han court shifted its strategy toward a policy of "peace and kinship" (heqin), which involved sending Chinese princesses and annual shipments of silk, grain, and wine to the Xiongnu in exchange for peace.

Relative peace lasted for decades (despite ongoing raids into Chinese borderlands). However, starting from the reign of the seventh Han ruler, Emperor Wu, the foreign policy of the Han Empire began to change from being relatively passive to seeking to permanently remove the northern threat. This would eventually lead to the Xiongnu collapsing over time. By the 1st century AD, they would split: the Southern Xiongnu became Chinese vassals, while the Northern Xiongnu were driven westward or absorbed by other tribes.

I’m sorry this art isn’t very high resolution, if anyone can find a higher quality version I’d appreciate it

Magdhaba was strategically important because it was a fortified Ottoman position with access to scarce water supplies. In the desert, control of water sources could determine whether an army could advance or even survive. British Empire forces, including Australian, New Zealand, and British troops, moved across the desert in a difficult night march to surprise the Ottoman defenders. Their force included mounted infantry such as the Light Horse and Camel Corps, units that rode to battle but fought on foot once they arrived. The Ottoman garrison, smaller in number but strongly positioned, had built trenches and defensive redoubts that made the attack much harder than the attackers first expected.

The battle itself involved slow and determined fighting. When the British Empire troops reached Magdhaba at dawn, they found that the Ottoman positions had been cleverly concealed and were more strongly defended than anticipated. The attackers advanced under fire while their horses began to suffer from lack of water. At one point, the situation looked uncertain enough that the commander considered withdrawing. Instead, the attackers continued to press forward, gradually surrounding the Ottoman positions and capturing the defensive works one by one. By late afternoon, the Ottoman garrison had collapsed and surrendered.

The outcome was a clear victory for the British Empire forces. Ottoman casualties were heavy, and more than a thousand prisoners were taken, while Allied losses were comparatively light. What was shown by the battle is that desert warfare required speed, endurance, coordination, and careful supply planning. It also highlighted the usefulness of mounted infantry tactics in a wide open environment where mobility could be decisive. The victory helped secure El Arish (captured without a fight before the battle, but the victory secured the area and made holding it viable) and the Sinai in general and opened the way for further advances toward Palestine, making it a significant step in the broader campaign against the Ottoman Empire.

In the early 1590s, Cambodia was under heavy pressure from its powerful neighbor Siam (modern Thailand), whose ruler Naresuan launched invasions that overran Cambodian territory and undermined the position of King Satha I. Amid internal conflict and external threat, Satha sought allies abroad, eventually drawing in Iberian adventurers such as Blas Ruiz de Hernán Gonzáles and Diogo Veloso, who promised support in exchange for influence.

From Manila in the Spanish East Indies, an expeditionary force was assembled. It included Spanish soldiers, recruits from New Spain (Mexico), Filipino troops, and even Japanese mercenaries. Its mission was to support Satha and potentially expand Spanish influence in the region, with Christianization also being a part of the broader imperial ambition.

By the time the Iberian force reached Cambodia in 1596, the kingdom was already in turmoil. The Siamese had captured the capital Longvek in 1594, and Cambodian factions were competing for power. In 1597, Ruiz and Veloso helped install Barom Reachea II as king, though their success remained limited. In return, the young ruler granted the Iberians rights over provinces along the Mekong River and permission to build a fort. The arrangement proved unstable. In 1599, further reinforcements from Manila were scattered by storms, and Malay, Cham, and Cambodian forces aligned with rival interests launched a counterattack that destroyed much of the Iberian and Portuguese presence, killing Veloso among many others. The Spanish plan to gain a foothold in Cambodia and promote Christianity collapsed, and Siamese influence soon reasserted itself.

Artist is Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau

The Battle of Salamanca, fought on July 22, 1812, was one of the most important British victories of the Peninsular War. On the battlefield, Arthur Wellesley, later known as the Duke of Wellington, faced off against French forces under Marshal Marmont. During the battle, Marmont made the crucial mistake of stretching his forces too far while trying to outflank his opponent. Wellington quickly recognized the opening and launched a sudden attack against the exposed French flank. The French command then fell into confusion, especially after Marmont was wounded early in the fighting. The Allied assault broke through French lines and turned the battle into a decisive defeat for the French army. The battle forced the French to abandon large parts of Spain, including Andalusia. It’s also often seen as one of Wellington’s finest tactical achievements because of how quickly he exploited Marmont’s mistake.