With a POD any time from 5,000 BC to 1991 AD, what is the largest conceivable battle in territorial area, size of the armies involved, casualties, and longest duration?
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AHC: Largest single battle possible (Larger than Somme, Stalingrad, Tenochtitlan, Berlin, etc.)
- Thread starter Achaemenid Rome
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I'm thinking some kind of Battle of Constantinople, perhaps a WW2-like war between an industrialized, absolutely giant Persian Empire, and an industrialized, absolutely giant Roman empire ruling almost all of Europe. An expeditionary force from the Americas and India arrives to aid the Persians, an expeditionary force from East Asia arrives to aid the Romans. Extending this battle of Constantinople for years and years. Neither has naval supremacy so there's also a constant naval battle on both sides of the strait.
Then both the navy and Army would be involved. Sounds about right.
Accompanied by the air forces of each side, including Roman turboprops, such as the successful ground-attack aircraft Aquila-1927, and the earliest, experimental Persian jet fighters, such as the Satrap-87.
Not to mention, the famed Persian 351st Airborne Division "Xerxes' Revenge" which lands at Salmydessus in a cunning, yet risky attempt to encircle the Greeks for the last time...
Artaxerxes
Banned
One of the WW1 battles is probably a template, the Somme, Isonzo that sort of thing.
If it goes back and forth inside of and around a single city (e.g. Stalingrad), or a small stretch of river (e.g. eastern bend of the Somme), it's still a battle.
If we're wanting the highest numbers possible, surely something going on in China or India would be the best - possibly something related to the Chinese Civil War, or a rebellion even more destructive than An Lushan or the Yellow Turbans?
Earth Judicar
Banned
Humanity achieves a technonological breakthrough early and has achieved FTL capabilities by 100 AD and gets into a massive interstellar war with some alien species or another will millions of ships, billions of soldiers and pieces of equipment in single battles, etc...
In terms of area, something in the Pacific Ocean could count. E.g. the Japanese attack on Midway, which not only included naval forces hundreds of miles apart in the main fight, but also a Japanese attack on the Aleutians....
How about the Battle of Kyushu during Operation Downfall? From what I've read of Japanese preparations and the huge American casualty projections were made after Japanese strength was greatly underestimated, I think it's a potential candidate.
fi11222
Banned
Entire WWII takes place on Chinese soil. Germany helps the Nationalists, Russia helps the Communists and the US helps the Japanese.
At first, the US-backed Japanese are alone against a Communist-Nationalist coalition. Later on, seeing that the Nationalists are on the verge of beating the Japanese (only to turn on them once its done), the Communists switch sides to join the US-Japanese camp.
A 3 year-long battle of Shanghai ensues, 10 times the size of Stalingrad. District after district is taken and then lost and then re-taken by both sides. The whole civilian population is slaughtered, plus millions of peasant refugees.
At first, the US-backed Japanese are alone against a Communist-Nationalist coalition. Later on, seeing that the Nationalists are on the verge of beating the Japanese (only to turn on them once its done), the Communists switch sides to join the US-Japanese camp.
A 3 year-long battle of Shanghai ensues, 10 times the size of Stalingrad. District after district is taken and then lost and then re-taken by both sides. The whole civilian population is slaughtered, plus millions of peasant refugees.
Operation Unthinkable goes down and both sides try crossing the Elbe under fire.
Ritos
Banned
Now I want a time line of this, thanks a lot man, I didn't know what I was missing until know.
Ritos
Banned
The horror, even in alternate timelines, hordes from the east still crush the imperium.