Cortés et la conquête du Mexique 1519-1521

In 1518, Velázquez put Cortés in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization. At the last minute, due to the old argument between the two, Velázquez changed his mind and revoked Cortés's charter. He ignored the orders and, in an act of open mutiny, went anyway in February 1519. He stopped in Trinidad, Cuba, to hire more soldiers and obtain more horses. Accompanied by about 11 ships, 500 men (including seasoned slaves), 13 horses, and a small number of cannon, Cortés landed on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mayan territory.

In May 1919, Cortés was ready to begin his march.

By July, he had captured and lost Tlaxcala, but had gained that people as an ally. With the native allied army at his rear, Cortés moved north.

In the last months of 1519, Cortés captured Tenochtitlan by surprise and when the Aztec emperor attempted to take back his capital city, the conquistadors held against all odds. It was now a race against time, could Cortés be reinforced before the city fell to another assault?

Late summer 1520, the Aztec emperor retakes his city as the spaniards marching to relieve Cortés are too late. Cortés survives but must hole up in a nearby fortress. 

In the following months, Cortés rejoin the rest of the Spaniards and prepares another attack on Tenochtitlan.

In July 1521, Cortés attacks, but most of his forces are tangled up with Aztec skirmishers on the way to Tenochtitlan. Nevertheless, with his crack spanish troops he attacks. The assault on the city fails and Cortés is killed, but his forces are mostly intact. Despite this failure, the Aztec empire has been crippled, yet it is a bitter stalemate for the Conquistadors. 

 

Operation Market Garden

Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944) was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. Airborne and land forces succeeded in the liberation of the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen, but failed in keeping their further positions in and around the city of Arnhem with its strategically important bridge over the river Rhine.

(This is a double blind game, with the perspective from the German side.)

September 17, 1944: The Germans scramble in response of multiple Allied airdrops. Grave falls to the enemy, as well as parts of Nijmengen and Endhoven. In the south, the Germans regroup in order to face off the attacks of 30 Corps. 

September 18, 1944: The Germans secure the outskirts of Arnhem and prepare a counterattack in the vicinity of Nijmengen. In the south, a stalemate continues, as XXX Corps is bogged down by the German defenses and no one has complete control of Eindhoven.

September 19, 1944: The Germans begin a massive counterattack between Arnhem and Nijmengen...

The results are inconclusive, but it is clear the situation is untenable for the British and American paratroopers. In the south, the Polish Brigade of Gen. Sosabowski is landed in the rear of German lines, in order to facilitate the advance of XXX Corps. In response, the Germans withdraw to the Wilhelmina Canal to form a new defensive line.

September 20, 1944: XXX Corps advances cautiously, as the Allies have not yet realized that the Germans have withdrawn. Meanwhile, the noose is tightened around the Allied paratroopers between Arnhem and Nijmengen. 

September 21, 1944: XXX Corps, assisted by the Poles and American 101st Airborne, reach the Wilhelmina Canal and are confronted by a staunch German defense. Any sort of attack if further complicated by the destruction of many bridges over the canal. As the weather has turned bad, all the paratroopers further north are now out of supply and the Germans take this opportunity to renew their attacks. Staring in the face of disaster, the Allied High Command calls off Operation Market Garden.

 The Allied perspective:

Patton's Vanguard

The Battle of Arracourt was a major clash between U.S. and German armored forces near the town of Arracourt, Lorraine, France, between 18–29 September 1944, during World War II. As part of a counteroffensive against recent U.S. advances in France, the German 5th Panzer Army had as its objective the recapture of Lunéville and the elimination of the U.S. XII Corps bridgehead over the Moselle River at Dieulouard. With local superiority in troops and tanks, the Germans anticipated quick defeat of the defending Combat Command A (CCA) of the U.S. 4th Armored Division. However, due in part to better American tactics and use of terrain, the 4th Armored Division's CCA, in concert with U.S. tactical air forces, defeated two Panzer Brigades and elements of two Panzer divisions in a series of engagements over an eleven-day period.

The German attack begins on the 18th.

By the end of the 18th, the German forces reached Hill 246 and it would be hotly contested the following days. American reinforcements streamed in, menacing an encerclement of the Germans.

On the 19th, German reinforcements stabilize the situation by threatening Hill 318 while the battle for Hill 246 rages on.

During the 20th, the Americans lose most of their forces in two ill-fated attacks on Hill 238, while elements of the second German Panzer Division tie up most of the remaining American units in Coincourt.

Marc'hallc'h, June 23 1591 (Avec Infini Regret II)

The Duke of Mercoeur, the governor of Brittanny, declared himself the protector of catholicism in his province and when Henry IV took the French throne, declared his independance. Mercoeur received Spanish aid and became the new leader of the Catholic League in France. Henry IV sent an army to bring Brittany back to the fold, but had to intervene in person to obtain the submission of the Duke, after the royalist defeat of Craon in 1592.

During the battle of Marc'hallc'h, the Duke of Mercoeur did not engage his cavalry reserve, undoubtedly to allow the Royal army to leave the the battlefield without too many losses. In doing so, he left the Spanish commander Aguila to face them on his own. Once again, Mercoeur played both sides: by weakening his Spanish ally whom he found took too much space and by sparing his adversary in case the future became bleak.

Aguila leads the League army down the slope towards the Royal army, stopping short to leave his forces a height advantage. Norreys marches his lines to face the League army.

Norreys attacks and Aguila counter attacks, leading to the former's death. As the central lines of both armies become a tangled mess, Guébriants leads his musketeers on the League's left to hammer the flank of the Royal Army.

The center of both armies collapses and Norreys is killed, but the Royal army has Bastenay and his cavalry to plug the gap, while Mercoeur looks on.

Bastenay charges the Spanish remnants under Aguila's second, Rodrigo. Both leader perish in the attack, but this is a major blow to the League center which no longer has a commander. The League right is pushed out of St. Jude by Dombes. 

With the League army in shambles and the Royal army exhausted, Mercoeur finally leaps into action. He captures the Royal army's artillery and hammers what is left of their effective forces. Unfortunately, his actions come too late and the Royal Army is victorious. (Royalists: 5 - League: 4)

Tempête sur Dixmude 1914

The Battle of the Yser was a World War I battle which took place in October 1914 between the towns on Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide along a 35-kilometre (22 mi) long stretch of the Yser river and Yperlee canal in Belgium. The front line was held by a large Belgian force which halted the German advance in a costly defensive battle. The Allied victory at the Yser stopped the German advance into the last corner of unoccupied Belgium but still left the German army in control of 95 percent of Belgian territory.

Victory at the Yser allowed Belgium to retain control of a sliver of territory, while making King Albert a Belgian national hero, sustaining national pride and providing a venue for commemorations of heroic sacrifice for the next century.

October 20th: The Germans attack the outskirts of the town, driving back the Belgian defenders. Only the intervention of French reinforcements prevents a complete German overrun. 

October 23th: Despite a vigorous French and Belgian counter attack to retake the outskirts of the city, the Germans soon have Dixmude nearly surrounded. 

October 25th: Feeling the town is impossible to take, the Germans attempt to find a gap along the Yser, but find the opposite bank well garrisoned.

October 29th: The stalemate continues and Dixmude is reinforced to the point of being unassailable without some heavy bombardements. Yet, despite the best efforts of the German heavy artillery, French counter battery fire proves suprisely effective. A visit from the King of Belgium bolsters the troops.

November 2nd: To break the stalemate, the Germans attempt to attack from the north, having crossed the Yser at another crossing, but do not manage to make any headway. The Belgians flood the Yser in response, preventing any further attack on their flank.

November 5th: The German continue the siege of Dixmude, but are unable to break the stalement, despite the withdrawal of the French heavy artilley.

November 8th: The besieged attempt a counter attack to break out of Dixmude, but German fire is too strong and they are easily pushed back. Despite this setback, the German find themselves still unable to attack the town and the stalemate persists. (Minor Allied Victory)