10 Surprise Attacks That Changed History

10 Surprise Attacks That Changed History

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at 10 Surprise Attacks That Changed History.

For this list, we’re examining sneak attacks that made a significant impact on world events, either in the moment or over time.

If there’s an ambush whose absence from our list ambushed you, surprise us with your picks in the comments!

Battle of Trenton

The American Revolutionary War did not begin auspiciously for the American colonists. The Continental Army suffered several defeats early on, leaving morale low and many felt victory was unlikely. But then, on Christmas and Boxing Day of 1776, General George Washington delivered a Christmas gift - a successful surprise attack. Under adverse weather conditions, Washington and a force of 2,000 men crossed the icy Delaware River and marched to Trenton, New Jersey. This completely caught the Hessian mercenaries stationed there off guard, as they did not expect an attack in such poor weather. The Hessians were defeated and many were captured. The victory at Trenton arguably saved the fledgling rebellion, as it inspired new recruits and allowed for the creation of the future United States.

Battle of Chancellorsville

Sticking with the United States, this attack occurred during the American Civil War. At Chancellorsville, Virginia, the Confederates faced a vastly superior Union force. Against conventional wisdom, General Robert E. Lee divided his forces. One of these divisions was a flanking maneuver among the trees. Lying in wait, this portion, led by General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, attacked while the Union men were eating dinner, catching them completely by surprise. Although the battle is often considered General Lee’s greatest victory, its mark on history is perhaps better seen in its aftermath. Jackson, Lee’s most popular general, died from injuries in the fighting, and he lost many men. Additionally, confidence in Union General Joseph Hooker was shaken and he was replaced before the decisive Battle of Gettysburg.

Operation Focus (The Six-Day War)

Basically since its creation, Israel has had tensions with its Arab neighbors. In 1967, these tensions escalated until the 5th of June, when Israel launched a surprise air strike on Egyptian airfields. The attack destroyed most of Egypt’s Air Force, and, when Jordan and Syria joined the conflict, Israel attacked their airbases too, destroying around 450 aircraft and achieving air supremacy for the duration of the Six-Day War. This preemptive strike essentially won Israel the war before it began. Operation Focus forced militaries around the world to reevaluate how they deployed aircraft on the ground. Israel’s territorial acquisitions during the war also sowed the seeds of conflicts in the Middle East for half a century (and counting).

Battle of Lake Trasimene

Hannibal of Carthage is famous for bringing his army through the Alps, even taking war elephants with him. The Battle of Lake Trasimene is where Hannibal’s extraordinary gambit bore fruit. After entering Roman Republic territory in Italy, Hannibal’s men killed many, leading Flaminius, the closest Roman General, to pursue him. Hannibal laid a trap at Lake Trasimene, where a narrow pass created a choke point against the nearby hills. As the Roman column passed through, the Carthaginian army of 50 thousand descended on them and annihilated nearly the entire Roman force. The defeat left the Romans on the back foot for the Second Punic War that followed, and historians often call it one of the most successful ambushes ever made by a large army.

The Visigoths’ Sack of Rome

Rome was sacked many times before the empire fell. But this one set the dominoes falling. In 410, Alaric the Visigoth laid siege to the city. Although it wasn’t unexpected, or even unprecedented, since Alaric had laid siege to Rome several times in the past few years. However, on this occasion, he and the Visigoths gained entry into the city, some say through treachery, and performed a sack on Rome. For context, the last time the city had fallen was around 800 years prior! The sacking sent ripples through both parts of the divided Roman Empire and illustrated to the world and to history that the Empire was on the decline.

Battle of Stamford Bridge

In 1066, King Harold Godwinson was expecting an invasion by the Normans in southern England. But when word reached him that 300 Norwegian ships led by his brother Tostig and King Harald Hardrada had landed in Yorkshire his priorities shifted. The Norwegian invaders were themselves surprised when King Harold managed to reach them from the other side of England to engage them in battle. The Viking attackers were defeated, and their king and Tostig killed. Although the battle is frequently cited as the beginning of the end of the Viking Age, the true cost came 3 weeks later when Harold fought William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. Had the losses not been so great at Stamford Bridge, William may not have conquered England.

Tet Offensive

On January 30th, 1968, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launched a wide-scale, coordinated attack on U.S. and South Vietnamese targets throughout South Vietnam. The fighting took place in over 100 locations across the country and was intended to inspire an uprising by the citizens and defections to the Communist North Vietnamese cause. The campaign, which lasted several months, was a failure for the North Vietnamese, at least on a military front. In light of greater calls by the American military for more recruits to combat the more intense fighting, the Tet Offensive rapidly eroded public support for the war among the United States public. It didn’t win the war in the short term, but it arguably did in the long term.

Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

December 7th, 1941. A date that would live in infamy. After months of rising tensions, Japan launched an unannounced, preemptive strike against the United States at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. 8 battleships were lost or damaged, as were many aircraft, and over 3,000 killed or wounded. The attack was intended to prevent the American fleet from retaliating against Japan for attacking their other holdings in the Pacific. The Americans delivered their own retaliatory surprise attack in the Doolittle Raid the following year, which significantly restored morale. However, the attack had historic consequences. It pushed the U.S. to enter WWII, dramatically affecting the outcomes of both the Pacific and European fronts. Pearl Harbor also arguably helped permanently shift American military policy from non-intervention to intervention.

September 11th

On September 11th, 2001, 4 passenger planes were hijacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists. 2 crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. A third struck the Pentagon in Washington D.C., while the 4th attack was foiled by passengers aboard Flight 93, at the cost of their lives. It’s the single deadliest terrorist attack in history, with nearly 3,000 killed and many more injured. But in the long term, the 9/11 attacks caused the United States to instigate a global campaign against terrorism, as well as a decades-long conflict in Afghanistan. Governments worldwide stepped up security measures against terrorism. And honestly, we’ve all been more fearful, anxious, and paranoid since that day.

1939 Invasion of Poland

On September 1st, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Through Blitzkrieg tactics, Germany rapidly overcame Polish defenses. And through their alliance with the Soviet Union, Germany managed to conquer Poland in just over a month. Poland was devastated, with thousands killed or wounded, and up to half a million captured. Poland was annexed by both aggressors. But that wasn’t even the worst of it - this invasion marks the beginning of WWII. The single largest armed conflict in the history of the world began here. The horrors that took place during this time, like the Holocaust, may not have been possible without it. And the wars that followed, including some on this list, can trace some of their roots back to this invasion.