Shocking victory

A warlike encounter with a completely unexpected ending, where against all expectations the underdog won. They occurred before our era, and we know of such cases in modern times as well. Although the army had a significant numerical superiority, was armed with better equipment and counted on a certain victory, it still did not stand. In this book, the German historian presents a plethora of such reversals, including the Persian defeat of the Greeks at Salamis, Alexander the Great's victory in Asia Minor, the crushing defeat of the Hungarians on the field of Lesbos in 955, and the equally unequivocal victory of the Prussians against the Austrians in the 18th century, the Battle of the Marne in 1914, and the total debacle of the Americans on the Yalu River in Korea. The reasons why David won these battles against Goliath are, according to informed analysis, surprising, yet often clear. However, they were not at all clear to those who took part in these battles and expected the opposite result.