When it comes to the world of war, underdogs have a magnetic pull—think of the Celtic Iceni led by Boudicca or the legendary Spartans at Thermopylae. Whether they leveraged clever tactics, unexpected technology, or sheer grit, these smaller forces managed to carve out victories that still echo through history. Below you’ll find the ten most remarkable examples of 10 military underdogs who turned the tables on massive foes.
Why These 10 Military Underdogs Stand Out
Each story on this list showcases a blend of daring strategy, bold leadership, and a dash of luck that allowed a modest force to outwit, outmaneuver, or outright crush a far larger opponent. From colonial India to the seas of Korea, these battles prove that numbers aren’t everything.
10 British East India CompanyBattle Of Assaye
Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, once described the Battle of Assaye as “the bloodiest for the number that I ever saw.” Fought during the Second Anglo‑Maratha War, the clash pitched roughly 6,500–10,000 British troops against a staggering 40,000–50,000 Maratha warriors. Flawed intelligence had the British marching to the wrong spot, only to discover an enemy far larger than anticipated. Yet Wellesley, a battlefield genius more than a planner, swiftly reordered his men, opting for a rapid strike instead of waiting for reinforcements under Colonel Stevenson, whose forces were miles away.
The decisive factor turned out to be the Maratha commanders’ disbelief that Wellesley would attack while outnumbered. Caught off‑guard, the Maratha army collapsed, losing between 5,000 and 6,500 men, while the British suffered about 1,500 casualties. Decades later, the Duke of Wellington reflected that his triumph at Assaye remained his crowning achievement.
9 King David IV And The Georgian ArmyBattle Of Didgori
Known as David the Builder, King David IV of Georgia rose to power at just sixteen and faced the formidable Seljuq Turks, who had dominated much of his realm. Determined to end the occupation, David rallied feudal lords, mustered an army, and set his sights on reclaiming Tbilisi, a city held by Muslims for nearly five centuries. While Georgian chronicles inflate the numbers, modern scholars estimate roughly 56,000 troops marched to the foothills of Mount Didgori, confronting an enemy that may have numbered between 100,000 and 250,000.
In a move reminiscent of Stalin’s Order No. 227, David ordered his men to block any retreat, barricading the path with trees and boulders. He then dispatched 200 heavily‑armed cavalry under the guise of deserters to infiltrate the Seljuq leadership. The ruse succeeded, the Seljuq commanders were slain, and morale plummeted. The ensuing three‑hour battle saw the Turks suffer heavy losses while the Georgians emerged relatively unscathed, paving the way for the capture of Tbilisi and a revived Georgian capital.
8 Mexican ArmyBattle Of Puebla
Picture Puebla, Mexico, in 1862. President Benito Juárez grappled with a crushing foreign debt that prompted Britain, France, and Spain to demand payment. While Britain and Spain withdrew after negotiations, Napoleon III of France pressed on, aiming to install a Mexican empire. After seizing Veracruz, the French set their sights on Puebla, a fortified city standing between their forces and Mexico City.
Six thousand French soldiers marched against a ragtag Mexican garrison of roughly 2,000 men—well below the classic 3:1 ratio for successful sieges. Yet the Mexicans held firm from sunrise to dusk on May 5, inflicting casualties five times higher than the French, who lost about 500 troops. Although the French eventually captured Puebla a year later, the battle sparked a surge of national pride, later commemorated as Cinco de Mayo, a holiday more celebrated in the United States than Mexico itself.
7 Croatian National GuardBattle Of Vukovar
Following the death of Yugoslav leader Josip Tito in 1980, the federation fractured, prompting Serbian nationalists to tighten control from Belgrade. Croatia declared independence on June 25, 1991, but conflict erupted quickly. By August, Serbian forces, numbering around 36,000, advanced on the strategic border town of Vukovar. The Croatian defenders—just 1,800 soldiers bolstered by civilian volunteers—stood their ground for 86 harrowing days.
Despite exhausting their ammunition and receiving no reinforcements, the Croatians inflicted heavy casualties, nearly double those suffered by the Serbs. When the city finally fell, the aftermath was grim: 200 Croat refugees were executed in the city hospital, and widespread ethnic cleansing followed. The siege of Vukovar remains a stark reminder of the human cost behind daring underdog resistance.
6 English TroopsBattle Of Crecy
Although less famed than Agincourt, the 1346 Battle of Crecy reshaped the Hundred Years’ War. King Edward III spent fourteen years perfecting an army of longbowmen, a weapon many contemporaries dismissed as merely defensive. When the English fleet landed on the French coast, roughly 10,000 men faced a French force nearly three times larger. Overconfident, King Philip VI even drafted a list of English knights he intended to capture.
The English longbow proved a game‑changer, firing six to seven arrows per minute—far outpacing the French crossbow. The French, unprepared for such a barrage, fell into chaos. Cavalry charges met with a wall of arrows, and retreating foot soldiers were cut down ruthlessly. By nightfall, French casualties topped 10,000, while English losses were comparatively modest. Crecy demonstrated how innovative weaponry could tip the scales in favor of a numerically inferior force.
5 Irish UN TroopsSiege Of Jadotville
In 1961, newly admitted UN member Ireland sent its first peacekeeping detachment to the Katanga province of the Congo. The contingent, comprising 158 lightly‑armed Irish soldiers (alongside Swedish and Indian troops), was tasked with defending the mining town of Jadotville against a hostile force of 3,000–5,000 Katangan militia and Belgian mercenaries.
Utilizing well‑dug trenches, precise rifle fire, and timely mortar strikes, the Irish held off the attackers, inflicting roughly 1,300 casualties while sustaining only five wounded themselves. Exhausted ammunition forced commander Pat Quinlan to negotiate a cease‑fire, a move some in Ireland later branded a surrender. Decades on, the actions of the Jadotville garrison have been re‑examined, and their bravery celebrated, especially after fellow soldier John Gorman championed their legacy.
4 Swedish SoldiersBattle Of Fraustadt
While the Battle of Narva often steals the spotlight, the 1706 clash at Fraustadt remains a testament to Swedish tactical brilliance during the Great Northern War. Encircled by Russia, Denmark‑Norway, and Saxony‑Poland, Sweden’s youthful King Charles XII still managed to secure victories. At Fraustadt, roughly 9,000 Swedish troops faced an entrenched force of 18,000 Saxons, Russians, and mercenaries.
Swedish General Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld recognized a decisive cavalry advantage—nearly three to one—and executed a classic pincer movement. Swedish horsemen swept around the enemy flanks, striking the rear of the main line. The opposing army collapsed, suffering about 16,000 casualties, while Swedish losses numbered just over 1,000. In the aftermath, around 500 Russian prisoners were executed as retribution for prior atrocities in Courland.
3 Eastern Jin SoldiersBattle Of Fei River
The Battle of Fei River in 382 stands as one of China’s pivotal confrontations. The Eastern Jin dynasty, defending the south, faced the northern Former Qin empire, whose forces allegedly numbered 800,000 against the Jin’s modest 80,000. In reality, the Qin army consisted largely of conscripts with little loyalty, poorly equipped and trained, while the Jin troops were seasoned under General Xie Xuan.
When the Qin army approached the dried‑up Fei River, Xie Xuan requested a slight westward retreat to allow his forces to cross. The Qin emperor, Fu Jian, consented, but his troops interpreted the maneuver as a sign of defeat and panicked. Seizing the moment, the Jin launched a ferocious attack, annihilating the Qin army. Contemporary accounts speak of such carnage that the dead formed “pillows” for one another. The crushing loss precipitated a civil war that ultimately dissolved the Former Qin dynasty.
2 Polish InfantryBattle Of Wizna
The Battle of Wizna, often dubbed the Polish Thermopylae, saw a tiny garrison of roughly 700 soldiers (some historians argue as few as 360) defend a fortified line against a massive German force of about 40,000. The clash began on September 7, 1939, as the Wehrmacht unleashed its blitzkrieg tactics on Poland.
Polish commander Władysław Raginis vowed to hold every defended position to the last. However, after days of fierce fighting, ammunition ran dry and no reinforcements arrived. German General Heinz Guderian threatened to execute all Polish POWs unless they surrendered. Reluctantly, Raginis ordered his men to abandon the bunker; one survivor, Seweryn Bieganski, later recalled the captain’s gentle urging before an explosion claimed his life. Though the Germans captured Wizna, the heroic stand bought valuable time for the Polish high command to regroup and continue resistance abroad.
1 Korean NavyBattle Of Myeongnyang
Admiral Yi Sun‑Sin, originally an army commander, first fought the Manchu nomads before becoming the naval chief of Korea’s Cholla district. After a treacherous plot led to his demotion, Yi was recalled to defend his homeland against a renewed Japanese invasion. With only twelve turtle‑ships left, he chose the narrow Myeongnyang Strait for a decisive encounter against an overwhelming fleet of at least 133 Japanese vessels.
Exploiting the strait’s treacherous currents and his ships’ superior design, Yi’s fleet decimated the Japanese, sinking 31 ships while miraculously losing none of his own. Unlike the Roman‑Carthaginian tradition of boarding, the Japanese attempted to board the Korean vessels, a tactic that proved futile against the heavily armored turtle‑ships. The stunning victory at Myeongnyang cemented Yi Sun‑Sin’s legacy as a naval genius and a quintessential underdog champion.