History Most indecisive battles in history

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The discussion centers on identifying historically indecisive battles, with participants suggesting various examples and debating the definition of "indecisive." Notable mentions include the Penobscot Expedition, the twelve battles of the Isonzo during World War I, and the Battle of Antietam, which was tactically inconclusive yet strategically significant. The conversation also highlights the nature of stalemates in warfare, particularly in World War I and the Vietnam War, where objectives often remained ambiguous. Overall, the thread emphasizes the complexity of determining indecisiveness in battles, suggesting that many engagements lack clear outcomes or decisive victories.
  • #31
The battle on the interpretation of quantum mechanics here on PhysicsForums, lasting many years already.
 
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  • #32
The great majority of battles are not decisive. So it would be better to look for series of indecisive battles. I'd say the peak of this was World War One, which was four years of one indecisive battle after another. It inspired the Russian Revolution as the Russians got tired of dying in indecisive battles. Then Germany surrended not from battlefield defeat but from the revolution spreading to Deutchland. There never was a decisive battle in the whole war. Especially considering the scale of the operation, that seems about as indecisive as you can get. Not only that, you could say that the war itself was indecisive as many believe it led directly to World War Two.
 
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  • #33
most major wars of the last 200 years came down to attrition, with victory going to the side with the most resources - from the Napoleonic Wars through WW1 and WW2

Germany was defeated on the battlefield in 1918

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Days_Offensive

Tannenburg and the Brusoliv offensive were also decisive WW1 battles
 
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