Thread: Life This Day in History
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Old 04-11-2009, 06:53 AM   #308
Amnorix Amnorix is offline
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April 9

1241. At the Battle of Leignitz, Mongol forces rout the combined armies of Polish Duke Henry II. His Polish, German and Czech army also had a number of knights and other adjuncts sent in response to the call of the Pope in a desperate bid to stop the Mongol advance into Europe. Henry II is killed and his forces seriously routed.

What really demonstrates the hopelessness of divided Europe in facing the Mongols is that this army was routed by what was basically a Mongol diversionary force. Consisting of only two tumens, this force turns into Hungary and rejoins the main part of the invading Mongol army. Europe will soon be saved not by defeating the Mongols, but by the Mongols own political instability -- the arrival of word to the Mongols in Europe that their Great Khan has died, and a kurultai is to be held to select a new Great Khan.

As a result, despite their victory, this was the furthest west the Mongol army ever advanced.

1865. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant.

1940. Germany invades Denmark and Norway. The move is a brilliant strategic move by the Nazis, and a serious blow to the British, who were hoping to control Norway and among other things try to cut supplies of iron ore from Sweden to Germany to feed the Nazi war machine.

1942. American forces in the Bataan pensinsula pn the island of Luzon in the Phillipines surrender to the Japanese. Soon they will begin what will become known to history as the Bataan Death March.

1965. The Houston Astrodome opens and hosts history's first indoor MLB baseball game.
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