Pyrrhic Victory: Strategic Triumphs, Tactical Toll, Unveiling the Costs of Conquest

By Fouad Sabry

What is Pyrrhic Victory

A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Pyrrhic victory

Chapter 2: 270s BC

Chapter 3: 279 BC

Chapter 4: Pyrrhus of Epirus

Chapter 5: Battle of Heraclea

Chapter 6: Battle of Asculum

Chapter 7: Pyrrhic War

Chapter 8: Battle of Beneventum (275 BC)

Chapter 9: Battle of Avarayr

Chapter 10: Ascoli Satriano

(II) Answering the public top questions about pyrrhic victory.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Pyrrhic Victory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Jun 3, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Pyrrhic victory

A Pyrrhic victory (/ˈpɪrɪk/ ( listen) PIRR-ik) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat.

Such a win undermines any genuine sense of accomplishment or long-term progress.

The term is derived from a remark by Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose victory against the Romans at the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC decimated a significant portion of his army and forced the end of his campaign.

A Pyrrhic triumph is called for King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose army suffered irreplaceable losses in defeating the Romans during the Pyrrhic War at the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC and the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC. Plutarch relates in a report by Dionysius that, following the subsequent fight,:

The army dispersed, and it is stated that Pyrrhus responded to a man who congratulated him on his triumph by stating that one more such victory would entirely destroy him. For he had lost a large portion of the men he took with him, as well as practically all of his personal allies and key commanders; there was no one else to recruit, and he discovered the Confederates in Italy to be lagging behind. On the other side, as though from a spring perpetually flowing out of the city, the Roman camp was rapidly and aboundingly supplied with new recruits, whose courage was unaffected by their losses, and whose wrath gave them renewed will to continue the war.

— Plutarch, Life of Pyrrhus

In both Epirote wins, the Romans suffered more casualties than King Pyrrhus, but they had a larger pool of replacements, so their losses had less of an impact on the Roman war effort.

The report is frequently cited as:

Ne ego si iterum eodem modus vicero, nisi milite Epirum revertar. If I score another similar victory, I will return to Epirus without a single soldier.

— Orosius

or

If we win one more battle against the Romans, we will be entirely destroyed.

— Plutarch

This article contains examples of battles in which a Pyrrhic victory was achieved. It is not meant to be comprehensive, but to demonstrate the concept.

Battle of Asculum (279 BC), Pyrrhus of Epirus and Italian allies against the Roman Republic: the Romans could readily replace their ranks despite incurring twice as many casualties. He fled to Sicily after losing the majority of his commanders and a large portion of the men he had brought to Italy.

Battle of Avarayr (451), Vardan Mamikonian and Christian Armenian rebels versus the Sassanid Empire: the Persians won, but Avarayr was a crucial success for Armenians, since it prepared the path for the Nvarsak Treaty (484 AD), which guaranteed Armenian autonomy and religious freedom.

Siege of Szigetvár (1566), Ottoman–Habsburg wars: although the Ottomans won the siege, the Habsburgs ultimately prevailed, It can be considered a Pyrrhic victory due of the high number of Ottoman casualties, Assassination of Sultan Suleiman, The ensuing delay in the Ottoman push for Vienna in that year halted Ottoman advance in Europe.

Siege of Ostend (1601–1604), Eighty Years' War: for three years, the Spanish attempted to conquer this port from Dutch and English defenders, even as the Dutch expanded their holdings farther east, including the acquisition of the port of Sluis to replace Ostend, prior to capitulating. The massive expense and losses of the siege were compounded by Spain's following unsuccessful battle to reclaim the Dutch conquests; by 1607, the country was bankrupt. The resulting Twelve-Year Truce successfully established the Dutch Republic as a sovereign nation.

Action of Malplaquet (1709), War of the Spanish Succession: the battle was won by the Allies because Marlborough's army maintained control of the battlefield, although suffering twice as many fatalities as the French and being unable to pursue. The French army retreated in good order and practically unscathed, posing a formidable danger to future Allied operations.

The Battle of Gangwana (1741) was fought between 1,000 Rathore cavalry of Jodhpur and combined Mughal Empire troops, and Jaipur. Jaipur, with a force of 100,000 and hundreds of guns and artillery at Gangwana, prevailed despite suffering huge losses of 12,000 men and many more wounded.

Battle of Bunker Hill (1775), American Revolutionary War: after mounting three assaults on the colonial forces, the British won control of the Boston peninsula in the early stages of the war, but the engagement cost them many more casualties than the Americans had incurred (including a large number of officers), which helped American rebel forces; the political repercussions increased colonial support for independence.

Encounter of Guilford Court House (1781), American Revolutionary War: in this brief battle, the outnumbered British force defeated an American army; the British lost a significant number of troops, and their efforts to take the southern colonies were derailed.

Battle of Chancellorsville (1863), American Civil War: General Robert E. Lee separated his army in the face of Union General Hooker's bigger force; this audacious tactic allowed the Confederate army to prevail against a numerically superior foe.