Battle

A battle is a fight between two or more armies. The place where a battle takes place is called the battlefield. A war usually consists of a large number of battles. Often a single battle was very decisive in determining who won the war. Sometimes a battle even changed the whole of history.

Battles can be fought in the air as well as on the ground or on water. Then one speaks of an air battle, for example. Battles on the sea are a naval battle - a water battle, on the other hand, is a game for children.

Many battles were named after the place where they took place. The Battle of Gettyburg, for example, is so named because it was fought near the small town of Gettyburg in the US state of Pennsylvania.

Many battles became world famous and went down in history. Some buildings destroyed in battles were left standing as memorials. Monuments were usually erected at the places where the battles took place. In this way, no one forgets the men, women and children who lost their lives in battle.

The term "battle" originally meant "killing". "To slaughter an animal" still means to kill it today. This is where the expression "slaughterhouse" comes from. Today, in war, one therefore tends to speak of a battle.