The hinges of battle: How change and incompetence have changed the face of history

Some battles were decided by genius, but more were decided by a quirk of fate that tipped the scales. The thrust of a spear, the blink of an eye, a single phrase or misinterpreted command is all it takes. Battles have shaped the course of history and decided the fate of mankind. From a brutal Attila the Hun who was defeated on the Catalaunian Fienls, to an overbearing French artillery colonel at Dien Bien Phu; from the stout walls of Constaninople to a skimpy wall at Rourke's Drift; from the sun of Austerlitz to the snows of Stalingrad, it was always an incident that decided the outcome of battle. This work takes a look at the many turning points of famous conflicts, especially at the minor incidents that decided the outcome, otherwise known as the hinge of battle.