10 Most Effective Surprise Attacks in Military History

The surprise attack has been a cornerstone of military strategy throughout most of human history. While true surprise attacks are a little more difficult to coordinate on a mass scale in the modern age of warfare, they remain reference points for how to conduct the most effective kind of military campaign: the kind that minimizes your losses and maximizes the enemies’.

While many surprise attacks go on to achieve some level of fame, the most effective surprise attacks accomplish much more than that. They not only changed the tides of war but helped reshape the world and alter the course of history.

Related: Top 10 Poorly Planned Battles

10 Raid on the Medway (1667)

Strategically, the Raid on the Medway was a military masterstroke for the Dutch Navy. Through subterfuge and incredible maneuvering, they managed to navigate the hazardous Medway River and destroy the protective chain that the English used to deter naval assaults. By forging a path through an area the English felt was well-protected, the Dutch Navy was able to sink or steal some of their enemies’ most prized ships while they sat in their ports.

This surprise attack is also an example of incredible timing. The mighty Royal Navy was already hurting due to budget constraints caused by recent disastrous events. By taking advantage of the suddenly stationary ships, the Dutch exposed the weakened state of the English forces and lowered their military morale.^[1]

9 The Battle of Trenton (1776)

After a series of brutal defeats, General George Washington was forced to retreat into Pennsylvania and answer tough questions about the future of the Continental Army. Desperate for a win, Washington staged a surprise attack against Hessian mercenaries stationed in Trenton. Nobody expected Washington to launch an attack in New Jersey so quickly after a retreat, which is why Washington was able to kill or capture the Hessian forces while suffering few casualties.

While not a significant strategic victory, the Battle of Trenton gave civilians and enlisted men reason to believe that not all hope was lost. It was more of a moral victory but a historically effective one that would eventually be seen as a turning point for the American Revolution. You may know it best as the battle that inspired Emanuel Leutze’s “Washington Crossing the Delaware” painting.^[2]

8 The German Invasion of Ardennes Forest )Battle of the Bulge, 1944)

At the end of World War II, the French did what many great nations did after a military victory: prepare for the worst. Specifically, they recognized that there would be little to stop the Germans from launching another assault on France should they choose to do so. So they organized an incredible series of defenses that became known as the Maginot Line. The line’s biggest weakness was in the Ardennes Forest region, though that was considered to be impassable for a large-scale invasion.

Yet a combination of perseverance, strategic maneuvering, and technological innovations allowed the Germans to march a massive force—including tanks—through Ardennes Forest. Germany’s surprise approach allowed them to subvert the French’s best defensive efforts and effectively take control of the country shortly thereafter.^[3]

7 The Battle of Lake Trasimene (217 BC)

Tasked with taking on the mighty Romans, the great Carthaginian general Hannibal decided to use the Roman’s confidence against them. He baited the massive Roman army by sending small groups of troops to confront the Romans before quickly retreating. The Romans gleefully pursued the annoying groups of soldiers down a path near the Lake Trasimene area.

There, Hannibal forced the Romans to navigate a slender road, trapped them between natural barriers, and ambushed them from the flank and rear with a massive force that the Romans had not anticipated. The attack resulted in the capture or death of over 20,000 Roman soldiers. It was executed so quickly that it allowed Hannibal to press his advantage against the Roman army simply because the Romans didn’t yet know he even had an advantage to work with.^[4]

6 Operation Focus (1967)

While the Six-Day War of 1967 may not sound like a major conflict, its short duration can largely be attributed to the effectiveness of the surprise attack known as Operation Focus.

Fearing a pending invasion by Arab forces, Israel decided to preemptively strike against the superior Egyptian Air Force. On June 5, 1967, they launched a surprise assault against numerous Egyptian airfields. While many Egyptian planes were destroyed during the bombings, the real damage was done to the airstrips themselves. With help from a new kind of bomb, Israel was able to ensure the Egyptian planes they couldn’t destroy would have no runways to take off from.^[5]

5 The Battle of Aqaba (1917)

The port at Aqaba was a tempting target for British forces in World War I. If captured, it could help the British coordinate with local forces and deny the Ottomans a crucial staging point. The problem was that Aqaba was well-guarded by natural barriers that made an assault on the city less desirable than the benefits of capturing it.

At least, that was the official word. T.E. Lawrence had other plans. Rather than wait for full, official support, he participated in a grueling trek across 600 miles of desert to assault Aqaba from its most vulnerable side. The hubris of the mere attempt caught Ottoman forces off-guard. The captured port ended up being incredibly valuable to the British’ subsequent efforts in the region and invaluable to the legend of T.E. Lawrence.^[6]

4 The Battle of Teutoburg Forest (AD 9)

As General Varius was leading the Roman army on a campaign against Germanic tribes, one of Varius’s top advisors in the region—Arminius—informed him of an opportunity to launch an attack in Angrivarii territory. Unbeknownst to Varius, Arminius had baited Varius and his troops into an attack by a massive coalition of tribes that Arminius helped organize.

Varius’s forces were almost entirely wiped out during the surprise attack, and Varius committed suicide shortly thereafter. It was a devastating military defeat that arguably had a greater impact at home. The Roman people, including Emperor Augustus, struggled to process how such a thing could happen to such a mighty conquering army. The fallout of the fight would gradually shape Europe’s power and cultural dynamics for centuries to come.^[7]

3 MacArthur’s Landing at Inchon (1950)

The early days of the Korean War couldn’t have gone much worse for South Korea and its allies. North Korean forces had marched through South Korean territory with relatively little resistance. They had South Korean troops backed into a corner when General MacArthur suggested something seemingly absurd. He believed that UN forces should go behind enemy lines to attack the well-protected city of Inchon (now Incheon). If it worked, the invasion would divide North Korean forces and interrupt their supply chains. Few thought it would work.

Yet, thanks to an effective misinformation campaign bolstered by brilliant naval maneuvering, UN forces were able to take Inchon. The invasion practically changed the war overnight and is considered to be one of the most effective military operations in U.S. history.^[8]

2 The Tet Offensive (1968)

The Tet Offensive was not a unique military maneuver. By attacking high-population, high-value targets during a holiday (Lunar New Year) and at a time when their enemies felt they were weak, the Vietcong hit South Vietnamese and U.S. forces with a haymaker when they weren’t even looking for a sucker punch. It was a coordinated and overwhelming assault that shocked the world.

That’s what really makes this one of the most effective surprise attacks in fairly recent military history. While the Vietcong were repelled, the cost, casualties, and generally shocking nature of the assault soon became known to a wide audience. The Tet Offensive helped change the popular public perception about whether this war was “winnable” for the U.S. Interestingly, the Vietcong had initially hoped the attack would dishearten the South Vietnamese population.^[9]

1 The Battle of Pliska (AD 811)

Led by Emperor Nicephorus I, the Byzantine Empire army invaded Bulgaria and proceeded to lay waste to much of the region. Khan Krum of Bulgaria tried to broker peace with the Byzantines, but Nicephorus rejected the proposals with little consideration. The Byzantine’s victory seemed to be as inevitable as it was total. Unbeknownst to Nicephorus, though, Krum and his people had been laying a series of traps alongside the strategically valuable Varbitsa Pass.

When the Byzantines marched through the Varbitsa Pass, they quickly discovered that they were trapped on both ends and had left themselves open to an assault by the Bulgarian forces. With a single maneuver, Khan Krum wiped out most of the Byzantine forces, including Emperor Nicephorus. Krum even had Nicephorus’ skull turned into a cup (as was the fashion at the time).^[10]