Battlefieldfinder
This app gives you the historical location on the map of battles and sieges from antiquity to modern times in Europe, the Middle-East and northern Africa. Primarily, it makes it simpler for you to find battlefields and places that were once under siege. Just scroll the map on your phone or tablet, click on a battle sign and let the app show you the way to the place of your choice.
Furthermore, it conducts you to a webpage where you will find more and quite often much more information regarding the battle or siege.
Battlefields are important because they have a significant place in history, national or local consciousness and culture, expressed through art, literature, music and movies. Battles and sieges still play a part in the way we live now. And indeed it is often about the rise and fall of nations. But, much more about pain, suffering and sacrifice. For a cause where people believed in or, in many sad case, only their leaders believed in. The result is ‘guilty places’. Places where people fought and died and many still have their graves.
Anyway, battlefields are always places of remembrance. Regardless if it is to remember the birth of a nation, the defence of freedom, the fight for justice or the soldiers who fell.
What is more?
The app makes it possible to search in 10 different periods. You can search in each period separately or combine them as you like. Each period has its own colour, so on the map you can easily see in which period a battle or siege occurred.
Furthermore, the app tells you in which war or conflict a battle was fought or a siege was laid.
And you can search for battles and sieges in specific years, wars, conflicts and locations.
Where will you find the battle signs?
In case of a siege the location is of course the actual location of the town, castle or fortress that was besieged. But if this place ceased to exist than the location is given based on historical accounts, archaeological or scientific evidence. This will be the location mostly agreed upon or least disputed (alternative locations will sometimes be mentioned).
In case of a battle this is more difficult. Fortunately, most battles have been fairly well recorded and there exists little doubt about the place a battle was fought. On the other hand, for quite a few battles, mostly in ancient or medieval times, the exact location has been lost in time. But they are almost always named after a town, a village, a river, a hill or mountain in the vicinity of the action. When no particular information is available the battle sign will generally be placed on or near the town, village, river(bank) or mountain slope of which the battle bears its name. In these cases, you will sometimes find a note that says “exact location uncertain” on the information panel.
In later times battles became more and more large scale operations that stretched for many kilometres. In that case the battle sign will be placed on the location that is significant for that battle (e.g. where it started, where a crucial moment occurred or where there is physical evidence (e.g. a memorial plaque, a statue or visiting centre).
In a few occasions a battle that was actually fought is not mentioned in this app. Simply, because the location is so much disputed or there is no clue whatsoever.
Some of the engagements have different names in different languages. If so, the English language will be leading.