21 October: Battles of Sekigahara, Trafalgar and Civetot

Quick answer

21 October carries three very different battles. At Civetot in 1096 a false rumor lured the People's Crusade into a Seljuk ambush on the road to Nicaea, and a wall built from their bones was still standing decades later. At Sekigahara in 1600 Kobayakawa Hideaki turned his 15,000 men against his own allies, and Tokugawa Ieyasu won in half a day the power his family would hold for more than two and a half centuries. At Trafalgar in 1805 Nelson signaled that England expected every man to do his duty, broke the Franco-Spanish line in two columns and was shot by a marksman in the enemy's rigging, dying as the victory was won.

The Battle of Sekigahara, 1600: the battle that made a shogun

21 October 1600 · 426 years ago

Tokugawa Ieyasu won Sekigahara on 21 October 1600 in a single day, after Kobayakawa Hideaki changed sides. A map, the numbers, the myths and the site now.

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Battle of Civetot, 1096: the end of the People's Crusade

21 October 1096 · 930 years ago

Near Civetot in Anatolia, the crusaders of the People's Crusade marched out of their camp and into an ambush by the Seljuk Turks. The poorly armed crusaders were overwhelmed, bringing the People's Crusade to an end.

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The Battle of Trafalgar, 1805: Nelson breaks two fleets

21 October 1805 · 221 years ago

Britain won a decisive victory at Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, when Admiral Horatio Nelson broke the combined fleet of France and Spain off the Spanish coast. Nelson was killed at the moment of triumph, but the victory ended, for a generation, any hope of challenging Britain at sea.

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Also on this day

In 1899, in the first weeks of the Boer War, General John French defeated a Boer force at Elandslaagte in Natal, and a charge by the 5th Lancers and the 5th Dragoon Guards turned the Boer retreat into a rout. The siege of Ladysmith that followed is told on our 2 November page.¹

In 1944 Colonel Gerhard Wilck surrendered Aachen, which became the first major German city to fall to the Allies.²

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 21 October in military history?

Three battles are linked to the date: the Battle of Civetot in 1096, where the People's Crusade was destroyed; the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which Tokugawa Ieyasu won; and the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleet and was killed.

What did Nelson's signal at Trafalgar say?

"England expects that every man will do his duty." Nelson wanted "confides", but his signal officer, John Pasco, suggested "expects" because it was in the signal book and could be sent faster.

How did Nelson die?

At about 1:15 pm a musket ball fired from the rigging of the French Redoutable hit his shoulder and broke his spine. He died below decks at 4:30 pm, and his last words were "Thank God, I have done my duty".

Did Kobayakawa's betrayal decide Sekigahara?

His attack on the Western flank, followed by Wakisaka Yasuharu and three other commanders, led to the Western Army's collapse. The story that Ieyasu fired at him to force his hand is traditional, but the historian Shiramine Jun argues he changed sides at the very start, which would make it a myth.

How many people died at Civetot?

No reliable total exists. Most of the crusaders were killed or captured, and Histories and Castles says fewer than 3,000 of Peter's followers survived.

Sources