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A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troops covering broad geographic areas. Although the term implies that battles are typically fought in a field – an open stretch of level ground – it applies to any type of terrain on which a battle is fought. The term can also have legal significance, and battlefields may have substantial historical and cultural value—the battlefield has been described as "a place where ideals and loyalties are put to the test". Various acts and treaties restrict certain belligerent conduct to an identified battlefield. Other legal regimes promote the preservation of certain battlefields as sites of historic importance.

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Tyne and Wear

Battlefield

Location of a battle

County

Tyne and Wear

Known for

Location of a battle

A Journey Through Time

The story of Battlefield — from the archive to today.

Guide

Choice of battlefields

The occurrence of a battle at a particular location may be entirely accidental, if an encounter between hostile forces occurs with neither side having expected the encounter. Typically, however, the location is chosen…

Agreed battlefields

Although many battlefields arise in the course of military operations, there have been a number of occasions where formal conventions have ordained the nature and site of the battlefield. It has been suggested, on the…

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Geography and the choice of battlefield

Some locations are chosen for certain features giving advantage to one side or another. In the 1820s, General Joseph Rogniat, of Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armée, spoke at great length of the circumstances that make…

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Technology and the choice of battlefield

New technologies also affect where battles are fought. The adoption of chariots makes flat, open battlefields desirable, and larger fields than for infantry alone, as well as offering opportunities…

Legal implications

The concept of the battlefield arises at various points in the law of war, the international law and custom governing geographic restrictions on the use of force, taking of prisoners of war and the…

Location

The locations of ancient battles can be apocryphal. In England, this information has been more reliably recorded since the time of the Norman conquest. Battles are usually named after some feature of…

Battlefield preservation

Many battlefields from specific historic battles are preserved as historic landmarks. The study area of a battlefield includes all places related to contributing to the battle event: where troops…

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