January 30

Events - Wars & Conflicts

1648day.year

Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster and Osnabrück is signed, ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain.

On January 30, 1648, the Treaties of Münster and Osnabrück were signed, ending the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic.
Negotiated as part of the Peace of Westphalia, the twin treaties formalized Dutch independence after decades of rebellion against Spanish rule. The agreements granted the Dutch Republic sovereignty, lifted blockades, and regulated trade in contested regions. They also redefined European diplomacy by introducing principles of state sovereignty. The peace marked the decline of Spanish Habsburg power and the rise of the Netherlands as a major maritime and commercial power. These treaties reshaped political boundaries and set precedents for modern international law.
1648 Eighty Years' War Treaty of Münster and Osnabrück
1667day.year

The Truce of Andrusovo is signed, ending the Russian-Polish War of 1654-1667

The Truce of Andrusovo was signed on January 30, 1667, ending the long Russian-Polish War and redrawing eastern European borders.
Negotiations between Tsarist Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth concluded at Andrusovo near Smolensk. Under the agreement, Russia retained control of Left-bank Ukraine and Kiev, while Poland kept Right-bank Ukraine. The truce halted over a decade of brutal fighting and shifted the balance of power in Eastern Europe. It also affected the Cossack Hetmanate’s autonomy and trade routes along the Dnieper River. The settlement held for fourteen years and paved the way for later partitions of Poland.
1667 The Truce of Andrusovo Russian-Polish War of 1654-1667
1789day.year

Tây Sơn forces emerge victorious against Qing armies and liberate the capital Thăng Long.

In 1789, Tây Sơn forces defeated Qing armies and liberated Thăng Long, marking a pivotal moment in Vietnamese resistance.
General Nguyễn Huệ led the Tây Sơn army in a surprise attack on Qing-occupied Thăng Long (modern Hanoi). Despite facing a numerically superior enemy, the Tây Sơn capitalized on local support and superior tactics. Their victory expelled foreign troops and restored Vietnamese sovereignty in the north. This triumph elevated Nguyễn Huệ’s status, eventually leading him to become Emperor Quang Trung. The battle demonstrated the effectiveness of guerrilla warfare and reshaped Vietnam’s political landscape.
1789 Tây Sơn emerge victorious Qing Thăng Long
1862day.year

American Civil War: The first American ironclad warship, the USS Monitor is launched.

In 1862, the USS Monitor, the first American ironclad warship, was launched, introducing revolutionary naval design during the Civil War.
On January 30, 1862, Union engineers launched the USS Monitor at the Continental Iron Works in Brooklyn, New York. Designed by Swedish-American engineer John Ericsson, the ironclad featured a low-profile hull and a revolving gun turret. This innovative design offered unprecedented protection and firepower compared to traditional wooden warships. The Monitor would soon engage the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia at the Battle of Hampton Roads, demonstrating its tactical advantages. Its launch marked a turning point in naval warfare, signaling the end of wooden ships and the dawn of armored navies. Although the Monitor sank later that year in a storm, its legacy endures in modern warship design.
1862 American Civil War ironclad warship USS Monitor
1939day.year

During a speech in the Reichstag, Adolf Hitler makes a prediction about the end of the Jewish race in Europe if another world war were to occur.

In 1939, Adolf Hitler warned the Reichstag that war would spell the end of the Jewish race in Europe.
During a Reichstag address on January 30, 1939, Adolf Hitler made his first explicit public threat to annihilate Europe’s Jewish population if another world war broke out. He blamed Jews for Germany’s past defeats and economic struggles, accusing them of provoking conflict to their own advantage. Hitler’s speech tapped into entrenched anti-Semitic propaganda that had underpinned Nazi policy since the party’s founding. The chilling prediction was widely reported and signaled a shift from discrimination to genocide in the regime’s agenda. It sowed fear among Jewish communities both inside and outside Germany, leading many to seek urgent emigration. Historians view this speech as a definitive statement of Nazi intentions that culminated in the Holocaust. The warning underscored the lethal stakes of Hitler’s expansionist ambitions and set a grim precedent for wartime atrocities.
1939 speech Reichstag Adolf Hitler prediction Jewish race world war
1942day.year

World War II: Japanese forces invade the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies. Some 300 captured Allied troops are killed after the surrender. One-quarter of the remaining POWs remain alive at the end of the war.

Japanese forces seized Ambon island during World War II, leading to the execution of hundreds of Allied prisoners.
In late January 1942, Imperial Japanese troops invaded Ambon, a strategically important island in the Dutch East Indies. The defenders, a mix of Dutch, Australian, and British forces, were overwhelmed by superior Japanese numbers and tactics. After the Allied garrison surrendered on January 30, around 300 captured soldiers were executed in mass killings later dubbed the Laha massacre. The survivors were forced into brutal captivity under harsh conditions, with many perishing from disease, malnutrition, and overwork. Only about one-quarter of the original prisoners would survive until liberation at the end of the war. The fall of Ambon underscored Japan’s rapid southward expansion and reshaped the Pacific theater’s strategic balance. The atrocity fueled Allied resolve to prosecute war crimes after victory. Ambon remains a somber symbol of the Pacific War’s human cost.
1942 World War II invade the island of Ambon Dutch East Indies
1944day.year

World War II: The Battle of Cisterna, part of Operation Shingle, begins in central Italy.

The Battle of Cisterna commenced on January 30, 1944, as part of Operation Shingle in Italy.
Operation Shingle was an Allied amphibious assault at Anzio aimed at outflanking German defenses and liberating Rome. On January 30, 1944, American and British forces launched an offensive to capture the town of Cisterna, a key German stronghold south of Rome. The assault relied heavily on U.S. paratroopers and armored units, hoping to exploit a breakthrough. However, German Panzer divisions quickly counterattacked, encircling and decimating the lightly equipped airborne troops. Fierce street fighting and entrenched defenses led to heavy casualties on both sides. The failure to secure Cisterna stalled the overall campaign and prolonged the stalemate at Anzio. Commanders on both sides reassessed their strategies in the face of brutal winter conditions and fortified opposition. The battle exemplified the challenges of combined arms operations in the Italian theater.
1944 Battle of Cisterna Operation Shingle
1945day.year

World War II: The Wilhelm Gustloff, overfilled with German refugees, sinks in the Baltic Sea after being torpedoed by a Soviet submarine, killing approximately 9,500 people.

The passenger ship Wilhelm Gustloff was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine in the Baltic Sea, resulting in one of history’s deadliest maritime disasters.
Originally built as a German cruise liner, the Wilhelm Gustloff was repurposed in January 1945 to evacuate civilians, military personnel, and wounded soldiers from East Prussia. Overcrowded with an estimated 10,000 people on board, the ship set sail in freezing winter waters toward safety. In the early hours of January 30, it was struck by three torpedoes fired by the Soviet submarine S-13. The frigid temperatures, limited lifeboats, and chaotic evacuation led to massive loss of life as thousands struggled in icy waters. Estimates of the death toll range up to 9,500, making the sinking the worst maritime catastrophe in recorded history. The tragedy remained largely overshadowed by other wartime events but has gained recognition in recent decades. Memorials and survivor accounts highlight the desperate flight of refugees at the war’s end. The Gustloff disaster stands as a poignant reminder of civilian suffering in conflict.
1945 Wilhelm Gustloff refugees Baltic Sea torpedoed Soviet submarine
1945day.year

World War II: Raid at Cabanatuan: One hundred and twenty-six American Rangers and Filipino resistance fighters liberate over 500 Allied prisoners from the Japanese-controlled Cabanatuan POW camp.

In 1945, American Rangers and Filipino guerrillas liberated over 500 Allied prisoners from the Japanese-controlled Cabanatuan camp in a daring raid.
In late January 1945, a joint force of 121 U.S. Army Rangers, Filipino Commonwealth troops, and local guerrilla fighters assembled to rescue Allied prisoners from Cabanatuan prison camp. The camp held survivors of the Bataan Death March under brutal Japanese custody in the Philippines. On January 30, the raiders executed a meticulously planned night assault, silently neutralizing Japanese guards and sentries. The mission leveraged surprise, precise timing, and intimate knowledge of the terrain provided by Filipino allies. Over 500 prisoners, weakened by disease and malnutrition, were guided through enemy lines to safety. The operation was completed without friendly casualties, showcasing exceptional coordination and bravery. Cabanatuan’s success boosted Allied morale and became one of World War II’s most celebrated rescue missions. It underscored the value of combined operations and local resistance efforts against occupying forces.
Raid at Cabanatuan
1959day.year

The forces of the Sultanate of Muscat occupy the last strongholds of the Imamate of Oman, Saiq and Shuraijah, marking the end of Jebel Akhdar War in Oman.

Sultanate of Muscat forces capture the final Imamate strongholds of Saiq and Shuraijah, ending the Jebel Akhdar War in Oman.
On January 30, 1959, the Sultanate of Muscat's military seized Saiq and Shuraijah, the Imamate's last fortified positions. This action brought a swift conclusion to the Jebel Akhdar War, a conflict rooted in internal Omani divisions. The war pitted the sultan’s modernizing regime against traditionalist tribal leaders under Imam Ghalib al-Hinai. British military advisers provided crucial support to the sultan’s forces. The victory solidified central control and paved the way for state-building efforts in Oman. It also marked the beginning of extensive modernization programs under Sultan Said bin Taimur’s successor.
1959 Saiq Jebel Akhdar War Oman
1968day.year

Vietnam War: Tet Offensive launch by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army against South Vietnam, the United States, and their allies.

Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launch the Tet Offensive, a massive surprise attack across South Vietnam, marking a turning point in the Vietnam War.
In the early hours of January 30, 1968, Viet Cong guerrillas and North Vietnamese Army units initiated the Tet Offensive. They struck more than 100 towns and cities, including Saigon and Hue, during the Lunar New Year holiday. The coordinated assault aimed to ignite popular uprising against the South Vietnamese government. Although militarily repulsed, the offensive shocked U.S. and allied forces with its scale and intensity. Graphic media coverage in the West eroded public support for the war effort. Tet became a strategic and psychological turning point, influencing U.S. policy toward Vietnam.
1968 Vietnam War Tet Offensive Viet Cong North Vietnamese Army
1972day.year

The Troubles: Bloody Sunday: British paratroopers open fire on anti-internment marchers in Derry, Northern Ireland, killing 13 people; another person later dies of injuries sustained.

British paratroopers open fire on anti-internment marchers in Derry, Northern Ireland, resulting in 14 civilian deaths in the Bloody Sunday massacre.
On January 30, 1972, British Army soldiers shot at unarmed civil rights protesters in the Bogside area of Derry. Thirteen civilians died on that day, and a fourteenth succumbed to injuries later. The march was protesting the policy of internment without trial in Northern Ireland. Bloody Sunday escalated tensions and recruitment for the Irish Republican Army. Initial government inquiries were widely criticized for exonerating the soldiers. Decades later, a landmark inquiry acknowledged that the killings were "unjustified and unjustifiable."
1972 The Troubles Bloody Sunday British paratroopers Derry