The U.S. Army Concepts Analysis Agency (CAA) Database of Battles contains information on more than 600 historical land combat battles and engagements that took place between 1600 AD and 1973 AD. Each record contains descriptive data, such as battle name, date, and location, the strengths and losses on each side, identification of the victor, temporal duration of the battle, and selected environmental and tactical environment descriptors.
Data Files
- CAA Database of Battles: Version 1990 (371 KB) – These are the original files distributed on CD-ROM by the National Technical Information Service. There are ten data files in Lotus 1-2-3 format (.wks) and a readme.txt file. For convenience we have converted the Lotus 1-2-3 files to Microsoft Excel using Stat/Transfer software.
- User Manual (27 KB) – This document describes the history of the CAA Database of Battles from print report to machine readable data. Copies of the earlier print reports are available in the additional documentation section below.
- Data Dictionary (68 KB) – This document contains definitions of the variables and coding scheme used in the CAA Database of Battles.
Additional Documentation
- Analysis of Factors that have Influenced Outcomes of Battles and Wars: a Data Base of Battles and Engagements (65.4 MB) – A comprehensive analysis in six volumes of the factors that have significantly influenced the outcomes of 600 major battles of modern history. Volume I includes the summary and introductory materials. Volumes II-VI present matrices and narrative summaries for the engagements, which are grouped chronologically by wars and campaigns within wars.
- Combat History Analysis Study Effort (CHASE) Data Enhancement Study (CDES) (24.5 MB) – This final report contains enhanced data and corrections of omissions, inconsistencies, and ambiguities for the 1984 study, “Analysis of Factors that have Influenced Outcomes of Battles and Wars.”
- Combat History Analysis Study Effort (CHASE): Progress Report for the Period August 1984-June 1985 (13.1 MB) – Describes work done on the Combat History Analysis Study Effort (CHASE) from August 1984 to June 1985. A data base on battles was coded into machine-readable form for analysis. The data were then summarized, examined for trends and interrelationships, and used to test hypotheses. The most appropriate topics for further investigation are also outlined.
- Data Base Error Correction (DBEC) (9MB) – This report contains correctional errors and omissions in a combat data base completed in 1984 and 1985 by the Historical Research and Evaluation Organization (HERO) for the U.S. Army Concepts Analysis Agency.
- Independent Review/Reassessment of Anomalous Data (IR/RAD) (15.6MB) – An independent review/reassessment of 61 battles in 8 campaigns of World War II and the Arab-Israeli Wars of 1967 and 1973 was conducted. This work will provide the U.S. Army Concepts Analysis Agency with a factual basis for determining the extent to which certain anomalies in the data contained in “Analysis of Factors that have Influenced Outcomes of Battles and Wars” are attributable to actual changes in combat dynamics, or whether they are more likely due to flaws in the database.
- New Engagement Data for the Breakpoints Data Base (2.6MB) – This report presents information in 96 data fields on 24 World War II combat engagements in Europe and North Africa in which forced changes in combat posture occurred.
Access Restrictions: UVA faculty, staff, and students.
Questions? Contact data@virginia.edu.