Hitler Believed That D-Day Was a Feint
One of the most extraordinary things about the D-Day landings of 1944 was Hitler’s response. The German Fuhrer was utterly convinced the attack was a…
Japan’s Onin War – A Vital Moment In The History Of Japan
The Onin War was a vital moment in the history of Japan. It saw the collapse of central authority and the descent of the nation…
How the American Civil War Became a “Total War”
The Civil War mobilized American resources on a scale only matched in WWII. It brought unparalleled destruction to many people. How did an initially restrained…
A Costly Failure: Germany’s Failed Attempts to Infiltrate Allied-Occupied Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was one of the great reversals of WWII. It was followed by the failure of Nazi Germany’s attempts to put…
A Tale of Two Rebels: Allied Support for Desperate Partisan Resistance in World War Two
WWII was not just fought between regular armies. Wherever the Germans invaded, resistance movements sprang up to defy them. Backing those groups was an important…
Nine Reasons Why the South Lost the American Civil War
An extensive amount of effort has gone into studying the American Civil War. The reasons for the war and its outcome remain hotly debated. The…
Takayama Ukon: A Great Christian Samurai
Christianity was not common in feudal Japan. As a foreign religion, it was embraced by a small minority of people including some samurai who were…
The Careers of These Soldiers Were Transformed by the Arrival of Tanks
In 1917, a new weapon appeared on the battlefields of WWI. First developed by the British, the tank was adopted by both sides as they…
These Commanders Revolutionised Warfare In Their Time
From time to time, a commander emerges with a genuinely transformational approach to warfare. Here are some of those commanders. Phillip of Macedon Alexander the…
Allied Victory In The Hard-Fought Battle of Britain
The most famous aerial battle in history, the Battle of Britain was a hard fought and desperate struggle to hold back Nazi Germany. Having launched…
From the Vikings to Vietnam – Five Wars in Which Drugs Fuelled the Fighting
Drugs have a long history as part of war. These days, their main role is a medicinal one, but down the centuries they have often…
The Equipment of the Samurai – Fearsome Warriors Armed to the Teeth
Samurai were the elite warriors of feudal Japan; as dominant as knights were in Europe. Their equipment was as much a display of their status…