Elite Island Skirmishers of the Mediterranean – Cretan Archers, Balearic and Rhodian Slingers
Heavy infantry is often the driving and decisive arm in ancient battles along with heavy cavalry charges to drive home the victory, but those who…
Why Was Alexander the Great’s Army So Formidable
War History online presents this Guest Piece from Turin Bridge Alexander the Great is one of the most legendary kings of all time: in a…
The Battle of Telamon: A Gaulish Army Trapped Between Three Roman Armies
The Romans and the Gauls had a bitter rivalry that lasted as long as any other in the world. One of the most humiliating events…
The Pros and Cons of Ancient War Elephants
Elephants are generally peaceful and majestic creatures but throughout history, their size and power were used with devastating results on the battlefield. With the adoption…
Commanding Thousands – Approaches to Generalship on Ancient Battlefields
Modern generals are granted access to a multitude of communication and information gathering technologies from satellite imaging to UAVs and infantry equipped with cameras. Ancient…
1571 Battle of Lepanto: The Pope’s Naval Crusade – Destroying the Ottoman Empire Naval Supremacy
The Ottoman Empire grew from being a minor power in modern Turkey to controlling much of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. By 1453, they…
The Siege of Malta Part 3 – Waiting For The Relief Forces and The Fall of St Elmo
Continues from Malta – The Greatest Siege in History Part 2- Defending St Elmo from the Ottomans The garrison of Fort St Elmo now faced…
How Caesar Defeated 250,000 Gaulish Warriors Coming At Them From Two Sides With Only 60,000 Legionnaires
Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars had been raging for over five years when his legions faced their greatest test at the double siege of Alesia, a…
Formidable Melee Weapons of Ancient Warfare
In modern warfare, hand to hand combat is a last resort, with combat knives coming out either in stealth missions or in extremely close quarters…
The Greatest Underdog Victories in Pre-Gunpowder Battles
Ancient and Medieval generals were often smart enough to avoid battle against a much larger force but throughout history there are many cases where much…
Malta – The Greatest Siege in History Part 2- Defending St Elmo from the Ottomans
Continues from Series: Malta – The Greatest Siege in History Part 1 … On the 18th May, 1565, the massive Ottoman armada anchored off the coast…
Series: Malta – The Greatest Siege in History Part 1
In the annals of warfare one reads of the clash of arms, the pitting of warrior against warrior, of tales of heroism, of endurance and…