Greek Fire: Civil War in the “Cradle of Democracy” After WW2
War History Online Presents this Guest Blog From Alan G. Gauthreaux. A highly motivated and extremely determined Greek army descended on communist guerrillas on three sides…
Constantinople: Holding The Walls At All Costs
At dawn, the leaders of the defence gazed out west from the walls of Constantinople. The two Byzantine commanders, Bonus and Sergius, did not speak…
Mantinea: Greeks Killing Each Other to Pave the Way for Philip’s Conquest
Philip of Macedon conquered the Greeks, most of us know that, but how did he do it? These mighty Greeks faced huge numbers of Persian…
Arab raids on Rome: The Eternal City Saved by 600-Year-Old Wall
In the 8th century, a fractured collection of European kingdoms came under increasing pressure from the powerful united Caliphates of the rapidly developing Islamic world.…
The Viking Mercenaries of the Byzantine Empire – The Varangian Guard
The Byzantines Hired Viking Mercenaries as Guards The relationship between the Byzantine Emperors and their Varangian Guard was a complex affair. The Byzantines were first…
Roman Emperors Who Died in Battle, From The End Of The Roman Empire To Byzantium
Though Roman Emperors occasionally did fight while out on campaigns, it was often a major shock if they were wounded or killed. If an emperor…
War on the Terraces: The Nika Riots
First the stewards and then the riot squad had been unable to deal with the supporters when trouble flared on the stands, and eventually, after…
The Spartans Had Never Surrendered Until The Brutal Battle Which Changed The Course Of The War
It is often said that the Spartan warriors never retreated and never surrendered. They would fight to the death no matter the odds, and were…
Here Are Five Ways In Which We Know About the Roman Army
Given the circumstances, we know an amazing amount about the ancient Roman army. Over 1500 years after the fall of the Roman Empire fell, we…
Four Reasons Why Rome Fell – And How It Has Lived On
The Fall of Rome is a heavily debated topic with an extraordinary range of theories as to how such a great power ultimately fell, and…
4 Reasons Hannibal Couldn’t Win the War for Carthage
Hannibal Barca inflicted one of the worst defeats ever suffered by the Roman army at the battle of Cannae. Nearly 70,000 men were killed in…
The Battle of Leuctra: Crushing the Spartans and the Birth of the Echelon Formation
The echelon formation is a solid staple in the modern military and police world. Fighter jets use this diagonal formation to maintain visibility while maximizing…