Early Modern | War History

The Causes Of The English Civil Wars – Some Of The Most Destructive Conflicts In British History

By Guest Blogger Jemahl Evans The English Civil Wars (there were three, involving all the nations of the British Isles) were some of the most destructive…

The United States Navy’s First Submarine – Lost at Sea

The USS Alligator was the first known submarine of the United States Navy. But it wasn’t the first American submarine. That was the “Turtle,” a…

Things to Know About Spies in the American Civil War Including the Secret Line

The use of spying in the American Civil War was widespread. Neither the North or the South had a centralized agency to handle these matters.…

Who Is Cooter Brown and What Does “Drunker Than Cooter Brown” Mean?

Have you ever heard the phrase “Drunker than Cooter Brown”? If you haven’t, now’s your chance to learn it and if you have, you’ll find…

The Battle of Edgehill, October 1642 – Both Commanders Hoped to Force Battle

War History Online presents this Guest Article by Jemahl Evans Everyone thought it would all be over by Christmas. Everyone expected a single sharp engagement and…

The Mysterious Death of the Legendary Confederate General Stonewall Jackson

While the Battle of Chancellorsville was Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory, it was the beginning of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s ultimate defeat. On May 2, 1863, Confederate…

The Battle Of Marignano: The Reason For Almost 500 Years Of Swiss Neutrality

In November of 2016, Switzerland will have had a strict policy of neutrality for five centuries. Even during the World Wars, Switzerland was able to…

An Age Of Brutal Conflicts – The Vikings and The Franks

Andrew Knighton

Two great military forces dominated Europe in the 9th century. On the mainland was the Frankish Empire, a kingdom covering modern France and much of…

Fighting For Favor, Fighting For Fame – Recruiting Armies In The Unforgiving World Of Medieval England

Andrew Knighton

Recruiting an army could be a difficult business in the Middle Ages. Most people’s lives consisted of farming small patches of land. When people didn’t…

The Knights Templar – The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Crusader Order

Malcolm Higgins

A crimson cross emblazoned on a white background; a simple design, perhaps, but behind it lies one of the most remarkable stories in the history…

The Mongol Invasions of Japan and the Origin of the Word “Kamikaze”

In the 1270s and 1280s, the menacing forces of the Mongols attacked Japan. Through courage, determination, and good luck, the Japanese drove them off. It…

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…