Early Modern | War History

The Tide Turns On The Unstoppable Mongol Invasion

There are few military forces more infamous and renowned in history than the Mongolian armies of the 13th Century. They swept through Asia and into…

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

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

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 100 Days – Napoleon Returns From Exile, Rallying an Army With His Words Alone

The ranks opened suddenly, and a figure stepped into view. He was taller than many of his enemies described him. Taller and leaner, the angles of…

A Bloody New Year – Battle of Stones River In The American Civil War

It was cold at the turning of the year in Murfreesboro, right in the middle of the state of Tennessee. The little town nestles under…

The 4 Types of Men Who Fought for Napoleon – Not All Wanted To

The awesome power of the Napoleonic Empire was built on the blood and courage of millions of soldiers. Though Napoleon is remembered as an icon…

The Brilliant Sappers and Siege engines – Ivan the Terrible Conquers The city of Kazan

Jack Beckett

The army had been in place under the city walls for weeks. Ivan the Fourth, Tsar of all the Russians, accompanied his force in the…

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…

Fighting Joe Hooker at the Battle of Fredericksburg: The Frustrated Commander

Few American Civil War commanders were as contentious, either in war or its aftermath, as Fighting Joe Hooker. After months of grumbling at the failures…

Four Military Operations Which Were Fought In Abominable Weather Conditions

Rain and snow tend to make people stay inside with a nice cup of tea, hot chocolate, or maybe something stronger. As you would expect,…

Five Ways Napoleon Made Himself into the New Charlemagne

One of the most powerful tools in Napoleon Bonaparte’s intellectual arsenal was the connections he drew between his own life and that of great figures…