Fighting Joe Hooker Worked Hard To Become a General in the American Civil War
During the early days of the American Civil War, appointments of Union generals were as much about politics as skill and experience. The case of…
The Battle of Waterloo and the Final Downfall of Napoleon
Fought on June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was one of the most decisive encounters in European history. The final defeat of Napoleon ended…
Richard the Lionheart’s Secret Weapon During the Third Crusade
During the Third Crusade, the city of Acre (today in Israel) was surrounded. Occupying the city was a Muslim garrison, besieged by a Christian army,…
The Battle of Salamanca: Wellington at his Opportunistic Best
Fought on July 22, 1812, the Battle of Salamanca was a great success for the then Earl and later Duke of Wellington. Leading the British…
Building Armies in the Harsh 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 Longbow: Its Rise and Dominance – It Totally Changed Medieval Warfare
The growing effectiveness of metal armor created a challenge for medieval soldiers. While the elite of knights and men-at-arms were now well protected, the majority…
Understanding the Crusader Mind – How Crusaders Might Have Thought And Felt About Their Wars
A knight stands on the walls of Jerusalem, staring out at the parched land beyond the city. He is weary from weeks of travel and…
The Battle of Stoney Creek – A Minor Fight That Changed History
In the early 1800s, two US generals tried to invade Canada. They might have succeeded, too, except for a peculiar handicap – their inability to…
Famous Medieval Knights – Warriors, Leaders, And Scholars
Medieval knights were among the celebrities of their day – warriors, leaders, and scholars. They became figures of romance and inspiration, giving them a special…
Fighting for Both Sides: the Spanish Army in the Napoleonic Wars
In 1807, Napoleon’s French armies crossed Spain to invade Portugal. It began a seven-year campaign known as the Peninsular War. For the Spanish, it was…
Battles Of Military History: When Fighting Spirit Overcame The Odds
Battles can be lost for a hundred different reasons. Poor numbers, unwise strategy, inferior weapons, the list goes on. But just occasionally, a fighting force…
Disease, Starvation, and the Brutal Russian Winter – Why Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia Failed
In 1812, Napoleon’s Grande Armée (Great Army) invaded Russia. Though made up of about 680,000 soldiers, they lost. Historians have given many reasons as to…