The Albigensian Crusades: Christians vs Christians
Some crusades were fought against fellow Christians. The Cathars, one of the inspirations behind Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, were the targets of one…
Hastings and Beyond: The Norman Conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England was more than just the Battle of Hastings. To secure his new country, William the Conqueror had to gain control…
“The Great Army” – The Vikings at Their Peak
The most powerful and devastating series of Vikings raids to hit Western Europe came between 865 and 896 AD. During these decades, a massive combined…
Four Men and One Woman – Five Mighty Leaders Whose Wars United Medieval England
In the late ninth century, England was not a united country. Viking raiders from Denmark controlled the north and east. Norwegian and Irish raids left…
Napoleon In The War For The Spanish Peninsula: A Massive Operation
The war for the Spanish Peninsula in 1807-14, was as draining to Napoleon’s military efforts as Russia was disastrous. It featured many different styles of…
8 Brutal Eurpoean Conflicts Between The Vikings and The Franks
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…
5 Similarities Between Two of History’s Greatest Generals
The Duke of Wellington and Ulysses S. Grant were two of the greatest generals of the 19th century; arguably in the whole of history. Their…
What the Film Glory Got Right About the American Civil War and What It Did Not
Edward Zwick’s film Glory is one of the best-known screen depictions of the American Civil War. It is the story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment,…
Heroes of America: The Red String Band who rebelled against the Confederacy in the Southern States
It is easy to think of wars from earlier centuries in rather simplistic terms, especially as they fade further into the past. The American Civil…
Wellington: The Great Military Leader Who Led His Armies To Victory Against Napoleon
The armies that fought against Napoleon are some of the most celebrated in British history. Under the leadership of the Duke of Wellington, they drove…
The War of The Emperor Go-Daigo
In the early 14th century, the Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo raised an army. He sought to do what his predecessors had failed to – take control…
The Birth of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in the American Civil War
The recruitment of African-American soldiers was one of the most important moments in the American Civil War. In practical terms, it provided soldiers for the…