The Slave Who Stole A Confederate Ship, Met President Lincoln & Bought His Master’s House
In 1862, Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship, gave it to the Union Army, freed slaves, and met President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, he…
AD 732, Battle of Tours: Charles Martel the ‘Hammer’ preserves Western Christianity
Few Empires emerged as quickly as that of the Muslim Caliphates. Bursting out from what is now Saudi Arabia in the mid-7th century, the Islamic…
The Great Military Men Who Inspired The Young Napoleon Bonaparte
From an early age, Napoleon Bonaparte showed the ambition and intelligence that would eventually make him the emperor of half of Europe. As a child,…
When A Bloody Medieval War Was Fought Because Of A Bucket Full of Treasure
In 1325, two armies clashed near what is today the Italian town of Castello di Serravalle in the region of Emilia-Romagna. It was a huge…
The Most Effective Female Spies of the American Civil War
Rose Greenhow Just before Virginia’s secession, the governor of that state John Letcher wanted to set up a spy network while he was still able…
Powerful Orders Of Medieval Knights And What Made Each One Distinct
Combining knightly warfare and a monastic lifestyle, the knightly crusading orders were one of the strongest institutions of medieval Europe. Through them, men sought a…
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…
The Awesome Power of Charlemagne, Who Built His Empire and Conquered Half of Europe
How many kings can say that their name was emblazoned across the map? The most successful ruler ever seen in Dark Age Europe, Charlemagne –…
The Longbow: Its Rise and Dominance
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…
7 Types of Medieval Armor – From Quilted Cloth to Full Steel Plate
More than any other artifact of war, armor dominates visual images of medieval Europe. From the chainmail carefully stitched onto each warrior in the Bayeux…
Must-See American Civil War Sites To Visit Today
The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars fought on American soil. Many of the war sites found throughout the eastern half of…
Saved From Death By A French Surgeon – The Russian General Who Defeated Napoleon in 1812
At a time when soldiers were dying because of minor infections on the battlefields, a Russian general survived two shots to the head and went…