The Defining Features of Incan Warfare
In the early 16th century, the Incas were one of the most powerful nations in the Americas. The greatest military force for thousands of miles,…
“My plans are perfect” – The Victorian Generals Disastrously Promoted Beyond Their Abilities
“Brains! I don’t believe in brains.” – Prince George, Duke of Cambridge and Commander-in-Chief of the British army until 1895. The “Peter Principle”, where people…
Winning Isn’t Always Worth It – Pyrrhic Victories Of Military History
The term Pyrrhic victory can be used where someone technically “wins”, or achieves their objective, but the cost makes the victory almost not worth the…
Normandy Invasion Beaches From a Different Angle
Ten years or so ago I was lucky enough to fly along the invasion beaches at 800′ in a C-47. If you ever get the…
The Element of Surprise – Totally Effective Surprise Attacks in Military History
Surprise attacks and ambushes can turn the tide of war. More often than not, the side that has the larger base of industry or manpower…
Tackling a Suicide Bomber Captain Florent Groberg Saved Lives and Was Awarded the Medal of Honor
Soldiers in war are repeatedly faced with complex decision making under stressful and ambiguous circumstances – with life and death hanging in the balance. The…
The Commanders Whose Incompetence Nearly Lost Britain the Second Boer War
“The Boers are not like the Sudanese, who stood up to a fair fight. They are always running away on their little ponies.” – General…
Influential Generals Of Military History Who Were Actually Mad
A shocking number of military leaders have suffered from mental health issues, even as they held the lives of the men they led in their…
When Cavalry Captured A Fleet Trapped In Ice – A Unique Event In Military History
Fifty miles north of Amsterdam in the depths of the freezing winter of 1795, a fleet lay at anchor. It sat upon the Zuiderzee, a…
Admiral Nelson’s Decisive Victory Over The French at Alexandria
Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson, the rising star of the British Royal Navy, had been pursuing the fleet of the French Republic around the Mediterranean for two…
Seven Reasons Why Napoleon Should Have Lost in Italy
From 1792 to 1797, France fought a multi-fronted war against the First Coalition, the first of many attempts to bring the revolutionary nation to heel.…
The Versailles Peace Treaty – Ending The Great War In 1918
The treaty of Versailles was one of several peace treaties which signaled the end of the devastating years of World War I. It sealed the end…