MSN Slideshow | War History

Is ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ Really the Greatest War Film Ever Made?

Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa as Lt. Col. Nicholson and Col. Saito in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' + Alec Guinness as Lt. Col. Nicholson in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' + Still from 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'

The 1957 historical epic The Bridge on the River Kwai has long been regarded as one of the greatest war films ever made. Based on…

Where Is Hacksaw Ridge, the Location Where Desmond Doss Rescued 75 US Soldiers?

Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss in 'Hacksaw Ridge'

Conscientious objector Desmond Doss staged one of the most daring rescues of the Second World War, risking life and limb to get 75 of his…

‘Full Metal Jacket’ Facts Every Movie Fan Should Know

Still from 'Full Metal Jacket'

A number of Vietnam-era films were released in the decade or so after the conflict’s conclusion, and among the most popular was Full Metal Jacket…

Mayaguez Incident: The Post-Vietnam Rescue Operation That Left Over 40 Americans Dead

US Marines boarding the SS Mayaguez

Just weeks after the Vietnam War was declared to be over, a new conflict erupted, threatening the peace many US and South Vietnamese soldiers had…

Eddie Slovik: The Only US Soldier to Be Executed for Desertion Since the Civil War

Still from 'The Execution of Private Slovik' + Military portrait of Eddie Slovik

Throughout the Second World War, Allied and Axis militaries struggled with desertion. Among the American forces alone, most occurred in the European Theater – an…

The German Flammenwerfer Forever Changed Warfare – And Not for the Better

Australian soldier kneeling with a captured Wechselapparat

For centuries, militaries tried to harness the ability to command fire. There were various methods used, but the flammenwerfer models developed by the German Army…

Stanley Kubrick Was the Mastermind Behind These War Movie Classics

Clare Fitzgerald
Still from 'Spartacus' + Adam Baldwin as Sgt. "Animal Mother" in 'Full Metal Jacket' + Portrait of Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick was a talented, yet controversial, Hollywood figure. Best known for directing such classics as The Shining (1980), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and 2001:…

British Actors Who Served In the Military

Sean Connery and Michael Caine as Maj. Gen. Roy Urquhart and Lt. Col. J.O.E. Vandeleur in 'A Bridge Too Far'

Actors are best-known for their work on-screen, with their pre-fame lives being, generally, forgotten. That being said, there are many whose pre-acting experiences influenced the…

Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By Pilots In Vietnam

Hughes OH-6 Cayuse parked in a field

The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. Adopted after the company behind its design deceived the US Army, the…

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – Where Do We Stand One Year Later?

Ukrainian Special Forces members loading fire mortar shells

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 – exactly one year ago. Western countries had anticipated the military action for months as Russia began mobilizing…

After 80 Years, the Fate Of the USS Cythera (PY-26) and Her Crew Still Remains a Mystery

USS Cythera (PY-26) anchored at a dock

The USS Cythera (PY-26) has several distinctions. She started out life as a civilian yacht before being acquired by the US Navy, and later went on…

Mitsuo Fuchida Led the Aerial Attack on Pearl Harbor Before Finding Religion

Mitsuo Fuchida speaking with Jimmy Doolittle

Perhaps the last person you’d expect to become a Christian Evangelist is the man who commanded the Japanese aerial attack on Pearl Harbor on December…