MSN Slideshow | War History

LRAC-50 73 mm Bazooka: The Incredibly Effective French Anti-Tank Weapon

Todd Neikirk
Soldier aiming an LRAC-50 73 mm bazooka while another loads a rocket into it

Tank battles were incredibly common during World War I and II. The Germans were equipped with impressive armored fighting vehicles that were effective on the…

Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Paths of Glory’ Was Loosely Based on a Real-Life Tragedy

Todd Neikirk
Kirk Douglas as Col. Dax in 'Paths of Glory'

War movies have always been one of the most popular genres of film and, for many years, they unambiguously portrayed their conflicts as noble. Renowned…

Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars Program Featured Space Lasers for Nuclear Defense

Rosemary Giles
Ronald Reagan sitting at a table with other men while holding a yellow bumper sticker that reads, "SDI could ruin a nuclear bomb's whole day"

By the 1980s, the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union was a very real possibility. US President Ronald Reagan…

Colditz Cock: The Glider Constructed By POWs to Escape from Colditz Castle

Crowd watching the replica of the Colditz Cock in flight

Throughout World War II, prisoners of war (POWs) were taken by both sides. They were kept under constant guard, forced into work details and kept…

Hiroshi Miyamura: The MoH Recipient Who Took On Enemy Troops with a Machine Gun and Bayonet

Todd Neikirk
Dwight Eisenhower shaking Hiroshi Miyamura's hand

During the Second World War, the United States interned several Japanese-Americans. An estimated 120,000 people of Japanese descent were forcibly relocated, most of whom lived…

M61 Vulcan: A Modern Take on the Civil War-Era Gatling Gun

Todd Neikirk
M61 Vulcan on display outside

There has long been a competition between countries over who can produce the best fighter jets. This was particularly fierce with the United States and…

Operation Tonga: 150 British Paratroopers Took the Merville Gun Battery Before D-Day

Four paratroopers standing in front of an aircraft

Then the largest seaborne invasion in history, the D-Day landings were planned down to the last detail. One of the most important parts of this…

The Best Submarine Movies to Ever Premiere on the Big Screen

Sean Connery as Capt. Marko Ramius in 'The Hunt For Red October' + Still from 'The Hunt for Red October'

Submarines are among the most secretive military vessels, with only a small percentage of individuals having experienced what life’s like beneath the surface of the…

Tim Abell Brings His Experience as an Army Ranger to His Acting Career

Tim Abell posing for a photo on a red carpet

Tim Abell is a former US Army Ranger who served for four years before becoming a Hollywood actor. Throughout his move into acting, he’s been…

The Most Fearsome Military Units of All Time

Todd Neikirk
Swiss Guard marching together + Group of Fallschirmjäger walking together

Intimidation plays an important part in conflict, as do teamwork and skill. The most fearsome military units in history combined these three traits, as well…

Bren Light Machine Gun: The British Weapon That Featured Heavily in North Africa

Todd Neikirk
British soldier aiming a Bren light machine gun

The early 20th century featured both massive wars and rapid advances in technology. Among the most prominent and effective weapons to emerge during this time…

Vietnam War Movies That Best Show the Realities of the Conflict

Robert De Niro as Michael Vronsky in 'The Deer Hunter' + Martin Sheen as Capt. Benjamin L. Willard in 'Apocalypse Now'

Life was forever changed for the 2.7 million individuals who served in Vietnam. The realities of the war also changed cinema. Rather than show the…