War Articles | War History

How Cortes Captured the Mighty Tenochtitlan with 1,000 Spaniards… and smallpox, and 100,000 natives, and guns

In June of 1521 Hernan Cortes had a sizable force of Conquistadors outside of Tenochtitlan but was tasked with rescuing his garrison of a few…

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…

La Decima: Italian Pigs, Manned Torpedoes and Kamikaze-Style Speedboat Attacks

Ivano Massari

Under the rule of Benito Mussolini, an Italian frogman unit called La Decima was created. The unique group consisted of men capable of the most…

WW1: The Third Battle of Ypres – The Leading British Offensive Of 1917

Fought during the First World War, the Third Battle of Ypres was the leading British offensive of 1917. Taking place at the much fought over…

Tanks For The Memories: The First Ever Tank Commander, by The Tank Museum

The first man ever to command a tank in battle only volunteered for the secret mission because learning to fly aeroplanes was so dangerous, his…

The day 650 Glosters faced 10,000 Chinese: 7 Fast Facts About The Battle of Imjin River & Glorious Glosters’ Last Stand

When talking about success in war we usually focus on victories. But there are times when a successful retreat can be as great a challenge…

The Fearless Young Belgian Woman Who Rescued Downed Allied Pilots From Behind Enemy Lines In WW2

In WWII a beautiful, young woman is caught red-handed. Her crime? Helping downed Allied pilots escape Nazi-occupied Europe. How does she get away with it?…

An Itinerant Painting – Painting of local WWI casualty has followed VFW post through the decades

 War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Jeremy P. Ämick, who is a military historian and writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families…

PANERIAI – The Silent Forest Became a Site of Mass Murder & It Isn’t Easy Reading

Suzanne recounts the tragic story of the site of terrible events at Ponary, now Paneriai in modern-day Lithuania. Near to the small, rural village of…

The Awesome AMX 13 – France’s Post-WWII Tank Design Features An Oscillating Turret And Is Still Used Today

The tank is a resilient and devastating war machine, and a key element in many conflicts throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. To break the deadlock…

Hipster Before His Time: General Burnside – The Swashbuckling Union General Who Pioneered Sideburn

What do a rifle, various railroads, the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, the National Rifle Association, and sideburns have in common? Here is the…

Operation Michael: Germany’s Last Chance to Win WWI Before the Americans Arrived

Colin Fraser

By late 1917, the German Empire’s High Command knew they had to turn the war around quickly. Progress against the Allies was slow and they…