World War 1 | War History

August von Mackensen: The German Field Marshal Dubbed ‘The Last Hussar’

August von Mackensen leaning over a table

Hussars originated in Central Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries and were made up of light cavalry soldiers. Though military in nature, they can…

Frank Luke: The WWI Flying Ace Who Was Like a Real-Life Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell

Frank Luke standing in front of his SPAD S.XIII

While dogfights first occurred during the Mexican Revolution, it wasn’t until the First World War that they became widespread. Upon returning home from service, pilots…

A Faux Paris Was Built to Fool German Bombers During World War I

Aerial view of Paris at sunset + Map showing the streets of faux Paris

When Paris was the target of German bombers during the First World War, officials immediately began to devise ways to stop future air raids from…

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…

6-Star General: Only Three Individuals Have Been Promoted to the Prestigious Rank

Military portrait of Ulysses S. Grant + Military portrait of John J. Pershing + Military portrait of George Washington

The rank of 6-star general is so high in the US military’s hierarchy that it’s only ever been given out three times. One recipient was…

USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) Found After a Century; First US Destroyer to Be Sunk By An Enemy Vessel

Smoke emanating from a ship hit by a torpedo + The USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) at sea

On December 6, 1917, the Tucker-class destroyer USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) was sailing from Brest, France to Queenstown, Ireland. However, the ship never reached its…

The British Were Harvesting Soldiers’ Organs During WWI

Soldiers kneeling over an injured comrade on the battlefield

A book by Canadian historian Tim Cook has brought to light some disturbing evidence regarding a British program that saw the harvesting of slain Canadian…

The USS Texas (BB-35) Was Intentionally Flooded During D-Day

USS Texas (BB-35) at sea

The USS Texas (BB-35) saw more combat action in her lifetime than most other US battleships, seeing service in both World War I and II,…

Video Game Based on the Battles of the Isonzo Hits Gaming Platforms

Title screen for 'Isonzo'

War enthusiasts and video game fanatics will be excited to learn that the latest release in the WW1 Game Series has officially hit the market.…

The Battle of Cantigny Forever Changed the US Military

Soldiers using flamethrowers during the Battle of Cantigny

The Battle of Cantigny was the first great American victory of the First World War. With a military that was under-trained and ill-prepared, a win…

The Incredible Military Career of Graves Erskine, the US Marine Who Escorted the Unknown Soldier

Graves Erskine standing with John Wayne

When John Wayne and Republic Pictures needed a technical adviser for the 1949 film Sands of Iwo Jima, they reached out to Graves Erskine. It…

A 500-Mile March By French Cavalrymen Helped Bring an End to the First World War

Cavalrymen on horses

Images of the First World War often capture the difficulties of trench warfare, with soldiers on all sides of the conflict engaging in a war…