General Jan Smuts: Fighting Snobbery and Germany in East Africa in WWI
As a South African officer in the British Army of World War One, General Jan Smuts struggled against prejudice as much as he did against…
Unique Guns of Battlefield 1 – The History behind the Game
While WWI did not consist of soldiers running about with 900 round-per-minute submachine guns, the guns of the video game Battlefield 1 did exist in…
Lawrence of Arabia – one of the most mythologised officers in modern military history
Thomas Edward Lawrence is one of the most mythologised officers in modern history. A biography by a journalist, his own writings, and a film about…
Shell Shock: A Sad Side-Effect of the First World War
Shell shock was one of the major side effects of WWI. Many soldiers suffered from it, as it was caused by the heavy explosions and constant…
How Tanks Decided The First And Second World Wars
The concept of a military tank was not particularly new in 1916. However, the ability to move troops safely through combat territories with a vehicle…
The Early Days Of Drones – Unmanned Aircraft From World War One And World War Two
Unmanned aerial vehicles, popularly known as drones, are most often associated with airstrikes in modern warfare, but their history goes much further back than that.…
“For our liberty” – National Guardsman from Central Missouri killed in First World War
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…
The Handgun Collector – Luger and Walther P.38 Handguns – Classics of WW2
War History Online presents this Guest Article by Tom Whiteman, long-time Luger and Walther collector and owner of Legacy Collectibles. Effective Military Weapons The Luger and Walther…
The Reluctant Hero Who was awarded a Victoria Cross… Twice
The Victoria Cross is Britain’s highest award for military valor, and only three people have received it twice. One was so incredible, in fact, he…
British Intelligence – Transforming Aerial Reconnaissance in World War Two
Like other European nations, the British discovered the value of photo-reconnaissance (PR) during the First World War. Seeing a new way to learn about the…
5 Weapons Responsible For The Deaths Of The Soldiers Who Used Them
Throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries, military technology has advanced considerably. Along the way, that evolution has taken some disastrous turns, particularly several weapons which proved…
The Mines At Messines – Over 1 Million Tons of Explosives – 20 have detonated, but 5 remain
In 1917, the world was engulfed in war. For the first time, the economics of industry had been applied to warfare on a huge scale.…