World War 2 | War History

“Sea Stories” – WWII veteran shares tales of service aboard troop transport in the Pacific

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…

A Race for Superiority – The Sources of Military Intelligence in World War Two

During the Second World War, military intelligence came into its own in a way it never had before. The increasing speed, scale, and complexity of…

The Rosary Paratrooper – Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte

WWII saw paratroopers become an important part of warfare for the first time. Among the most gifted paratroop commanders was Friedrich August Freiherr von der…

The First Thousand-Bomber Raid – Changing the WWII Air War

From the start of the Second World War, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) committed themselves to a particular bombing strategy. They believed that, with heavy…

Operation Overlord: The Greatest Amphibious Landing in History – Part 1

War History Online presents this Guest Article from Joseph M. Durante June 6, 1944, was D-Day – a date that will never be forgotten in America’s…

Britain’s Sacrifice of Crete Preserved North Africa For The Allies In World War Two

In May 1941, German paratroopers invaded and overran the island of Crete. A British force, which included New Zealanders and supported by the local resistance,…

The Horrible Nazi T4 Euthanasia Project Exterminated Thousands Of People – The Repercussions Were Still Being Felt 25 Years Later

The famous Roald Dahl children’s book ― Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ― was written in 1964, and garnered a significant audience among young readers.…

Albert Speer, The Ambitious Young Architect Who Rose To Prominence Within The Nazi Party

Colin Fraser

In 1931, a young, ambitious architect named Albert Speer attended a Nazi rally in Berlin. Perhaps he was truly captivated by the message of the…

Russian World War II General Ivan Konev – Marshal and Hero of the Soviet Union

Colin Fraser

Ivan Stepanovich Konev was a highly decorated general of Russia’s Red Army. Both highly admired and feared by Stalin, he made huge contributions to the…

White Rose: The German Anti-Nazi Activists Who Were Beheaded In 1943

Colin Fraser

Across Germany and especially in Munich, the city where they were most active, people remember and honor, by naming streets, monuments, even a top literary…

With Every Other Senior Officer Dead, the Battle Control Officer of the USS San Francisco Waded through Waist Deep Water to Save the Ship

It is a scenario we have seen play out in the movies time and time again. Amidst heavy combat, a naval vessel is taking on…

Fleet Admiral Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief Was Fiercely Opposed to Dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan

Jeff Edwards

Before the official establishment of the position of Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States Military in 1947, there served a man who was…