A Tale of Two Rebels: Allied Support for Desperate Partisan Resistance in World War Two
WWII was not just fought between regular armies. Wherever the Germans invaded, resistance movements sprang up to defy them. Backing those groups was an important…
Operation Goodwood: Epic Armor Clash in Normandy – Day One
At 0525 on July 18th 1944, an artillery barrage erupted on the German positions a few kilometers to the east and southeast of Caen. Ten…
When diaries speak – WWII veteran used diaries to chronicle Army service in Alaska and Europe
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…
A Costly Failure: Germany’s Failed Attempts to Infiltrate Allied-Occupied Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was one of the great reversals of WWII. It was followed by the failure of Nazi Germany’s attempts to put…
Nine Reasons Why the South Lost the American Civil War
An extensive amount of effort has gone into studying the American Civil War. The reasons for the war and its outcome remain hotly debated. The…
The Czechoslovakian Crisis: Conquering a Country Without the Use of an Army
War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Joseph M. Durante In 1938 the German speaking areas of Czechoslovakia, also known as the Sudetenland,…
Takayama Ukon: A Great Christian Samurai
Christianity was not common in feudal Japan. As a foreign religion, it was embraced by a small minority of people including some samurai who were…
How the American Civil War Became a “Total War”
The Civil War mobilized American resources on a scale only matched in WWII. It brought unparalleled destruction to many people. How did an initially restrained…
Life in Hitler’s Wartime Headquarters
During WWII, Adolf Hitler governed Germany from a series of specially prepared bases. Often located far from cities and the front lines, those places took…
Hiding Ships In Plain Sight: How Dazzle Camouflage Is Used To Confuse The Enemy
Dazzle camouflage was the brainchild of British artist Norman Wilkinson. It was put forward as a solution to the problem that ships could not be…
The Duke of Wellington, Napoleon’s Arch-Enemy
Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, was Napoleon’s most famous opponent. In 1808 he led the British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces that defeated the French…
Bringing Home The 8 Million After WWII; Operation Magic Carpet
Victory in Europe – what happens next? After victory had been declared in Europe and the Second World War had come to an end with…