A Brief History of Rifle Optics in the United States
War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Sam Bocetta Modern rifle sights represent the culmination of almost 300 years of development in optical…
Mithridates the Poisoner King: Hallucinogenic Honey, Venom Arrows, and More
Poison had a steady but often quiet or controversial place in the history of warfare. On one hand, it was incredibly useful. Poisoned wells could…
How the Cruiser Olympia Led the Asiatic Squadron to Victory in Manila Bay
In the evening of April 30th, 1898, a message was sent out to the Spanish Admiral Patricio Montojo, commander of the Pacific Squadron at Manila.…
The Assassination of The Butcher of Prague – Reinhard Heydrich
One of the most important covert operations of the Second World War, Operation Anthropoid was the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi commander who led…
True Innovations of the Civil War
You often hear about how the Civil War brought submarines, iron-clad ships, or the telegraph into play, but that’s not exactly true. While they are…
Killed When Crash Landing His Damaged Bomber, Pilot Cyril Barton Managed To Save His Entire Crew
No one would have questioned Cyril Barton had he turned around and headed back for England. He and his crew had just been shot to…
How Gallipoli And The ANZAC Memorial Parade Inspired A Classic WW2 Song
In 1971 the Scottish-born folk singer Eric Bogle entered a songwriting competition in Brisbane, Australia. The prize was a valuable Ovation Guitar. The song he…
For 59 Days 30 Soviet Soldiers Were Under Siege In This House, They Never Surrendered
The Battle of Stalingrad is one of the best-known battles of WWII. The siege of the city that lasted from 23rd of August, 1942 to…
Former US Navy SEAL Bob Kerrey Represents the Duality of War
It is not entirely unusual for politicians to be embroiled in controversy for one reason or another and former Senator of Nebraska Joseph Robert Kerrey…
Bolivian Boneyards Revisited. Part 1, El Alto Airport , La Paz, Bolivia – by Hans Wiesman
We present this guest blog by author and Blogger Hans Wiesman In August 2017, I returned to Bolivia for yet another fabulous trip to the…
The Battle of Britain – One of the Most Important Aerial Campaigns in History
The Battle of Britain was one of the most important aerial campaigns in history. It stopped Nazi Germany’s westward expansion and prevented the invasion of…
Keeping The Promise – Air Force veteran finishes career while commander of 24th NORAD Region
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…