Military History Archives

A modern David and Goliath: The Modoc Indian War.

Military History

The Modoc War of 1872

by Kurt R. Nelson

Most Indian battles were small affairs, often company-sized engagements. Many were fought between equally numbered forces, or if disproportional, the U.S. Read more

King Gustavus Adolphus, “The Lion of the North,” was a quick learner and master reformer of the military both on and off the battlefield.

Military History

Gustavus Adolphus: Lion of the North

by Isaac Blatter

Oddly, the fall of the brilliant King Gustavus Adolphus on the field of battle marked both the beginning of Sweden’s rise to power and the end of one of the most aggressive ages of military reform. Read more

Their backs to Moscow, the Russians fought Napoleon Bonaparte with exceptional tenacity at the Battle of Borodino.

Military History

Napoleon Bonaparte & The 1812 Battle of Borodino

by Jonathan North

At 11 o’clock on the evening of June 23, 1812, the first elements of Napoleon’s mighty army marched on three pontoon bridges over the river Niemen and set foot on Russian soil; the epic invasion of Russia had begun. Read more

General William C. Westmoreland was a stalwart fighter and patriot through three separate wars.

Military History

Soldier Profiles: General William C. Westmoreland

By Blaine Taylor

In 1989, this writer had occasion to interview four-star General William Childs Westmoreland, now 86, formerly U.S. military commander in South Vietnam and at the time of the interview a retired Chief of Staff of the Army. Read more

British General Garnet Wolseley was able to steal a march by making intelligent use of war correspondents.

Military History

General Garnet Wolseley & The First War Correspondents

by Harold E. Raugh, Jr.

War correspondents are relatively new to history. The Crimean War (1854-1856), pitting Great Britain, France, Turkey, and Sardinia against Russia, was the first conflict in which an organized effort was made for civilian correspondents reporting news directly to the civilian population of the home country. Read more

The 1885 Battle of Abu Klea (or Battle of Abu Tulayh) would prove to be the end for British Major-General Charles George Gordon.

Military History

Breaking the Square: Britain Takes on Mahdi at the Battle of Abu Klea

By Simon Craig

Until weapons technology made it redundant, the infantry square was a most effective and versatile formation. It needed no ditches or palisades; it could stand its ground, advance, or retreat; and it could offer a wall of fire on all four sides. Read more

Though heavily outnumbered at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC, Alexander the Great's superior tactics won the day over Darious III.

Military History

The Battle of Gaugamela: Alexander the Great vs. Darius III

By Marc G. De Santis

The Battle of Gaugamela began on the morning of October 1, 331 bc, when two great armies drew up for battle to determine the destiny of empires. Read more

Military History

Northwest Indian War: Marching Against Little Turtle

By Robert A. Lynn

In the 1780s the Founding Fathers of the United States didn’t so much revise the old Articles of Confederation as devise an entirely new government as set forth in the Constitution. Read more

Trajan, Emperor of Rome, was a tough and meticulous general as well as a capable administrator and builder.

Military History

Emperor Trajan & The Roman Empire

by Joseph M. Horodyski

The ancient city of Selinus, a major trading center in Cilicia, sat atop a steep outcropping of rock that rises abruptly from the edge of the Mediterranean on the southern coast of Asia Minor, now modern Turkey. Read more

Military History

Military Weapons: The M2 Browning .50-cal

by John D. Gresham

When one thinks back to the weapons of mass destruction that emerged in the 20th century, usually the atomic bomb or poison gas come to mind. Read more

The Death of Emperor Valens and the Battle of Adrianople During the Gothic War, August 9, 378 AD.

Military History

The Gothic Wars Battle of Adrianople

By Ludwig Heinrich Dyck

In 376 AD the Goths appeared on the lower Danube frontier of the Roman Empire. They came as a whole tribe, with warriors, women and children. Read more

Admiral Yi Sun Shin Defends Against the Japanese Invasion of Korea During the Imjin War.

Military History

The Imjin War: The Japanese Invasion of Korea

by Eric Niderost

It was May 1, 1592, mere weeks before the start of the Imjin War. Admiral Yi Sun Shin summoned a conference of high-ranking military officers and civil magistrates to his headquarters at Yosu, a port on the southern coast of Korea. Read more

The Macedonian Companion Cavalry was the army's decisive arm under Alexander the Great, and for good reason.

Military History

Macedonia’s Elite Companion Cavalry under Alexander the Great

by Marc G. De Santis

Cavalry was the decisive arm of the Macedonian army under Alexander. His tactics for its employment in battle were simple but effective. Read more

In Search of Sergeant Alvin York: The Man, The Myth, and the Legend.

Military History

Sergeant Alvin York: Personal Accounts That Reveal His True Story

By Lt. Col. Taylor V. Beattie

They had spent a cold, wet, miserable evening in October 1918 in a drainage ditch along the Varennes-Fleville road. Read more

The General Wilson had Originally Selected to Lead America in World War I Was Not Pershing, Nor Any Ordinary Officer. It Was General Frederick Funston.

Military History

General Frederick Funston

by Shippen Swift

Looking at a 1917 newspaper photo of Frederick Funston, barely 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing just a biscuit over a hundred pounds, today’s reader would wonder whatever made U.S. Read more

In the first major battle of the Hundred Years War, William de Bohun outsmarted a vastly superior Franco-Breton army led by Charles of Blois.

Military History

William de Bohun: Masterful Defense at Morlaix

By William E. Welsh

One of the theaters of war in the Hundred Years War between France and England was the Duchy of Brittany in northwestern France. Read more

During the Spanish American War, the USS Oregon raced against time and distance to evade Spanish and make a case for the Panama Canal.

Military History

The Epic Journey Of USS Oregon During The Spanish American War

by A.B. Feuer

Following the Civil War, the United States saw enormous industrial progress. A sense of nationalism also developed, and public opinion was continually enlisted behind an aggressive foreign policy. Read more

The Battle of Kings Mountain was a major defeat for the British Lt. Col. Patrick Ferguson during the Revolutionary War, and his last.

Military History

Battle of Kings Mountain: an American Patriot Victory in the Carolinas

By James K. Swisher

The brightly uniformed soldiers that George III of England dispatched to subjugate the rebellious citizens of his North American colonies were at that time possibly the world’s best. Read more

Military History

Vietnam War Weapons: The AC-47 Gunship

By Christopher Miskimon

The night of October 17, 1969, was a harrowing one for the South Vietnamese soldiers at Phung Hiep Army outpost. Read more

Meinertzhagen’s Haversack Ruse helped break the Gaza stalemate, and even attracted the appreciation of Lawrence of Arabia for its brilliance.

Military History

The Haversack Ruse In Gaza Impressed Even Lawrence Of Arabia

by Harold E. Raugh, Jr.

Since the days of the Trojan Horse, military deception and ruse have been effective instruments when used by an innovative commander to deceive and defeat an enemy, minimizing friendly casualties and expenditure of valuable resources in the process. Read more

Military History

From Around the Network

Pearl Harbor Countdown

The Northern Foe

The Symbolism of the Berlin Wall During the Cold War

Russia’s Four Immortal Generals