Military History
How the Cannon Marked the End of the Knight’s Suit of Armor
By David Alan JohnsonBy the latter part of the 15th century, armor worn by knights in the field had reached its pinnacle. Read more
Military History
Military History
General Howe and General Burgoyne’s Two-Pronged Attack in 1777
by Donald Roberts IIThe year 1776 ended on a high note for George Washington’s Continental Army despite its earlier devastating defeats on Long Island and Manhattan. Read more
Military History
English Civil War Battle of Dunbar, 1650
By Don HollwayIn July 1637 few Scots or English would have guessed the result when Edinburgh minister James Hannay preached from the Book of Common Prayer, and street merchant Jenny Geddes threw her footstool at his head. Read more
Military History
1st Infantry Division Museum
By Steve HawkinsOne of America’s finest military museums, the 1st Division Museum near Chicago, presents the history of America’s oldest division––from its inception in World War I, through World War II, the Cold War, the jungles of Vietnam, and Desert Storm. Read more
Military History
ESRI Creates Interactive Map of the Battle of Gettysburg
The British Joint Services Command and Staff College defines the “fog of war” as “the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations.” Read more
Military History
Facts About the Battle of Gettysburg
Gettysburg Fact #1: There Were 50,000 Military Casualties, 1 CivilianDespite roughly 50,000 casualties reported on both sides during the Battle of Gettysburg, there was only one reported civilian casualty: Mary Wade, a seamstress, was hit by a stray bullet while making bread in her kitchen. Read more
Military History
A Murderous Order at Culp’s Hill
By Joshua SheperdAlthough Union Colonel Silas Colgrove had previously led his men through some of the most horrific fighting in the eastern theater of the Civil War, the order he received on the morning of July 3, 1863, in the woods near Culp’s Hill at Gettysburg, was the most unnerving he had ever received. Read more
Military History
When Did World War I End?
by Mike HaskewAt least ostensibly, World War I ended first with the cessation of armed hostilities between the warring powers at the famed “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,” that is November 11, 1918. Read more
Military History
The Advanced Combat Helmet Generation II: A New Helmet With an Old Legacy
In recent years, the U.S. military has made significant announcements on the replacement of its old equipment, much of it dating back to the Cold War. Read more
Military History
Bushrod Johnson: Yankee Quaker, Confederate General
By Roy Morris Jr.Of all the unlikely heroes of the Civil War, none was more unlikely than Bushrod Johnson, Ohio-born Quaker turned Confederate general. Read more
Military History
U.S. Army Heritage Museum
By Mason B. WebbIn the heart of Pennsylvania, not far from the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg, stands the U.S. Read more
Military History
The Roman Gladius
By Gabriele EspositoFew weapons in world history have had such great tactical importance as the Roman gladius. To understand the importance this short sword had on the battlefields of antiquity, it is best to start with the Roman historian Livy. Read more
Military History
The P38 Can Opener: WWII’s “Other” P-38
By Richard A. BerantyFar down on the list of important inventions essential to victory in World War II is a modest gadget built of stamped metal called the GI Pocket Can Opener—commonly known as the P-38 can opener—which was used by American troops in the field to sever the lids off combat rations. Read more
Military History
Ford’s Willow Run Factory
By Samantha L. QuigleyThey said it couldn’t be done. Doubters chided Henry Ford for declaring that his Willow Run Bomber Plant could turn out a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber every hour. Read more
Military History
Blood on the Cross
By William E. WelshThe garrison soldiers of Beziers gazed down from the ramparts at the Crusader army setting up camp outside their high-walled city on July 21, 1209. Read more
Military History
Pensacola Under Siege
By David A. NorrisSpanish troops in a redoubt outside Pensacola, the besieged Capital of British West Florida, stacked their arms and waited for their midday meal on May 4, 1781. Read more
Military History
Patriot Raid on Fort Ticonderoga
By Joshua ShepherdFor General Thomas Gage, 1775 was shaping up to be a disastrous year. Gage, who was the supreme British commander in North America, was headquartered in Boston and tasked with the unenviable job of enforcing a blockade of the town’s harbor. Read more
Military History
The Vicomte de Turenne
By Arnold BlumbergThe French conquest of Lorraine was nearly complete by March 1634 during the Thirty Years War. The only place of importance still in the hands of Duke Charles of Lorraine, a Hapsburg commander, was the fortress of La Motte, which was encircled by a French army under Marechal La Force. Read more
Military History
Vanguard of Elephants on the Hydaspes River
By Gabrielle EspositoThe Macedonian soldiers stood transfixed on the flood plain as the Pauravan army advanced toward them. The ground shook with each step the great lumbering war elephants took as they advanced toward the wide-eyed Greeks. Read more
Military History
Governor-General Charles Gordon’s Death in Khartoum
By Joshua ShepherdFor British authorities in Egypt, the contents of the diary that had been smuggled out of Khartoum, Sudan, contained devastating intelligence. Read more
