Military History Archives

Military History

Archduke Charles: Napoleon’s Worthy Opponent

To say the Austrians despised the French after they were vanquished by them in 1805 at Ulm and Austerlitz is an understatement. Read more

Military History

King John the Tyrant

The tension between the king and his barons always seemed to be ready to explode into civil war during the reign of the three Angevin kings of England. Read more

Military History

Bunker Hill: “Lick Them Once More Boys!”

By Arnold Blumberg

A stark dichotomy was evident among the Americans defending Breed’s Hill on June 17, 1775. One type of provincial soldier stood ready to give his life in defense of liberty that day. Read more

The Japanese ashigaru, or foot soldier, was of a lower class than the samurai, but their status subtlety changed over the 16th century.

Military History

Japanese Ashigaru: The “Samurai of the Land”

By Eric Niderost

In the 17th century samurai were elite warriors, members of Japan’s ruling class. They were born, not made; you had to come from a samurai family to be considered samurai. Read more

Whereas European warfare depending increasingly on professional armies, the Colonial American military relied heavily on “citizen-soldiers”, or militia.

Military History

The Citizen-Soldier: Militia in Early America

by Donald Roberts II

British colonization of the New World transplanted many British institutions to America. Besides the political and social beliefs seeded in the colonies, military ideals were also implemented. Read more

A broad perspective of the rush of the third battalion of Garde upon a churchyard defended by Austrians in the afternoon phase of the battle.

Military History

Frederick the Great at Leuthen: The Oblique Order

by Vince Hawkins

Usually considered to be a single maneuver, Frederick the Great’s “oblique attack” or “oblique order” was in fact two distinct grand tactical maneuvers, each of which could be executed separately or in combination as demonstrated at Leuthen. Read more

One regiment that stands out for its number of African American Revolutionary War heroes is the 1st Rhode Island regiment, colloquially referred to as the "black regiment."

Military History

African American Revolutionary War Heroes: Boston to Yorktown

by Mike Haskew

Although a large number of colonial slaves fled their condition of involuntary servitude seeking freedom through service to the British Army, an estimated 5,000 African Americans served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Read more

In the 15th Century, the Swiss relied on shock tactics, seeking to deliver an abrupt and brutal assault to win their battles.

Military History

The History of Swiss Pikemen

By Jonathan North

Fighting mainly as pikemen, the Swiss of the 15th Century used their iconic 10-foot pikes in an offensive capacity. Read more

Military History

Hasan ibn al-Sabbah and the Assassins of the Middle East

by Robert Suhr

Saladin was one of the few leaders in the Mideast during the Crusades to incur the wrath of the infamous cult of Assassins, and survive. Read more

Military History

The Battle of White Mountain, 1620

By William E. Welsh

In the valley south of the hill known in Czech as Bitna Hora, a vast host assembled by the Austrian Hapsburgs advanced toward the ranks of the Protestant rebels blocking the path to Prague, the capital of Bohemia. Read more

Military History

Capturing Louisbourg: How British Firepower Prevailed

by William Welsh

The crews of the British longboats had to fight the elements as much as the French to get ashore at Cormorandiere Cove a short distance southwest of the fortress of Louisbourg on June 8, 1758, but somehow they completed their mission, thanks to the gifted leadership of Brig. Read more

Military History

Three Key Battles Before the Siege of Orleans

Following English King Henry V’s decisive victory over the French at Agincourt in 1415, the tide of the Hundred Years War in France remained in England’s favor until the Siege of Orleans. Read more

Colonel Augustus Van Horne Ellis commands his 124th New York as the fighting grows desperate. Later he would lead a charge that would stifle the Confederate advance, but at the cost of his own life.

Military History

What Happened at the Devil’s Den at the Battle of Gettysburg

By Don Williams

The struggle for the Devil’s Den at Gettysburg occurred on July 2, 1863, under a hot and cloudless afternoon. Read more

Military History

Frederick the Great’s Recipe for Success

Prussian King Frederick II “The Great” inherited from his father an army ready for war. Frederick William I had entrusted the training of his infantry to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau. Read more

Military History

Inside Washington’s Battle Tactics

By Christopher Miskimon

The fate of the American Revolution seemed bleak indeed in December 1776. New Jersey was on the verge of collapse with many of its residents swearing new oaths of loyalty to Great Britain. Read more

Military History

John Hunt Morgan delighted in dangerous missions.

The degree to which Confederate raider John Hunt Morgan set Northern soldiers on edge is seen by a story that appeared in southern newspapers in April 1862. Read more

Churchill joined in the charge of the 21st Lancers at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898.

Military History

Young Churchill in Battle

By Christopher Miskimon

Young Winston Churchill expected to enter battle on September 1, 1898, but instead he watched as British gunboats bombarded Dervish forts. Read more

Military History

The Great War’s Eastern Front

By Chris Miskimon

Russia was imploding in October 1917. The war combined with the numerous internal stresses of the nation, culminating in a civil war and Russia’s withdrawal from the greater war. Read more

The Battle of Sempach was the event that transformed the Old Swiss Confederacy into a serious military power. The Austrians, who had learned little from their previous defeats, once again suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Swiss.

Military History

Heavy infantry comes of age in the Swiss Confederacy.

The ambush of Duke King Leopold I’s army by Swiss foot soldiers on the mountain road at Morgarten in 1315 ushered in a roughly 200-year period where the hard-hitting Swiss maintained a reputation as elite foot soldiers. Read more

Military History

The AK-47 vs. the M16 Rifle During the Vietnam War

By Michael Haskew

During the Vietnam War, two of the most famous firearms of modern times emerged as icons of the latter half of the turbulent 20th century. Read more

Military History

From Around the Network

Breaking New Ground

Fighting from Tobruk to Milan

Spanish Foreign Legion

The Last Days Of General Patton