Military History

The Triple Alliance brought Germany into World War I following Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war against Serbia, an ally of Imperial Russia.

Military History

Austria-Hungary and the Triple Alliance

by Michael Haskew

The emergence of Germany as the dominant power in Central Europe in the 1870s and the unification of Italy in the mid-19th century despite Austrian efforts to prevent it combined to quell the immediate territorial aspirations of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary on the Italian peninsula and in the Balkans. Read more

Despite its participation in the Triple Alliance, Italy declined to support Germany and Austria-Hungary during World War I.

Military History

The Kingdom of Italy & the Triple Entente

by Michael Haskew

When the Triple Alliance was concluded between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy in the spring of 1882, Italy was, like Germany, a young nation recently unified after years of military conflicts and occupation by various European powers. Read more

The descendants of the Viking raider Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy, settled in Northern France and later conquered England.

Military History

Rollo the Viking, First Ruler of Normandy

by Michael Haskew

Roving bands of Viking seafarers raided extensively in Western Europe from the Eighth to the 11th centuries, looting and sacking settlements and population centers including London, Paris, and Hamburg. Read more

Viking wood and metalworkers fashioned durable weapons of high quality steel for their warriors, including spears, battleaxes, and swords.

Military History

The Spear, Axe & Sword: Viking Weapons

by Michael Haskew

The fearsome Vikings who pillaged and colonized throughout Western Europe and much of the known world from the Eighth to the 11th centuries were armed with weaponry that served them well in combat. Read more

Russia, Great Britain, and France formed the Triple Entente as their common interests were threatened by the emergence of the Triple Alliance.

Military History

Russia in WWI’s Triple Entente

by Michael Haskew

By the time Imperial Russia and Great Britain concluded the Anglo-Russian Convention on August 31, 1907, effectively establishing the alliance known as the Triple Entente, the Russian Empire was in the midst of decades of upheaval. Read more

At the Battle of Gisors in 1198, French King Philip II was made to drink from the River Ethe when a bridge collapsed beneath him and his knights.

Military History

The Battle of Gisors: Richard the Lionheart Chases His Prey

by William E. Welsh

King Richard I of England, known as “The Lionheart,” was imprisoned in spring 1193 in Germany on his return from the Third Crusade by Duke Leopold V of Austria for alleged crimes and insults that occurred when they were participating together in the crusade. Read more

During WWI, Great Britain, France, and Imperial Russia sought to contain the threat of German expansion around the world with the Triple Entente.

Military History

Great Britain & WWI’s Triple Entente

by Michael Haskew

The old proverb that states, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” gained significant meaning for the government and people of Great Britain at the turn of the 20th century. Read more

Fierce seafaring warriors from Scandinavia, the Vikings raided across the known world and explored regions from the Middle East to North America.

Military History

Who Were the Vikings?

by Michael Haskew

The word “Viking” conjures up images of fierce, seafaring warriors, armed to the teeth and wearing horned helmets, descending upon defenseless villages in Western Europe and the British Isles to rape, murder, and pillage. Read more

The shocking raid on the Christian priory at Lindisfarne was only the beginning as the Vikings pillaged throughout Western Europe.

Military History

The Viking Raid on Lindisfarne Monestary

by Michael Haskew

“Never before has such a terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race…The heathens poured out the blood of saints around the altar and trampled on the bodies of saints in the temple of God, like dung in the streets…Behold the church spattered with the blood of the priests of God,” wrote a Northumbrian scholar named Alcuin in the wake of the horrific Viking raid on the great monastery at Lindisfarne in Northumbria in the year 793. Read more

World War II experiences led to more shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons such as the RPG and the M72 LAW, both widely used in the Vietnam War.

Military History

The M72 LAW & the RPG in the Vietnam War

By Michael Haskew

Among the most effective and feared weapons of the communist North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong insurgency during the Vietnam War was the rocket-propelled grenade, commonly known as the RPG. Read more

Military History

Louis Antoine de Bougainville

By Joshua Shepherd

I can assure you that he has a military mind indeed and in adding experience to the theory he already has, he will become a person of distinction,” Maj. Read more