Military History Archives

General Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang party of the 1930s fought bravely against both the Communists and Japanese.

Military History

General Chiang Kai-shek And Kuomintang Resisted Mao And Japanese

by Eric Niderost

The Chinese Army of 1932-1937 reflected the political and social upheaval that plagued the country during this period. Read more

The Clemson-class U.S. Navy destroyers were both speedy and heavily armed.

Military History

Clemson-Class Ships: Powerful U.S. Navy Destroyers

by William H. Langenberg

The 50 ships transferred to Great Britain by executive action of President Roosevelt were all Clemson-class destroyers. Read more

Military History

The USS Olympia: Largest Steel Warship Afloat

By Peter Suciu

The oldest steel warship afloat has survived wars, economic downturns, and even the harsh passage of time, but there was one battle that the USS Olympia (C-6), flagship of the American Asiatic Fleet during the Spanish-American War of 1898, almost was unable to win. Read more

Brown Bess was the close companion of the British soldier for almost a hundred years.

Military History

Revolutionary War Weapons: The Brown Bess Musket

By Joseph G. Bilby

The French advanced swiftly, with men yelling “Hurrah” and officers shouting encouragement. They knew the British were to the front, somewhere, although they could not see them yet, and they expected to roll over the enemy in an impetuous, distinctively Gallic tide. Read more

Chinese children are being subjected to trials intended to limit the spread of the plague. Many of the terrible experiments conducted by Unit 731 involved the spread of infectious disease.

Military History

Military Intelligence: Japan’s BW Group

By Charles N. Tallesen

Confronted with war, some men seem capable of assuming almost any evil. Such were the actions of General Shiro Ishii and the men of his Manchuko Unit 731, which developed means of biological warfare in the 1930s and ’40s. Read more

Deceit, ambition, pride, honor, bravery—all played their parts in 1187, with Jerusalem and the Holy Land at stake.

Military History

Crusader Crucible: The Horns of Hattin

By Robert Suhr

The Saracen host commanded by Saladin—Sultan of Egypt and Damascus—crossed the Jordan River south of Lake Tiberius (the “Sea of Galilee”). Read more

An eyewitness account of the Battle of Leipzig by Colonel Saint-Chamans and others.

Military History

Colonel Saint-Chamans & The Battle of Leipzig

by Jonathan North

[Editor’s note: The following are participant accounts—mainly those of Alfred Armand Robert Saint-Chamans—of Napoleon’s 1813 campaign in Germany ending in the decisive battle of Leipzig. Read more

Military History

The Greek Trireme

By Eric Niderost

The Greek trireme combined grace, speed, and maneuverability, and it was these qualities, together with its powerful bronze ram, that made it the most powerful warship of its day. Read more

His horse crippled, Simon de Montfort nevertheless fights on against the Royalists closing in on him. Simon had united the barons against the royal authority and he made reforms to the government, but some barons grew embittered of his rule and turned against him.

Military History

The Battle of Evesham: The King Fights Back

by Terry Gore

The Battle of Lewes was over, and with it the end of the actual power of the English king, Henry III. Read more

Military History

The Oseberg Viking Ship

by Michael Haskew

Without the use of their fine longships that carried the Vikings along narrow rivers and across the open seas, the era of Norse expansion could not have occurred. Read more

German sailors in winter camouflage man a position on the hills overlooking Narvik. The Germans claimed victory at Narvik, but the Allies withdrew their forces primarily to cope with the German victory in the Battle of France.

Military History

Operation Weseruebung: the German Invasion of Norway & Denmark

By William Welsh

The German invasion of Denmark and Norway, known as Operation Weseruebung, heralded a new stage in warfare in which cooperation of air, land, and sea forces was essential for successful offensive operations. Read more

Military History

The Bell UH-1 Huey & the Hughes OH-6 Loach

By Michael Haskew

The helicopter came of age during the Vietnam War, performing a variety of tasks from troop transportation and deployment to the evacuation of wounded personnel, the delivery of supplies, offensive firepower, and observation. Read more

For five brutally cold days in autumn 1877, the Nez Perce endured a determined siege by the U.S. Army.

Military History

The Last Battle of the Nez Perce War

By William E. Welsh

On an early autumn day along Snake Creek in the Montana Territory Nez Perce children played with sticks and mud balls. Read more

The Prussian Army's Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher made some critical decisions on the field at the Battle of Waterloo.

Military History

The Prussian Army at the Battle of Waterloo

by Michael Haskew

Two centuries after his catastrophic defeat, historians may well point to Napoleon Bonaparte’s supreme self-confidence as his worst enemy at the Battle of Waterloo, fought June 18, 1815. Read more

When Marshal Ney mistook the removal of British wounded at the Battle of Waterloo as full retreat, his resulting cavalry charges were dashed.

Military History

Marshal Ney and His Biggest Mistake at the Battle of Waterloo

By Michael Haskew

Known as the “bravest of the brave” to the soldiers of the French Army, Marshal Ney was one of the original 18 Marshals of the French Empire. Read more

At the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington occupied a ridge astride the road to Brussels and invited Napoleon Bonaparte to attack.

Military History

Surveying the Ground at the Battle of Waterloo

A master of the tactical defensive posture, the Duke of Wellington, later known as the “Iron Duke” for his military prowess, chose his ground well at Waterloo. Read more

A well-timed volley and an epic cavalry charge halted Napoleon's initial assault against the Duke of Wellington during the Battle of Waterloo.

Military History

Waterloo: Napoleon Strikes the Duke of Wellington at the Center

By Michael Haskew

An artillery officer early in his military career, Napoleon Bonaparte understood the potential for big guns to influence the outcome of a major battle. Read more

The Allied defenders of Hougoumont fought off French attacks for nine hours, securing Wellington's right flank at the Battle of Waterloo.

Military History

Defending Hougoumont During the Battle of Waterloo

By Michael Haskew

While the Battle of Waterloo is remembered as one of the most pivotal in history and its date of June 18, 1815, is well known, the actual hour it began is strangely uncertain. Read more