Military History Archives

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

Napoleon's last bid for victory at Waterloo failed as the Duke of Wellington's soldiers routed the Old Guard on the evening of June 18, 1815.

Military History

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Old Guard at the Battle of Waterloo

by Michael Haskew

As the afternoon of June 18, 1815, waned at Waterloo, thousands of men and horses lay dead and dying. Read more

In a hail of bullets, Mexican revolutionary and outlaw Pancho Villa was shot by assassins in Parral on July 20, 1923, ending his bloody career...

Military History

The Death of Pancho Villa

by Michael Haskew

In the July 5, 1922, edition of the New York Tribune, the poem “Unconvinced” by James J. Montague was published. Read more

French General Jean Rapp races towards a calm and self-assured Emperor Napoleon with a captured enemy standard during the height of the Battle of Austerlitz.

Military History

How Jean Rapp Saved Napoleon Bonaparte’s Life… Three Times

By Blaine Taylor

Few mortals commanded such intense devotion from their troops as did French Emperor Napoleon I, and fewer soldiers still can claim to have had a direct hand in helping to save the life of their commander. Read more

Military History

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Prelude to the Battle of Waterloo

By Michael Haskew

Political unrest in France and public disenchantment with King Louis XVIII prompted exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to return to his country from the island of Elba in the spring of 1815. Read more

The rise of Pancho Villa came with the heightened lawlessness and revolutionary fervor that swept Mexico in the early years of the 20th century.

Military History

Pancho Villa: Rise of a Revolutionary

by Michael Haskew

Like so many other prominent leaders in history, Doroteo Arango Arambula was born in obscurity, the son of a poor sharecropper in San Juan del Rio in the state of Durango, Mexico. Read more

A pioneer in the field of military aviation, the Department of the Navy was instrumental in advancing military aeronautics into its modern form.

Military History

The Birth of U.S. Military Aviation

by Brad Reynolds

On March 25, 1898, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt recommended that two officers “of scientific attainment and practical ability” be appointed to investigate the Samuel P. Read more

Military History

World War I: Inception of the Aircraft Carrier

By Brad Reynolds

In 1898, Samuel P. Langley’s first flying prototype sparked interest from the U.S. Navy, which immediately began looking for military applications. Read more

Leading up to the Battle of Keh Sanh, Operation Niagara attempted to 'find, fix and finish' the enemy throughout rough Vietnamese terrain.

Military History

Operation Niagara & the Battle of Khe Sanh

By Brad Reynolds

As American involvement in Vietnam escalated throughout the 1960s, American military commanders struggled to justify their strategy of attrition and prove that an end to the war was in sight. Read more

Under the Punitive Expedition, American troops under General John J. Pershing pursued Pancho Villa across Mexico, albeit unsuccessfully.

Military History

Pancho Villa & General John J. Pershing’s Punitive Expedition

by Michael Haskew

Five days after the March 9, 1916, raid on Columbus, New Mexico, in which at least 17 Americans were killed, President Woodrow Wilson instructed General John J. Read more

During the Korean War, Chinese pilots used MiG Alley to test their newly acquired MiG 15s and develop their combat tactics against UN F86 Sabres.

Military History

The Korean War: The MiG 15 & MiG Alley

By Brad Reynolds

The Korean War was not only a landmark conflict under the guidance of the United Nations, but it was also the first serious testing ground for jet-to-jet combat. Read more