Military History Archives

It’s easy to grasp the tactical brilliance of the Nez Perce warriors when visiting the Big Hole National bBttlefield in western Montana.

Military History

Big Hole National Battlefield Has Great Hikes, Stunning Views

by William E. Welsh

The dismounted cavalrymen began moving quietly through the swamp before daybreak. In some places they sank in the water to their knees. Read more

Defeat in the Battle of Leipzig, 1813—also known as the 'Battle of Nations'—spelled the beginning of the end for Napoleon Bonaparte.

Military History

The Battle of Leipzig, 1813: Napoleon Bonaparte’s ‘Battle of Nations’

by Michael Haskew

Following the disastrous retreat of his Grand Armée from Russia in the winter of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte, still a renowned military commander and the Emperor of France, recruited a new army and prepared to defend France against the coalition forces of Russia, Prussia, Sweden and Austria. Read more

Military History

The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

By Michael Haskew

Born on the island of Corsica to parents of minor nobility on August 15, 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte, the future Emperor of France and one of the leading military strategists and tacticians in history, graduated from the French military academy, the prestigious École Militaire, in September 1785, ranking 42nd in a class of 58. Read more

In the wake of the events on August of 1963 near the Gulf of Tonkin, the USS Maddox quickly became a symbol of North Vietnamese aggression.

Military History

Famous Navy Ships: The USS Maddox

by Brad Reynolds

The United States Navy commissioned the USS Maddox toward the end of World War II as a fast carrier escort for action in the Philippines and South China Sea. Read more

The USS Phoenix taxied many American soldiers in the Pacific Theater before being sunk as the ARA General Belgrano in the Falklands War.

Military History

Famous Navy Ships: The USS Phoenix & ARA General Belgrano

By Brad Reynolds

The USS Phoenix fought under two flags during her 44-year career. She gained initial prominence as a United States ship during World War II and concluded her career as an Argentinian combat casualty in the Falklands War of 1982. Read more

Military book reviews from Warfare History Network.

Military History

Military Book Reviews: March 2015

by Chris Miskimon Collision of Empires: The War on the Eastern Front in 1914

World War I was only days old when German General of the Infantry Hermann von François went forward to view his soldiers engaged in combat south of Stalluponen in East Prussia. Read more

U.S. strategic and tactical bombers pulverized the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the Laotian panhandle before the mission got under way.

Military History

The Nightmare Mission Into Laos: Operation Lam Son 719

By William E. Welsh

The South Vietnamese raid into the Laotian panhandle in February 1971 only confirmed what everyone already knew. Read more

Doughboys in the 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, carry M1903 Springfields near Soissons, France, in 1918.

Military History

An American Legend: The 1903 Springfield Rifle

By Arnold Blumberg

In 1896, the .30-40 “Model 1896 Krag Rifle” became the standard United States Army’s first bolt-action, magazine, smokeless-powder service rifle. Read more

Following the 1968 'Pueblo Incident' during the Vietnam War and 11-month standoff, the USS Pueblo is among America's most famous Navy ships.

Military History

Famous Navy Ships: The USS Pueblo & the “Pueblo Incident”

By Brad Reynolds

In the midst of the Vietnam War, one of the most famous ships of the era was an electronic and signal intelligence ship posted off the east coast of North Korea. Read more

Taking part in the Battle of Manila Bay, the Bolshevik Revolution and World War I, the USS Olympia is one of America's most celebrated and famous Navy ships.

Military History

Famous Navy Ships: USS Olympia, Flagship of Unexpected Imperialism

by Brad Reynolds

The later half of the 19th Century was a defining time for the American Navy as it began to modernize its ship design and tactical thinking. Read more

Britain and France continued to extend their territorial holdings in North America during the French and Indian War.

Military History

The French and Indian War: Duquesne to Louisbourg

by Michael Haskew

From 1756 to 1763, the armies of Great Britain and France fought the French and Indian War for preeminence in North America. Read more

An important battle in the Russo-Japanese War, the Battle of Tsushima is also a key event in modern naval history.

Military History

Naval History: The Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War

by Brad Reynolds

At the turn of the 19th Century, Japanese incursions into Korea forced Russia to fortify her ports at Vladivostok and Port Arthur. Read more

The 'Shores of Tripoli' in the Marines' Hymn, Edward Preble and the U.S.S. Philadelphia are all hallmarks of the Tripolitan War of 1801.

Military History

“To the Shores of Tripoli…”: The Tripolitan War & Birth of the Navy

by Brad Reynolds

Following the exploits of John Paul Jones and the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War, the U.S. Read more

The Korean War began in June 1950, when Communist North Korean forces invaded South Korea. The United States then led a U.N. coalition to end the conflict.

Military History

The Korean War: Invasion to Armistice

by Mike Haskew

With the end of World War II, the Korean peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet and U.S. Read more

The House of Lancaster defeated the House of York—both branches of the House of Plantagenet—during the War of the Roses in England.

Military History

The House of Plantagenet & The War of the Roses

by Michael Haskew

Fought between 1455 and 1487, the War of the Roses was prosecuted by the Houses of Lancaster and York, both branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet, which was of French origin and ruled England for more than 300 years. Read more

Military History

Emperor Julian “The Apostate”

By Kaveh Farrokh

“[W]hen Emperor Julian had received the wound [in Persia], he filled his hand with blood, flung it into the air and cried, Thou hast won, O Galilean,” wrote Theodoret of Cyrus. Read more

Subsequent failed campaigns to capture regions of the Byzantine Empire led Igor I of Keiv to be considered one of the worst leaders in history.

Military History

The Worst Leaders in History: Igor I of Kiev

by Brad Reynolds

As the Slavic people began to form what would eventually become the Russian Empire, there were inevitable missteps along the way. Read more

General William H. Winder's inept command during the Battle of Bladensburg lead many to list him among the worst leaders in history.

Military History

The Worst Leaders in History: General William H. Winder

by Brad Reynolds

During the War of 1812, General Winder would mount the last defense of Washington D.C. before it was ransacked by British forces in 1814. Read more

Known for indulging in personal prejudices, many recognize William Rufus Shafter (a.k.a. “Pecos Bill”) as one of America's worst leaders in history.

Military History

The Worst Leaders in History: ‘Pecos Bill’ (William Rufus Shafter)

By Brad Reynolds

Though William Rufus Shafter (a.k.a. “Pecos Bill”) had been awarded the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, he was known for crippling the careers of officers he did not like as he rose through the ranks. Read more