Military Heritage

June 2011

Volume 12, No. 6

COVER: Napoleon’s General Lasalle leads a cavalry charge in
this painting by Edouard Detaille. At the Battle of Omdurman in
1898, the days of the heroic cavalry charge were coming to an
end. Musee de l’Armee, Paris, France / Giraudon /
The Bridgeman Art Library International

June 2011

Military Heritage

Battle of Omdurman: The Last British Cavalry Charge

By Eric Niderost

It was the morning of September 1, 1898, the day before the Battle of Omdurman. Lieutenant Winston Churchill of the Queen’s 4th Hussars rode out with four squadrons of the 21st Lancers to scout the approaches to Omdurman, a Sudanese village on the west bank of the Nile opposite Khartoum, epicenter of a revolt that had rocked the very foundations of the British Empire. Read more

June 2011

Military Heritage

Fiasco at the Bay of Pigs

By Peter Kross

On the morning of April 18, 1961, readers of the New York Times awoke to a startling headline: “Anti-Castro Units Land in Cuba; Report Fighting at Beachhead; Rusk Says U.S. Read more

June 2011

Military Heritage

What Makes Great Commanders Great?

By Richard A. Gabriel

Of the thousands of commanders who have served in history’s armies, why is it that only a few are remembered as great leaders of men in battle? Read more

June 2011

Military Heritage

The Russo-Finnish War: Why Stalin Tried to Invade Finland

By Arnold Blumberg

Prior to the Russo-Finnish War, problems were already setting in for Russia and Germany. The hugely cynical German-Soviet nonaggression pact, concluded in August 1939, assigned the Baltic region of eastern Europe to the exclusive sphere of influence of Communist Russia. Read more

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

June 2011

Military Heritage, Editorial

Churchill’s Combat Experience

When a young British lieutenant named Winston Churchill charged into a swirling mob of Dervishes at Omdurman on the afternoon of September 2, 1898, it was not the first time the well-born cavalryman had faced combat in his nation’s far-flung wars. Read more

June 2011

Military Heritage, Soldiers

Commodore John Barry: Naval Hero of the American Revolution

By Neil Cosgrove

Most histories of the American Revolution give the fledgling Patriot navy only one hero: John Paul Jones. While not begrudging Jones’s recognition, it seems unfair to represent the Continental Navy with a single fighting captain. Read more

June 2011

Military Heritage, Weapons

Seaplane Striking Force

By William H. Langenberg

The first few years after World War II were challenging ones for the U.S. Navy. Massive demobilization of personnel and rapid scrapping or retirement of ships created internal disruptions. Read more

June 2011

Military Heritage, Books

Andrew Jackson and the Drive West

By Al Hemingway

It is ironic that President Andrew Jackson, who was a staunch pro-Union advocate, actually bolstered states’ rights supporters when he refused to endorse the 1832 Supreme Court decision against the State of Georgia in the forced relocation of Native Americans from their homes after gold was discovered on their land. Read more

June 2011

Military Heritage, Games

The Korean Occupation of America

By Joseph Luster

War landing on U.S. soil is one of the ultimate worst case scenarios, and as such it’s perfect for the kind of game developer Kaos Studios has whipped up in Homefront. Read more