Military Heritage August 2005

Mary, Queen of Scots and Cryptoanalysis

Mention Elizabethan England to most people, and they usually think of William Shakespeare, the Globe Theatre and Sir Francis Drake. Read more

Military Heritage August 2005

The Duke of Wellington in Assaye in India

Years after he had saved the world from the ambitions of Napoleon, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was asked by his friend, George William Chad, to recall the “best thing” he had ever done as a soldier. Read more

Military Heritage August 2005

Sleep in the Military: Not Dead, Just Dead Tired

One of the most precious resources in war, and the one most often in short supply, is sleep. Read more

Military Heritage August 2005

Mark Antony’s Roman Navy: Clash at Actium & the Ionian Sea

Julius Caesar’s assassination on the ides of March, 44 bc left Rome without a clear and decisive leader. Read more

Military Heritage August 2005

Pikes: A Versatile and Deadly Weapon

Although formal training in the use of the pike—an ash-handled spear 18 to 20 feet long—did not begin until the 15th century, ancient Greeks and Romans used so-called “long spears” as standard infantry issue against cavalry. Read more

Military Heritage August 2005

Lake Peipus: Battle on the Ice

In the early 13th century, the Baltic frontier in central Europe remained a hostile and uninviting place. Pagan Europeans far outnumbered Christians, and the area was a focal point for constant conflict between mutually exploitive neighbors slavering to carve out new territorial holdings at the expense of anyone who stood in their way. Read more

Military Heritage August 2005

Were the Angels of Mons in World War I Real, or Mass Hysteria?

Some Tommies swore it had been St. George, the warrior saint of England. Others said the “Angels of Mons” might have been St. Read more

Military Heritage August 2005

The Politics of Military Heroes

Defeat has a funny way of producing heroes.

The British lost an embarrassing battle to Zulu tribesmen at Isandhlwana, but the improbable defense of an insignificant river crossing 10 miles away by a handful of rear-echelon soldiers, overage officers, and civilians created a new crop of heroes for the public to idolize. Read more