Andrew Knighton

Andrew Knighton is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Andrew Knighton:

How Success and the Failures of Others Ruined General George McClellan

George McClellan’s reputation is not a good one. As commander of the Union armies early in the American Civil War, he is often credited as…

How the Confederacy Almost Won the American Civil War

Early in the American Civil War, the Confederacy almost won. It was not the complete victory the Union eventually achieved. Rather than conquering their opponents,…

Napoleon’s Armies in the Iberian Peninsula

The Peninsula War was the most drawn-out campaign of the Napoleonic wars. French troops entered the Iberian Peninsula in 1807  and along with Spanish forces…

“Smiling Albert” Kesselring; a German General of World War Two

Albert Kesselring had one of the most wide-ranging careers of WWII. A skilled German commander, he was fondly referred to by his admirers as “Smiling…

When Napoleon Invaded, These Men And Women Became Heroes of The Spanish Resistance

In 1807, the forces of Napoleonic France entered Spain on their way to invade Portugal. The following year, they took control of Spain itself. For…

The Last German Paratroop Drop of the Second World War

WWII was the pinnacle of paratrooper action. The tactics and technology needed for paratrooper landings had been refined to a point where they could play…

Massive Morale Collapses of the First World War

WWI was a grueling and dehumanizing conflict. Soldiers saw friends slaughtered in fruitless attacks for the sake of strategies they could not understand. The constant…

General Ulysses S. Grant In The American Civil War

Ulysses S. Grant was one of the greatest generals in American history. Under his leadership, the Union armies marched to victory through the bloody quagmire…

The German Paris Gun – Super Gun Of WWI

The most powerful gun to be fielded in the First World War was the German Paris Gun. Several of these guns were produced and used…

The First Tank Attack: The Battle Of The Somme

On the Somme The first use of tanks in an attack took place on September 13, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. It was…

Operation Michael: The Germans Regain the Offensive

By the spring of 1918, the Western Front of the First World War had been almost static for three years. Then the Germans, intent on…

The Assault On Messines Ridge – Flanders, 1917

During the First World War, Flanders became some of the most hotly contested ground in military history. Thousands upon thousands of men died in trench…