William Mclaughlin

William Mclaughlin is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by William Mclaughlin:

Sons of Mars: Early Formative Events that Shaped the Roman Empire

How exactly were the Romans able to rise from a small trading settlement near a ford in the Tiber to establishing an empire that stretched…

Site Where Caesar Slaughtered 200,000 Barbarians Discovered in The Netherlands

We know that Caesar ran rampant through much of modern day France, Germany and England and won great victories and also oversaw what were essentially…

Historical Review: A Knight’s Tale; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

A Knight’s Tale is a purposeful blend of modern and medieval. The director, Brian Helgeland, made several choices to modernize what has often been considered…

How Cortes Captured the Mighty Tenochtitlan with 1,000 Spaniards… and smallpox, and 100,000 natives, and guns

In June of 1521 Hernan Cortes had a sizable force of Conquistadors outside of Tenochtitlan but was tasked with rescuing his garrison of a few…

The Fall of the Aztecs, The Bloody Path to Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan was an absolutely amazing city. The city was larger than any in Europe at the time and held approximately 200,000 people with some estimates…

Development of the Awe-inspiring Triple Walls of Constantinople

The great city of Constantinople was one of the most impressive and impregnable cities in the world for over 1,000 years. It retained the glory…

The Many Sieges of Constantinople Before The Ottoman’s Conquests

Constantinople was the jewel of the Byzantine Empire, the continuation of the fallen Western Roman Empire. The city grew quickly and gained walls worthy of…

Medieval Doombringers: Viking Raiders and Their Dragonships

When thinking about the Viking age it is nearly impossible not to picture the iconic Viking Longship complete with dragon head bow and shields hung…

Archaeologists May Have Found the Oppressive Fortress of Acra under a Parking Lot

The Acra fortress in Jerusalem was quite unique in that it was not intended to protect the city directly, but built as an oppressive fortress…

Historical Review: The Last Samurai; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Last Samurai (2003) was a historical epic loosely set during the last great Samurai rebellion of the Meiji Restoration. It is important to note…

Being a Footsoldier in Ancient Battles; A Frontline View of Victory

What was it actually like to fight with the heavy infantry on an ancient battlefield? The average person has their views shaped by Hollywood, but…

Elite Island Skirmishers of the Mediterranean (Cretan Archers, Balearic and Rhodian Slingers)

Heavy infantry is often the driving and decisive arm in ancient battles along with heavy cavalry charges to drive home the victory, but those who…