William Mclaughlin

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

Articles by William Mclaughlin:

1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs: Flemish Butchers & Weavers Defeat French Professional Knights

Heavy cavalry ruled the battlefield in the middle ages, starting way back around the battle of Adrianople. The common system of hierarchal feudal rule was…

The 1,000 Mile Fighting Retreat of the Nez Perce – Native Americans Looking For A Place To Live

The cruel treatment of Native Americans is a long and harsh chapter in American history. Most people remember hearing about the trail of tears and…

378 Adrianople: Rise of the Barbarians And The Beginning Of The End Of The Roman Empire

The Fall of Rome was an arduous, drawn-out process, lasting centuries in the West to over a thousand years in the East. The so-called “barbarians”…

The Last Samurai: The True History Behind The Film

The Last Samurai is a pretty solid, although underrated film. The action is well done, and the fusion of old and new, as well as…

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…

Games That Teach History – Learning History from Civilization

Historical video games, like many historical films, are full of inaccuracies, mainly to make the story fit better into the medium and to make it…

The Irish Invasions of Canada: Yes, the Irish really did Invade Canada – They Won Some Battles Too

The Irish have had a rough time in the era of modern history. They suffered from the awful potato famine and faced intense hostility when…

Enemies Within And Without – Caligula, Arminius and Vercingetorix – Most Hated Men Of Ancient Rome

Rome hated a lot of people over the thousands of years it held power, so this list is far from comprehensive, feel free to add…

Sparta: Growth Of An Empire – It Is Widely Known That The Spartans Produced Some Of The Most Brutally Efficient Warriors Of All Time

It is widely known that the Spartans produced some of the most brutally efficient warriors of all time, but how did they gain that reputation?…

Great Sieges: Jerusalem (70 CE) – One Million Lives Lost In 8 Months Of Combat

The Romans generally tolerated other religions, allowing and even welcoming Egyptian gods into their pantheon. Though they viewed the monotheistic Jews as being odd, they…

Thousands of Romans killed in the dense German woodland: What if the Teutoburg Disaster Didn’t Happen

“What if” history questions can be a divisive. Some view them as an exercise in futility, a place where no serious historians should go. Others…

Legion Vs Phalanx: Two Powerhouse Formations of the Ancient World

The organization from Homeric style hero warfare to tightly packed hoplite warfare was world changing. This powerful Hellenic formation allowed the ancient Greeks to hold…