The Knights Templar – The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Crusader Order
A crimson cross emblazoned on a white background; a simple design, perhaps, but behind it lies one of the most remarkable stories in the history…
Richard the Lionheart’s Secret Weapon During the Third Crusade
During the Third Crusade, the city of Acre (today in Israel) was surrounded. Occupying the city was a Muslim garrison, besieged by a Christian army,…
The Tide Turns – One Battle Ended the Seemingly Unstoppable Mongol Invasion
There are few military forces more infamous and renowned in history than the Mongolian armies of the 13th Century. They swept through Asia and into…
The United States Navy’s First Submarine – Lost at Sea
The USS Alligator was the first known submarine of the United States Navy. But it wasn’t the first American submarine. That was the “Turtle,” a…
The American Civil War – The Union Told All The European Countries If They Recognized The Confederacy’s Legitimacy, It Was Equal To Declaring War Against The Union
By the beginning of the American Civil War, the United States was a little more than 50 years of age. They had started to develop relationships…
The Night Attack – Vlad The Impaler Ambushes The Ottoman Sultan
Mehmet II, known as Mehmet the Conqueror, was one of the greatest military commanders of his day. The Ottoman Empire under his rule was vast,…
The Battle Of Marignano: The Reason For Almost 500 Years Of Swiss Neutrality
In November of 2016, Switzerland will have had a strict policy of neutrality for five centuries. Even during the World Wars, Switzerland was able to…
Battle of Agincourt – The English Really Should Have Lost, But They Won
The Battle of Agincourt is an iconic moment in English military history. On 25 October 1415, an army of English raiders under Henry V faced…
The Mysterious Death of the Legendary Confederate General Stonewall Jackson
While the Battle of Chancellorsville was Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory, it was the beginning of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s ultimate defeat. On May 2, 1863, Confederate…
How Muslims Responded To The Crusades
For Muslims living in the Holy Land, the arrival of Christian crusaders from the late 11th century onwards was hugely disruptive. It brought misery to…
Facts We Never Knew About Medieval Warhorses
The warhorse was a vital part of the European medieval military machine. Cavalry charges by heavily armoured knights made horseback attacks a terrifying part of…
The Mongol Invasions of Japan and the Origin of the Word “Kamikaze”
In the 1270s and 1280s, the menacing forces of the Mongols attacked Japan. Through courage, determination, and good luck, the Japanese drove them off. It…