The Battle of Edgehill, October 1642 – Both commanders hoped to force battle
War History Online presents this Guest Article by Jemahl Evans Everyone thought it would all be over by Christmas. Everyone expected a single sharp engagement and…
First African-American To Recieve The Medal Of Honor Did So With The 54th Massachusetts At Fort Wagner
Once Hollywood got a hold of war it is often impossible for the average person to separate fact from fiction. And yet, if we look…
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…
An Age Of Brutal Conflicts – The Vikings and The Franks
Two great military forces dominated Europe in the 9th century. On the mainland was the Frankish Empire, a kingdom covering modern France and much of…
AD 732, Battle of Tours: Charles Martel the ‘Hammer’ Holds The Line Of Battle
Few Empires emerged as quickly as that of the Muslim Caliphates. Bursting out from what is now Saudi Arabia in the mid-7th century, the Islamic…
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…
The Viking Mercenaries of the Byzantine Empire – The Varangian Guard
The Byzantines Hired Viking Mercenaries as Guards The relationship between the Byzantine Emperors and their Varangian Guard was a complex affair. The Byzantines were first…
The Tide Turns On The 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…
Fighting For Favor, Fighting For Fame – Recruiting Armies In The Unforgiving World Of Medieval England
Recruiting an army could be a difficult business in the Middle Ages. Most people’s lives consisted of farming small patches of land. When people didn’t…
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…
The 100 Days – Napoleon Returns From Exile, Rallying an Army With His Words Alone
The ranks opened suddenly, and a figure stepped into view. He was taller than many of his enemies described him. Taller and leaner, the angles of…
A Bloody New Year – Battle of Stones River In The American Civil War
It was cold at the turning of the year in Murfreesboro, right in the middle of the state of Tennessee. The little town nestles under…