10 Medieval Knightly Orders – And What Made Each One Unique
Combining knightly warfare and a monastic lifestyle, the knightly crusading orders were one of the strongest institutions of medieval Europe. Through them, men sought a…
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…
Napoleon’s Great Military Innovations Might Not Have Been As Original They Seemed
The success of Napoleon Bonaparte stands as a testament to his extraordinary talent as a general. For twenty years, his armies dominated the battlefields of…
The Slave Who Stole A Confederate Ship, Met President Lincoln & Bought His Master’s House
In 1862, Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship, gave it to the Union Army, freed slaves, and met President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, he…
The Pressing of American Seamen And The War of 1812
Imagine yourself as an American sailor; the year is 1804. You are 30 years old, born in 1774, and have spent most of your adult…
1st Louisiana Native Guard: The All Black Regiment Which Fought For The South And The North In The Civil War
Throughout American history African Americans and most people of color, including Native Americans, were traditionally discriminated against and given little opportunities in the military. Taken…
How Napoleon Managed His Vast Armies
The wars fought by Napoleon Bonaparte were like nothing that had ever come before. His armies were vast in scale and constant in their activity,…
7 Types of Medieval Armor – From Quilted Cloth to Full Steel Plate
More than any other artifact of war, armor dominates visual images of medieval Europe. From the chainmail carefully stitched onto each warrior in the Bayeux…
Siege of Vienna: Led by a Mercenary, This Desperate Army Turned the Tide on the Ottoman Empire
For four hundred years, the Crusades had seen European powers take war deep into lands far from home, under the banner of Christianity. The clash…
American Civil War: How The South Could Have Won (Watch)
General Lee’s army surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865 ending the American Civil War. It had been one of the bloodiest conflicts…
10 Things to Know About Spies in the American Civil War
The use of spying in the American Civil War was widespread. Neither the North or the South had a centralized agency to handle these matters.…
9 Factors That Caused The First Crusade – It Was Not As Simple As It Seems Today
On the surface, the First Crusade looks like something with a simple cause – the hatred of one religious group for another. In reality, the…