Life in Hitler’s Wartime Headquarters
During WWII, Adolf Hitler governed Germany from a series of specially prepared bases. Often located far from cities and the front lines, those places took…
The Duke of Wellington, Napoleon’s Arch-Enemy
Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, was Napoleon’s most famous opponent. In 1808 he led the British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces that defeated the French…
Hitler Believed That D-Day Was a Feint
One of the most extraordinary things about the D-Day landings of 1944 was Hitler’s response. The German Fuhrer was utterly convinced the attack was a…
Last Man Standing – The Lone German Soldier Who Held Off A Whole Wave Of Russian Infantry and Tanks
Part of Hitler’s appeal to the German people was his ability to flatter them. According to him, Germans were Ubermensch (superhuman) and therefore had the right…
Japan’s Onin War – A Vital Moment In The History Of Japan
The Onin War was a vital moment in the history of Japan. It saw the collapse of central authority and the descent of the nation…
Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty – The Priest who Converted an SS Commander
He was a man of many faces who used his talent at disguise to help thousands of people escape from the Nazis. Hunted by them,…
The Tragedy of the Destroyer USS Leopold
Convoy escort during WWII could be both a terrifying or dull affair. Sailors spent hours peering into gray seas, searching for and dreading the prospect…
How the American Civil War Became a “Total War”
The Civil War mobilized American resources on a scale only matched in WWII. It brought unparalleled destruction to many people. How did an initially restrained…
Ivan Pavlovich Sereda: the USSR’s Heroic Cook in World War Two
Militaries are hierarchical and, despite their low status, cooks play a vital role. Besides feeding troops, they also maintain morale which has a significant impact…
A Costly Failure: Germany’s Failed Attempts to Infiltrate Allied-Occupied Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was one of the great reversals of WWII. It was followed by the failure of Nazi Germany’s attempts to put…
Operation Halyard: An Airlift Operation that Saved 417 Allied Airmen In The Balkans
During WWII, the situation in the former country known as Yugoslavia was, to say the least, complicated. On the one hand, there was a partisan…
A Tale of Two Rebels: Allied Support for Desperate Partisan Resistance in World War Two
WWII was not just fought between regular armies. Wherever the Germans invaded, resistance movements sprang up to defy them. Backing those groups was an important…