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 Brilliant Sappers and Siege engines – Ivan the Terrible Conquers The city of Kazan
The army had been in place under the city walls for weeks. Ivan the Fourth, Tsar of all the Russians, accompanied his force in the…
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…
The Equipment of the Samurai – Fearsome Warriors Armed to the Teeth
Samurai were the elite warriors of feudal Japan; as dominant as knights were in Europe. Their equipment was as much a display of their status…
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…
The last battle of the Vikings On The West Coast Of Scotland
It was the age of the Great Mongol Khans. It was the age of Byzantium, of the Holy Roman Empire. The wars of the Reconquista…
11 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…
7 Reasons the Conquistadors Beat the Incas
Francisco Pizarro’s conquest of the Incan empire is one of the most extraordinary achievements in military history. In the space of a single day in…
12 Battles That Defined the Crusades – Brutal Times
The Crusades, Christian Europe’s attempt to drive back other nations and religions, were among the most ambitious and badly thought out campaigns in military history.…
5 Rules of Chivalry and How They Were Broken
In the Middle Ages, chivalry was more than just a name for polite behaviour. It was a set of rules meant to limit the actions…