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…
A Few of the Largest Pre-20th Century Wartime Explosions
Initially, this was to be a list of the largest non-nuclear explosions, but that list is massive. Humans had blown up incredible amounts of explosives…
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,…
Against All Odds – When United States Revenue Cutter Eagle Defended Itself For Three Days
On October 11, 1814, the town of Riverhead, on Long Island, erupted with the sound of cannon fire. Iron balls whistled over the cliffs on…
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…
“Old soldiers fade away” – Missouri veteran served in the predecessor to U.S. Air Force in WWI
War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Jeremy P. Ämick, who is a military historian and writes on behalf of the Silver Star…