The Incredible Military Career of Graves Erskine, the US Marine Who Escorted the Unknown Soldier
When John Wayne and Republic Pictures needed a technical adviser for the 1949 film Sands of Iwo Jima, they reached out to Graves Erskine. It…
A 500-Mile March By French Cavalrymen Helped Bring an End to the First World War
Images of the First World War often capture the difficulties of trench warfare, with soldiers on all sides of the conflict engaging in a war…
Battles of the Isonzo: Two Years, Over One Million Casualties
Many of the bloodiest battles in World War I occurred along the Western Front. There was, however, another lesser-known combat theater that was as equally…
Indra Lal Roy was India’s Sole Flying Ace During World War I
World War I was the first major conflict to feature aircraft engage in aerial battles. At the time, it was incredibly dangerous to take to…
The Lee-Enfield Repeating Rifle Has the World’s Second-Longest Service History
The first version of the Lee-Enfield repeating rifle entered into service in 1895. Since then, 17 million units and a number of variants have been…
Canadian War Crimes in WW1: How German Soldiers Were Exploited by Canadian Troops
As World War I dragged on, an unexpected group became known for being ruthless. Canadians, stereotyped as friendly, kind and agreeable, certainly displayed none of…
Aníbal Augusto Milhais: The Portuguese Soldier ‘Worth a Million Men’
The story of Aníbal Augustus Milhais, also known by the nickname Soldado Milhões (“Soldier Millions”), reads like something out of Star Wars. A simple farmer…
Historic Deception and Camouflage Techniques Used By Militaries
Deception and military subterfuge have been used throughout history. The aim is to give armies the upper hand by tricking the enemy. The practice dates…
Lt. Gen. Larry Jordan on His Military Career and the Service of African-Americans in WWI
The US military has a long and complicated history when it comes to the treatment of minorities within its ranks. While things have certainly improved,…
The Titanic’s Sister Ship Took Out a German U-boat in World War I
When the RMS Olympic was launched in October 1910, she was the largest man-made moving object in the world. At 882 feet long, Olympic set…
Six Things War Movies Get Wrong About Grenades
When it comes to explosive weapons, nothing is more recognizable (and misunderstood) than the hand grenade. Movies and video games usually depict someone pulling the…
Konstantin Rokossovsky Was the Marshal of Two Armies During the 20th Century
Russia during the first half of the 20th century was both massive and constantly engaged in military conflict. One man who made a name for…