World War 1 | War History

What Happened to the Jewish Soldiers Who Served with the German Army in World War I?

Jewish German soldiers gathered together for a Yom Kippur service

Prior to the Second World War, Jewish soldiers actively fought in the German Army. This included World War I and a number of conflicts fought…

John Hines Was the King of Pilfering German Goods During World War I

John Hines sitting among stolen German equipment

There were countless stories of intense bravery to come out of the First World War. However, John “Barney” Hines had a much different approach to…

The Miraculous History Behind Britain’s ‘Thankful Villages’

Crowd waving British flags along a street

It’s a well known fact the First World War was one of the deadliest conflicts of human history, with only World War II having a…

The Integral Role Air Gunners Played During the First and Second World Wars

Walter R. Newbury sitting in the top turret of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator + Jesse Rhodes Waller aiming the .30-caliber machine gun of a Consolidate PBY Catalina

Aircraft made their combat debut during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-12. Just a few years later, during the First World War, they appeared in much…

August von Mackensen: The German Field Marshal Dubbed ‘The Last Hussar’

August von Mackensen leaning over a table

Hussars originated in Central Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries and were made up of light cavalry soldiers. Though military in nature, they can…

Frank Luke: The WWI Flying Ace Who Was Like a Real-Life Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell

Frank Luke standing in front of his SPAD S.XIII

While dogfights first occurred during the Mexican Revolution, it wasn’t until the First World War that they became widespread. Upon returning home from service, pilots…

A Faux Paris Was Built to Fool German Bombers During World War I

Aerial view of Paris at sunset + Map showing the streets of faux Paris

When Paris was the target of German bombers during the First World War, officials immediately began to devise ways to stop future air raids from…

Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Paths of Glory’ Was Loosely Based on a Real-Life Tragedy

Todd Neikirk
Kirk Douglas as Col. Dax in 'Paths of Glory'

War movies have always been one of the most popular genres of film and, for many years, they unambiguously portrayed their conflicts as noble. Renowned…

6-Star General: Only Three Individuals Have Been Promoted to the Prestigious Rank

Military portrait of Ulysses S. Grant + Military portrait of John J. Pershing + Military portrait of George Washington

The rank of 6-star general is so high in the US military’s hierarchy that it’s only ever been given out three times. One recipient was…

USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) Found After a Century; First US Destroyer to Be Sunk By An Enemy Vessel

Smoke emanating from a ship hit by a torpedo + The USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) at sea

On December 6, 1917, the Tucker-class destroyer USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) was sailing from Brest, France to Queenstown, Ireland. However, the ship never reached its…

The British Were Harvesting Soldiers’ Organs During WWI

Soldiers kneeling over an injured comrade on the battlefield

A book by Canadian historian Tim Cook has brought to light some disturbing evidence regarding a British program that saw the harvesting of slain Canadian…

USS Texas D-Day Role: Flooding the First US Battleship (BB-35) in WW2 Was Strategic

USS Texas (BB-35) at sea

The USS Texas (BB-35) saw more combat action in her lifetime than most other US battleships, seeing service in both World War I and II,…