In both Crimea and the subsequent fighting in the Donbas region of Ukraine, Russia’s signature tactic has been the use of so-called “Green Men,” soldiers without identifying insignia whose identity as Russian soldiers the Kremlin denied. Ukraine, Georgia, and even NATO members like Estonia now fear that they could be the next target for Russia’s…
Category: Historical Study
Brush-Up on Your History: The Four Forgotten Men Who Secretly Put Adolf Hitler in Power
In 1929, Adolf Hitler was a strange combination of has-been and never-was. The fame and following he’d garnered after his failed 1923 coup d’etat–and subsequent jailing and publication of his autobiography (Mein Kampf)–had severely waned. His Nazi party had a paltry number of seats in Parliament and showed no signs of picking up steam. The…
Profiles in Courage: Gisella Perl, The “Angel of Auschwitz”
Forced to work for the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz, Gisella Perl risked all to save as many lives as she could. This is her incredible, heartbreaking story. We have previously shared the story of Stanislawa Leszczyńska, a midwife at Auschwitz who delivered almost 3,000 babies while imprisoned in the concentration camp. But while…
Brush-Up on Your History: How the Assassination of Julius Caesar Changed The World
Caesar’s death paved the way for the Roman empire after a bloody cycle of civil wars, and secured him the hallowed immortality he always craved Spurinna was a haruspex. His calling was vital, if a little unusual, requiring him to see the future in the warm entrails of sacrificial animals. At the great festival…
World War Two History: Meet the U.S. Army’s EOD Pioneers
“More than 2,000 men served in the U.S. Army’s elite bomb disposal teams during the war. Yet American UXB squads received very little media coverage owing to their secrecy and small numbers.” WHEN PEOPLE THINK about Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians, many envision soldiers in blast suits with remote-controlled robots, tracking down IEDs like something out…
World War Two History: This ‘Addams Family’ Star was a True American Warrior!
Waif to Warrior: Going From Child Star To “Chindit” In WWII America John was a child of Vaudeville; he became a professional entertainer at the age of four. He was an immediate hit on stage and when silent films came out, John was cast to co-star with the likes of Charlie Chaplin then later as…
The Bad-Ass Files: Simo Hayha
In the winter of 1939, the Soviet Union was dicks. Russian Premier Josef Stalin thought it would be really fucking hilarious if he all of a sudden sent like two million of his dudes over to nearby Finland to start kicking everyone’s asses and seizing whatever land he could get his borsch-covered hands on, while…
World War Two History: 10 Mind Blowing Secret Operations from WW2
During World War II, tons of secret operations were conducted by both sides. While many were daring, some of them stand out as incredible, with mind-blowing operations that seem straight out of a historical thriller novel. . 10. The Olterra The plan sounds like something from a spy movie—to use a secret underwater base as…
Brush-Up On Your History: Why the Civil War Was NOT about Slavery
Conventional wisdom of the moment tells us that the great war of 1861—1865 was “about” slavery or was “caused by” slavery. I submit that this is not a historical judgment but a political slogan. What a war is about has many answers according to the varied perspectives of different participants and of those who…
“War is My Life”: A Journey Along The Front Line In Ukraine
SHCHASTYA, Ukraine—The late winter weather in Ukraine alternates among frigid, cool, snow, and rain—teasing the arrival of spring. The 2-year-old war, which has ravaged eastern Ukraine, killing more than 10,000 and displacing more than 1 million, is as fickle as the weather—teasing the possibility of peace without ever achieving it. Both sides of the conflict renewed…