In 1883 Hiram Maxim designed a unique system that harnessed the recoil of a rifle. Maxim filed a patent for this system which, when the U.S. government granted it in April 1884, became his first firearm design patent — a year before his now-famous machine-gun concept patent. To prove his ideas about using recoil to operate…
Category: Historical Study
Literary Corner: Great Interview with Tom Ricks on Writing, Reading and Military Innovation
Tom Ricks is without a doubt one of my favorite Military writers and historians. If you don’t already I seriously recommend subscribing to his Best Defense Blog on Foreign Policy.com. I also recommend his book Fiasco for a “blinders-off”, no bull look at the War in Iraq. -SF So you’ve been covering the US military…
World War I History: Verdun 100 Years Later, “The Slaughterhouse of the World”
The Battle of Verdun started 100 years ago this February, and lasted through the year, finishing in December 1916. At 7:15 a.m. on February 21, the 1,200 guns of the German Fifth Army began a bombardment to signal the beginning of the Battle of Verdun. “Every new explosion is a new attack, a new fatigue,…
World War Two History: Did Nazi Research Actually Contribute Anything Valuable To Medical Science?
It goes without saying that Nazi research into medical science was brutal and inhumane, but did they also discover anything useful or beneficial? Some life meant very little to the Nazis, who herded millions of people out of their homes and into indefinite detention, heavy labor, and a gruesome waiting game until death. Nazi Germany…
Military History: The Most ‘Interesting’ War Tactics of All Time According to Ask Reddit
A recent Ask Reddit thread sought to explore the greatest war tactic ever performed. The history books are full of examples of unconventional and surprise military tactics. A recent Reddit thread entitled “What was the most interesting war tactic ever performed in history?” was full of unbelievable stories, so naturally, we wanted to share a…
Military History: Beating the “Bloody Flux” and How Sir John Pringle Waged War on Dysentery
“Sanitation standards in the 18th Century were almost non-existent. Soldiers were in the habit of relieving themselves wherever they wished, including outside their own tents, turning encampments into mucky breeding grounds for dysentery.” 18TH CENTURY MILITARY camps were hotbeds for communicable diseases. Often, more soldiers on campaign died from illness than were ever felled in battle. Interestingly enough, the…
Weird History: 8 Times Historical Leaders Literally Threw their Opponents Out of the Window
In the histories of medieval governments, pre-20th century monarchies, and political assassinations, the tales with fancy weapons and torture instruments seem to get all of the attention. There were times, however, when a person’s two hands were all it took to bring down an opponent, and quite often spark an entire revolution. When rage or…
Military History: 4 Exotic Weapons in Ancient Warfare that were Ahead of Their Time
When most think of ancient warfare, nothing more sophisticated than spears, bows, and maybe catapults come to mind. But like in modern warfare, few things breed ingenuity more than the need to outgun the enemy. Here are some of the more elaborate examples: 1. Claw of Archimedes Archimedes, the famed Greek mathematician and inventor, developed a…
Military History: “Removal of a Tenth”, a Bloody History of Decimation
“The practice of decimation didn’t die with the Roman Empire. Military commanders throughout history have revived the tradition from time to time as a means of punishment.” BY ALL ACCOUNTS, Luigi Cadorna was an artless and pig-headed military commander. Of all the traditions from ancient Rome field marshal Luigi Cadorna could have chosen to revive…
World War Two History: Remembering Stalin as well as Hitler
When I’ve finished occupying the Soviet Union,” quipped a relaxed Adolf Hitler at dinner one night in 1941, “I’ll put that man Stalin back in charge. He’s the only person who knows how to deal with Russians.” Stalin was the biggest murderer of modern history – and maybe in of all mankind’s past. His number…