From chlorine gas to Kalashnikovs, barrel bombs to cruise missiles, the Syrian conflict shows what 21st-century militaries and armed groups can bring to bear. The Assad regime’s bloody reaction to the 2011 Arab Spring ignited one of the most lethal rebellions in modern history, placing it in the crosshairs of more than 1,000 armed groups:…
Category: Military History
World War II History: Lessons From the Winter War – Frozen Grit and Finland’s Fabian Defense
Whether on the soccer pitch or the field of battle, humans have a natural tendency to root for the underdog. Oursacred texts, medieval ballads, and regimental histories are filled with gut-wrenching tales of desperate men facing overwhelming odds. From the battle of Thermopylae to the siege of the Alamo, from the gunfight at Camaron to…
Cold War Files: The Showdown That Almost Happened Over Bangladesh in 1971
In 2016, the United States backed India’s application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group — but didn’t support Pakistan’s. This marked an extraordinary turning point in the United States’ relationship with these historical adversaries. In 1971, the United States sent part of its Seventh Fleet to threaten war with India on Pakistan’s behalf. The reasoning behind the…
Civilian Operator 101: Hybrid Warfare Historical Study
Russia’s actions in the Ukraine has brought new attention to the concept of “hybrid warfare”. The uptick of interest has been spurred by the waging of hostilities on multiple levels and specifically the seeming novelty of using irregular, political, and information operations in conjunction with more traditional coercion. Such tactics are meant to identify, exacerbate,…
Military Weapons From the Past: The British EM Series – The First Bullpup Design from the 1950’s
By late 1947 the British Army’s Armaments Design Department had designed three principal rifles for the Infantry Personal Weapon program. The new rifles got their official designations in January 1948. They were Stanley Thorpe’s EM-1, the EM-2 designed by Capt. Kazimierz Stefan Januszewski and the EM-3, the latter the brainchild of Major J.E.M. Hall, an…
World War II History: Japanese Balloon Bombs – How Japan Killed American’s AT HOME
During WWII, the Japanese sent thousands of floating deathtraps across the ocean with one goal: burn down the Pacific Northwest. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a shocking display of its ruthless military tactics during World War II. Over 2,400 U.S. servicemen died during the surprise attack, thrusting the United States…
International Military News: Putin Sacks EVERY Naval Commander in Baltic Fleet in Stalin Like Purge
Vladimir Putin has sacked every single commander in Russia’s Baltic fleet in what has been described as a ‘Stalin-style’ purge. Up to 50 officers of the fleet were fired alongside Vice Admiral Viktor Kravchuk and his chief of staff Rear Admiral Sergei Popov after they reportedly refused to follow orders to confront Western ships. Reports…
Holocaust History: A Journey Into Pol Pot’s Madness
If not for Cambodia’s dark past, there would be no reason for anyone to visit the quiet fields south of Phnom Penh. A short tuk-tuk ride through the city’s dusty streets takes curious travelers to the kind of place that can only be found in a country that has experienced the worst kind of cruelty….
Ancient History: 10 Forgotten Conquerors
In Shelley’s famous poem Ozymandias, a broken statue lies in the empty desert, its pedestal hollowly boasting, “My name is Ozymandias, king of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” The conquerors on this list boasted that they had “all the lands at [my] feet” or promised to make “Egypt taste the taste…
Military History: The Tank Turns 100 Years Old
Last Friday, July 1, marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in WWI. The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was several months long. It began with 18 (!) French and British divisions going “over the top” and was the largest battle of the First World War. Over a million casualties…