History of War

From the conquering legions of Ancient Rome to the thunderous tank battles of World War II and beyond, History of War takes you deeper inside the minds of history’s fighting men, further under the bonnets of some of the world’s most devastating war machines, and higher above the battlefield to see the broad sweep of conflict as it happened.

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CONTRIBUTORS

WAR IN FOCUS

FRONTLINE THIS MONTH INHISTORY: MARCH • In this issue’s Frontline, the US in Greenland, its contribution to WWI, nuclear threats in Ukraine, Operation Urgent Fury’s aftermath and Lviv’s troubled history

VICTORY MADE IN THE USA PART 2 • In issue 155, Professor Philpott laid out the case for why the US Army did not ‘win’ WWI on the battlefield. Here he explores how the major US contribution to victory came in money, material and motivation

FURIOUS FALLOUT OPERATION URGENT FURY PART 3 • The US invasion of Grenada generated widespread criticism, caused a rift between traditional allies and faced an embarrassing internal review

THE TROUBLED HISTORY OF LVIV • The ‘gateway to the West’ has for years become a relative sanctuary from the onslaught on Ukraine’s frontline. But the city and region’s long history has seen it at the centre of countless conquests

THE GREENLAND PARADOX • Professor Lawrence Freedman explains why NATO’s future and the island’s fate are secure despite heightening tensions above the Arctic Circle

“THE WAR WENT NUCLEAR ON THE VERY FIRST DAY” • Civilian reactors have become strategic cover for Russian forces during their invasion of Ukraine

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ROMMEL VERSUS TOBRUK DEFIANCE IN THE DESERT • By spring 1941, the Afrika Korps was advancing across eastern Libya towards Egypt and the Suez Canal. But a dusty port town lay in their path

HAIL MING! • Despite being jokingly named after the villain in the Flash Gordon comics, Leslie James Morshead was known for his stern approach to discipline and uncompromising standards

ROMMEL’S SUPPLY NIGHTMARES • Although no one could doubt his tactical genius, intellect alone couldn’t overcome impossible logistical demands

HEROES OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR DAVID BELLAVIA • This staff sergeant became the first living US Army veteran of the Iraq War to receive the Medal of Honor, following fierce close-quarters combat during the Second Battle of Fallujah

1842 RETREAT FROM KABUL • The grisly fate of more than 16,000 soldiers and civilians during the First Anglo-Afghan War serves as a timeless lesson in hubris and bad leadership

SURGEON MAJOR WILLIAM BRYDON

THE REDCOAT KILLER

GREAT BATTLES COWPENS • One of the most consequential battles of the American Revolution was fought in the South Carolina backcountry

“OUR JERUSALEM” THE TEUTONIC ORDER’S ETERNAL BALTIC CRUSADES • Europe’s frozen northeast became a new sacred frontier of holy war, forced conversion and occupation against Europe’s last pagans

“SOLDIERS OF CHRIST” • The Teutonic Knights led much of the Baltic Crusades to amass unprecedented power and wealth

THE LIVONIAN CRUSADE • While the Teutonic Order fought for control of Prussia, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword attempted a parallel crusade to the north

WHAT IS A VIKING SAGA? • From voyages to battles, gods to monsters, heroics to cowardice, the Viking sagas explore all of these themes in magnificent detail

THE VIKING STORYTELLERS

ORAL COURT POETRY OF THE SKALDS

OPERATOR’S HANDBOOK GRUMMAN F6F HELLCAT • This robust, pugnacious aircraft dominated the skies and became the premier carrier-based fighter of the Pacific War

HOW TO FLY A SPITFIRE •  A UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO WHAT IT TOOK TO FLY BRITAIN’S MOST ICONIC FIGHTER

AMERICAN MIG PILOT...