Few Americans today would likely recognize their country at the time of its founding. The first U.S. national census, conducted in 1790, revealed a mostly agrarian population of little more than 3…
Year: 2014
Murder at Lidice — Why Did This Forgotten Nazi Atrocity Create More Outrage in the West in 1942 Than the Holocaust?
“Although today the Lidice tragedy has been largely overshadowed by the Holocaust; surprisingly, Nazi atrocities against Jews received far less coverage at the time.” By Jonathan Harrison IN 1942, the Nazi atrocity that…
Old Soldiers – Meet Some of History’s Most Elderly Warriors
“Warfare isn’t always the sole province of the youthful. In fact, throughout military history, there have been a number of examples of the elderly making battlefield contributions.” IN MARCH 1943, a small…
“Shell Shock” Wasn’t Just a Problem for the British Army During the First World War
By Suzie Grogan Millions of men worldwide (and indeed many women too) suffered psychological damage caused by their experiences in the First World War. In Great Britain, the official number of those…
Military History in 100 Objects – The Pistol That Killed 20 Million People
#16 – The Gun that Killed 20 Million People Americans may tell you that the so called “shot heard round the world“, as referenced Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn“, was fired at…
Climate Change Blamed for Loss of 70-Year-Old War Graves
Rising sea levels associated with our changing climate have claimed some unlikely victims – Japan’s war dead. According to a story in the Huffington Post, the graves of 26 Japanese soldiers…
Checkmate – Which of History’s Kings Died in Battle?
“Prior to the age of muskets, kings and princes often personally lead their armies into battle. Predictably, a number of these fighting monarchs would be struck down in action.” IT WAS 1700…
The Atlantic Wall – 11 Key Facts About the Nazi Defences at Normandy
“Although one of the most impressive engineering feats of modern times, British, American and Canadian troops breached the seemingly impregnable Nazi defences along a 80-mile stretch of French coastline at Normandy in…