Category: Odd Facts
Foreshadows — How Earlier Conflicts Predicted the Horrors of WW1
“Many of the battlefield advances that would become so closely associated with the War to End All Wars were actually foreshadowed in earlier conflicts.” WHEN WAR ERUPTED IN EUROPE in 1914, many expected a short…
Explaining War Crimes – Why Have So Many Modern Armies Committed Mass Murder?
By Jonathan Harrison Few people in 1900 would have predicted that many of the world’s most advanced military forces would commit horrific crimes against civilians in the forthcoming century. However, the genesis of those crimes…
Napoleon Misquoted — Ten Famous Things Bonaparte Never Actually Said
By Shannon Selin Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most quoted people in history, and thus also one of the most misquoted. Here are 10 famous quips falsely attributed to the legendary Corsican conqueror. “God…
Hard to Swallow – A Brief History of Hardtack and Ship’s Biscuit
“Made using salt, water and wheat flour (which is rich in protein, vitamins and calories), hardtack could provide modest nutrition for a crew at sea or an army in the field for weeks, even months.”…
Fresh Water Fights – Six Naval Battles That Took Place Miles From the Nearest Ocean
“Lake Erie isn’t the only famous ‘sea battle’ not to be fought at sea. Here are some others.” THE MOST DECISIVE NAVAL BATTLE of the War of 1812 took place on Sept. 10, 1813. That’s…
Big Bangs – Some of the Largest Wartime Explosions in History
AT PRECISELY 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 27, 1944, the relative quiet of RAF Fauld near Staffordshire, England was shattered when a 4,000-lb. bomb in the base’s 1,700 sq. ft. underground munitions bunker accidentally detonated. The resulting…
