Category: Odd Facts
The Forgotten Armies of the Western Front — 1914 to 1918
“There were other, smaller, often overlooked contingents to the Western Front that history has largely forgotten. Here are their stories.” EIGHT MILLION MEN fought for the British Army during the First World War. More than half of…
This is Gonna Hurt — Military Punishment Throughout the Ages
“A number of armies and navies have gone down in history for the cruelty, depravity and (dare we say it?) creativity of their punishments.” FREDERICK THE GREAT famously remarked that his soldiers must fear their officers more…
The Warfare Underground — A Brief History of Siege Tunnels
BY THE END OF 1914, the trench warfare on the Western Front had bogged down into a bloody stalemate. But the German army thought it had come up with a scheme to break the impasse. On…
Final Notes — ‘Taps,’ ‘The Last Post’ and Other Songs for the Fallen
“Both the Last Post and Taps share a common lineage. Each are derivatives of a Dutch tune from the 1600s called the Taptoe.” (Originally published on July 11, 2012) TAPS, THE SONG THAT’S BEEN PLAYED AT…
The Forgotten Role of Indigenous Americans in the U.S. Civil War
“Some Indian factions taking up arms for both the Union and the Confederacy.” THE U.S. CIVIL WAR wasn’t just an internecine struggle between white Americans from the north and south. Native tribes throughout the United States…
‘Unhistory’ — The Cold War Dogfight That Officially Never Happened
“It seemed as if the fliers involved might be firing the first shots in a whole new conflict — World War Three.” THE COLD WAR wasn’t always that cold. In fact, on a few occasions it…
