“Small pockets German troops refused to give up and in some cases fought on for days, even weeks, before finally calling it quits.” IT WAS JUST after 2:30 a.m. on May 7, 1945 when Generaloberst Alfred Jodl,…
Yellow Fever, Greek Fire and Poison Gas — Secret Weapons of the U.S. Civil War
By Jeffrey B. Roth The American Civil War was a conflict that sat astride two phases in military history: It began with generals on both sides employing timeworn Napoleonic-era strategies and ended…
The Fighting Anzacs – 14 Amazing Victoria Cross Winners From Down Under
“Ninety-Six Australians have received the British Empire and Commonwealth’s highest military award for valour. Another 20 have gone to New Zealanders.” ON APRIL 25, Australians and New Zealanders pause to remember all those who…
Lew Wallace – Failed Commander, Successful Novelist
“Redemption wasn’t just a theme of Wallace’s famous story, it was a concept very much at play in the author’s own life.” EASTER WAS THE motivation behind this Slate profile of Major General…
Toons on the March — How Hollywood Animators Turned Their Characters Loose on the Axis
“Most cartoons in the wartime genre were quickly pulled from circulation. In fact, few born after the 1945 ever saw any of them.” DO YOU REMEMBER time Daffy Duck gave a Nazi…
The Gustloff Incident – History’s Deadliest (and Mostly Forgotten) Maritime Disaster
The RMS Titanic is by far the most famous ill-fated ship of all time. Yet the unlucky luxury liner, which went down with more than 1,600 on board, can’t touch the doomed…
Are Civil War Buffs an Endangered Species? – Historians Bemoan Public’s Fading Interest in Past Conflicts
“Sources chalked the phenomenon up to ordinary apathy on the part of citizens.” A SURPRISING number of Americans seem entirely indifferent to the ongoing celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the U.S….
Alternate Endings — Ten Hypothetical Events That Would Have Changed the Outcome of World War Two
By George Dvorsky Decisions during wartime are monumental things. Each move and countermove has the potential to change the course of history. Here are ten shocking ways the Second World War could…