With Triumphs Like These, Who Needs Defeats? — A Brief History of Pyrrhic Victories
“The term ‘pyrrhic victory’ is named for the ancient ruler of Epirus, King Pyrrhus, who went down in history for winning a string of major battles against Rome and Carthage but still losing the war…
The Battle for Nassau – Inside the First Overseas Mission for America’s Marines
“Less than a year into the revolution, a force of Continentals invaded and captured the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. Their target: a cache of military supplies that included 200 barrels of gunpowder.”…
The Battle of Seattle — Indigenous Warriors take on the USMC
“The battle, which was part of the larger Puget Sound War of 1855 and 1856, came amid native unrest following a series of lopsided treaties imposed upon local tribes by the genocidal governor of Washington…
The First Sky Soldiers – Meet History’s Earliest Airborne Units
“During the years between the World Wars, armies around the world began organizing their own specially designated paratroop units.” FEW HAVE PROBABLY heard of Gleb Kotelnikov — the genius behind the first modern backpack parachute. In 1911,…
Ironclad Sailors to be Laid to Rest Friday
For the officers and crew of the U.S. Navy’s first iron warship, USS Monitor, tragedy struck on the last day of 1862. While being towed through stormy seas less than 20 miles off the coast…
Peaceable Kingdoms – Countries Without Armies
ON MAY 23, 2003, the civilian head of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq issued Coalition Provisional Authority Order No. 2. The directive called for the immediate dissolution of the 450,000-man Iraqi military. With the stroke…
