“Removal of a Tenth” – A Brief and Bloody History of Decimation

“The practice of decimation didn’t die with the Roman Empire. Military commanders throughout history have revived the tradition from time to time as a means of punishment.”

militaryhistorynow.com/2014/02/26/no-…

On this day in 1951, President Truman removes a defiant General Douglas MacArthur from command of Allied forces in Korea.

On this day in 1814, a defeated Napoleon Bonaparte reluctantly signs the Treaty of Fontainebleau and agrees to go into exile. 'The Empire of France, no more it is mine,' he laments. Spoiler alert: He'll be back.

The Civil War and the Birth of Instant Coffee — How Wartime Java Shortages Forced Both Sides to Brew Up Some Pretty Awful Alternatives

militaryhistorynow.com/2012/05/10/cof…

The 1823 Invasion of Spain — Just Eight Years After Waterloo, France’s Armies Were Marching Again

“Turmoil in Spain posed a threat to all of Europe, especially France.”

militaryhistorynow.com/2016/02/01/the…

On this day in 1864, Napoleon III of France installs the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian as the puppet emperor of Mexico. Three years later, the French-backed regime will be toppled and Maximilian will face a Republican firing squad.

On this day in 1917, all four divisions of the Canadian Corps mount a four-day assault on the German lines atop Vimy Ridge. Their victory becomes a widely celebrated moment for the young nation of Canada.

On this day in 1942, the Bataan Peninsula falls to the Japanese army. 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers become POWs and will soon be forced to endure a gruelling 70-mile march into captivity. Thousands perish along the way.

Today in 1865, Robert E Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses Grant at Appomattox effectively ending the US Civil War. Grant orders his jubilant men not to cheer. '[The Rebels] were now our countrymen,' he recalls. 'We did not want to exult over their downfall.'

On this day in 1940, 120,000 German troops invade Norway and Denmark. The operation, codenamed 'Weserübung' marks the end of six months of relative quiet known as the 'Phoney War.'

Zouaves – Meet the 19th Century’s Most Colourful Soldiers

militaryhistorynow.com/2018/06/03/fig…

Stalin’s Gambit – Did the Soviets Plan for a 1941 Offensive War Against Nazi Germany?

“There is still much that we do not know, beginning with Stalin’s real intentions on the eve of war.”

militaryhistorynow.com/2021/05/09/sta…

Wars of Words – Ten Must-Read Memoirs from the First World War

“A person could spend a lifetime poring over nothing but memoirs from the period and never hope to read all of them. Yet, there are a number of works from the Great War that stand out.”

militaryhistorynow.com/2018/08/14/war…

From Eclipses to Comets – How Omens Shaped Ancient Warfare

“Greek, Hittite, Mongol, Norman and even Anglo Saxon generals pondered all manner of omens, signs or portents when deciding how and when to make war.”

militaryhistorynow.com/2013/02/09/sig…

#EclipseSolar2024 #Eclipse2024

On this day in 1918, Hollywood movie stars Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks urge a crowd of New Yorkers in the city's financial district to buy war bonds.

Big Bangs – Some of the Largest (Non-Nuclear) Explosions in the History of War

militaryhistorynow.com/2014/07/02/big…

Confederates of the Nile – Meet the Civil War Vets Who Volunteered to Fight for the Egyptian Army

“Less than 10 years after the fall of the Confederacy, they found themselves posted more than 6,000 miles from home.'

militaryhistorynow.com/2018/11/20/con…

Darius the Great — How Persia's 'King of Kings' Took the Achaemenid Empire to New Heights

“As a military leader, Darius should be considered in the company of Cyrus, Alexander, Hannibal and Caesar.”

militaryhistorynow.com/2024/04/07/dar…

On this day in 1945, the Japanese battleship Yamato is destroyed by U.S. Navy warplanes as it steams for Okinawa. With a displacement of 72,000 tons, the Yamato is the lead vessel in the largest class of battleship ever to put to sea.

On this day in 1862, Union and Confederate armies clash in southwestern Tennessee at a place called Shiloh. Over the next two days, an unprecedented 23,000 casualties will be inflicted. The scale of the losses shock both sides, but even greater bloodbaths will follow.