From the conquering legions of Ancient Rome to the thunderous tank battles of World War II and beyond, History of War takes you deeper inside the minds of history’s fighting men, further under the bonnets of some of the world’s most devastating war machines, and higher above the battlefield to see the broad sweep of conflict as it happened.
Welcome
CONTRIBUTORS
WAR in FOCUS
TIMELINE OF THE GURKHAS • With unrivalled loyalty and a fierce fighting reputation, the Gurkhas’ history shows why they are among the world’s most respected soldiers
A ‘GALLANT ADVERSARY’ • From respected foes to valued allies, Nepal’s armed forces showcased their fighting spirit during war with Britain, only to become one of the Empire’s greatest military assets
GURKHA RIGHTS IN THE UK
A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT • With their reputation preceding them, the Gurkhas adapted to mechanised warfare while remaining the feared warriors of a bygone era
ON MANY FRONTS • Battling through deserts, across mountains and deep inside jungles, the Gurkhas’ deployments epitomised the truly global nature of the Second World War
THE OLD FRONTIER • The Gurkhas have a complex history with Afghanistan spanning two centuries, from colonial expeditions to combating modern-day insurgencies
GURKHAS AROUND THE WORLD
DEATH OF THE WOLF PACKS • In one critical month, the Allies combined new tactics and technological innovations to devastate Germany’s U-boat fleet, finally gaining the upper hand in the Atlantic
THE KRIEGSMARINE’S SUBMARINERS
BLACK MAY, 1943
THE COMMANDERS
WHAT IF… THE ALLIES HADN’T CRACKED THE ENIGMA CODE? • Without breaking Nazi Germany’s encrypted messages, Allied forces would have lost the intelligence war, significantly altering the course of WWII
THE PAST
THE POSSIBILITY
Great Battles NIVELLE OFFENSIVE • Based on winning tactics from Verdun, this audacious attack was unexpectedly thwarted by Germany’s new, innovative defensive system
REBELLIOUS AFTERMATH
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Heroes of the Medal of Honor CARL SITTER • During the epic defensive stand at the Chosin Reservoir in the winter of 1950, this captain earned his country’s highest honour fighting against Chinese Army troops
KOREA CRUCIBLE OF MODERN WAR • For almost four years the peninsula was host to a conflict fought unlike any previous war, with largely WWII-era arms, armour and tactics gradually giving way to new weapons and strategies
Operator’S Handbook T-26 • The most widely produced light tank of the 1930s fought in the Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japanese War, the Winter War and on WWII’s Eastern Front
EXPLORE THE RICH HERITAGE OF THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN • The ancient island nation of Japan has a history that goes back thousands of years and includes some of the most dramatic and chilling events the world stage has ever seen. Find out more…
HOME FRONT
FALSE AUGURIES HOW PUTIN (MIS)UNDERSTOOD HIS VICTORIES • Though Russia’s ‘strong man’ counts a number of grisly triumphs in his past military endeavours, these perceived successes may have misled him when it came to planning the latest and costliest ‘special operation’
MUSEUMS & EVENTS • A Palmerston Fort gets a much-needed restoration, The Helicopter Museum reflects on 80 years of military history and York Army Museum displays soldiers’ art
WWII THIS MONTH… APRIL 1944 • To commemorate 80 years since the Second World War, History of War will be taking a look at some of the key events taking place during each month of the conflict
KERSTEN’S LISTS
44 DAYS IN PRAGUE • THE RUNCIMAN MISSION & THE RACE TO SAVE EUROPE
DOES COUNTER-TERRORISM WORK? •...