The Third Crusade (1189-1192) was launched as a direct result of the loss of Jerusalem to the Muslims in October 1187. The loss of Jerusalem was occasioned by the destruction of the crusaders at the Battle of Hattin on… Continue Reading →
Fortifications have existed since before recorded history and the Middle Ages were no different. Forts and castles were used throughout the Middle Ages as a means of controlling territory and could even be used in an offensive manner such… Continue Reading →
Jay Luvaas is a professor at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Pa.; he coauthored a series of Battlefield Guides of U.S. Civil War battlefields that became almost instant classics. He has authored several books of military history such… Continue Reading →
The German invasion of European Russia was a huge mistake for several reasons, the biggest being that Germany had insufficient forces to win in the first year. Another reason was the force disparity between the German and Russian armies… Continue Reading →
I was getting to the actual writing of a description of the fighting part of my thesis today when something hit me. Â I was looking at casualty figures for the various actions and they are decidedly lopsided. Most historians… Continue Reading →
While weapon archetypes used during the feudal period were the same as that used throughout most of recorded history there were changes and developments in the different weapons and armor. Â The spear and all its variants were the most widely… Continue Reading →
    At this point, I am well into writing my thesis. I completed chapter one last night and got started on writing chapter two. So far, with the introduction and first chapter I have written twenty-six pages out… Continue Reading →
In the spring of 1918 the German army attempted a series of what they hoped would be war-winning offensives on the Western Front that ultimately were to fail and their failure led directly to the German signing of an armistice… Continue Reading →
           The capture of Salvatierra by the Almohad’s in 1210 provided the impetus for Pope Innocent III (p.1198-1216) to issue a general call for crusade in Spain and grant the remission of sins for those who would go to Spain… Continue Reading →
      This work is the Official History of the 1866 Seven Weeks’ War prepared by the Prussian General Staff after the war. I got this book for use in my thesis and it probably would not be of interest to… Continue Reading →
           The First Crusade was arguably the most successful of the various numbered Crusades; however, they were not particularly well equipped for a campaign in Asia Minor. It is no surprise that they were not, as the climate in… Continue Reading →
Europe in the tenth and eleventh centuries was a continent in transition. The states of Europe were still in flux and the kings of Europe had limited authority outside their own personal demesne. Although individual French kings did… Continue Reading →
Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) was probably the most accomplished politician that Germany has ever produced. He was almost single-handedly responsible for the emergence of the nation of Germany during the nineteenth century. He was appointed Prime Minister of… Continue Reading →
Porter’s book is in many ways an eye-opener. It was a surprise to discover that Britain’s empire was not a topic of national discussion until the latter portion of the imperial period. If porter’s thesis is correct and… Continue Reading →
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The “Vitriol in Public Speech” Debate-My 2¢
Ok, I have been reading quite a bit of news and opinion pieces about the uproar over “vitriolic and threatening” speech since the Tucson shootings last Saturday. What is killing me about this supposed debate is that it is not… Continue Reading →