History of War

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.

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WAR IN FOCUS

FRONTLINE THIS MONTH IN HISTORY: OCTOBER • In this issue’s Frontline: the New Cold War’s greatest threat, Persia’s strategic significance, why peace in Ukraine is taking so long, the Tanker War in the Persian Gulf and a look at sixth-generation fighter aircraft

MOSCOW VS BEIJING • Cold War historian Vladislav Zubok explains why China is a stronger adversary than the USSR at its peak

PERSIA STRATEGIC EPICENTRE • Once a dominant force in the ancient world, Iran remains a critical player in the region and the target of influence and intervention by global superpowers

“A BAD PEACE LEADS TO MORE WAR” • Political strategist Greg Mills explains why arriving at Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations has taken so long, and how territorial concessions could “open a massive Pandora’s box”

NEXT-GENERATION FIGHTERS • Artificial intelligence, unmanned squadrons and long-distance strike capability: the arms race for future air superiority is underway

TANKER WARS • The Red Sea and Persian Gulf have been areas of historic tension for decades, with Western navies maintaining an almost constant presence

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BATTLE OF BRITAIN DAY • Only one battle from either the First or Second World War is marked in the UK’s national calendar. But was RAF Fighter Command’s success on this date really the climax of the struggle against the Luftwaffe?

WHAT IF… THE CONFEDERACY HAD WON AT ANTIETAM? • Confederate victory at Antietam might have contributed to the end of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency in the election of 1864

THE PAST

THE POSSIBLE

GREAT BATTLES LEIPZIG KINGDOM OF SAXONY 16-19 OCTOBER 1813 • Under intense pressure from multiple enemies, Napoleon risked everything on one last roll of the dice… with disastrous results

“I ASK YOU: DO YOU WANT TOTAL WAR?” GOEBBELS’ SPORTPALAST SPEECH • Amid crushing defeats on the Eastern Front, the propagandist took to the stage in Berlin to demand a radical mobilisation of German society

HITLER’S PROPAGANDA CHIEF • Goebbels was ridiculously egotistical and self-aggrandising, and was a misfit among the Nazi inner circle

IMPLEMENTING TOTAL WAR • It was far too late by the time the Reich began its inadequate total mobilisation programme

BRITAIN’S FIFTH COLUMN • Musicians, aristocrats, war heroes and even Members of Parliament conspired to turn Britain over to the Nazis. But for the bravery of British intelligence agents, they may have succeeded

HEROES OF THE VICTORIA CROSS CYRIL BASSETT • On 8 August 1915, this corporal made history in becoming the first member of the New Zealand armed forces to win the Victoria Cross during WWI

MESSERSCHMITT BF 110 • The Luftwaffe’s feared ‘destroyer’ long-range fighter met with very mixed success

EXPLORE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF MILITARY HISTORY • From its earliest days right up until the devastation of the end of World War II, Japan was a nation renowned for its weapons technologies, tactical prowess, and valour. Discover its military history today…

HOME FRONT

MUSEUMS & EVENTS • A literary festival in a beautiful setting, newly listed Norfolk pillboxes and IWM launches cutting-edge resources for historians

READING LIST • Four eminent historians headlining the inaugural Hereford Military History Festival discuss the works that have inspired them

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