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: JUNE • In this issue’s Frontline, the 82nd Airborne Division’s origins, Truman’s nuclear taboo, a return to 1910s ‘might-makes-right’, America’s WWII drones and Göring at the Nuremberg Trials

WHEN MIGHT MAKES RIGHT • For the first time since WWI, the world is experiencing a multipolar order, where power trumps rules. Professor Odd Arne Westad looks to the mistakes of the early 20th century to find lessons for today

AMERICA’S WWII DRONES PART II • The final year of the war in Europe pitted guided drones against Nazi ballistic missiles

THE ALL AMERICAN DIVISION PART 1: ORIGINS IN FRANCE • Originating as an infantry division, the US 82nd served with distinction in WWI and developed into an airborne legend

HMS TRUMP AND BRITAIN’S ‘FORGOTTEN’ SUBMARINES • While the Burma campaign was fought by the ‘Forgotten Army’, the same could be said of the Royal Navy’s war in the Pacific, in which the 4th Submarine Squadron played a quiet but significant role

“THE MOST IMPORTANT ANTI-NUCLEAR PRESIDENT”? • After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, President Truman created a taboo that continues to prevent the use of nuclear weapons

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OPERATION CATAPULT CHURCHILL’S DEADLY DECISION • On 3 July 1940 the prime minister demanded the French fleet at Mers el Kébir join him. Instead it fought back, shattering the Anglo-French alliance

HEARTBREAK RIDGE • During an aggressive counteroffensive against North Korean and Chinese forces, UN troops fought a battle of attrition across a series of mountainous fortified positions

CONQUEROR VS BELGRANO • 1982 saw the first sinking of a ship by a nuclear submarine. The attack by the Royal Navy, which remains controversial, revealed the lethality of nuclear-powered vessels in conflict

HMS CONQUEROR

GENERAL BELGRANO

“I USED UP ALL MY LUCK” INTERVIEW WITH Flt Lt COLIN BELL, DFC • The WWII veteran recounts how his Mosquito’s speed, and his US training, helped him survive 50 missions with the RAF Pathfinders

THE PATHFINDERS • Specialised Mosquito and Lancaster crews transformed Bomber Command’s fortunes

ARNOLD SCHEME • How RAF pilot cadets learned to fly in civilian and military schools in the United States

DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO • The ‘Wooden Wonder’ was loved by the Pathfinders who flew it for the aircraft’s unrivalled speed and performance

HEROES OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR JOHN D BULKELEY • This lieutenant went through hell and high waters to rescue Douglas MacArthur from the Philippines

OPERATION EAGLE CLAW • In 1979, US special forces attempted to free 66 hostages held in Tehran. The mission was a catastrophic failure, but out of the ashes rose a stronger, more-effective military machine

EAGLE CLAW TIMELINE

WHAT IF… HITLER HAD NOT KILLED HIMSELF? • The Nazi leader looks his enemies in the eye in defence of the Fatherland

THE PAST

THE POSSIBLE

OPERATOR’S HANDBOOK BELGOROD-CLASS SUBMARINE • This Russian Navy nuclear submarine brings new dimensions in operational capability to the nation’s armed forces

ALMOST HISTORY

‘THEY WILL NOT HANG ME!’ • IN HIS NEW BOOK GOERING’S SUICIDE, PAUL HOOLEY TACKLES THE CONUNDRUM THAT HAS FRUSTRATED HISTORIANS FOR THE PAST 80 YEARS: HOW DID THE NAZI WAR CRIMINAL CHEAT THE HANGMAN?

HISTORY...