Warfare History
Kingdom of Heaven Got the Surrender of Jerusalem Shockingly Right
In 1187, Balian of Ibelin saved roughly one hundred thousand lives by surrendering Jerusalem through negotiation rather than holy sacrifice…
Samurai Armor Took 3 Months to Build — Meet the Forgotten Craftsmen Behind It
A complete suit of samurai armor demanded up to three months of labor from multiple specialist craftsmen — smelters, lacquerers,…
WW1 Christmas Truce 1914: Enemies Met in No Man’s Land to Bury the Dead
On Christmas Eve 1914, British and German soldiers climbed out of their trenches without orders, crossed No Man's Land, and…
Erling Haaland’s Birthplace Was Physically Built by Nazi Occupation Forces
Erling Haaland's hometown of Bryne sits on a Norwegian plain that was physically transformed by Nazi occupation forces between 1940…
The Holocaust Was WWII — but Nazi Ideology Was Forged in WWI’s Defeat
The Holocaust was a World War II genocide — but the hatred that made it possible was forged in WWI's…
How a Childless King’s Will Sparked the War of the Spanish Succession
When the inbred, heirless Charles II of Spain died in 1700, his last will handed the world's greatest empire to…
Egyptian Princesses’ Bones Prove They Actually Used Their Burial Bows
Archaeologists long labeled the bows buried with Egyptian royal women as ceremonial props — but a new forensic study of…
The Zimmermann Telegram Offered Mexico Texas — and Pulled the U.S. into WWI
In January 1917, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann sent a secret telegram offering Mexico three U.S. states in exchange for…
Boudica Burned Three Roman Cities and Nearly Drove Rome Out of Britain
After Roman officials flogged her and assaulted her daughters, Boudica led a coalition that destroyed three major Roman settlements and…
The Forgotten Battle of the Scheldt That Saved the Western Front
In autumn 1944, the Canadian First Army fought through flooded polders and a death-trap causeway to open the Scheldt estuary…