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Military History Articles

There’s no way around it; history has been shaped by the outcome of innumerable wars and battles fought over everything from religion to territorial disputes to outright revenge over a perceived injustice. Learning about these conflicts is vital to understanding the world we live in today.

Our military coverage spans the ancient world through the Cold War. Discover epic medieval clashes, or fierce battles that caused entire ancient civilizations to crumble. Examine the political intricacies of sprawling conflicts like the Seven Years’ War or the War of Spanish Succession. Explore the devastation of the World Wars, or the fresh conflicts they left in their wake.

There’s also the fascinating evolution of weapons from the Stone Age through the nuclear arms race, as well as the changing military theories and strategies (or lack thereof) powering key decisions. Or you can discover a unique study of how contagious diseases have impacted the outcome of every war in America’s history, from skirmishes with Native Americans to 20th-century biological warfare. 

True stories about the people who fought these conflicts put a human face to the cost of war. You can learn about the Soviet Union’s Night Witches (an all-female regiment of fighter pilots), discover the Mapuche people’s centuries-long military resistance against the Spanish conquistadors, or read war books written by those who were actually there. Whatever draws you into military history, we’re exploring every angle of the conflicts that caused empires to rise and fall, reshaping our world in the process.

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That Time Imperial Japan Tried to Bomb the U.S. Using Hydrogen Balloons

Approximately 9,000 balloons packed with explosives drifted toward American shores...

A Most Dangerous Humanitarian Mission: When Allied Pilots Dropped Food Into Nazi Occupied Territory

The best planes for the job were bombers—aircraft that German artillery units fired upon at every opportunity.

Moe Berg: The Boston Red Sox Catcher Who May Have Changed the Course of World War II

The third-string catcher secretly served as a spy for American intelligence during WWII...

Author Joe Haldeman on How the Vietnam War Gave Him Something to Write About

Haldeman’s military science fiction was heavily influenced by his time in combat.

Jim Jamison: The U.S. Corporal Who Sought Out Scientists in Post-Nazi Germany

Jamison was part of a top-secret program, similar to Operation Paperclip, that recruited German scientists to work for the U.S. government after World War II.

The Long, Strange History of the Maunsell Sea Forts

The eerie and abandoned World War II relics remain standing to this day.

6 Incredible Female Spies of World War II

These women risked their lives to assist the Allies' cause in World War II.

Miracle at Dunkirk: 8 Things You Probably Don't Know About the Infamous Evacuation

Christopher Nolan’s film brought Dunkirk back to life; but there’s more to the story than survival.

This Hard-Luck WWII Soldier Survived the Bataan Death March, Torture, and the Atomic Bomb

His captivity began with the infamous Bataan Death March and only ended with the surrender of Japan.

5 Dramatic WWII POW Escape Attempts—All By the Same Pilot

His exploits as an escapee may have earned him a spot in Hollywood lore.

War Bonds: True Stories of Love and Marriage During World War II

As hate tore the world apart, love brought people together.

Clotilda, Final Slave Ship to the United States, May Have Just Been Found off the Coast of Alabama

The schooner, lost since 1860, is the last confirmed ship that brought captives from Africa to the United States.

A Previously Untold Account of the Vietnam War

Lewis Sorley offers a shocking new perspective on the Vietnam War, through access to classified documents.

The Korean War Told From Both Sides 

Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Toland recounts the devastating conflict in his book “In Mortal Combat: Korea, 1950-1953.”

The Post Reporters Who Exposed the Truth About the Vietnam War

In 1971, the "Washington Post" risked everything to publish government secrets after their competitor was indicted for the same crime.

[CLOSED] GIVEAWAY: Must-Read Military History Book Bundle

Enter to win a set of books that are mandatory reading for World War II scholars and military history enthusiasts.

That Time an Army Officer Tried to Reach the Center of the Earth

He theorized that the Earth was hollow and "stocked with thrifty vegetables and animals if not men."