Death and Sacrifice in the Franco-Prussian War
The conflict that broke out between France and an ambitious new German state 150 years ago can lay claim to be the first modern war.
Military
The Key to Success?
The mobilisation of economic, diplomatic and military resources.
The Nuclear Taboo
The need to preserve alliances was a compelling reason not to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam.
Kut Losses
Two imperial ventures, in the same Middle East town a century apart, reveal the similarities – and differences – in the exercise of power.
Who Were the Mamluks?
The slave-warriors of medieval Islam overthrew their masters, defeated the Mongols and the Crusaders and established a dynasty that lasted 300 years.
The Origins of Drone Warfare
There is nothing new about uncrewed aircraft.
Fighting for the Enemy
European powers sought to colonise the world. They could not do so without the support of indigenous peoples.
Saving Lives on the Front Line
The work of military nurses at Passchendaele transformed the perception of women’s war service, showing they could perform life-saving work and risk their lives at the front.
War in History and Memory
Since the Iliad, war has inspired stories – mixing fact and fiction – which reveal as much, if not more, about the realities of conflict as academic studies. John E. Talbott examines writing about ‘the human condition at its most extreme’.
Verdun: The Killing Field
The epic German offensive to take the strategically crucial fortress in north-east France reached its bloody end in September 1916. Robert Foley looks at how and why Erich von Falkenhayn, the Chief of the German General Staff, sought to break the deadlock on the Western Front.