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A depiction of an early balloon flight in Annonay, France in 1783. The Origins of Hot Air Balloons The idea of flying is something that humans have fantasized about for centuries. Many have theorized about how this could happen. English philosopher Roger Bacon hypothesized in the 13th century that man could fly if attached to […]
A graphic of Nimitz’s plan at the Battle. Copyright Dale Jenkins. Printed with permission. After-action report The after-action report of Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher confirms the intended movements of the carrier force in conformity with the Nimitz plan: ENTERPRISE and HORNET maintained their air groups In readiness as a striking force. During the night […]
Adam Gurowski. Count Adam Gurowski: History and Political Activity in Europe Adam Gurowski was born on September 10, 1805, into a family of noble origins and a count’s title. He was the oldest of seven siblings. His sister, Cecilia, was married to Baron Frederiks, general adjutant of Tsar Nicholas I, and his brother, Ignacy, married […]
Anne of Cleves. Painitng by Barthel Bruyn the Younger. It seems unfair that Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII, is known throughout history as the “ugly” wife (out of the six total he had) when in reality, it was her wit and intellect that makes her remarkable. Born in Dusseldorf in […]
Tannenfels, a German blockade runner which was sunk. The Strategic Importance of Bordeaux Bordeaux, located in southwest France along the Garonne River, was a vital port for the Axis powers during the Second World War. Following the fall of France in 1940, the German military took control of the port and used it to facilitate […]
Francois Georges-Picot. During the First World War, the Triple Entente was faced with the very real prospect of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Eager to secure their interests in the Middle East, the British and the French drew up the Sykes-Picot Agreement to divide the region in the case of victory against the Central […]
As the Second World War intensified, the Mediterranean became a critical theatre of operations for both the Axis and Allied powers. Control of the sea lanes in this region was vital for the supply lines of the British Empire and the Axis powers, particularly for Italy, which sought to dominate the eastern Mediterranean and secure […]
Concept and founding of the LRDG The concept of the LRDG was born out of necessity. In 1940, the British Army faced the daunting task of navigating and fighting in the North African desert, a vast and largely unmapped region that stretched across thousands of square miles. Conventional military tactics were rendered ineffective in this […]
The 1937 Hindenburg Disaster. The birth of lighter-than-air flight The concept of lighter-than-air flight can be traced back to ancient times, however, with the musings in the Renaissance period by visionaries such as Leonardo da Vinci, we see the drawings and plans of these concepts. However, the practical realization of this idea began in the […]
As I was binge watching the series, I couldn’t help but pull out every history book, paper, and lesson I had gone through in school to really dive into what were some of the fatal mistakes that the Axis (particularly Nazi Germany) had made to make it a fictional series, and thankfully, not a reality. […]