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

MACHINE GUN CORPS • The British Army creates a new corps of machine gunners, that combines discipline and technology to contribute to Allied victory on the Western Front and beyond

‘WE HAVE THE MAXIM’ • Early machine guns were used by British forces during the ‘Scramble for Africa’ but the British Army was slow to fully realise their lethal potential

INFANTRY BRANCH • Of the three branches of the Machine Gun Corps, the largest was the Infantry. Initially formed in each infantry brigade, a machine gun company took on the role of machine gun support to the infantry battalions

MOUNTED & MOTORISED • In October 1915 the Cavalry and Motor branches were created to be more mobile than the infantry brigade companies

LEGACY OF THE CORPS • Despite being at its largest in December 1918, the MGC reduced significantly and swiftly after the armistice and subsequent treaty

SHERMAN THE MAKING OF A WAR WINNER • The M4 Sherman medium tank was produced in huge numbers during WWII and became the Allies’ most prominent yet controversial land weapon of the conflict

THE DEVIL’S PORRIDGE • During World War I, Britain’s female workforce rallied to the war effort, joining munitions and weapons factories. Some of this work was notoriously hazardous…

SHIROYAMA • A final showdown pitting a rebellious samurai clan against a Westernised army of Japanese conscripts launches a new Asian empire

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ERNEST ‘SMOKEY’ SMITH • In October 1944, as the Allies fought to establish a bridgehead across Italy’s Savio River, a roguish private challenged an armoured column

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF… T.E. LAWRENCE • In late 1916, a little-known archaeologist arrived in the Red Sea port of Jeddah. What started as a trouble-shooting mission would transform the Middle East

M18 HELLCAT TANK DESTROYER • The US Army’s 76mm Gun Motor Carriage first saw service with the Allies in 1944

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HOW TO FIGHT A WAR Q+A WITH DR MIKE MARTIN • The former British Army officer and senior visiting fellow at King’s College London reveals how and why wars are fought, from the ancient world to Ukraine and beyond

Rebuilding the trebuchet • Warwick Castle is replacing its internationally famous medieval siege engine with a new, historically accurate replica that will be constructed by award-winning carpenters

Defending Danebury • The story of an ancient hill fort in Hampshire is told at the Museum of the Iron Age in Andover

Jewish Military Museum • With thousands of objects in its collection, this unique museum commemorates the services and sacrifices of Jews in Britain’s armed forces

WWII THIS MONTH… FEBRUARY 1943 • To commemorate 80 years since the Second World War, History of War is taking a look at some of the key events during each month of the conflict

JIHADI POLITICS • A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BLOODY INFIGHTING WITHIN THE GLOBAL JIHADI MOVEMENT THAT SET AL-QAEDA AGAINST ISLAMIC STATE, WITH CONSEQUENCES THAT ARE STILL FELT TODAY

RUSSIA’S WAR ON EVERYBODY • THE STORY OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AND HOW AND WHY MOSCOW PUSHES FOR POWER AND INFLUENCE FAR BEYOND UKRAINE

DESERT ARMOUR TANK WARFARE IN NORTH AFRICA • FROM BEDA FOMM TO OPERATION CRUSADER 1940-41, THIS THOROUGH STUDY OF ARMOURED WARFARE IN THE WESTERN DESERT IS A WORTHY ADDITION...