IMPERIAL ROME – THE FLEETS (CLASSES)
The origins of Rome’s imperial fleets were in many respects similar to those of the legions and auxilia. In the final bout of civil wars, Octavian’s struggle against Sextus Pompeius and the sea-battle at Actium in 31 bc had highlighted the political importance of controlling the seaways of the Mediterranean, and especially the waters around Italy. At the same time,…
Referenced by West Point, Wikipedia, Army University Press (army.mil), Library of Congress (loc.gov), Encyclopedia Britannica and more.
Newsletter
Get the latest from Weapons and Warfare right to your inbox.
Follow Us
Rebuilding the Army – summer 1813 the Russian army Part II
Given British resistance to subsidies in 1806–7, Alexander may have expected tough negotiations in London. In fact Lieven found that…
Battle of Poitiers 1356 – Hundred Years’ War II
unknown artist; The Battle of Poitiers, 19 September 1356; Kirklees Museums and Galleries; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/the-battle-of-poitiers-19-september-1356-22080 Animated Maps: Poitiers 1356, the Battle…
Henry VI: Resurgence of Piracy I
The unusually peaceful conditions in the Channel left by Henry V were the result of English control of both shores,…
Most Recent
What were the South’s two main military strategies at the beginning of the war?
When the Civil War began, leaders in both the North and the South thought that it would be a short war, but the two sides had very different military strategies regarding how to bring about…
The Anaconda Plan
Following the attack on Fort Sumter and the secession by the Confederacy the Union devised a strategy to limit the length of the war. Lincoln had no desire for further bloodshed and thus wanted a…
George Washington and The American Revolution War “Grand Strategy”
The entire goal of the American Revolution including the penning of the Declaration of Independence was to gain the colonists and the newly formed American nation legitimacy internationally. The Declaration of Independence was written to…
Popular Categories
Random Reads
Luftwaffe Early Years and the Rhineland III
Messerschmitt Bf 109 B in Spain. Messerschmitt’s fortunes changed dramatically when he sold one of his trim-looking M.23 racing monoplanes…
The First Crusade: The Journey to the East I
December 1096–June 1097 Between August and October 1096 the larger, wealthier, more disciplined armies embarked eastwards. The anonymous author of…
Knights of Malta – 18th Century Galleys
From… “Admiral Satan, The Life and Campaigns of Suffren” describing the Knights of Malta as a training corps for the…
Safavid Empire: Expansion And Military Organization
Persian Musketeer in time of Abbas I by Habib-Allah Mashadi after Falsafi. The Safavid Empire was not a conquest state:…
More Stories
Head for the Meuse! Part I
General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel was angry. Several matters irritated the baron on 20 December, but no more so than his subordinate’s failure to take Bastogne on the evening of the 18th. He came over to Panzer Lehr’s HQ in person and berated Fritz Bayerlein for his stupidity in…
The Fifth Crusade 1213–21 Part I
Pope Honorius III by Giotto di Bondone Writing in an optimistic mood in 1208 to the crusade enthusiast Duke Leopold VI of Austria, Innocent III characterized holy war as an imitation of Christ, an act of unconditional devotion. In recognition of this he sent Leopold a cloth cross and letters…
Twenty-Fifth Dynasty: The Kushite Egyptian I
Kushite Egyptian Army Nubia was lost to Egypt about 1080 B.C. after a civil war between its viceroy (titled “The King’s Son of Kush”) and the Libyan-connected High Priest of Amun at Thebes. The later partly-Egyptianised Kings of Kush adopted many of the trappings of Egyptian kingship and were fanatically…
Flagon Intercepts I
Su-15TM ‘15 Yellow’ seen over international waters with a complement of two R-98s and two cannon pods. By the end of 1975 the PVO intended to re-equip 41 fighter regiments with the Su-15, whereupon the new interceptor would make up nearly 50% of the PVO’s aircraft fleet. However, when Su-15…
Belisarius: A General for all Seasons, Budgets; all Enemies, domestic and foreign. Part II
The armor and tunics of the bucellarii would have varied wildly after years on campaign and scavenging armor wherever possible; as men replaced broken pieces with armor captured or purchased locally. But his figure represents what Belisarius’ household bucellarii might have looked like in their early years, armed in typical…
Stalingrad Airlift
Addendum Ju 86s participating in the airlift operation: The Ju 86s that were sent to the Eastern Front to participate in the Stalingrad airlift operation, formed KGrzbV 21 and KGrzbV 22. They were subordinated to Oberst Hans Förster, who commanded the Ju 52s at Tatsinskaya.The Ju 86 “RB+NI” piloted by…
onna-bugeisha and kunoichi
While it was considered inappropriate for women born into Samurai clans to train in the martial arts, such things were not impossible, especially when weaker clans needed every warrior they could muster. Onna-bugeisha, sometimes erroneously called female Samurai, protected their household from soldiers, bandits and brigands. Some would trained in…
Maritime Australia in the 21st Century
SAM GOLDSMITH analyses three possible options for a better surface combatant mix for the RAN. In considerable technical detail, this forensic examination is essential reading for naval personnel and anyone concerned with getting the best force for Australia’s future. The full paper is here. As a very large continental-scale island,…