Culture
History of War
"WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PAST MORE TO FIND ANSWERS"
The historian and broadcaster discusses his new illustrated book, 2023's Chalke Valley History Festival and why studying WWII is more relevant than ever before
10 min |
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History of War
DANGER IN THE DEPTHS
After WWII, thousands of high-explosives remained hidden beneath the waves, leading to a huge clean up operation that's still ongoing nearly 80 years later
3 min |
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History of War
SWEEPING TO VICTORY
Amphibious invasions were tricky operations, and danger lurked for the Allied forces before they could even reach the shore
4 min |
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History of War
CLEARING THE COASTS
As an island nation, Britain's access to maritime trade routes was vital to its survival and they became a prime target for German mining efforts
3 min |
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History of War
THE NORTHERN BARRAGE
Codenamed Operation SN, the Royal Navy laid a huge minefield in the North Atlantic that ultimately failed to prevent German naval activity against Allied vessels
3 min |
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History of War
1943-2023: DAMBUSTERS
Seventy-seven returned-only 48 lived to tell the story Official Historian, No. 617 Squadron Association, Dr Robert Owen, recounts what happened next for the men who were immortalised by their role in the epic raid
10 min |
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History of War
MAY 1943
To commemorate 80 years since the Second World War, History of War will be taking a look at some of the key events taking place during each month of the conflict
2 min |
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History of War
MUSEUMS & EVENTS
Discover Jacobites in Derby, a beautiful castle in Powis and Reading’s remarkable Victorian replica of the Bayeux Tapestry
4 min |
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History of War
CRASSUS' DOOMED CAMPAIGN
Determined to bask in the glory of his own military triumph, Marcus Crassus, the richest man in all of Rome, turned his gaze towards Parthia. His thirst for adoration would result in a catastrophe that would shake the Republic and condemn thousands of men to death
6 min |
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History of War
HIROSHI 'HERSHEY' MIYAMURA
On 24 April 1951, when Chinese communist soldiers attacked US Company H in the hills near the Imjin River, this corporal held back the tide and protected his men
5 min |
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History of War
WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING
In 1943, resistance fighters in the Polish capital attacked German soldiers, sent to round up and transport the city’s Jews to concentration camps
10 min |
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History of War
THE SCHELDT
In the autumn of 1944, with the Allied supply chain stretching back to Normandy, First Canadian Army led the offensive to clear the Scheldt estuary and free the port of Antwerp
10+ min |
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History of War
NAPOLEON vs the TSAR
At the Battle of Friedland, the emperor saw a chance to finally bring Russia to heel — but did he betray his own rules of war to become ‘Master of Europe’?
10+ min |
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History of War
THE WAR ON TERROR 2001- PRESENT DAY
After the 9/11 terror attacks, Navy SEAL teams were sent into Afghanistan in late 2001 to bring the groups responsible to justice
3 min |
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History of War
GRENADA & PANAMA 1983-89
In the 1980s the Navy SEALs were called upon to take part in two operations that would test their unique skills to the limit
3 min |
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History of War
THE VIETNAM WAR 1965-75
The jungles and rice paddies of South-East Asia were among the first battlefields for the US Navy’s new special forces teams
3 min |
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History of War
DEMOLITION FROGMEN
Today’s US Navy SEALs have their origins in various WWII amphibious warfare units that fought in North Africa, France and the Pacific
3 min |
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History of War
DID ANCIENT ROME FIELD 'SPECIAL FORCES'?
While the organisation, training and equipment of Rome's legions were Key to their dominance, there were also specialists at work in the shadows who were offen critical to victory. Were they the ancient equivalent of today’s elite military?
9 min |
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History of War
MUSEUMS & EVENTS
Discover The Tank Museum's centenary celebrations, the Rijksmuseum's acclaimed Vermeer exhibition and Newcastle-upon-Tyne's formidable namesake fortress
4 min |
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History of War
OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR
Eleanor Dickens, curator at the British Library, reveals how 60 years ago a radical Stage musical changed perceptions of the First World War
5 min |
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History of War
BATTLE OF MONTE CASSINO X CORPS ASSAULT
The three divisions suffered 4,000 casualties in the early days of this ill-fated advance
6 min |
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History of War
DAVID CURRIE
In August 1944, as Allied forces attempted to close the Falaise Gap, a Canadian major led a small battlegroup into a French village to prevent the enemy escaping
6 min |
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History of War
LINDISFARNE ENGLAND'S BLOODIEST VIKING RAID
The tidal island of Lindisfarne can claim to be the single most important sacred site in England, but it was here that the first significant Viking raid on Britain took place
10 min |
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History of War
MILVIAN BRIDGE
Rival emperors Constantine and Maxentius fought to establish their supremacy in a battle that would have momentous consequences for the Roman Empire
10+ min |
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History of War
WOMEN BEHIND 'THE FEW' WAAF
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force and British Air Intelligence during the Second World War
10+ min |
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History of War
CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
Efforts to officially end the Yom Kippur War and wider conflict between Egypt and Israel finally concluded with an historic summit in the US
3 min |
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History of War
NICKEL GRASS THE GREAT AIRLIFT
With the IDF suffering multiple setbacks in the first week of the war, Israel’s leadership faced a terrifying possibility. Was this the last great struggle in their country’s brief existence?
3 min |
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History of War
STRUGGLE FOR THE GOLAN
The IDF thought it held the perfect buffer against the Syrians, but on 6 October its men were outgunned and outnumbered in a brutal tank battle
3 min |
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History of War
EGYPT STRIKES BACK
To avenge its humiliation in 1967 the Egyptian military assaulted the Israeli-occupied Sinai Peninsula during the Yom Kippur holiday
4 min |
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History of War
1870: FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR
Defeating their powerful neighbour to the west was the crowning glory for the Confederation and signalled the birth of the German Empire
3 min |