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On this day in history 1940, during the early years of World War II, Il Duce Benito Mussolini’s (b.1883-1945) government declared war on Greece, starting the Italo-Greek War. This conflict would become the earliest front in the Greek campaign of the greater Mediterranean-North African campaign between by fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and the Allies, principally Britain and her Commonwealth allies. Il Duce Benito Mussolini Using a massive invasion force of eight divisions, well over 200,000 men with full compliments of artillery, armor, and the warplanes of the Regia Aeronautica, which were launched from Albania , the Italians made an unexpected move towards war against the greater strategic aims of the Axis powers in October 1940. Most certainly Mussolini and his upper-echelon military generals realized that they must act alone in large scale military operation without the aid of Nazi Germany, so that their Axis allies and the enemies of Italy took them as a serious threat in the comin...

The Hundred Years War: The English in France 1337-1453 By: Desmond Seward (Penguin Books, New York City, 1978) Maps and Battle diagrams by Patrick Leeson Review by: Benjamin Sparks, Worcester State University ‘12 Author Desmond Seward’s (b.1935) Hundred Years War, the English in France 1337-1453 , is a remarkably concise and yet in-depth historical narrative of the military history, royal, and cultural history of this most legendary medieval period. As he states in the books foreword, this volume is meant to be a short account for the general reader of medieval history, not for the expert or specialist historian on medieval warfare and tactics. Seward indeed does a write a thoroughly researched and engaging work, tracing the larger picture history of England’s great campaigns in France. Swirl of Knights and men at arms in combat during the Hundred Years' War  from a 16th century depiction   Conscience to enhance his work with the French monarchial and cultural influence o...

The film The Man Who Would be King is director John Huston’s interpretation of British Imperial policy and the idealized exploits of the adventurers and soldiers of Queen Victoria ’s Empire in the late 19th century inspired by the original short novel. In particular the movie concerns the exploits of two former British army officers’ adventures in Kafiristan, a remote part of the wild and open mountain ranges of Afghanistan . Based on the novel of the same name by famed Imperial era author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), The Man Who Would Be King is an historical inspired if ultimately idealize portrait of the imperial age and spirit. The real life adventures of James Brooke, the White Rajah of Brunei , mentioned very briefly in the original story, is most certainly an inspiration for Kipling's original 1888 novel. The story begins as the reminisces of Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnehan, two former soldiers in the British Army who are planning an expedition to the remote region of Kaf...

On this day in history 1415, an English army led by King Henry V, the Duke of Gloucester, and Edward the Duke of York, defeated a French army led by the Constable of France, Charles d'Albret at Agincourt (Azincourt). Known for being a crushing French defeat, the Battle of Agincourt ( in Pas-de-Calais, Northern France) is the single most well known event of King Henry's V short but war-racked reign. King Henry V's, pictured top right at Battle of Agincourt ,October, 1415 Ever seeming to be an enigmatic figure, historical accounts prove that King Henry was in all likelihood a religious zealot, not just a pious king of Christendom as would be expected but a man holding supreme self confidence in his abilities as a lord, knight, and conqueror. Still today Henry V’s greatest legacy relates to his military victories as most of his reign focused on conquering or raising and saving the coin necessary to conquer France . As prince, Henry of Monmouth had done everything that could be...

The multi-faceted causes of the War of the Roses are defined by two great medieval issues of note, compounded by the great upheavals of the century before it, notably England ’s arrival in France and the rise of the House of Lancaster following the usurpation of Richard II in 1399. The two major issues plaguing England which led to the Wars of the Roses were the rise of bastard feudalism, essentially a political and cultural problem greatly influenced by the martial culture of England from 1200 to 1455  [1] , and the dynastic rivalries and political machinations influenced and caused by the many battles fought between the houses and liege lords scattered throughout England from Northumberland to Cornwall. The Usurpation of 1399 and its preceding events and aftermath are in many ways the opening to the Wars of the Roses due in part to the upheavals initiated originally through popular dissent aimed at the economic/financial constraints of the period, which some peasants and lords al...

Condor Legion in Spain, Part I Further military intervention in the Spanish Civil War involving the  Condor Legion began in January of 1937 with the Imker-Drohne (Armor) and Imker-Ausbilder (Infantry) landing in Spain. Very soon they would they take a prominent role in training the fascist Spaniards cadres of officers and enlisted men. They would  participate actively in the ground campaign as well while preparing for the eventual drive into the heart of Spain led by Franco's rebels and the battle hungry Italians . This runs contrary to the belief that German involvement in Spain was solely for the testing and experimentation of tactics and equipment, especially armor and aviation technologies which though developed intensively before in the inter-war were untested in any large scale combat operations. Condor Legion banner/marching standard Tank commanders in the Wehrmacht simply learned the tactics as they went along by trial and error, with their collective experiences in...