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

FRONTLINE THIS MONTH IN HISTORY: DECEMBER • In this issue’s Frontline, Crimea’s strategic importance, a KGB spy’s defection to MI5, Russian incursions into NATO airspace and waters, the need to relearn Cold War fears, and what if China and the US go to war?

“SLEEPING AT THE WHEEL” HOW A KGB DEFECTOR TERRIFIED BRITISH INTELLIGENCE INTO ACTION • Oleg Lyalin, a dissolute womaniser, pushed MI5 into rounding up over 100 Soviet intelligence agents operating in the UK

CRIMEA IN THE CROSSHAIRS • The Black Sea peninsular has been coveted by rival interests for centuries, with the current Russian occupation motivated by several factors

“MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE 1950S” • Do we need to relearn the Cold War’s fear of mutually assured destruction in our unregulated nuclear landscape?

INCURSIONS IN THE (NEW) COLD WAR • As the world faces up to growing instability, the ancient game of cat and mouse between rival powers continues to evolve

ON THE BRINK • Any conflict between the US and China would almost certainly see the American mainland come under direct attack

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CHURCHILL IN THE TRENCHES • How Britain’s future war leader earned respect and redemption on the Western Front

THE BOYNE • Three crowns were on the line when two kings met in Ireland on a sweltering summer’s day

TEA WITH TRAITORS • A progressive educator celebrated her birthday with a tea party for dissident friends – unaware that a Gestapo informant was among them

THE GUESTS • Leading dissident figures in Berlin’s high society and a Gestapo spy attended the fateful tea party at Elizabeth von Thadden’s apartment

THE DETECTIVE • The Gestapo officer who led the investigation against the tea party attendees pioneered execution methods that helped the Nazi regime to murder countless people

THE JUDGE • In Roland Friesler’s People’s Court, the verdict had usually been decided before a single word was uttered

PARIS DAVIS • This pioneering member of the United States Army Special Forces received long-overdue recognition for his heroism rescuing comrades during the Vietnam War

FALL OF THE SPARTANS • The powerful Greek city-state overreached itself and saw its influence decline as it failed to integrate conquered territories

BATTLE FOR THE CHANNEL ISLANDS • In 1945, the Allies were ready with a daring amphibious operation to liberate Jersey and Guernsey by force

MASTERS OF THE SKIES • From rapidly evolving roles to new technologies, historian and airpower expert John Curatola discusses how fighter planes shaped the Second World War

LAVOCHKIN LA-5 • One of the best Soviet fighter planes of the Second World War, this aircraft also saved its design bureau

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MUSEUMS & EVENTS • The restoration of the world’s oldest King Tiger, Second World War maps in Edinburgh, and a family-run militaria collection

MEMORIES FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR • Discover how military maps transcend their functional use on the battlefield at National Museums Scotland’s new exhibition

GRANT WW2 MUSEUM • The culmination of over a decade of collecting, this family museum is a treasure trove of unusual Second World War artefacts

READING LIST • Leading historians and authors share their thoughts on what book, film or...