MILITARY HISTORY GENERAL ARTICLES

MILITARY HISTORY: ARTICLES

• How coffee helped the Union army win the Civil War     Union soldiers were issued 36 pounds of coffee annually, which boosted their morale and overall well-being. On the other hand, Confederate troops found it difficult to obtain coffee. In the fiscal year 2022, the US military consumed an estimated $94 million worth of coffee, which probably also helped to improve morale.

• Kursk The greatest tank battle in history might have ended differently had it not been for the action in the air.  The Soviet’s airpower was a major factor in defeating Nazi Germany in the Battle of Kursk during WW2.

• A World War II battle holds key lessons for modern warfare  The WW2 Pacific Battle for Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) demonstrates that battles can be won before the first shot is fired by integrating new technology into training. 

• Battle of Kursk  This article describes the Battle of Kursk, the terrible casualties and the end of Germany’s ability to launch an offensive against the Soviet Union.

• How did Erwin Rommel Earn the Nickname ‘Desert Fox’?  His troops and his enemies respected WW2 German General Rommel—his daring resulted in tactical success. Still, in the long run, he did not pay enough attention to logistics, and in the end, his forces were driven out of Africa.

• The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme, by John Keegan (1976)  John Keegan's 1976 book The Face of Battle examines what it must have been like to be an ordinary soldier at three famous battles, Agincourt, Waterloo and the WW1 Battle of the Somme.

• Russia in World War I  During WW1, the Russian Tsar, Nicholas, despite having no military experience, took over direct control of the Russian army—the Russian army was badly defeated by Germany, which resulted in revolution, the murder of the Tsar and his family, and the forming of the Soviet Union.

• Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942–1945  Williamson Murray reviews the book 'Whirlwind the Air War against Japan, 1942–1945'.

• The Battle at Leyte Gulf: The Biggest Naval Battle Ever Broke Japan  This article argues that although the WW2 Battle at Leyte Gulf effectively ended the Japanese Navy’s ability to influence the course of the war, lessons shouldn’t be carved in stone but rather be subject to time, technology and warmaking methods.

• From May to September 1939, the USSR and Japan fought an undeclared war involving over 100,000 troops. It may have altered world history.  The 1939 Japanese defeat by the Soviets at the Battle of Noonan / Khalkhin Gol may have changed the course of history by convincing the Japanese to attack America instead of the Soviet Union.

• Meet the HMS Rodney Battleship That Took out the Bismarck  This article outlines the role of HMS Rodney in the sinking of famous WW2 German battleship the Bismarck and other naval operations.

• The Airstrike that Won the Six-Day War for Israel  Israeli Air Force planning, training, intelligence, leadership, and strategic thinking enabled Israel to destroy enemy air forces early in the six-day war. 

• Anglo-Nepalese War  Gurkha (from Nepal) troops demonstrated such impressive fighting qualities in the 1814-16 War that despite losing to the British, the British have employed them as members of the British Army ever since.

• Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce of 1914  In 1914 an unofficial Christmas Truce occurred between German and British soldiers. They met in no man's land, exchanged gifts and wished each other a Merry Christmas—the high command disapproved, and such a truce never happened again.

• From the bookshelf: ‘The Scrap Iron Flotilla’  The Scrap Iron Flotilla (named by Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels) refers to WW1-era Australian destroyers that, despite their age, played a crucial role in resupplying Australian troops besieged in Tobruk in WW2.

• Second World War, 1939–45  Almost a million male and female Australians served in WW2. They served and fought in nearly every theatre of war, including Europe, Africa and the Pacific.

• Milne Bay Breaking the Japanese Spell, 1942  Milne Bay is located on the easternmost tip of mainland PNG. During WW2, it was of significant strategic value as Japan would first have to capture Milne Bay to gain air superiority over the sea approaches to Port Moresby.

• How did Erwin Rommel Earn the Nickname ‘Desert Fox’?  His troops and his enemies respected WW2 German General Rommel—his daring resulted in tactical success. Still, in the long run, he did not pay enough attention to logistics, and in the end, his forces were driven out of Africa.

•  Cuban missile crisis, 60 years on: new papers reveal how close the world came to nuclear disaster  In 1962 during the Cold War, the USSR (Russia) attempted to place nuclear missiles in Cuba—the USA saw this as a direct threat to the USA.

• How Hitler’s Enablers Undid Democracy in Germany  In the period between WW1 and 2, the Nazis used "the politics of legality" to gain absolute power. German democracy was used to destroy democracy in Germany.

• The story of the B-52 Stratofortress Strategic Bomber that landed safely without its tail  In 1964 a B-52—the US's primary long-range bomber—landed safely after having its vertical fin ripped off by air turbulence.

• 11 of the Weirdest X-Plane Designs  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed a series of experimental platforms designated X-Planes—Chuck Yeager flew X-1 in the 1940s- the first pilot to break the sound barrier officially.  

• A history of aviation gasoline  Aviation fuel has been steadily improving, and that improvement continues today with the potential development of unleaded aviation gasoline to reduce health risks.

•  Houdry Process for Catalytic Cracking  The Houdry process--named after a French engineer who later became a nationalised American, produced better gasoline that could more easily be turned into 100-octane aviation gasoline.

• The secret fuel that made the Spitfire supreme  The USA developed and supplied the high-octane fuel that gave the Spitfire and Hurricane a winning edge in the Battle of Britain. 

• Jimmy Doolittle, Hap Arnold, and the Battle of Britain: The 100-Octane Story  Changing to 100-octane (100/130 aviation gasoline) just before the Battle of Britain increased the speed of the Spitfire by 25-30 M.P.H. at low and medium altitudes and made it equal, or superior, to the German Me 109 at all altitudes.  

• The Grand Strategy of Carl Von Clausewitz  Prussian strategist von Clausewitz implicitly defined grand strategy in his book On War as the sum of the tools of statecraft. Modern-day China exemplifies this through growing political, economic, technological and strategic power in the Indo-Pacific.

• We Have Things to Say about Russia’s Titanium Submarines (The U.S. Navy Has None)  During the Cold War, the Soviet Union tried to improve its submarine capability by building seven fast (41 knots), deep-diving titanium submarines—however, they were not a success.

•  This Is What Made The de Havilland Vampire Such A Unique Fighter Jet  The de Haviland Vampire jet was developed during WW2 and was capable in both the fighter and attack roles— the RN and RAN used the Sea Vampire version, and the RAAF later used it as a training aircraft.

• What Was the Manhattan Project?  The Manhattan Project was the WW2 primarily USA program to produce an Atom bomb and hopefully bring WW2 to an end.

• Why Did Australia Bury The F-111 Fighter-Bomber?  They were buried because the fuselage contained asbestos.

• The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta  Ancient Spartans developed a grand strategy based on conquest but could not maintain this strategy in the long run 

• 7 Talented Generals Who Shaped World War II  Greg Beyer argues that Montgomery, Paton, Rommel, Zhukov, Guderian, MacArthur, and von Manstein were the seven most talented generals of World War II—who utilised all the capabilities available to them to achieve outcomes. However, a list that does not include Eisenhower, Allanbrooke and Marshal could be considered deficient. 

• What Was the War of 1812 All About?  War of 1812 between the US and UK fought over border disputes—resolved by the UK promising not to support Indian tribes against the USA and the USA promising not to invade Canada.

• World War II Archeology in the Pacific (6 Iconic Sites)  This article looks at six historic Pacific WW2 sites.

• Rome's Defeat at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest  James Lacey argues that in 9 AD, a failure in command and control allied with overconfidence led the Roman Army to one of its greatest defeats— a defeat that created a Latin-Germanic divide in Western Europe that is still with us today.  

• These Are the Five Most Consequential Naval Battles in History  The author identifies five naval battles that he considers decisive, noting that to be decisive, a battle must achieve a long-lasting strategic impact.

• Air Force History.  Unlike the RAAF, the United States Air Force wasn't officially established as an independent force until 1947. However, in 1942 during WW2, an executive order made it an autonomous force, and its commander General Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold, was made a member of the Joints Chief of Staff.  

• Trenchard at the Creation  Air Marshal Hugh Trenchard was the father of the Royal Air Force, advocating for and introducing the training, strategies, and organisation that an independent air force requires.  

• The Spitfire V or the Fw190: Which Ruled the Skies?  This article argues that the WW2 German Fw190 aircraft was, in purely platform terms, better than the Spitfire V. However, inadequate logistics, poor leadership and ineffective doctrine meant that the Germans could never exploit the qualitative edge in capability terms that the Fw190 should have provided.  

• Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9  In WW2, German pilots considered the Focke-Wulf FW 190 fighter aircraft better than its American equivalent- the P-51D Mustang. 

• 10 Important Battles Of The World Wars  This article outlines nine important land battles, and one sea battle from WW1, and two and discusses what made these battles important. However, important to remember that such a list cannot be regarded as definitive and is purely based on the writer's opinion. For example, another writer might include battles such as the Battle of Britain, Jutland, Verdun, Battle of the Atlantic and the allied bombing campaigns against Germany and Japan.     

• The M4 Sherman Might Be The Most Loved And Hated Tank Ever  The Sherman medium tank was not designed to take on heavy enemy tanks such as the German Tiger. However, it was intended to be reliable, maintenance-friendly, versatile, speedy and manoeuvrable. It was very good at what it was designed to do.   

• A first-of-its-kind bomber test 20 years before World War II spelled the beginning of the end of the battleship era  As early as 1921, tests proved that battleships and other surface warships were vulnerable to air attack—unfortunately, it took time to convince military leaders to change how they operated.

• The Battleship Era Sank Along With HMS Prince of Wales  Learn more about the sinking of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse during WW2.   

• The Real Story of the Destruction of Force Z  The sinking of the British ships the Prince of Wales and Repulse by Japanese aircraft at the beginning of WW2 in the Pacific—demonstrated that navy ships without air cover ships were vulnerable to enemy air attack.   

• William 'Billy' Mitchell -- 'The father of the United States Air Force'  Against strong opposition, General Billy Mitchell championed the need for the US to acquire an independent Air Force.

• Who's Who in the Battle of Britain  The decisions of 4 key people played a significant part in determining the outcome of the Battle of Britain.   15 minutes 

• The Nazis built their 2 most powerful warships before World War II. Here's how the British hunted them down.  Due to their threat to Allied convoys and warships in WW2, the Royal Navy spared no effort to sink the Bismarck and Tirpitz.   18 minutes 

• Comparison of the Supermarine “Spitfire” Mk. IA with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E  The Spitfire MK1A and the Me109E were the most important aircraft used during the Battle of Britain; though they had different flying qualities—they were relatively evenly matched. The advantage for the RAF was that the Spitfire was used as part of an integrated defence system that, among other things, effectively used RADAR.   15 minutes 

• Napoleon Bonaparte during the Early French Revolution (1789-1794)  Few would have predicted that a Corsican nationalist would go on to lead and dominate France and Europe—however, the French revolution provided Napoleon with the opportunity, and he took it.   30 minutes 

• RAF Bomber Command During The Second World War  The RAF and USAF's bombing offensive against Nazi Germany was one of the most extended, Allied campaigns of WW2. Fifty-five thousand RAF aircrew lost their lives; this includes four thousand Australian aircrew serving in Bomber Command. The USAF conducted its own air campaign against Germany and lost twenty-six thousand 

• Supreme Command | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)    Eliot Cohen argues that the best geo-strategic outcomes are achieved when the military is subjected to effective political control. Cohen examines Lincoln, Clemenceau, Churchill and Ben Gurion to support his case.

• The 1948 Palestine War  When the UN voted for the formation of the state of Israel, the Arab world objected; this book excerpt examines how Israel defended itself from Arab nations and was able to establish the state of Israel.   14 minutes 

• D-DAY TIMELINE  The 06 June is the anniversary of D-Day when in 1944, the allies successfully landed in Normandy, which in 1945 led to Germany's unconditional surrender.   20 minutes 

• The Emergence of Horatio Nelson: Lessons For Leaders  This article argues that Britain’s most famous Admiral, Horatio Nelson’s string of victories was not due to inspired recklessness but instead was achieved through showing leadership and taking the initiative consistent with his commander’s battle plans and intent.   19 minutes 

• Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Nightmare  During the Cold War, nearly a quarter of all the world’s nuclear testing took place in Kazakhstan, in secret until the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.   14 minutes 

• The Cold War  The US, Britain and the Soviet Union were allies in WW2 but fell out in a worldwide battle for supremacy called the Cold War characterised by political manoeuvring, military coalitions, espionage, propaganda, arms build-ups, economic aid, and proxy wars.   18 minutes 

• Patton: From Gafsa to El Guettar  Soon after the WW2 American European Theatre entry , Gen Patton improved the confidence of his soldiers enabling defeat of the Germans but subordinates worried “We knew he was there to win even if he had us killed doing it.”   15 minutes 

• World War II: Three Strategic Takeaways of the Guadalcanal Campaign  In the WW2 Solomon Islands Guadalcanal Campaign, US Marines used a hybrid form of defence that utilised offensive tactical forays that wore down their competent and determined Japanese foes leading to their defeat.   5 minutes 

• Dowding and Park: air war’s greatest commanders? | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)     The innovation, insight and leadership of Air Chief Marshal Dowding, supported by AVM Park, who commanded 11 Group—responsible for the defence of London— enabled the UK to win the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940 and prevent Hitler from invading the UK.

• V2: The Nazi rocket that launched the space age  The WW2 German V2 rocket was one of the wonder weapons meant to save Germany—it had little strategic effect and did not affect the outcome of WW2. 

• The Myth of Hitler's Military Incompetence: "The First Soldier"  German generals writing after WW2 blamed Hitler for their incompetence leading Western and Russian historians to perpetuate this myth.   4 minutes 

• Bombing Berlin: The Biggest Wartime Raid on Hitler's Capital  The largest Allied raid on Berlin took place on March 18 1945—shortly before Germany's surrender in May 45; some historians argue the raid was designed to justify the massive cost of the conventional bombing campaign in Europe.   14 minutes 

• Battle of Tannenberg  The WW1 German victory over The Soviet Union (Russian) in the Battle of Tannenberg weakened Russia leading to Russia's eventual defeat in 1918.   9 minutes 

• Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939  Prior to 1939 Hitler played brinksmanship with the Allies, adding adjacent areas with German-speaking populations to Germany—and in 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union (Russia) invaded and carved up Poland between them.   14 minutes 

• Australia's Gallipoli Campaign  On 25th April 1915 the ANZACs landed on the beach at Gallipoli.   18 minutes 

• Gallipoli Campaign 1915  The battles fought on the beaches of Gallipoli, Turkey, in 1915 brought the new Australian nation together and established the military reputation of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).   16 minutes 

• Why Stalin Starved Ukraine  Putin is following the example of Stalin in systematically setting out to destroy Ukrainian nationalism and even the idea of Ukraine by controlling and rewriting history.   21 minutes 

• How the Soviet Union's collapse explains the current Russia-Ukraine tension  Putin claimed that the Soviet Union's collapse was the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century "—implying that Ukraine and Russia are one country and should not be separated.   8 minutes 

• Nearly half of Russians ignorant of 1968's Czechoslovakia invasion  A third of Russians say the Soviet Union was fully justified to invade Czechoslovakia in 1968—this suggests that Russian propaganda is effective at changing the way today's Russians see the world.   12 minutes 

• The Hungarian Uprising of 1956  In 1956 the Soviet Union ruthlessly crushed the Hungarian Uprising against Soviet rule.   12 minutes 

• Maths swayed the Battle of Jutland – and helped Britain keep control of the seas  In the WW1 naval Battle of Jutland, the British calculated the odds and based their strategy on those odds and only accepted battle under perfect conditions— Britain was then unable to force a German withdrawal and keep them bottled up for the rest of the war.   15 minutes 

• Decent Harry Truman, thrust into the presidency, kept US afloat in wartime.  Truman became President after the death of President Roosevelt and, despite having little experience, proved more than capable of ending the war against the Japanese and managing the peace in both Europe and Japan after the war.   12 minutes 

• How Finland held off the Russians and won a moral victory—with lessons for Ukraine  In 1939 the Finns did not collapse when the Soviet Union invaded their country; despite overwhelming odds, the Finns put up spirited resistance— as a result, the Finns were able to remain an independent country.   12 minutes 

• The Purges in the USSR  In the 1930's Soviet leader Joseph Stalin killed all potential rivals, about half of his officer corps and nearly a million other people who were deemed untrustworthy.   18 minutes 

• The Soviet Union And The Eastern Front  The battle for Stalingrad was a decisive Soviet victory that boosted Soviet morale and ended a run of Nazi Germany victories.   -15 minutes 

• The Russian Revolution  The Russian Revolution has had a long term, lasting impact on Russia itself and world geopolitics, including the war in Ukraine.   11 minutes 

• Russo-Japanese War  In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Japan defeated Russia paving the way for its expansion into Korea and Chinese Manchuria.   -15 minutes 

• The year air power came of age  This article argues the WW1 air campaign over 1917 Flanders (Belgium) changed the nature of aerial warfare as the Allies and Central Powers developed an air support doctrine and new technology.   20 minutes 

• They Flew for Franco: German Condor Legion’s Tactical Air Power  This article covers Nazi Germany air operations supporting Franco during the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) and how that involvement helped Nazi Germany prepare for WW2.   19 minutes 

• Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942–1945  Williamson Murray reviews the book 'Whirlwind the Air War against Japan, 1942–1945'.   5 minutes 

• Air Power Played a Major Part in Winning the War in the West  Allied operations in the Mediterranean Theatre from 1942 on proved the importance of airpower in supporting ground troops.   7 minutes 

• The War Between the Wars  This article examines the performance of aircrew deployed during the Spanish Civil War.   20 minutes 

• Frank Whittle: The underrated British hero who built a jet engine  Eighty years ago, world-changing technology emerged - the first viable jet engine. Had the project been neglected, and was it too late to change the shape of World War Two?   11 minutes 

• The Battle at Leyte Gulf: The Biggest Naval Battle Ever Broke Japan  This article argues that although the WW2 Battle at Leyte Gulf effectively ended the Japanese Navy’s ability to influence the course of the war, lessons shouldn’t be carved in stone but rather be subject to time, technology and warmaking methods.   40 minutes 

• Stories of the Battle of Britain 1940 – Constant-Speed Propellers  In early 1940 the Spitfire appeared to be no match for the German Messerschmitt Bf-109 during aerial combat; however, switching the Spitfire's variable speed propellor to a constant speed propellor—dramatically improved the Spitfire's performance and more than made it a match for the Bf-109.   10 minutes 

• Why Revolutionary HMS Dreadnought Never Used Its Big Guns  In 1906 when the UK launched HMS Dreadnought, she was the most powerful battleship globally, but she was soon superseded by newer and better battleships.   10 minutes 

• Battle of Jutland  The Battle of Jutland was a tactical victory for Imperial Germany over the United Kingdom, but a strategic victory for the UK as the German fleet was still blocked from reaching the Atlantic.   16 minutes 

• Panzers, Beans, and Bullets  Determined Soviet Forces, critical logistic shortages, weather and poor German planning contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany in WW2.   17 minutes 

• The most iconic heavy bomber of World War II  The Avro Lancaster heavy bomber was probably the most famous bomber of WW2.   12 minutes 

• Why Nazi Germany Couldn't Win at the Battle of the Bulge  Germany did not have the economic resources to put forces into battle that could defeat the allies.   6 minutes 

• The Army Air Corps at the Battle of the Bulge  In the Battle of the Bulge, US and British airpower achieved air supremacy allowing ground troops to stop the German advance.   9 minutes 

• The Battle of the Bulge: Hitler’s Desperate Gambit Crushed by American Grit  The Battle of the Bulge reminds us that without adequate fuel supplies, no military can succeed.   14 minutes 

• Battle of the Bulge: Hitler Sets One Last Trap --- Part One  Hitler’s decision to attack the Allies in the Ardennes Forest in the winter of 1944 made a sort of strategic sense for Hitler, but the attack was always doomed to fail.   14 minutes 

• P-51 Mustang’s Switch to Merlin Engine Made it the World-beater of World War II  This article is about the Rolls Royce Merlin Engine and how placing this engine into the P-51 Mustang made the P-51 one of the best fighters in WW2.   11 minutes 

• 1499  20 Dec 2021  1499  Military History  The Duke of Wellington: Forging the 'Iron Duke'  The Duke of Wellington is probably the most famous wartime General that the UK has ever produced—he is most famous for his complete and utter defeat of the French under Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. 

• The Real War 1939-1945  This article provides a sobering account by a military historian Paul Fussell—who served in WW2 as an infantry officer—of what war is really like.   25 minutes 

• Paul Fussell obituary  US writer Paul Fussell, who died in 2012 was a well-respected academic military historian.   5 minutes 

• Pearl Harbour: The Day of Infamy, 7 December 1941  The attack on Pearl Harbour by Japan and the declaration of war against the USA by Nazi Germany brought America into WW2; which four years later resulted in the unconditional surrender of both Japan and Germany.   18 minutes 

• Attack on Pearl Harbor—1941  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in President Roosevelt signing a declaration of war against Japan, marking the United States' official entrance into World War II.   8 minutes 

• Milne Bay 1942. The RAAF's Forgotten Finest Hour.  In the WW2 battle of Milne Bay, RAAF provided the Australian Army with close air support and achieved local air supremacy, which resulted in a notable victory for Australian forces.   7 minutes 

• Tobruk: 8 facts about the WW2 confrontation in North Africa  German propaganda’s use of the term 'Rats of Tobruk’ hardened the resolve of Tobruk’s Australian and British defenders.   7 minutes 

• 1464  2 Dec 2021  1464  Military History  HMAS Sydney’s unknown sailor identified, but mysteries remain  During WW2, HMAS Sydney engaged the German auxiliary cruiser HSK Kormoran—in the battle that followed, both ships were destroyed.   14 minutes 

• The P-51 Mustang’s Winning Record  The P-51 Mustang was the perfect example of an American fighter aircraft in WW2—Pilots loved the plane for its responsiveness and agility.   10 minutes 

• Korean War Campaigns  In 1950 the Soviet (Russian)and China backed North Korea invaded the US-backed South Korea; after see-saving backwards and forwards, the war ended in a territorial stalemate, roughly where the conflict began.   65 minutes 

• 75 Years Ago, A Nazi Rocket took the first photo of earth from space.  The USA used a WW2 Nazi Germany V2 rocket to take the first picture of the earth from space.   7 minutes 

• Groupthink Blinded Imperial Japan at the Battle of Midway  The USA defeated the Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway because of poor Japanese planning, groupthink, and the failure of the Japanese to allow any criticism of their flawed operational plan.   14 minutes 

• D-Day’s Deadly Dress Rehearsal  Although the worst American training accident during WW2, Exercise Tiger was invaluable in preparing the Allies for D-Day and the liberation of Europe.   12 minutes 

• Holding New Guinea: A First Defeat For Japan’s Land Forces.  The Battle of Milne Bay PNG was a significant confidence booster for the WW2 Allies as it showed that Australia could beat the Japanese invaders.   35 minutes 

•     Chuck Yeager obituary American pilot who was the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound  Chuck Yeager the first person to break the sound barrier in level flight.   6 minutes 

• Battle Of Britain: The Royal Air Force Stopped Hitler's Total Domination Of Western Europe  In the Battle of Britain, the UK employed an integrated air defence system to deny Nazi Germany air superiority over the English Channel and prevented Germany from invading the UK.   65 minutes 

• What the Battle of Britain can teach us about defending Australia  This article argues that Australia can learn from what enabled the UK to win the Battle of Britain—geography, number of aircraft and pilots, training, serviceability and sortie rates.   8 minutes 

• From the bookshelf: ‘To defeat the few’  Access to German archives has enabled a better understanding of why the Royal Air Force won the Battle of Britain.   10 minutes 

• World War II's Allied Raid of Berlin Involved 1,000 Bombers (But Germany Fought On)  The 1000 bomber raid of Berlin in February 1945 was a major air assault still; the Germans continued to resist for another two months right up until Soviet troops captured the city and Hitler committed suicide.   20 minutes 

• Why Did the French Air Force Fail in 1940?  A failure of leadership, a lack of strategic vision, a poor supply chain, a failure to operate with other services and allies all contributed to the fall of France in 1940.   20 minutes 

• George Kennan urged American leadership and patience to counter the Soviets. Instead, the Cold War ensued  While some were considering military action against an expansionist USSR, George Kennan convinced the Truman Administration there was a better strategy.   9 minutes 

• Carl Spaatz: An Air Power Strategist  Carl Spaatz was one of America’s foremost strategic air power thinkers; his experiences in WW1 and command appointments in WW2 and beyond ensured that he could effectively apply theory to practice.   35 minutes 

• Kursk The greatest tank battle in history might have ended differently had it not been for the action in the air.  The Soviet’s airpower was a major factor in defeating Nazi Germany in the Battle of Kursk during WW2.   20 minutes 

• Battle of Kursk (Military History)  This article describes the Battle of Kursk, the terrible casualties and the end of Germany’s ability to launch an offensive against the Soviet Union.   15 minutes 

• "The Most Complete Naval Victory": How America Smashed Japan at Midway  The US' victory at Midway was due to a superior strategy and a very high level of tactical leadership.   15 minutes 

• The Battle of the Coral Sea 1942: The First Aircraft Carrier Battle in History  How the Battle of the Coral Sea unfolded without real time ISR to inform decision making. 

• Battle of the Coral Sea - Panel Discussion  The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle fought by aircraft from carriers. Are there any lessons for today’s Air Force? 

• Operation Carthage: Precise Inaccuracy  Increasing missile precision and technology is unlikely to ever completely remove human error.   60 minutes