Military History | The Runway

Military History enables the understanding of how different lived experience is from that of our past, yet how similar we are in our goals and values. Being able to learn from and appreciate everything we do, everything we use, everything else we study is the product of a complex set of causes, ideas, and practices. History and previoulsy learnt experiences allows us to provide the data to derive military policy and praxis going forward. Military History not only informs and enriches the discipline of history, but assists in providing the informaiton needed in a range of other fields including political science, sociology, and public policy.

Military History

B-26 Marauder: The Bomber That “Separated The Men From The Boys”

The B-26 was a US WW2 medium bomber initially nick-named the ‘widow maker’ due to its high training accident rate. However, with training, it developed into a highly successful aircraft with one of the war’s lowest loss rates.

Military History

Japan had little chance of victory—so why did it attack Pearl Harbour?

Before WW2, US sanctions prevented Japan from obtaining vital raw resources—Japan thought a pre-emptive strike against the USA followed by an invasion of the Philippines would force the US to make peace—they were wrong.

Military History

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.

Military History

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.

Military History

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.

Military History

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.

Military History

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.

Military History

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.

Military History

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.

Military History

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.