The Third Samnite War had raged for three years, and Rome had the upper hand. The Roman generals, Quintus Fabius and Publius Decius Mus, were laying waste to Samnium, having driven the Samnite army from their homeland in south-central Italy. But the Samnites managed to form a grand coalition, with... More
Henry Percy ‘Hotspur’ of Northumberland had backed the Lancastrian Henry IV’s fight for the crown, and repulsed a Scottish invasion at Homildon Hill (1402). Afterwards, disgruntled by his share of the spoils, he denounced Henry’s ‘tyrannical government’ and marched south the join his uncle Thomas, Earl of Worcester in rebellion.... More
On 17 August, the French lay siege to Smolensk, with the Russians returning fire from behind the city’s walls. Although this failed to daunt the Russians, they were forced to retreat after the city caught fire. As they retreated, the Russians destroyed the artillery reserves and bridges leading from the... More
The attack on the St Mihiel Salient was launched with two primary objectives: to lift the German blockade on transport links to Verdun, and to threaten the critical railway hub at Metz. Uniquely in World War I, the battle was led and conceived solely by American forces under the command... More
The Battle of Stonne, part of ‘Fall Gelb’, the German operation to invade the Low Countries, saw fierce fighting between French units and the German 10th Panzer Division and Groβdeutschland Infantry Division as they launched a diversionary attack on the high ground of Mont-Dieu. Fighting began at around 05:00 on... More
The Battle of Suomussalmi took place eight days after the Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November. The Soviets’ aim was to reach Oulu, cutting Finland in half. The 163rd Rifle Division advanced and on 9 December easily took Suomussalmi. While most Finnish troops had been mobilized elsewhere, the Finns... More
Tired of Roman incursions into their territories, many Gallic tribes formed an alliance and marched on Rome. They created a combined army of 50,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry. After successfully reaching central Italy, they learned that three Roman armies were in the region. These armies, with a combined total of... More
In the first Battle of the Marne 6–12 September 1914, the Allies reversed their headlong retreat to the River Marne, with a bold counterattack on the advancing Germans’ right flank. In response, the German 1st and 2nd Armies drifted apart creating a breach that the British Expeditionary Force and French... More
When the pope heard the Protestant William of Orange had won at the Boyne, he ordered the Vatican’s bells to be rung in celebration. In the convoluted European politics of the day, the papacy and the Dutch were allies against Louis XIV of France. The battle itself was hardly a... More
Hitler’s last great offensive of the war took the Americans, who had become over-complacent, by surprise. The 80-mile (130-km) Ardennes front was held by just six US divisions. A formidable German force was assembled, in great secrecy, in the Eiffel Hills to the east of the Ardennes, in readiness for... More
Following the initial momentum gained from the element of surprise that the Germans enjoyed during the opening phases of the Battle of the Bulge, their attack petered out as supplies of troops and equipment dwindled. The severe winter weather had proved a blessing and a hindrance to both sides, generally... More
This battle is commonly marked as a double watershed, signalling the demise of the Hunnish Empire and the last significant military victory of the Western Roman Empire. In fact, Attila, the Hunnish king, was still capable of invading Italy and marching on Rome the following year. It is without doubt,... More