Military History

The First Submarine Used in War
On February 17, 1864, naval warfare changed forever when the Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley, rammed a torpedo into the Union warship U.S.S. Houstonic and sank it in Charleston harbor. The submarine, as a weapon of war, claimed its first victim in history. However, this was not the first use of a submarine for combat. David Bushnell's Turtle, built during the American Revolution, has the honor of being the first combat submarine in history.

A Classic Manual On War
This is Book 1 of the classic manual on the nature of war by the German General Clauswitz.

The Divisions of 18th Century Armies and Their Weapons
Armies of the 18th century were small professional forces. They consisted of three different units: the infantry, the cavalry and the artillery. Each unit assigned specific tasks had crude but effective weapons that best suited their needs.

The Defense Of New Orleans
The story of Jackson's gallant defense of New Orleans has been so often told from the American point of view that we select a description of it from a British author, who himself took part in the battle. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

The Capture And Burning Of Washington
This article discusses the capture and burning of Washington D.C. by the British during the war of 1812, by Benson J. Lossing. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

The Charge At Lundy's Lane
The fiercest land-battle of the war ensued, a description of which we select from Brackenridge's History of the Late War between the United States and Great Britain. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

The Battle Of The Thames
The battle of the Thames was our first regular and considerable victory. I have not attempted to describe its professional, or indeed particular, features; that having been done by so many others. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

Perry's Victory On Lake Erie
As, amid light and rather baffling winds, the American squadron approached the enemy, Perry's straggling line formed an angle of about fifteen degrees with the more compact one of his foes. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

The Constitution And The Guerriere
Among other vessels, the forty-four-gun frigate Constitution put to sea, and was soon after chased by a British squadron, from which she escaped with great difficulty. The story of the victorious event which soon followed we select from Headley's "Second War with England. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

Two Years Of War
In May, 1811, an encounter took place between the frigate President and the British war-sloop Little Belt. The captain of the latter, instead of answering the hail of Commodore Rogers, fired a shot, which was answered by a broadside. A short engagement ensued, the British losing eleven killed and twenty-one wounded, while the Americans had but one man wounded. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

War of the Bavarian Succession
European foreign policy of the 18th century revolved around maintaining the "balance of power." Prussia and Austria, for example, constantly argued with each other over the control of Germany. Unfortunately, the minor German states were the ones to suffer from these disputes because they became the battlegrounds of the two great powers. The German state of Bavaria became one such battleground in 1778.

The War of Jenkins's Ear
The West Indies was once a key part of the balance of world power, particularly since the islands were the entry point to the lucrative Spanish trade market. Thus, the West Indies became both a battleground and a pawn in major trade wars. One such war came shortly after the War of the Spanish Succession. This war, at first, involved only Britain and Spain, but the war of the Austrian Succession soon absorbed it. The war of Jenkins's Ear was one of the wackiest wars in military history.