For most of the history of warfare, the combatants lined up on opposite sides of a field or tract of water and advanced. When they met, they bashed each other as hard as they could until somebody gave up. This approach changed in World War I. Instead of marching on strong points, armies sent in…
Fighting to the death means you lose
July 8, 2015
A breathless piece by the Associated Press would have you believe that the Islamic State is winning by fighting to the death. I was very glad to see this, because it means that the Islamic State is militarily stupid and will lose much faster than I had anticipated. History proves that throwing away your life…
A prisoner who refused
May 28, 2015
I once saw a World War I postcard that I wished desperately I had in my collection. Today my own original copy arrived. It shows a prisoner of war who refused to play by the rules. Here’s the image. German officers are interrogating French prisoners of war. The uniforms of the Germans show that the…