Military History
Battles, strategies and warriors of the past.
Viking Shield Wall: Decisive Psychology and Tactics in Battle (AD 750–1100)
The Viking shield wall was more than cover. It was a living machine that managed fear, held shape under pressure, and won fights through…
Forgotten Siege Weapons of the Bronze Age
Bronze Age sieges lacked catapults and towers—but not ingenuity. Ladders, shield-screens, hooks, fire and sapping, backed by archery, took walls apart. This essay shows…
Assyrian Psychological Warfare: Brutal Mind Games of the First Empire
The Neo-Assyrian Empire perfected psychological warfare: siege theatre, public cruelty, deportations, and royal boasts carved in stone—mind games that held a continent together.
The Siege of Masada: New Archaeological Evidence Contradicts Josephus’ Account
Archaeology at Masada points to a fast Roman siege and a messy end, not a choreographed mass suicide. Here is how the ramp, camps,…
Hannibal’s War Elephants: Species, Training, and Battlefield Reality
Hannibal’s elephants were not mythic beasts: they were specific animals, trained with care and supplied with discipline. Here’s what we actually know about their…
Teutoburg Forest: How Weather Helped Arminius Defeat Rome
In AD 9, rain, wind, and mud turned the Teutoburg Forest into a trap. Arminius timed his ambush to the storm, and three Roman…
Hannibal’s War Elephants: Species, Training, and Battlefield Reality
Hannibal’s elephants were not mythic beasts: they were specific animals, trained with care and supplied with discipline. Here’s what we actually know…
Teutoburg Forest: How Weather Helped Arminius Defeat Rome
In AD 9, rain, wind, and mud turned the Teutoburg Forest into a trap. Arminius timed his ambush to the storm, and…