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DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES: THE WAR OF 1812

WAR OF 1812 · Published 3 October 2024 at 3:05pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION

"The Inauspicious Naming of the ‘War of 1812’ and Gulf Theater" by Prof. Benjamin J. Swenson

ABOVE:General William Henry Harrison leading his men at the Battle of Tippecanoe. American troops under the leadership of General William Henry Harrison fighting the Indian forces of The Prophet, Tenskwatawa (the brother of Tecumseh) in a forest. Tenskwatawa was part of Tecumseh's Indian confederation. Source: Library of Congress. Click to enlarge.

In mid-1848 the second Anglo-American war was finally given its name. On June 23 of that year, at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War (1846–48), the Daily Union of Washington DC ran an article titled “The Triumph of Truth.” The article outlined a recent report on U.S. Treasury expenditures in the war with Mexico and of the previous conflict, which used the term “war of 1812” for the first time. Up until the end of the Mexican War, the term most people used to describe it was the “late war,” and because the conflict beginning in 1846 with Mexico had become the most recent, the second war with the British required a name – as uninspiring and unromantic as it was.   ☞ Read the full article

FEATURE SERIES: EARLY NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815 

EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815 · Published 27 September 2024 at 4:34pm EDT · COMMENT AND CONVERSATION

"Napoleon's Police: Control by Other Means" by Michael G. Stroud

ABOVE: Paris, France, 24 November 2015. Napoleon's Tomb at Les Invalides. Source: War History Network license. Click to enlarge.

The safety and security of a people is the bedrock of any successful society. To achieve this, structured governments establish laws to guide the society along with measures of policing to ensure that said laws are obeyed, be they the Constables of England to the police officers of the United States. French policing under Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) utilized various forces to not only maintain the peace and to enforce its laws, but to ensure compliance with edicts and proclamations. Policing and security in Napoleonic France and its territories was an evolved extension of governmental control to suppress and eliminate political dissent while enforcing Napoleon’s mandates.   ☞  Read the full article

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES: CLASSICAL MILITARY HISTORY 

CLASSICAL MILITARY HISTORY: c.1000 BCE-500 CE · Published 13 September 2024 at 12:09pm EDT · COMMENT AND CONVERSATION

Focus on the “Art” of War: “Trajan’s Column as War Memorial and Primary Source” by Prof. Brian Todd Carey

ABOVE:Modern statue of Emperor Trajan in front of Roman-era walls at Tower Hill, London. A surviving section of the ancient London Wall, at Tower Hill, with a replica statue of Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117); some of the lower parts of the wall do date back to Roman times, around 200AD. Source: Wikimedia.

In 106 CE the Roman Emperor Trajan (r.98-117) crossed the Danube River heading south at the head of the victorious army, returning from a campaign in what is now Romania and Moldova. The region, incorporated into the Roman Empire as the province of Dacia, proved difficult to subdue. Trajan had bridged the wide river twice and campaigned there in what history remembers as the First and Second Dacian Wars (101-102 and 105-106), finally defeating and killing the Germanic Dacian leader King Decebalus (r.87-106) in a campaign that earned the emperor the honorary title Dacicus. To commemorate his victory, Trajan ordered the construction of the column that bears his name---an impressive structure that is at once a war memorial, instrument of imperial propaganda, and important primary source for our modern understanding of a Roman legion on campaign.  ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 4 July 2023 at 9:08pm EDT · COMMENT

"23-26 October 1944: End of the Japanese Navy - The Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf"

ABOVE: Task Group 38.3 entering Ulithi anchorage after the Philippine invasion and Battle of Leyte Gulf. Source: War History Network license.

During World War II, Japan suffered defeat in the Pacific in part due to decisive victories of the U.S. Navy's aircraft carriers. These carriers proved to be an indispensable asset for the U.S. military, enabling it to establish supremacy over the seas and project military power across vast distances. The Pacific battles fought between the U.S. and Japan were characterized by fierce naval combat, with the Americans leveraging their superior technology and tactics to outmaneuver and overpower their opponents. The use of aircraft carriers enabled the U.S. to launch devastating aerial attacks on enemy ships and shore installations, paving the way for a successful military campaign in the Pacific. The Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle in World War II and one of the largest in history and a decisive victory for the Allies, and it had far-reaching implications for the course of the War in the Pacific.    ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815

EARLY MODERN AND NAPOLEONIC WARFARE: 1500-1815 · Published 9 September 2023 at 4:05pm EDT · COMMENT

"24 October 1648: End of The Thirty Years' War: The Peace of Westphalia is signed" 

ABOVE: Muenster, Germany: 30 April 2022. View to the room called Friedenssaal ("Peace Room"), where the Peace of Westphalia was signed. Source: War History Network license. Click to enlarge.

The Peace of Westphalia is one of the most significant events in European history, marking the end of the Thirty Years' War. The two peace treaties were signed in October 1648, in the Westphalian cities of Osnabruck and Munster. These treaties ended a catastrophic period of European history that killed around eight million people, bringing peace to the Holy Roman Empire. The negotiation process was lengthy and complex, taking place in two cities because each side wanted to meet on territory under its own control. In this article, we will delve into the history of the Thirty Years' War, the circumstances surrounding the Peace of Westphalia, and its impact on modern international relations.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR

THE VIETNAM WAR ERA: 1955 - 1975 · Published 24 September 2023 at 2:02pm EDT · COMMENT

"26 October 1967: Years of Enduring Torment: Lieutenant Commander John McCain, USN Shot Down over Hanoi"

ABOVE: Lieutenant John McCain (O3) with his squadron. This United States Congress image is in the public domain. 

Known in recent years before his death in 2018 as a 'maverick' politician, the late Arizona senator was a U.S. Navy pilot whose five-and-a-half year struggle as a POW in North Vietnam became legendary. John Sidney McCain III was born on 29 August 1936, in the Panama Canal Zone. Growing up in a military family, he was exposed to the navy life at an early age. McCain's father and grandfather were both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy, and he followed their footsteps to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, where he graduated in 1958. His father John S. McCain Jr. reached the rank of admiral and served in World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. His grandfather, John S. McCain Sr. served in both World War I and II. During the Vietnam War, he volunteered for combat duty and served as a ground-attack pilot.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE NORTH AFRICA CAMPAIGN

NORTH AFRICA CAMPAIGN · Published 11 Nov 2022 at 2:45pm EDT · COMMENT

"8-16 November 1942: Operation Torch: The Allied Invasion of North Africa"

ABOVE: Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless scout bombers and Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters on the flight deck of USS Santee (ACV-29) during Operation Torch. Note the yellow Operation Torch markings visible around the fuselage stars of some of these airplanes. Also note the distance and target information temporarily marked on the carrier's flight deck (80-K-15250). In the Public Domain; click to enlarge.

Initiated in November 1942, Operation Torch was conceived as a grand strategy to diminish Axis forces’ engagement on the Eastern Front, thereby alleviating the escalating pressure on the Soviet Union. This ambitious offensive represented a strategic compromise between the United States and Great Britain, with British authorities espousing apprehensions that a direct American-supported landing in Northern Europe would precipitate a premature and potentially catastrophic engagement. The operation was meticulously orchestrated to execute a pincer movement. Tasked with establishing bridgeheads on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts were the U.S. Western Task Force—targeting Safi, Fedala, and Mehdia–Port Lyautey in Morocco—and the Anglo-American Center and Eastern Task Forces—aiming for Oran and Algiers in Algeria, respectively. Complementing these efforts was a battalion-level airborne operation near Oran, designed to secure two strategic airfields. The overarching aim was to forge a second front that would be detrimental to the Axis forces occupied with British opposition in Libya and Egypt. Prevailing over resistance posed by Vichy French forces, which were ostensibly neutral yet potentially sympathetic to German interests, was paramount.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR I

WORLD WAR I · Published 21 September 2023 at 9:51pm EDT · COMMENT

"11 November 1918: The Great War Ends and Another War Readies"

ABOVE: Photo Credit: USAMHI Marshal Foch's Train. This train car was used to hold negotiations with the Germans and where the armistice was signed at 5 a.m., on Nov. 11, 1918. (WWI Signal Corps Collection). This file is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. Source: Wikimedia. Click to enlarge.

The Armistice of 11 November 1918 marked a historic moment in world history, as it brought an end to the First World War, or World War I, that had ravaged large parts of Europe and beyond. The signing of the armistice was a significant moment for the Entente, which had been engaged in a bitter struggle against the Central Powers, led by Germany. The truce was signed at Le Francport near Compiegne, following negotiations initiated by the German government with the American President Woodrow Wilson. The basis for the ceasefire was the earlier declared "Fourteen Points" by President Wilson, which later formed the basis of the German surrender at the Paris Peace Conference the following year.   ☞  Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR ERA: 1955-1975

THE VIETNAM WAR ERA: 1955-1975 · Published 31 October 2023 at 8:50pm EDT · COMMENT

"14-18 November 1965: The U.S. Army's First Major Fight in Vietnam - The Battle of Ia Drang Valley"

ABOVE: 2nd Lt. R. C. "Rick" Rescorla moves carefully with fixed bayonet through the underbrush in an attack of North Vietnamese sniper pockets outside the American perimeter in the Ia Drang Valley on Nov. 16, 1965 during the Vietnam War. The soldier is a member of one of the hardest hit companies of the 1st Cavalry Division units. (AP Photo/Peter Arnett) In the Public Domain.

The Battle of Ia Drang was a significant engagement that is notable for being the first major battle between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam. The battle was part of the Pleiku Campaign conducted early in the Vietnam War at the eastern foot of the Chu Pong Massif in the central highlands of Vietnam in 1965. The battle is significant because it set the blueprint for the Vietnam War, with the U.S. forces relying on air mobility, artillery fire, and close air support, while the PAVN neutralized that firepower by quickly engaging American forces at very close range.   The Battle of Ia Drang formed part of the wider Operation Silver Bayonet, a US military offensive designed to search and destroy NVA forces in the central highlands of Vietnam. The goal of the operation was to clear the Chu Pong Massif, a range of hills located on the border of Vietnam and Cambodia, of NVA troops. The U.S. military hoped that the successful execution of the operation would prevent the establishment of a permanent NVA base in the region and eventually lead to the downfall of the North Vietnamese communist regime.Ia Drang comprised two main engagements, centered on two helicopter landing zones, the first known as LZ X-Ray, followed by LZ Albany, farther north in the Ia Drang Valley   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WAR IN THE PACIFIC

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 4 August 2023 at 9:52pm EDT · COMMENT

"20-23 November 1943: Three Days of Hell - The Battle of Tarawa"

ABOVE: Marines Run Around Barbed Wire, Tarawa, November 1943. "Barbed Wire Doesn't Stop Them-A Marine with fixed bayonet leads others around a barbed wire entanglement on the beach at Tarawa as the Marines took the island. Grim determination is etched on the leader's face as he carries his rifle in the crook of his arm instead of in his wounded hand." From the Julian C. Smith Collection (COLL/202), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH

The Battle of Tarawa, fought on 20-23 November 1943, was another turning point in the Allied campaign against Japan during World War II. Tarawa, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, was the most fortified island that the Americans attempted to invade during the Pacific Campaign. The Japanese garrison at Betio, the main island of Tarawa, was heavily fortified with concrete bunkers, seawalls, trenches, and an airstrip, supported by a variety of artillery including heavy and light machine guns and light tanks. Betio Island was tiny however at less than one square mile. Japanese Admiral Keiji Shibasaki was confident that the Americans couldn't take the island even with "a million men fighting for a hundred years could not take it." (Symonds 2018, 491)   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE KOREAN WAR 1950-1953

THE KOREAN WAR 1950-1953 · Published 11 Aug 2023 at 8:21pm EDT · COMMENT

"27 November 1950: The Frozen Chosin; The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir Begins"

ABOVE: Marines Clear a Ridge. 6 December 1950. Infantry of RCT-7 moving up a ridge to clear it of enemy." From the Oliver P. Smith Collection (COLL/213), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH.

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir took place in the harsh and freezing winter of 1950, when the People’s Volunteer Army (PVA) of China entered the war to counter the presence of United Nations Command (UNC) troops in North Korea. The Chinese force, numbering around 120,000, launched a surprise attack on the US X Corps, an element of the larger UNC contingent, that was stationed near the Chosin Reservoir. The battle had become one of the toughest and most infamous battles for the U.S. Marine Corps since World War II. Fought over brutal mountain terrain and extreme cold weather in North Korea, temperatures had reached -36 degrees Fahrenheit causing frostbite casualties. Controversy had come to shroud the fight at Chosin Reservoir, as most marines saw the drive to the Reservoir as a fatal error. Either a 'fighting retreat' or 'attack in another direction', the First Marine Division fought gallantly, fighting through seven Chinese divisions and elements of three others. "General Song's Ninth Army Group had been rendered ineffective as a fighting force. Two of his divisions were entirely destroyed, never to be seen on a battlefield again. Song lost an estimated 30,000 killed in action and 12,500 wounded. The Marines lost 750 dead, 3,000 wounded and just under 200 missing. (Sides 2018, 326-327)   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE EASTERN FRONT - WORLD WAR II

THE EASTERN FRONT · Published 26 August 2023 at 9:23pm EDT · COMMENT

"30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940: Failed Cold-Weather Gamble: The Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union"

ABOVE: A Finnish Maxim M/32-33 machine gun nest 100 metres from Soviet forces during the Winter War, located approximately 5 kilometres north of Lemetti (area of the modern Pitkyarantsky District, Russia). This photograph is in the public domain in Finland, because either a period of 50 years has elapsed from the year of creation or the photograph was first published before 1966.

The Winter War of 1939 between Finland and the Soviet Union raised many questions for both combatants. It started when the Soviet Union invaded Finland on 30 November 1939, just three months after the outbreak of World War II. The Soviet Union was seeking to expand its borders and establish a buffer zone for the city of Leningrad, which was under threat from the Finnish border. Despite the immense strength of the Soviet army and air force, they suffered severe losses and made little headway for the initial period of the war. This war raised many questions for both countries that had long-lasting implications for their political, economic, and social structures.    ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WAR IN THE PACIFIC

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 4 December 2022 at 11:49am EDT · COMMENT

7 December 1941: Pearl Harbor attacked - America enters World War II The USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. Sailors rescuing a survivor from the water. The USS Tennessee is on the far side of the sunken battleship. Photo source: National WWII Museum. Click to enlarge.

29 November 1941, at sea in the Pacific aboard the USS Arizona
The nationally-ranked Navy Midshipmen football team was down 6-0 at halftime to the United States Military Academy at West Point. The 1941 inter-service rivalry was being played in front of 98,924 fans at Municipal Stadium on a sunny Saturday in Philadelphia. Lieutenant Commander Samuel Fuqua, Damage Control Officer for the USS Arizona, a ’23 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, listened intently to the football game in the Wardroom Officer’s Stateroom along with his friend Major Alan Shapley, USMC, aboard the Arizona. Shapley held a particular interest in the 1941 Army-Navy game. The major, current commander of the battleship’s Marine detachment was also an Annapolis graduate (Class of ’27) and former player on the Navy football team. The Midshipmen had never beaten Army during Shapley’s playing days, but the Marine officer was hopeful Navy’s current winning streak over Army would continue. (source: Scott Lyons monograph and Samuel Fuqua personal papers)    ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE U.S. CIVIL WAR - 1861-1865

U.S. CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION · Published 30 September 2023 at 3:25pm EDT · COMMENT

"11 December 1862: Failed Union Leadership in Virginia: The Battle of Fredericksburg Begins"

Battle of Fredericksburg: The Army of the Potomac crossing the Rappahannock: in the morning of December 13, 1862, under the command of Generals Burnside, Sumner, Hooker & Franklin. Kurz & Allison, Art Publishers, Chicago, U.S., copyrighted 1888. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. Public Domain (copyright expired). Click to enlarge.

The Battle of Fredericksburg was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War, fought from 11 December to 15 December 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Union army, led by General Ambrose Burnside, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's forces. The battle was fought in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War, and the two armies represented the largest number of armed men that had ever confronted each other. The battle was fought between the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II - THE EUROPEAN THEATER

D-DAY AND THE EUROPEAN THEATER · Published 20 September 2023 at 9:27pm EDT · COMMENT AND CONVERSATION

"16 December 1944: Bitter Cold in the Ardennes Forest: Battle of the Bulge Begins"

Belgium, 31 December 1944. Soldiers of the U.S. 101st Airborne move out of Bastogne, after having been besieged there for 10 days, having been tasked with driving Wehrmacht troops out of the surrounding district. Photo from the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Click to enlarge.

The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was a crucial moment in World War II’s Western Front. Occurring from December 1944 to January 1945, it was Hitler’s last-ditch attempt to turn the tide of the war around. The Allied forces had already achieved significant victories on the Western Front, and the Germans were on the retreat. The Allied forces' resilience during the battle, despite the losses incurred, signified important psychological victories. The German forces never regained their footing after the campaign, and it signaled the beginning of the end of the Second World War in Europe.    ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WAR IN THE PACIFIC

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 3 September 2023 at 12:34pm EDT · COMMENT

"26 December 1943-16 January 1944: Green Hell - The Battle of Cape Gloucester" 

ABOVE: U.S. Marine Corps infantry march through Cape Gloucester. Cape Gloucester USMC Photo No. 2. From the Frederick R. Findtner Collection (COLL/3890), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH.

On the second day after D-day, the action report of 27 December read "'Rains continued for the next five days. Water backed up in the swamps in rear of the shoreline, making them impassable for wheeled and tracked vehicles. The many streams which emptied into the sea in the beachhead area became raging torrents. Some even changed course. Troops were soaked to the skin and their clothes never dried out during the entire operation.' These are comments from the action report." Such was the setting for the Battle of Cape Gloucester between the Japanese and Allied forces on the island of New Britain, Territory of New Guinea, from 26 December 1943 to 16 January 1944. For the U.S. Marines who fought and suffered at Cape Gloucester, the men "remember the place more for the jungle than for the Japanese." (McMillan 1949, 175-177)   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 24 November 2023 at 8:09pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSTION

"9 January 1945: Beginning of the End in the Philippines: The Battle of Luzon Begins" 

Luzon, Philippines, 1945. U.S. Army infantry squad advancing with Sherman tank armored support. Source: U.S. National Archives, Public Domain. Click to enlarge.

In the early months of 1942, the Japanese Army successfully invaded and conquered all areas of the Philippines. However, the tide of the war shifted when Allied forces launched a daring amphibious operation on the island of Leyte on 20 October 1944. This was a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle for the Philippines, as it marked the beginning of a concerted effort to liberate the country from Japanese occupation. The mission involved significant strategic planning and the coordination of troops, ships, and aircraft from multiple countries, and the result was a decisive victory for the Allies that helped to turn the tide of the war in the Pacific.    ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: LENINGRAD AND THE EASTERN FRONT

THE EASTERN FRONT · Published 14 October 2023 at 7:33pm EDT · COMMENT

"27 January 1944: 872 Days of Starvation and Death - The Siege of Leningrad Ends"

Right: Leningrad, Soviet Union. September 1941. German soldiers in front of burning houses and a church. Source: Wikimedia. Click to enlarge.

The Siege and Battle for Leningrad (8 September 1941 – 27 January 1944) were events of enormous significance, yet they are often overlooked in the history of World War II. This was a microcosm of the War on the Eastern Front, an epic clash that had far-reaching implications for both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. In September 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, with the primary objective of capturing Leningrad, which was situated in the north. Hitler's strategy was to clear his Baltic flank and link up with Finnish troops, downplaying the importance of Moscow despite the objections of his army commanders. Army Group North's goal was to encircle, blockade, starve and ultimately destroy and level the city.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE HOLOCAUST, SHOAH

THE HOLOCAUST "SHOAH" · Published 25 October 2023 at 8:20pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVO

"27 January 1945: Auschwitz is Liberated by the Soviet Red Army"

ABOVE: Wearing adult-size prisoner jackets, child survivors of Auschwitz are led by relief workers and Soviet soldiers through a narrow passage between two barbed-wire fences. Standing next to the nurse are Miriam and Eva Mozes. Behind them (wearing white hats) are Judy and Lea Csenghery. Both sets of sisters are twins. From the Soviet film of the liberation of Auschwitz, taken by the film unit of the First Ukrainian Front. Photo Source: Wytwornia Filmow Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych. Copyright: Public Domain. Click to enlarge.

On 27 January 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz concentration camp and liberated around 7,000 prisoners still alive in the Main Camp, Birkenau, and Monowitz. For years, this complex had served as a killing center for Nazi Germany, where over 1.1 million people had been murdered, mostly Jews. The prisoners who were mostly ill and dying greeted them as true liberators. This historic moment marked the end of the deadliest phase of the Holocaust, which saw millions of Jews and others brutally killed by Nazi Germany between 1940 and 1945.    ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR: 1955-75

THE VIETNAM WAR: 1955-75 · Published 12 November 2023 at 2:21pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION

"21 January 1968: Fighting in the Hills - The Battle of Khe Sanh begins"

Khe Sanh, January 1968. CH-46A Sea Knight helicopters drop U.S. Marines at Khe Sanh Combat Base. Public Domain, click to enlarge.

The Battle of Khe Sanh, which took place in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War, is often considered one of the most significant battles of the conflict. The battle was fought from 21 January to 9 July 1968, between two divisional-size elements of the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and two regiments of the United States Marine Corps (6000 strong), with support from the United States Army, the U.S. Air Force, and a small number of Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops.   ☞  Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: WORLD WAR II

WAR IN THE PACIFIC · Published 27 October 2023 at 9:26pm EDT · COMMENT

"31 January 1944: Island Hopping - The Battle of Kwajalein"

ABOVE: Marine infantry fighting their way inland. Kwajalein USMC Photo No. K-20. From the Frederick R. Findtner Collection (COLL/3890), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH. Click to enlarge.

The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign marked a significant chapter in the Pacific theatre of World War II, with a series of battles spanning from August 1942 to February 1944. Led by the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps, the primary objective was to establish airfields and naval bases, vital for air and naval support operations across the Central Pacific. Under the code names Operation Galvanic, Kourbash, Flintlock and Catchpole, the campaign involved seizing control of strategic locations such as Tarawa, Makin, Kwajalein, Eniwetok and Majuro. The fiercely fought battles during the Battle of Tarawa on 20–23 November and the Battle of Makin on 20–24 November 1943 were particularly significant, with several military tactics and warfare strategies employed. The successful seizing of these islands allowed the United States to establish a firm foothold in the Central Pacific, paving the way for further missions and ultimately, contributing to the outcome of the overall Pacific theatre of World War II.   ☞ Read the full article

CENTURIES OF WAR CALENDAR: THE VIETNAM WAR

THE VIETNAM WAR: 1955-75 · Published 10 November 2023 at 7:41pm EDT · COMMENTS AND CONVERSATION

31 January 1968: The War in Vietnam Turns - The Battle of Hue Begins"

Hue, South Vietnam, 4 February 1968: U.S. Marine infantry firing from cover behind a wall, keeping low from NVA sniper fire. Possibly at the Citadel. Public Domain, click to enlarge.

The Battle of Hue, also known as the Siege of Hue, was one of the most significant and bloody events of the Vietnam War. The intense fighting between the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, and U.S. Marines and Army soldiers and ARVN (South Vietnamese troops) lasted from 31 January to 2 March 1968, resulting in the death of thousands of soldiers and civilians. This battle challenged the confidence of the American public, who increasingly questioned the U.S. military involvement in the conflict.   ☞ Read the full article