An armed conflict between state actors, typically for the furtherence of a political or economic aim.
5
votes
2answers
77 views
Where can I find financial data for the first world war? [closed]
I want to analyse the first world war on the financial aspect. Here are some of my questions.
Which countries borrowed money to win the war?
Where were weapons manufactured?
Where can I get ...
8
votes
2answers
198 views
Were any of the major battle plans in WWII changed last minute by officers on the ground?
I haven't found any consistent reference to a particular battle wherein the battle plans were changed by a lower level officer on the ground at the last minute. Specifically, a major battle plan, not ...
3
votes
1answer
211 views
Was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan one of the major reasons that led to the fall of Soviet Union?
Was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan one of the major reasons that led to the fall of Soviet Union?
That is what the world history teacher told me.
Please show your sources.
8
votes
1answer
187 views
What weapons were manufactured in India by the British forces which were used during world wars?
Recently I came across references to a weapon called the Bangalore Torpedo, which was used in the world wars. These weapons were made in India by the British Indian Army.
I also happened to see ...
8
votes
1answer
363 views
In WW2, which midget submarine program was the most successful?
In WW2, which midget submarine program was the most successful? I know at least Great Britain and Japan had midget submarines and used them during the course of the conflict. Which WW2 combatant had ...
7
votes
3answers
574 views
What was the first known war in history?
Not the first instance of warfare, which surely predates recorded history, but of an organized war between civilizations. For the purposes of this question I'll define a war as:
Defined scope: the ...
1
vote
0answers
69 views
Looking for information on the “2nd Battalion Stojan Vujnović 'The Serb'” [closed]
Does anyone have information on this battalion? I have been hunting for information about them during the Croatian Civil War of 1991.
3
votes
4answers
317 views
Were there reasons for Japan to go to war with US aside from US owning Philippines?
Right after the Spanish-American War in 1898, the US acquired the Philippines from Spain. At that time, local leaders desired Philippines independence. The Philippines-American War was fought around ...
10
votes
4answers
729 views
Why Did the US Drop Nuclear Weapons on a Weakened Japan
Why did the United States drop two nuclear bombs on the Japanese mainland when they were already on the wining side?
5
votes
2answers
213 views
If the Iraq War was because of their oil, has the US achieved their war aims
Let's assume:
The United States of America started the 2003 Iraq war to obtain Iraqi oil.
The Iraq war was very costly for the Americans, and a long and unfinished war has always made the ...
3
votes
4answers
189 views
In current times is it impossible to win a war if the people of invaded country are determined not to lose?
When the United States lost the Vietnam war, the Vietnamese showed another face of war:
With a big difference of power, the weaker country can win.
This is happening again in Afghanistan and in ...
4
votes
3answers
274 views
Was Russo-Polish of 1919-1920 a war of independence?
What evidence is there to call the 1919-1920 conflict between Poland and the Soviet Union a "war of independence"? As for a definition of independence, I would say it is a full political, legal, and ...
16
votes
2answers
209 views
Private firms (aka mercenaries) as a police force
Since the police invited security firms to bid for roles in the UK, I was wondering if there are historical events where mercenaries were used to police a city (or town or local) and what the effects ...
-5
votes
1answer
49 views
About competition an Capitalism [closed]
Well is it true that our civilization and technologies increased up more on capitalist models and competition models?
But is also true that the World Wars were the more standout situations of ...
3
votes
1answer
58 views
Master title for fencing
When and where did the practice of calling either a fencing teacher or a great swordsman "master" originates from? I am interested mainly in European primary sources, the older the better.
7
votes
1answer
124 views
Life expectancy of monarchs and its relation to stability/peace
Has there been any studies on the average life expectancy of a monarch during different time periods? If there had been, can this be used as an indicator of relative peacefulness during the time?
...
4
votes
1answer
390 views
Sources for letters written during the Boer Wars
For a project at my school i need to make a 'letter home' of a canadian soldier that participated in the second boer war. I need to draw from primary sources and im not having luck finding any. so ...
18
votes
1answer
191 views
Which war games did Napoleon practice with his generals?
I have read that Napoleon actively used to play strategy games with his generals in order to understand how they act in a range of situations. The generals also learned the same thing about each ...
12
votes
5answers
1k views
How did the US/South Vietnam lose the Vietnam war?
South Vietnam was helped by US. Even when the US was gone, they had a 1 million army.
So why did they lose?
Even without US support, South Vietnam had about the same manpower, higher technology, and ...
6
votes
2answers
554 views
WWI trench tactics using shields?
Are there any records of WWI trench tactics involving shield formations similar to the example below of the ancient Testudo formation?
.
I imagine that it could have been successful if used to get ...
11
votes
2answers
327 views
Switzerland's political isolation after World War II
Does anyone know what were the reasons of Switzerland's political isolation on the international scene after World War II and how did it manage to break out of isolation?
10
votes
3answers
277 views
Was Antarctica a factor in the Falklands war?
Were Argentina's and the UK's Antarctic territorial claims significant in the Falklands War?
3
votes
3answers
428 views
In Battle of Zama, how did Hannibal's use of war elephants lead to a Roman Victory?
Why did Hannibal attack with elephants from the front? Why not from side?
Also why did the elephants just keep walking through the small gap? Why not wreak havoc in the middle of Roman troops? (like ...
3
votes
1answer
189 views
How do war elephants fight?
Do they just run breaking phalanx? Do they pull their front food and then crush enemies below?
What do elephants do?
Or are the fighters on top of it just shoot arrows?
4
votes
1answer
100 views
How much armor did elephant units wear?
I often hear stories about enemies defeating elephant riders by axing the legs of the elephants.
Does this mean that the commander of the elephant army did not put enough armor on the elephants' ...
0
votes
0answers
179 views
Was Charles I a good king? [closed]
I want to know if Charles I was a good king, ideally with all the view points. Thanks, in advance.
2
votes
2answers
245 views
Best books on the politics behind WWII [closed]
What are the best books on the politics leading up to and during World War 2?
Thanks
Edit: Just wanted to add that I just realized that reading biographies of the people involved with the politics ...
13
votes
2answers
338 views
What was the status of Arab Christians during the crusades?
Did Arab Christians take an active role in the crusades in the Holy Land or at any point on their trip to the Holy Land. Or were they victims of the crusaders? Did the crusaders typically ...
10
votes
2answers
269 views
Why did the Monitor and Merrimac (aka Virginia) have such radically different designs?
This is something that's always baffled me. You have one ship that appears to sit just above the water with one little canon on a turret (the Monitor) and a second that sits high and is brimming with ...
14
votes
6answers
304 views
Japan is known for being isolationist, so what cultivated its history of interventionism in the 20th century?
For much of its history, Japan was a very isolationistic country, and in fact, even in modern Japan, there is still a strong isolationist attitude among the Japanese people in some ways.
During the ...
15
votes
1answer
279 views
When and where did just war theory originate?
I was reading an entry from Victor Reppert's blog (Reppert being a noted apologist), where he mentioned that just war theory, specifically prohibitions on what you could do during a war and ...
7
votes
2answers
188 views
Why did Robert E. Lee stop offensive maneuvers?
According to the Wikipedia article on the Battle of Gettysburg, after that battle Robert E. Lee stopped making offensive maneuvers and rather started reacting to Union offensives. Is this 100% true, ...
12
votes
3answers
267 views
What was the last battle fought mainly by sail-powered ships?
When and where has the last battle between sail-powered ships been fought? If possible, please include the countries involved as well as the armament and types of ships.
8
votes
3answers
409 views
When was the earliest recorded battle with the usage of gunpowder as an offensive weapon?
When was the earliest recorded battle (on script) with the usage of gunpowder (in any form) as an offensive weapon?
8
votes
2answers
189 views
What was the first recorded use of Aerial Weapons in warfare?
Fighter planes were popularised by their extensive use in WWI. What Aerial weapons were used before that period (if any)? What is earliest recorded use of Aerial Attacking and what was the technology ...
30
votes
2answers
2k views
How did Israel win the Six-Day War?
Considering Israel fought several Arab countries, which had troops largely outnumbering the Israeli, how did they manage to win the war decisively, with much fewer casualties than the Arab countries?
...
8
votes
5answers
289 views
Is there any documentation regarding the use of war elephants in battles?
Does anyone know of any battles where war elephants played either a major or decisive part in the victory of whoever had them? As far as I know, they were mostly used for the fear factor and were ...
16
votes
1answer
561 views
When and why did war chariots stopped being used?
Many cultures (Egypt, Celts, etc...) had war chariots either as mobile platforms or as troop transport. What other advance in warfare made them obsolete?
9
votes
4answers
155 views
How many recorded incidents are there of attacks on Australian soil?
There are two that I am aware of:
Japanese midget submarines entering Sydney Harbour
The bombing of Darwin 1942 and 1943
I am not looking for Naval battles but actual attacks on Australian soil.
5
votes
2answers
172 views
What wars were started when an indebted country refused to pay?
For example, France invaded Mexico (both times) when Mexico stopped some of their payments. What are some other examples?
6
votes
2answers
331 views
When was the last cavalry charge?
When was the last instance of a unit of cavalry charging? I know that the Polish forces had units of cavalry during World War II and those were used against Nazi units but was there any later than ...
7
votes
4answers
263 views
Did the USA win the counter insurgency war in the Vietnam war?
What happened in the aftermath of the Tet offensive to the Viet Cong? Was it actually broken or did it just incorporate into the North Viet Nam army?
Edit: I am fully aware that the USA lost the ...
8
votes
1answer
224 views
Captured nobles in medieval times, were they always ransomed?
Was watching the directors cut of Kingdom of Heaven, and one of the scenes had an actor playing what seemed to be a nobelman stating that he is according the privilege of ransom. While I remember that ...
-3
votes
3answers
181 views
Why did so many rulers want to aquire more land? [closed]
It seems that until around the 20th century, a relatively large portion of rulers saw it as their goal to acquire more land. What was the main rationale behind this?
8
votes
2answers
169 views
Supplies for army of Napoleon
How was such a great army, like the army of Napoleon on its way to Moscow, supplied with food and other needed things? Were they transporting it from France or maybe stealing from territory on their ...
10
votes
1answer
5k views
When did the American War of 1812 actually end?
My daughter was recently studying this in high school, and somehow I had always assumed that it had only lasted a year. Apparently it ran on for at least a couple of years, but her textbook only ...
