Per historian A.J.P. Taylor’s The Origins of the Second World War, which was something of a classic when it came out, but has since passed on, due to its somewhat nuanced take. The first thing that Taylor argues, rather effectively, is that no one was more surprised than Hitler to find himself at war with Britain… Read More The Surprising Cause of the Second World War
This being the anniversary of Fort Sumter, I thought it useful to blog a bit about a topic near to the heart of The Sword. The nature of battles – the typical maneuvers used and paths to victory – changed very little from the time of Alexander to the time of Napoleon. Some have gone so… Read More Why Civil War Battles Were Fought That Way
That’s not fair. What it really says is “The First Lady Targets Obesity in the Military” (h/t: Memeorandum). And the URL reads: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/02/09/michelle-obama-takes-aim-at-chubby-service-members/ Remember when such language was considered uncivil, contributing to an atmosphere of hate? Anyway, the First Lady argues that overweight soldiers are a national security problem. This has the virtue of being true.… Read More The First Lady Really Hates on Fatties, eh?
Nestled amid this provocative collection of rare photographs from Saipan (h/t: Ace) are two links also about the subject of the horrors of war: ‘Kids make stupid mistakes’: Rick Perry jumps to the defence of Marines who urinated on dead bodies in Afghanistan Syrian soldier ‘decapitated seven-month-old boy in front of his mother after finding… Read More One of These War Crimes is Not Like the Other…
I spotted this first on Ace’s sidebar: The Air Force has buried remains of servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in a landfill in Virginia. I know. I know. Ladd Ehlinger, who worked for the military in some capacity until 2001, has piled on. But hold a second: Air Force now confirms that body fragments… Read More The Air Force Burial Business
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