military history

From "Shell Shock" to PTSD, Veterans Have a Long Walk to Health

by Charles Glass

Iraq War veteran Will Robinson brought himself out of a mental health crisis by hiking more than 11,000 miles of trail from the Pacific Crest to the Appalachian, following the century-old prescription of British military doctor Arthur Brock. 

A Servicemember in My Family was Never the Same after WWII—My Mother

As part of the Clubmobile service of the Red Cross, Phyllis McLaughlin was an indirect witness to the traumas of the soldiers she served with hospitality, even before the jeep accident that ended her own service after nearly killing her. 

One Cost of American Military Protection of South Korea? A Brutal Sex Trade

“Our country held hands with the U.S. in an alliance and we knew that its soldiers were here to help us, but that didn’t mean that they could do whatever they wanted to us, did it?”

50 Years Later: Eyewitness to the Last Day of US Military Command in Vietnam

by Arnold Isaacs

In this excerpt, a journalist observes the tragicomic exit of the last US military command in Vietnam 50 years ago on March 29, 1973.

Will Ukraine be Remembered as the War of Surprises?

by Rajan Menon

Neither the perceived threat of NATO expansion nor Putin's alleged fears of liberalization explain the move to an all-out invasion. This uncertainty remains confounding, as has the progress of the war. 

O'Hanlon: Policymakers Need to Know More History

by James Thornton Harris

"Studying war in this way should humble us about our ability to control and contain it in the future," says the Brookings Institution scholar, who urges security policymakers to read as much history as they can. 

Strangelove on the Square: Secret USAF Films Showed Airmen What to Expect if Nuclear War Broke Out

Air Force training films, with their bloodless procedural guidance for launching armageddon, provide a surreal insight into the Cold War that put Kubrick's absurdism to shame (yes, HNN will feature Dr. Strangelove-related content at any opportunity). 

The Curious History of Ulysses Grant's Great Grandfather

by John Reeves

The military experiences of Noah Grant in the French and Indian War typified changes in military strategy in the Americas and cemented a family commitment to the military that drove his great grandson Ulysses. 

Matthew Connelly Presents Digital Lessons on the History of Government Secrecy

Historian Matthew Connelly offers a series of talks and lesson plans for social studies teachers about the origins and significance of government secrecy, classified information, and freedom of information. 

How The Irish Saved Wellington at Waterloo

by Brendan Farrell

For centuries, the Irish provided manpower to the British military, never more notably than on June 18, 1815. 

Review: The Unfinished Business of "Double V"

by Eric Foner

Eric Foner considers recent books on racism in the military in World War II and in Vietnam. 

Is Ukraine Headed for a Cease Fire? And Is That the Best Option?

by Sergey Radchenko

After an essential stalemate between 1951 and 1953, a cease-fire in Korea enabled the parties to avoid both defeat and the cost of victory. Is this the best chance for resolving the war in Ukraine? 

America Remains Trapped by the Dream of Global Hegemony

by Andrew Bacevich

American victory in World War II remains a source of dangerous myths and delusions about global supremacy. Both popular culture and foreign policy need to adopt the Iraq War as a less affirming, but more realistic, touchstone. 

Stephen Kotkin on How the Ukraine War Could End

The historian of Russia and the USSR argues that Putin's invasion will ultimately be seen as a disaster for Russia. Its unclear, however, if that view is sufficiently widespread in Russia to change Putin's strategic outlook or the regime. 

America Fought Its Own Battle Over Books Before it Fought the Nazis

by Brianna Labuskes

The Armed Services Editions paperback books were wildly popular among World War II servicemembers. But they became symbols of American freedom to read in the war against fascism only after a bitter domestic battle about the works and topics that would be permitted. 

Training Ukrainian Troops in the US Part of a Long History of Military Advising as Foreign Policy

by Syrus Jin

Training foreign military officers in the US has, since the 1950s, aimed at more than military success. It's been a vehicle for developing foreign political leadership and expanding US influence. 

Ukrainesplaining, or, Why the West Underestimated Ukraine

by Olesya Khromeychuk

The credibility of Ukraine's claims and commitment to national self-determination have always been dismissed and diminished by the influence of Russian perspectives, even among academic observers. A woman historian finds the phenomenon familiar. 

A Grisly but Significant Discovery at Red Bank Updates the History of the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign

by Robin Baker

Local volunteers excavating near the site of Fort Mercer in southern New Jersey discovered new evidence of the participation of Hessian mercenaries in a key battle in the British attempt to seize Philadelphia in 1777.

The Conventional Wisdom About War Crimes is Wrong

by Brian Klaas

Ideology can be seductive, and doesn't require monstrous people to incite monstrous acts. 

Politicization of the US Military over the Last 4 Decades

by Kori Schake

"If America wants to retain a military that recruits from all parts of the citizenry and brings them together into an effective fighting force, it should both correct that public perception and better insulate the military from being a pawn in partisan political disputes."