Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 54 i History of War

“The success of the battle of Waterloo turned upon the closing of the gates of Hougoumont” – Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington On 18 June 1815, a small, rain-soaked patch of countryside near Brussels erupted with cannon fire, musket shot and the thunder of cavalry. In the two centuries since Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, veterans of the battle, as well as historians around the world, have evaluated where precisely the day was won and lost. This issue, Dr Bernard Wilkin explores Wellington’s claim that the battle hinged on the fight for Hougoumont. The garrison mounted a desperate defence throughout the day and famously managed to halt a forceful French assault by shutting the courtyard’s gates. However, have centuries of military mythology overstated the significance of this compelling story? www.historyanswers.co.uk…

1688-89 REVOLUTIONS & INVASIONS 1688 sees Prince William of Orange successfully overthrow James II of England and establish himself as king. At the same time William’s archenemy, Louis XIV of France, invades the Rhineland and a ‘Grand Alliance’ is formed in 1689 against the French that includes England, the Dutch Republic, Austria, Spain and Savoy. 1688-97 KING WILLIAM’S WAR Away from the European theatre, an Anglo-French war is fought in North America with assistance from Native American allies. Fighting occurs on the northern coast and the Hudson and St Lawrence valleys, with an attack on Port Royal and an inter-colonial war in Quebec. The Treaty of Ryswick concludes the conflict. “THE BOYNE HAS A TROUBLED LEGACY IN IRELAND THAT RESONATES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY” 1 July 1690 BATTLE OF THE…

WILLIAM III THE POWERFUL SOLDIER-KING WHO OVERTHREW JAMES II AND FOUGHT LOUIS XIV 1650-1702 ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND AND DUTCH REPUBLIC William III was the decisive figure during the War of the Grand Alliance, which in many ways was his own personal crusade against Louis XIV of France. Born as the prince of Orange, William was Dutch by upbringing and identity. He came to prominence in 1672 when he was appointed to command the Dutch federal army against a French invasion. His successes led him to develop a lifelong obsession to save the Dutch from Louis XIV’s expansionist policies. He managed to drive the French from Dutch soil, but his ambitions went further. As a staunch Protestant, William was effectively invited to invade England by the English Parliament to overthrow his…

AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE As the Ottoman Empire receded in Europe, Austria-Hungary began to expand its sphere of influence into the Balkans, leading to a series of bitter diplomatic spats with the increasingly bellicose Serbia, beginning with the de facto annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878. Austria-Hungary was terrified of Serbian irredentism in its Slavic borderlands and Russia’s growing influence over its ‘Orthodox brothers’. KINGDOM OF BULGARIA Serbia’s regional rival, with whom it shared competing territorial claims, Bulgaria had been preparing for war against Serbia and Greece since its defeat in 1913. Courted by the Central Powers, Bulgaria was reluctant to move against Serbia until the tide turned decisively against its neighbour. Bulgarian partisans were active in Serbian-held Macedonia, threatening Serbia’s link to the sea. KINGDOM OF ITALY A member of…

Developed by the USSR, the SA-2 was widely used during the Vietnam War. The heat-seeking missile used a two-stage rocket booster system and was fitted with a 197-kilogram (434-pound) warhead. Its range was up to 48 kilometres (30 miles) with a maximum height of 18,288 metres (60,000 feet). The SA-2 was an innovative threat to American pilots in Vietnam, but Vizcarra explained that they could be successfully outmanoeuvred: “We referred to them as ‘flying telephone poles’. They were easy to spot and luckily they were large enough that you could see them coming at you. You had to take defensive manoeuvres, and with hard manoeuvring you could out-run it, but that’s not how you would defeat it.” Defeating a SAM required skilful flying. “When you saw a SAM coming at…

“ONCE THE TRUTH BEHIND THE PROPAGANDA IMAGES BECAME KNOWN, THE CARNAGE OF THE WAR SHOCKED CIVILISATION TO ITS CORE” ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE WORLD WAR STUTTGART, 1916 This image on the cover of the Illustrated History of the World War was published around 1916. Germans in tell-tale spike helmets (Pickelhaube) and their Austro-Hungarian allies are depicted as heroically charging into battle. Once the truth behind such propaganda images became realised, the carnage of the war shocked civilisation to its core, regardless of nationality. In the wake of bloodshed on such a vast scale, long-secure world views of history, humankind, religion, economics and morality were left in ruins. Whole generations of British, French, Belgian, German, Austrian and Russian young men disappeared into the muddy mayhem of protracted trench warfare, where the…

THUD PILOT IS WRITTEN BY VIC VIZCARRA, A RETIRED USAF COLONEL WHO FLEW 59 COMBAT MISSIONS IN THE F-105 Author: Victor Vizcarra Publisher: Fonthill Media Price: £16.99 Released: Out now The Vietnam War arguably defined the post-1945 era for many people. It has remained lodged in the popular imagination as a conflict of bedraggled American infantrymen fighting in humid conditions, the unseen but deadly Viet Cong and the constant deafening rotor blades of UH-1 Iroquois ‘Huey’ helicopters. Nevertheless, the skies over Vietnam also roared with the sound of larger aircraft such as B-52 Stratofortresses that conducted huge bombing raids against the north of the country. Despite the overpowering appearance of the B-52, it was actually the significantly smaller F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber that conducted 75 per cent of bombing missions over…

“THAT HITLER WAS MAD IS BEYOND DOUBT. WHAT NORMAN BRINGS TO LIGHT IS HITLER’S OWN AWARENESS OF HIS MENTAL DISORDER” Author: Andrew Norman Publisher: Fonthill Media Price: £25 Released: Out now Adolf Hitler continues to fascinate like no other tyrant in history. It is not that his reign of terror was any more repellent than the horrors perpetrated by the likes of Genghis Khan, Attila or, for that matter, the führer’s contemporary, Joseph Stalin. In the latter’s case, Stalin’s crimes failed to cause the same outrage because, on the one hand, the evils of Communism went ignored, when not denied, by the influential left-wing Western intelligentsia, along with the working classes who were led to believe in Communism as their defender against capitalist exploitation. The simple fact that the USSR…

TOM GARNER This month Tom spoke with Colonel Vic Vizcarra, who flew F-105 ‘Thud’ jets during the Vietnam War. He reveals how he avoided capture after bailing out over enemy lines (p. 60). Also, for this issue’s Frontline Tom explores the Nine Years’ War (p. 14). DR BERNARD WILKIN Bernard is a Belgian historian and lecturer, as well as the author of two books, Fighting The British and Fighting For Napoleon. On page 26, he and his father René explore the action around Hougoumont at the Battle of Waterloo. PROF. WILLIAM PHILPOTT Professor Philpott of King’s College London concludes his series on the Spring Offensive in this final instalment, relating how Ferdinand Foch rallied the Allied defences and turned the tables on a weakened German army (p. 38).…

American pilot Vic Vizcarra flew F-105 Thunderchiefs during the Vietnam War and survived anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-air missiles and ejecting from his aircraft over enemy territory The Vietnam War became synonymous with the distinctive sound of ‘Huey’ helicopters, but the use of jet fighters was a huge part of the American military strategy against North Vietnamese forces. The air war was decisively fought in America’s favour, with a heavy emphasis on bombing missions over North Vietnam. Nevertheless, American pilots were not immune from risk because the North Vietnamese were supplied by the USSR with MiG fighters. More importantly, US aircraft came under the most destructive attack from anti-aircraft guns and new surface-to-air missiles. Consequently, over 1,400 American warplanes were shot down over North Vietnam between 1965-68. One of the pilots who…

The late 17th century was an era where the professionalisation of national armed forces became recognisably modern. European armies and navies were now highly structured and equipped, but fighting on the battlefield was still a tough experience. Any unit that was not disciplined enough to resist these competent and experienced forces would likely suffer ignominious defeats. “THE REPUTATION OF BEING THE BEST PAID, THE BEST EQUIPPED AND THE MOST SIGHTLY TROOPS OF ANY IN EUROPE” ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH REDCOAT Once William III had become king of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1688 he exploited the new armies at his disposal to wage the War of the Grand Alliance against Louis XIV. His timing was excellent because, although he had deposed James II, his predecessor had made serious efforts to increase…

Although America had declared war in April 1917, a year later its army still existed largely on paper. Two divisions, formed from regular forces and some National Guard units, were in France when the German offensive opened, but under strict instructions from President Woodrow Wilson to build a national army, their commander, General John Pershing, had resisted all calls for his troops to be integrated into Allied formations. An exception was made for African-American regiments, which served with distinction in French formations. The French liaison officers who served with the American Expeditionary Forces could see how poorly prepared they were for modern war: Pershing’s doctrine stressed the role of the combat infantryman with his rifle and bayonet, counter to all the tactical lessons of material-intensive warfare learned by the Allies…

With a top speed of 2,237 kilometres per hour (1,390 miles per hour) and a maximum bomb load of over 5,442 kilograms (12,000 pounds), the F-105 conducted 75 per cent of bombing missions over North Vietnam. Developed in the mid-1950s, this supersonic fighter-bomber was designed for low-level, high-speed attacks. It initially had a poor reputation and pilots nicknamed F-105s ‘Thuds’, which eventually became a term of endearment. With design modifications and improvements, the Thud achieved great performance capabilities that enabled it to carry the heaviest conventional weapons further than any other fighter-bomber. It was faster than most opposing aircraft and was able to sustain heavy damage. The F-105’s weapons system was formidable. Vizcarra recalled, “It could carry a variety of weapons, most commonly eight 750-pound bombs. As the war got…

“THESE CAMPAIGNS PROVED HIM ONE OF THE GREATEST COMMANDERS IN HISTORY” Author: Patricia Southern Price: £20.00 Publisher: Amberley Publishing Released: Out now Julius Caesar was one of the long-vanished breed of statesman and general. The suave Roman patrician who ruled his empire with dictatorial powers was seen by his supporters as a defender of the people against an entrenched political oligarchy. On the other hand, Caesar was also an ambitious demagogue, who played a key role in bringing down the Roman Republic. That he was gifted, there can be little doubt. In his 56-year lifespan, he excelled in leading his Roman legions, in politics, in letters, in oratory (which he studied in Rhodes) and in social grace. In this new biography, Patricia Southern demonstrates that the fall of a tyrant…

“TRIBAL HATREDS MADE COMMON ACTION AGAINST THE WHITES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, EXCEPT IN CERTAIN INSTANCES OF ALLIANCES, LIKE THE POWERFUL SIOUX AND THE CHEYENNE” Author: Page Smith Publisher: Amberley Publishing Price: £20 Released: Out now Page Smith needs no introduction to the majority of readers of American history. The author’s monumental eight-volume account of the United States, from the earliest days to the 20th century, is a ground-breaking work composed of a continuous narrative loosely organised around the themes present in each age or period. Smith was the first modern historian to produce a full-scale treatise of America, which he titled a “people’s history”. The objective was to attach Americans to what he called “their antecedents, their roots”. Smith believed that academic history remained silent about the spiritual and moral dimension…