Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 70 i History of War

AYUB KHAN 1857-1914 AFGHANISTAN THE ‘NATIONAL HERO OF AFGHANISTAN’ The Emirate of Afghanistan emerged in 1823 with the first emir being Dost Mohammad Khan. Dost Muhammad had been able to defeat the British during the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1842 but Afghanistan still remained the main pawn between Britain and Russia during the Great Game. Dost Mohammad was immediately succeeded by his third son Sher Ali Khan but internecine warfare meant that his elder brothers also ruled. Sher Ali regained the emirate and his son Yaqub Khan succeeded him in 1879. Yaqub’s younger brother was Ayub and he initially served as the governor of Herat. Elsewhere, the British had not forgotten their humiliation during the First Anglo-Afghan War and planned to settle the score. A British diplomatic mission to Kabul…

Born as Jehanne d’Arc, nicknamed the “Maid of Orléans” and universally known as “Joan of Arc”, France’s national heroine was a medieval figure like no other. A crossdressing, teenage peasant girl who claimed to hear divine voices, Joan defied every social convention and turned the tide of the Hundred Years’ War in favour of Charles VII of France. Most of what people know about her life is bookended by her crucial role in defeating the English at the Siege of Orléans and her capture, trial and execution at the age of only 19 in Rouen. This was a short period of only two years but her career in between was remarkable. It encompassed a dizzying array of events: a lightning campaign of continuous victories and a crowning glory at Reims…

“ARTICLE 231 OF THE TREATY – KNOWN INFORMALLY AS THE WAR GUILT CAUSE – IS ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY-DISCUSSED AND CONTROVERSIAL COMPONENTS OF THE AGREEMENT” When The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919 the world was still spinning in a postwar stupor. It had taken over half a year of Allied negotiations for the settlement to be fulfilled, entering completion some seven months after the gunfire had ceased on the Western Front. Poignantly, it was also exactly five years to the day since Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne had been assassinated. Signed in the gleaming Hall of Mirrors in Paris’ Palace of Versailles, the treaty – which is also known as the Treaty of Peace – was inscribed by representatives of the Allied…

Dick Mallaby was a perfect candidate for SOE. Besides being young, reckless, sporty and multilingual, in the course of his military career he had also qualified as a paratrooper and was a skilled wireless operator. And he had grown up in one of the countries which Britain was now fighting. While the Italian state security services had placed Dick Mallaby and his family under surveillance from the outbreak of war, in Britain, Special Operations Executive had not immediately spotted his potential. It is fair to say that the trump card on Mallaby’s CV – the fact that he had lived in Italy for a long time, and had a perfect knowledge of its language, customs, transport network and geography – was not immediately relevant, given that, apart from Allied bombing…

The annual Historic Photographer of the Year Awards is back, searching for the finest photographic talent, inspired by historical sites around the globe. Embarking on the third year of the awards, online historical travel guide Trip Historic will be taking both professional and amateur entries that celebrate the very best historic places and cultural sites across the globe. From grand, iconic architecture, to quiet, lesser-known locations, this year’s judging panel will be looking for not only stunning, technically brilliant photography, but also an engagement with the story of the subject and its importance in our past. By taking part, entrants will get the chance to win an array of prizes including a money-can’t-buy behind-the-scenes heritage experience from Historic England and the opportunity to have their short film broadcast on the…

Author: Scott Addington Publisher: Unicorn Price: £15.99 Those who have read Scott Addington’s previous military history books will know what a colourful delight they are. Packed full of intriguing facts, figures and anecdotes – many of which may be little-known to even the most well-read of military history enthusiasts – that are presented in visually appealing infographics and an easy to follow format. The author has that rare talent of producing highly informative works that will greatly appeal to people of a wide age range, from secondary school children to adults and perhaps even the veterans themselves. Addington’s latest title, Invasion: D-Day And Operation Overlord In One Hundred Moments, is no exception. As the sub-title suggests, the author has picked 100 important aspects of the Allied invasion of Normandy and…

Author Simon Forty Publisher Historic England Price: £30 With 2019 seeing the 75th anniversary of D-Day, it is perhaps unsurprising to hear of the plethora of new books published on this hugely important historical event. The Allied invasion of Normandy was the result of months of meticulous planning, involving an unimaginable amount of men, equipment and supplies. It was a massive gamble for the Allies, but it turned out to be one of the most successful military operations of all time. And it all had its roots in the UK, a fact that is the focus of D-Day UK: 100 Locations In Britain. Simon Forty has selected 100 important locations across the UK and grouped them into six categories, including: command and control, training, logistics, embarkation points, air operations, and…

Normandy ’44: D-Day And The Battle For France James Holland The second of two titles from the prolific historian and broadcaster, following on from a masterful study of the Allied air campaign Big Week, this title re-examines many of the myths surrounding the Battle for Normandy. Drawing upon previously unreleased archives and testimony, Holland provides fresh insight into the operational level of the Normandy campaign, leaving the reader with an even greater appreciation for the sheer scale of the Allied achievement. “HOLLAND PROVIDES FRESH INSIGHT INTO THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL OF THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN” Images Of War: Normandy 1944 The Battle For Caen Simon Forty In this detailed, graphic account, military history author Simon Forty provides a fascinating insight into the intense fighting in and around Caen. Included are photographs of…

TOM GARNER This issue Tom returned to his medieval roots, exploring the lesser-known campaigns of Joan of Arc. Starting on page 38, he discovers how the Maid of Orléans made her name as a military leader and how she was finally defeated. ANTHONY TUCKER-JONES Historian Anthony is the author of several titles on WWII and other modern conflicts. This issue he uncovers how the 7th Armoured Division fared in the Normandy campaign, as part of Monty’s battle for Caen (page 26). JON TRIGG The July 20 Plot was the closest attempt on Hitler’s life, and could have changed the course of WWII. This month Jon investigates who the plotters were and how they planned to topple the Nazi regime (page 52). FOR MORE FROM THE HISTORY OF WAR TEAM VISIT:…

“IN 1846, 2,000 MILES LAY BETWEEN THE SOUTHERN BORDERS OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE AND TERRITORY HELD BY THE BRITISH IN INDIA. BY 1885, THIS DISTANCE HAD SHRUNK TO A MERE 500 MILES AS THE TWO EMPIRES SLOWLY EDGED EVER CLOSER TO EACH OTHER” Throughout the so-called Great Game, Britain’s principal fear was a Russian invasion of India, the jewel in the crown of empire. Concern over Russian expansion in Asia became so acute during the 19th century that successive governments in London were engulfed in paranoia of the Tsar’s troops pouring over India’s northern border. In retrospect, this obsession was perhaps misplaced, but at the time it felt real enough for Britain to adopt an aggressive forward policy to ensure the security of their most valued colonial possession. Many argued…

The final version of 7th Armoured’s jerboa Desert Rat shoulder patch was issued in December 1943 when the division arrived in England. Unfortunately, the clothing firm made the jerboa look quite a lot like a kangaroo but the men still had to wear it. The original red rat symbol continued to be used on vehicles. The initial emblem of a white circle on a scarlet background was inherited from the Mobile Division in Egypt. General O’Moore Creagh then added the Greater Egyptian Jerboa in scarlet to reflect the division’s desert role.…

In July 1944 most of Europe and huge swathes of the Soviet Union still lay under the Nazi jackboot, but Rome had been liberated, the Anglo-Americans were grinding the Wehrmacht to bloody bits in Normandy, and in the east the Red Army was liberating White Russia and advancing into Poland. Germany was facing disaster, and after multiple failed attempts the anti-Hitler resistance was forced into one last throw of the dice. The 20 July bomb plot, Operation Valkyrie, was launched – assassinate Hitler, destroy the Nazi leadership, install a new government – and then, perhaps, negotiate a peace and end the war – they failed, and Hitler took Germany down to destruction. THE STORY OF THE JULY BOMB PLOT IS THE STORY OF THOSE WHO LED IT With most…

Authors: Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic Publisher: Simon & Schuster Price: 9.99 Released: Out Now All most people will know about USS Indianapolis will have come from the chilling monologue delivered by the character of Quint in the Steven Spielberg movie Jaws. Quint’s speech was mostly accurate, but the story is, of course, far bigger than can be crammed into a few minutes of a film. This book tells the full story of the doomed ship, including a litany of bad luck and missed opportunities that could so easily have changed the course of events and saved hundreds of lives. “IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED THE SINKING, WITH NOBODY AWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THE SURVIVORS OF THE ATTACK SUCCUMBED TO DEHYDRATION, HEAT EXHAUSTION AND SHARK ATTACK. ONLY 316 OF…

Author: Rudolf Von Ribbentrop Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Price: £30 Released Out Now Perhaps most infamously remembered for his negotiations of the Pact of Steel with Italy and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union, Joachim von Ribbentrop served as Adolf Hitler’s foreign minister from 1938 to 1945. He became a close confident of the Fuhrer, fatefully advising him that Britain could not aid Poland in the event of an invasion. Yet despite his early success, Ribbentrop’s importance declined following the outbreak of war. Nevertheless, he was arrested by the Allies in June 1945 and hanged just over a year later. “MY FATHER JOACHIM VON RIBBENTROP WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN GERMAN IN 2008 BUT WAS NOT PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH UNTIL 2019” My Father Joachim von Ribbentrop was originally published…

Author: Peter Ratcliffe DCM Publisher: O’Mara Books Ltd Price: £9.99 It is always the case that accounts of the SAS excite attention among those interested in the history of Britain’s military. However, in this work we have what is arguably the definitive inside account of the operations of the secret and secretive regiment across the 25-year period of the author’s service – a period that covers some of the unit’s most famous and spectacular missions. It is also a period that, perhaps, has spawned a good few of the myths and legends which abound about the unit. “A MOST WELCOME ADDITION TO THE HISTORY OF THE SAS” This fast-paced, dramatic, funny and occasionally disturbing account tells firsthand what it means and takes to serve in the SAS. With descriptions of…

“THIS MAGNIFICENT PICTURED COAT DATES FROM C.1690-1710” In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, France was the dominant European power and Louis XIV was the continent’s most powerful absolute monarch. Known as the “Sun King”, Louis’ hegemony over his rivals was in large part due to the reformed French Royal Army that he presided over. When Louis began his personal rule in 1661, his army was large but disorganised and not entirely under his control. Under the guidance of his war secretaries, the king’s army became centralised and disciplined with the introduction of a regimental system and improved equipment. Louis’ foreign policy became defined by warfare and France was involved in three major wars during his reign: the Franco-Dutch War, Nine Years’ War and the War of the Spanish…

PERCY HOBART MAJOR-GENERAL Hobart is famous for creating three armoured divisions. At the start of the war he was sent to Egypt to turn the ‘Mobile Force’ into what became 7th Armoured in February 1940. On returning to England he raised 11th Armoured followed by the 79th Armoured, equipped with the ‘Funnies’. He was not destined to command any of these divisions in combat. SIR GEORGE ERSKINE GENERAL “Bobbie” Erskine led the Desert Rats during their drive from Tripoli to Tunis and their short campaign in Italy. He also commanded them in the wake of Operation Overlord. Following the division’s mauling at Villers-Bocage he was sacked. However, Erskine’s career did not come to an end as he became CinC East Africa during the Kenyan Mau Mau rising. GERALD VERNEY MAJOR…

The Desert Rats’ expenditure of ammunition during the Normandy battles was not surprisingly very heavy. For example, the Sherman Fireflies averaged 3,250 rounds a month, 4.2in mortars 1,313, .303 rifle ammunition some 76,575. Around 300 tons of ammunition had to be resupplied every day along with 150 tons of petrol. This was a major logistical undertaking with the supply lorries being regularly shelled and shot at by the Germans.…