In 1861, the Southern States saw Abraham Lincoln’s election to President of the fledgling United States of America as a direct threat to their states' rights and way of life. America was united no more, the Union split as a new Confederate States of America was formed in the South, starting the American Civil War. Lincoln, determined to preserve the Union and end slavery, raised the Army of th...

Napoleon created the Imperial Guard as an army within an army. To gain access to its hallowed ranks was the dream of many French soldiers. Better pay, food, uniforms and a swagger that carried them all over Europe – it was a post of great honour and they worshipped their Emperor. They were far from being palace guards however as long and active service made them crack soldiers who could be rel...

Wellington’s Allied army was a colourful mix of nationalities and troop types. None were more exotic-looking than the three regiments of Highlanders at the Battle of Waterloo.

The first Highland regiment was raised in 1739 to monitor and patrol the highlands for ‘ne’er-do-wells’, and it was later taken into the line as the 42nd Royal Highland regiment, ‘the Black Watch’. Although The ...

Sister ship to the Bismarck, the Tirpitz was 2,000 tons heavier and thus the heaviest warship to have ever been produced by a European navy. She served in Norway and the Baltic Fleet acting as a potent deterrent. The Tirpitz became an obsession for the British. After the sinking of the Bismarck, the Tirpitz, as Germany’s most powerful warship, was destined to spend much of the war in port.
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Whether it is an artillery battery miles away from the battlefield, a naval gunship out to sea, or a ground attack aircraft high above the fighting, such weapons systems would be much less effective without the services of well-trained forward observers. Each infantry division was assigned its own artillery support assets in the Regio Esercito, and although many of the artillery pieces and air...

As the war in America dragged on Britain felt its small army stretched thin all around the world. King George, of German extraction looked therefore to the small kingdoms of what is now Germany to raise troops to put down the rebellion in the colonies.

Huge numbers of German troops were ferried across the Atlantic in all manner of exotic uniforms. They were from many differing States bu...

Formed by the first Emperor, Augustus in the hope that he would be protected from the fate of his illustrious forebear, Julius Caesar, the Praetorian Guard were the Emperor's Elite bodyguard and also policed the city of Rome.

Despite being formed to protect the Emperor they quickly became a powerful political force which could make or break an Emperor, Indeed the Praetorian Guard had, i...

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