Military History Matters 119

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Highlights:

From the Editor:
The American Civil War is one of the most written-about conflicts in history. Less well remembered is that Europe was also at war between 1864 and 1871.
The Franco-Prussian War reshaped Europe: it was the capstone on the process of German unification and it created an over-mighty state that soon threatened the delicate balance of power in Europe. It was the single most important geopolitical event on the long road to 1914.
It was also a new kind of more-murderous conflict based on mass-produced modern weapons. On the battlefields of the Franco-Prussian War, Europeans discovered the implications of breech-loaders, machine-guns, and steel cannon.
Marking 150 years since the war, David Porter’s special looks first at the strategy of the war as a whole, then focuses on tactics with a detailed examination of Gravelotte-St-Privat.
Also this issue, we have Bill Purdue’s review of the great debate about the Battle of Prokhorovka in 1943, Jeffrey James’ overview of medieval Irish warriors (including the ferocious Gall Oglach), the first in a short series analysing the rise of airpower, and a quick look at the wartime role of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond.


Cover Date: Dec / Jan 2021, Volume 10 Issue 11

Cover Story

How the Franco-Prussian War changed Europe The Franco-Prussian War overturned the balance of power in Europe

Features

Prokhorovka: the greatest tank battle in history? Bill Purdue takes a look at recent critical reappraisal of this famous clash of Soviet and Nazi armour in the…
The Genesis of Air Power, 1909 – 1916 Neil Faulkner begins a short series on the history of airpower and its impact on the evolution of modern warfare.
Turner’s Modern World All great artists need great subjects. Joseph Mallord William Turner was no exception. Although extremely talented, he was especially fortunate…
War of Words – ‘trench warfare’ Combat on the Western Front during World War One is justly infamous for its grim lethality. Soldiers on both sides…
Medieval Irish Warriors It was as aggressors that the Irish first made their impact on European history. The quasi-legendary Irish warlord Cormac mac…
Fleming’s War With the latest James Bond blockbuster out next year, MHM assistant editor Calum Henderson explores the life of the man…

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Letters from MHM December 2020/January 2021 I commend Alexander Izza on his excellent article on Okinawa (MHM 119, October/November 2020) but would take issue with a…
War Athletes: Clem Lewis At the turn of the 20th century, the first ‘Golden Era’ of Welsh rugby ushered in the national team’s rise…
Back to the Drawing Board: Vasa The early 17th century marked a period of rapid growth in warships as the galleons of the previous century began…
Wartime Christmas Christmas at the front was about making do. Here, for instance, British soldiers have gathered in a shell hole around…

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