Favorite Military history period

[nikimcbee]

What's your favorite military history period to study and why? I tried to break it up by the major groups/time periods/ changes in technology and tactics.

Me personally. I like US Civil War, WW2, and Napoleonic histories. I have very little insterest in ancient military history and modern military history (21st century).

[Kapitan_Phillips]

WW2 and 'Nam. WW2 because of the innovation and the fact that the world pretty much put its differences aside to combat a common enemy, and 'Nam because it showed that the hero attitude doesnt always work.

[surf_ten]

I like the ww2 conflict because it encompassed air, naval, and land warfare. I also like the fact that it had a definitive resolution with the defeat of the Axis powers. It was truely a horrific conflict on a global scale.

[UnderseaLcpl]

I voted WW2 because it changed the face of warfare more than any other single conflict.

[A Very Super Market]

I voted Napoleonic, because it was the last stage of the glorious, huge battle and someone loses decisively era. The modern era has too many blurs on too many edges to be my favourite, but its a close second.

[Kapt Z]

All of them. :up: I go through periods of interest in particular 'ages' that last for weeks to years.

[Frame57]

The greek/roman stuff scares me because men in skirts is just wrong. The Napolean era, well I just do not like short people as Randy newman would say. The civil War was cool because something good came of it for the slavery issue, plus I like my civil war chess set. WW1 was interesting because my grandparents fought in it. WW2 interests me because i love how Moe Howard portrayed Hitler. The cold war was cool (NPI) because that was my era of service.:salute:

[Enigma]

WWII for its revolution in technology, and it's shear scale. Breathtaking.....

[Zachstar]

Late 70-80s cold war..

Now of course I am glad it did not turn hot. But the tech at that time would have resulted in insane battles.

In fiction...

[rubenandthejets]

I like Ancient Europe (Greece, Rome) etc. Don't let the skirts fool you-these were tough warriors in face to face combat.
The other period I really like is 16th - 17th century Europe and Japan (Sengoku Jidai, the 30 Years War, the English Civil War, The Great Northern War ). Once the Age of Reason kicks in I loose interest.

The War of Succession in the US is pretty intersting, as is WWII, but once it gets all push button and nukey I nod off.

Always got a soft spot for the loosers / underdogs and I used to tablegame with ancients and pike and muskets (DBM / DBR ) in 1:72 scale (25mm), my favorite armies being Diaodochi and Montrose's Royalist Scots respectively.

[Oberon]

Hmmm, Napoleonic through to Cold War, Modern battles to some extent but insurgancies confuse me and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that respect.

[Raptor1]

I'd have to go with WWI, closely followed by 18th Century/Napoleonics then Ancient (Mostly Late Roman)

[Jimbuna]

A tie between the Napoleonic era and WW2.

In the former, Britain was at it's peak in military terms and in the latter (nearer the end) there were the very first signs of the decline.

[nikimcbee]

A tie between the Napoleonic era and WW2.

In the former, Britain was at it's peak in military terms and in the latter (nearer the end) there were the very first signs of the decline.

Yeah, I heard a wild rumo(u)r that you are pretty fond of L' Empiruer:shucks: :salute: :haha: .

[AVGWarhawk]

WW2 for me. The innovations engineered during WW2 are in use today. I can still talk with those that were there. Piles of books and movies about it. Just interesting to see what happened then affects us today.

[Jimbuna]

A tie between the Napoleonic era and WW2.

In the former, Britain was at it's peak in military terms and in the latter (nearer the end) there were the very first signs of the decline.

Yeah, I heard a wild rumo(u)r that you are pretty fond of L' Empiruer:shucks: :salute: :haha: .

Not tonight Jasonephine :DL

http://www.battlefield-site.co.uk/traditions.htm

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7131/waterloo.jpg (http://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=waterloo.jpg)

[Max2147]

World War II because it encompassed everything.

World War I because the best books have been written about that conflict and the lead-up to it (Dreadnought, Castles of Steel, Guns of August).

As far as I'm concerned, history started with the launch of HMS Dreadnought.

[Quillan]

The ancient era, Rome especially. It has fascinated me for years now.

[HunterICX]

World War 2 is my main interest, all started on a holiday in Normandy

HunterICX

[Sailor Steve]

You left off my favorite, the Rennaissance. Early guns competing with bows. Polish Pancerni. Yarr.

[Platapus]

WWI for no other war has as much impact on the world. Many of our current issues have their history in the First World War and the period between the wars.

Actually my favourite period of study is the period between WWI and WWII. It is oft overlooked or minimized in many history classes. A lot happened during that time.

Anyone remember the TV Series "Between the wars"? :yeah:

[UnderseaLcpl]

Platapus is absolutely correct, imo. It's a shame we didn't learn more from the political goings-on in that period. We continue to pay for the mistakes made then to this day. Other than aerial and naval combat, though, I don't find WW1 all that intriguing. Too much tragic waste of life in vain.

I didn't see "Between the Wars", but I'll see if I can't find it somewhere.

[Dowly]

WW2 and ancient stuff, especially the Romans.

[baggygreen]

I voted cold war only because thats what I'm focussed on atm.

But overall, far and away, ancient warfare. Greeks, Macedonians, Hittites, Assyrians....

These bastards walked thousands of kilometres, set up camp, THEN engaged in hand to hand battle. If they won, they kept going, if they lost, they walked home again.. Tell me those men in skirts arent tough :O:

[Sledgehammer427]

WWI-present.

I continue to wow my US history class with my incessant knowledge of warmaking technology

[ReallyDedPoet]

Medieval :yep:

Ancestory goes back to the Scottish Highlands.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Claymore2-Morges.jpg/180px-Claymore2-Morges.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claymore2-Morges.jpg)

[August]

I voted US Civil war, WW1 and 2 but I really don't have a favorite. In my library Xenophon shares a shelf with Rommel who sits next to Ambrose, Shaara, Jomini and Frederick the Great.

[UnderseaLcpl]

WWI-present.

I continue to wow my US history class with my incessant knowledge of warmaking technology

Pop quiz:DL

1) Who were the main compeitors for the design of the Tiger II's turret?

2) What was the main advantage of the T-34 over German tanks in the field of mobility (two possible answers)

3) What early 20th-century technology was used to provide wing airflow control on the Fokker E.III?

4) Name at least two instances in which the movie "Saving Private Ryan" was historically inaccurate in terms of battlefield technology.

5) What is "squeeze-bore" technology and what does it do? What are its' drawbacks?

6) Bonus question: Which battle was the most decisive in determining the outcome of the Second World War?

A) Midway
B) Kursk
C) Moscow
D) Iwo Jima

[CaptainHaplo]

6 is actually debatable - but I would have to go with Moscow for 2 reasons.

Had Russia lost Moscow, it would have forced Stalin to capitulate, or at the least reduced the Russian front to a mere sideshow.

However, more importantly, the failure to take Moscow is why Hitler took over total control over the army, leading to a number of disasterous decisions that allowed final victory. It also pissed off alot of his military generals, which led to some of the attempts on his life, as well as numerous other problems for him.

While Kursk is strategically important, one could argue that Stalingrad was more devastating to German fortunes.

Iwo Jima - though famous, was a small piece of the puzzle in the pacific. Though important, it did not have nearly the strategic impact that other battles did.

Midway is the runner up here. While it did open the door to the events that followed, and turned the tide of the pacific war when one considers the surface conflict - I have argued that even had the surface fleet remained defensive, the submarine force would still have been able to restrict the supplies to Japan. A loss at midway would have lengthened the war considerably, and created more hardship for submariners, but it was not the Aircraft Carrier that won the war. They may have gotten all the glory, but that is just one more reason subs have always been called - the Silent Service.

[August]

1) Porche and Krupp

2) Wide tracks suitable for mushy ground

3) Beats me

4) "Das Reich" didn't enter the Normandy fighting until a month later and then they went into action against the Brits at Caan not against the Americans to the west.
Hitting the bottom of a mortar round on a hard surface does not turn it into a grenade.
Telephones didn't have coiled handset cords in the 1940's.
Jackson sniper rifle had a Unertl scope. Those ere only issued to the Marines in the pacific.
The bridge was an 82nd objective not the 101st's.
The "Tiger" tanks had what looked like T-34 road wheels.
There were no Tigers in the American sectors.

5) Dunno

6) Trick question. WW2 was way too large to have a single "most decisive" battle and there are several others which had more impact on their respective theaters than the ones listed. Saipan, Stalingrad, Overlord, El Alemain come to mind.

[Raptor1]

1) Wait a minute, Krupp designed both turrets, there was no competition that I was aware of

The main competition between Porsche and Henschel was in the rest of the tank, not the turret

2) No idea, I suppose it would be faster, but the real advantage of the T-34 was production numbers

3) Wing warping?

4) Haven't watched it in so long...

5) No idea

6) Bah, such a simple multiple choice question is no real way to answer the question (Especially since answer D doesn't even fit)

As I see it:

Stage I - Where the Axis are stopped in each theater

Moscow
Coral Sea
Britain

Stage II - Actual turning of the tide

Stalingrad
Midway
2nd El Alamein

Stage III - Pretty much a continuation of Stage II

Kursk
Guadalcanal
Hmm, maybe Tunisia too...

Stage IV - Final nails in the coffin

Bagration
Overlord
Philippine Sea

The question was of course a joke though...

[August]

2nd pop quiz:

1. How much of Bloekes Dicta can you remember without looking it up?
2. What were the names of the two allied ships sunk at the Battle of the Sunda Strait?
3. Which US president first sent military personnel to Vietnam?
4. Who was Custers 2nd in command at the Battle of the Little Big Horn?
5. What Union civil war General lost a leg at Gettysburg
Bonus: What did he do with it?
History Sensei bonus: What was he most known for before the civil war?

[Raptor1]

1. Well, that wholly depends on the situation
2. Houston and Perth
3. I think Truman in 1950, no?
4. Marcus Reno, I think
5. No ideas

[August]

1. Well, that wholly depends on the situation

I don't want to give the answers away before other people have a chance to peruse the questions but I'm curious, what do you mean by this?

[geetrue]

You left off the cave man era too ... Some of those rock and spear throwing stories would be great, but I don't think they knew how to write yet. :)

Did you hear about the tribe of people somewhere north of present day Greece and Turkey around 500 bc ... that if the king died everyone died with him. Yes its true ...

They would place him in his chariot along with all of his treasure including wives and children followed by the rest of the village men and women all slain, even the horses and then bury the whole mess of them.

I don't know what happened to the men that did all of the dirty work, but this must be where the saying, "Long live the King" came from.

I chose the cold war, because I lived it. :yep:

[geetrue]

[quote=Raptor1]
3. I think Truman in 1950, no?

No, it was Dwight Eisenhower

[August]

3. I think Truman in 1950, no?

No, it was Dwight Eisenhower
Nope you're both wrong. :DL

[geetrue]

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower)Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower)
Dwight D. Eisenhower had been a favorite of the New Dealers during the war, ... Eisenhower dispatched the first American soldiers to Vietnam as military ...

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower)

Wrong?

[Raptor1]

Well, I do tend to remember different parts of the Dicta Boelcke depending on the situation, mostly while playing flight sims

EDIT: Wait a minute, what the hell is Bloekes Dicta?

As for Vietnam:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Assistance_Advisory_Group

So, if it's not Truman, it had to be before that, at which case I have no idea

[Jimbuna]

5. Major Gen. Daniel E. Sickles

He donated his leg to the Army Medical museum in Washington DC

He was best known for being the first to plead insanity—the first use of a temporary insanity defense in the United States.

[Raptor1]

As for the Dicta Boelcke, here's what I can remember at the moment:

Advantage before the start of the dogfight, like keeping the sun behind you

Never retreat after you begin your attack

Always shoot from behind your enemy

Never forget your line of retreat

Attack in a large group, but not too many on a single target

[Sledgehammer427]

WWI-present.

I continue to wow my US history class with my incessant knowledge of warmaking technology

Pop quiz:DL

1) Who were the main compeitors for the design of the Tiger II's turret?

2) What was the main advantage of the T-34 over German tanks in the field of mobility (two possible answers)

3) What early 20th-century technology was used to provide wing airflow control on the Fokker E.III?

4) Name at least two instances in which the movie "Saving Private Ryan" was historically inaccurate in terms of battlefield technology.

5) What is "squeeze-bore" technology and what does it do? What are its' drawbacks?

6) Bonus question: Which battle was the most decisive in determining the outcome of the Second World War?

A) Midway
B) Kursk
C) Moscow
D) Iwo Jima

1. Porsche and Henschel, Henschel won, but Porsche already built 50 so he fielded them anyways.
2. Diesel engine, easy

3.I honestly dont know, my strong point in air combat is 1939+ but from what I remember it was a monoplane, with the wing sloped upwards, i thought that was kinda strange

4.IIRC the "Tigers" were rebodied T-34s, and there was no SS division there until later in the year. since its battlefield, you could say the "marder" lookalikes werent actually MArders. they were similarly constructed to an earlier Marder Design based on the pz 38.
which was later rebuilt as the Hetzer:know:

5. IIRC Squeeze bore was mainly an antitank rifle thing, I'm not too sure if it was used in tank shells or not. but what it does is make the projectile smaller to increase muzzle velocity. however, since the technology required some VERY detailed work to accomplish correctly, it could damage the weapon if the projectile was not cast properly

6.Tricky, actually, all but Iwo and Moscow were. Iwo, might be one, but all it did was open up airbases so we could bomb mainland japan.
Moscow, well, even though the germans were pushed back, the soviets lost HUGE amounts of men, but it was, above all else, a resounding success (also proving that the NAtional Gaurd IS worth something)

Kursk is strange, it just showed that Blitzkrieg didnt work all the time

[Quillan]

When did the name actually change from French Indo-China to Vietnam? I'd assume after Dien Bien Phu, which was 1958 wasn't it?

[Raptor1]

Kursk is strange, it just showed that Blitzkrieg didnt work all the time
Say what? Kursk was the true turning point of the Eastern Front, up to that point the Germans still had material and manpower to launch a major offensive, from that point on the Germans were always on the defensive

In fact, Kursk wasn't all that spectacular in terms of casualties, but the defeat at Kursk really set the stage for the crushing defeats in Belorussia and the Balkans the following year

And I still think that the turret was the only thing about the Tiger II which was common to both the Porsche and Henschel designs, while the rest of the tank had differences

[Oberon]

As for the Dicta Boelcke, here's what I can remember at the moment:

Advantage before the start of the dogfight, like keeping the sun behind you

Never retreat after you begin your attack

Always shoot from behind your enemy

Never forget your line of retreat

Attack in a large group, but not too many on a single target#

Wasn't it Boelcke who said to hold your fire until the enemy fills the sight of your gun?

[Raptor1]

As for the Dicta Boelcke, here's what I can remember at the moment:

Advantage before the start of the dogfight, like keeping the sun behind you

Never retreat after you begin your attack

Always shoot from behind your enemy

Never forget your line of retreat

Attack in a large group, but not too many on a single target#

Wasn't it Boelcke who said to hold your fire until the enemy fills the sight of your gun?

Yeah, he also said to fire at close range, just...not THAT close!

[Biggles]

World War I, because it's so much out there to find out about, that you just hadn't any idea about.

World War II, because it was such an important event in our history, and it happened not too long ago...

[August]

5. Major Gen. Daniel E. Sickles

He donated his leg to the Army Medical museum in Washington DC

He was best known for being the first to plead insanity—the first use of a temporary insanity defense in the United States.

Correct. He shot and killed his wife's lover, Francis Barton Key, who was the son of Francis Scott Key, the composer of the Star Spangled Banner.

[August]

As for the Dicta Boelcke, here's what I can remember at the moment:

Advantage before the start of the dogfight, like keeping the sun behind you

Never retreat after you begin your attack

Always shoot from behind your enemy

Never forget your line of retreat

Attack in a large group, but not too many on a single target
That's really good!

1. Try to secure advantages before attacking. If possible, keep the sun
behind you.
2. Always carry through an attack when you have started it.
3. Fire only at close range, and only when your opponent is properly in your
sights.
4. Always keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be
deceived by ruses.
5. In any form of attack, it is essential to assail your opponent from behind.
6. If your opponent dives on you, do not try to evade his onslaught, but fly to
meet it.
7. When over the enemy's lines, never forget your own line of retreat.
8. For the Staffel: Attack on principle in groups of four or six. When the fight
breaks up into a series of single combats, take care that several do not go
for one opponent.

[August]

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower)Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower)
Dwight D. Eisenhower had been a favorite of the New Dealers during the war, ... Eisenhower dispatched the first American soldiers to Vietnam as military ...

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower)

Wrong?

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/baross.html

FDR actually. WW2 OSS agents working with Uncle Ho and the Vietminh against the Japanese.

[Sledgehammer427]

Kursk is strange, it just showed that Blitzkrieg didnt work all the time
Say what? Kursk was the true turning point of the Eastern Front, up to that point the Germans still had material and manpower to launch a major offensive, from that point on the Germans were always on the defensive

In fact, Kursk wasn't all that spectacular in terms of casualties, but the defeat at Kursk really set the stage for the crushing defeats in Belorussia and the Balkans the following year

And I still think that the turret was the only thing about the Tiger II which was common to both the Porsche and Henschel designs, while the rest of the tank had differences

yeah, you have me with kursk,

but if you look around on the interwebs, there are 2 Tiger II,
Henschel Turret (bottom)
and Porsche Turret (top)
http://accel21.mettre-put-idata.over-blog.com/0/39/65/84/tiger__royal.jpg

[Happy Times]

Some names that i value and im interested in from the periods i voted.


Ancient
The lessons learned from Alexsander, Pyrrhus, Hannibal, Scipio and Ceasar are still studied in military academies.

Gun powder~1790s to US Civil War
In this era some had studied them also and left a lasting legacy in the art of warfare. Gustavus Adolphus, Frederick the Great, Suvorov, Napoleon, Helmuth von Moltke.

WW2 to present
Modern day visionaries and developers Erich von Manstein, Heinz Guderian and Israel Tal

[Raptor1]

Kursk is strange, it just showed that Blitzkrieg didnt work all the time
Say what? Kursk was the true turning point of the Eastern Front, up to that point the Germans still had material and manpower to launch a major offensive, from that point on the Germans were always on the defensive

In fact, Kursk wasn't all that spectacular in terms of casualties, but the defeat at Kursk really set the stage for the crushing defeats in Belorussia and the Balkans the following year

And I still think that the turret was the only thing about the Tiger II which was common to both the Porsche and Henschel designs, while the rest of the tank had differences
yeah, you have me with kursk,

but if you look around on the interwebs, there are 2 Tiger II,
Henschel Turret (bottom)
and Porsche Turret (top)
http://accel21.mettre-put-idata.over-blog.com/0/39/65/84/tiger__royal.jpg

That's a myth as far as I know, Krupp designed both turrets, Henschel and Porsche were the competitors for the tank design so the turrets became known by their names

[Kapitan]

I personally like cold war era it shows us how much of a threat we were to each other but also showing us how scared both sides were and in the end it unvieled that both sides just wanted to protect thier people and that no side really did win.

Cold war shows us just how bad paranoia is and to what extreme lengths humans will go to to make themselves feel safe.