The story of Gregor MacGregor’s wild climb as a fake prince
If you’ve never heard of fake prince Gregor MacGregor, buckle up because this is a wild tale. Decorated Peninsula War veteran, MacGregor earned notoriety while fighting to save Spain from…
Why Napoleon wasn’t executed after his defeat at Waterloo
In the modern era, if a military officer took control of a government, went to war and conquered some neighbors before crowning himself emperor, the world would call him a…
Britain’s unluckiest general surrendered to two of the empire’s greatest enemies
A 2012 poll in the UK asked Britons who they thought was the British Empire’s greatest historical nemeses. Among the top two answers were General George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte….
Today in military history: Napoleon enters Moscow
On Sep. 14, 1812, just one week after crushing the Russian Army at Borodino, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his Grand Armée entered the city of Moscow. The Emperor controlled…
Russia only started issuing socks to its soldiers in 2013
Russian soldiers can be seen in photographs and paintings dating as far back at the 17th century wearing “Portyanki,” distinctive footwraps that the Russian military has issued its soldiers since…
The most successful general in history warned the world about the rise of China
There’s no doubt about it, and the math proves it: Napoleon was by far the greatest general who ever led armies on a battlefield. In a statistical analysis, the Emperor…
Today in military history: Napoleon loses Paris
On March 30, 1814, allied European forces captured the city of Paris from Napoleon Bonaparte. Few geniuses are recognized in their time and for better or for worse, Napoleon Bonaparte…
How a case of hemorrhoids might have changed Europe forever
A sense of purpose and a new mission are important for any veteran after their time in service ends. This is one of the reasons transitioning to a civilian can…
One of Napoleon’s best generals returned to France after almost 200 years
Charles-Étienne Gudin’s heart has always been with France. More specifically, it’s been in France since his death fighting the Russians with Napoleon in 1812. His body, unfortunately, was mostly lost…
This statistical analysis determined the 10 best generals of all time
Someone went and moneyball-ed military history. Ethan Arsht applied the principles of baseball sabermetrics to th…