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The Caring General is the first published biography of Sir Harold Goodeve Ruggles-Brise. Born to the distinguished family of Spains Hall, Essex, he was an outstanding soldier who saw active service in South Africa and on the Western Front in the Great War. Harold married into one of the most famous aristocratic families in Scotland by taking as his wife Lady Dorothea Stewart Murray, oldest daughter of the 7th Duke of Atholl. Drawing extensively on their previously unpublished letters and diaries, The Caring General paints a vivid picture of army life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the battlefield and the home front.Born in 1864 Harold attended Winchester College and went up to Oxford. He excelled as a sportsman, particularly as a cricketer, playing for MCC, Essex and winning an Oxford Blue. Harold was a Grenadier, being commissioned into 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards and whilst stationed in Bermuda became a friend of Prince George of Wales. Lady Dorothea accompanied her husband on his posting to Gibraltar although he was soon to sail for South Africa as Brigade Major, Guards Brigade. This was Harold's first experience of war and he distinguished himself on and off the battlefield. His letters are detailed and candid, covering some of the most significant characters and actions in the war. With mentions in dispatches and staff appointments with 9th and 11th Divisions behind him, Harold returned home and was awarded the Queen's Medal with seven clasps.At home, Harold was to mastermind the military element of Queen Victoria's funeral before promotion to Colonel, 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards. He went on to hold the prestigious position of Commandant at the Hythe School of Musketry where our soldiers received outstanding training in the use of rifle and machine gun. The trumpet of war sounded in 1914 and Harold headed for Belgium in command of 20th Brigade, part of the famous 7th Division. In late 1914 they found themselves near Ypres, heavily outnumbered by German forces. During brutal fighting 20th Brigade suffered appalling losses, the Grenadiers being decimated. Harold was stretchered off the battlefield with near fatal wounds.After a painful recovery Harold commanded and trained 40th (Bantam) Division and headed for France. His letters describe life in the trenches near Lens, trench raids, the ruined Somme landscape and attacks on key German positions. Returning home he commanded 73rd Division Home Forces before returning to France in 1918 as Haig's Military Secretary. It fell to Harold to inform Sir Hubert Gough that he was being relieved of his command. Lady Dorothea served in a Voluntary Aid Detachment and her letters to Harold contain fascinating accounts as varied as her witnessing a fatal air raid on Hythe and having tea with the wife of Napoleon III.In retirement Harold dedicated himself to supporting veterans, becoming General Secretary of The Officers' Association. Harold died in 1927 having lived by both the motto of Winchester College, 'Manners Makyth Man' and Sandhurst, 'Serve to Lead'.

A detailed account of the intertwining political and military events of March and April 1974 in and around Lisbon.In March 1974, a climate of conspiracy reigned in Portugal. Premier Marcello Caetano, insisted on the continuation of the Portuguese presence in Africa and the wars being waged against the liberation movements in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea. Costa Gomes and Spínola, Portugal's two most senior generals, did not share this view. Spínola, with Costa Gomes's permission, had published Portugal e o Futuro (Portugal and the Future), a book that questioned the policy that had been followed until then, and caused a major political earthquake throughout Portugal and its colonies.At the same time, a movement of young captains prepared the overthrow of the regime. Tired of the war in Africa and the government's inability to solve the overseas problem, the conspirators drew up plans to end the dictatorship and establish a democratic regime in Portugal. A first coup attempt on 16 March 1974 was neutralized by government forces, but the second attempt on 25 April was an overwhelming success. In under 24 hours, the insurgents controlled the streets of the capital and Marcello Caetano was surrounded by rebel forces. With no options remaining, Caetano would hand power to General Spínola, who would become the new leader of the emerging regime. The people took to the streets of Lisbon to give red flowers to the soldiers, earning these events the name of 'The Carnation Revolution.'Carnation Revolution Volume 2: Coup in Portugal, April 1974 offers a detailed account of the intertwining political and military events of March and April 1974 in and around Lisbon as power swung irretrievably from a dictatorial government to a military intent on ending the colonial wars in Africa and restoring democracy to Portugal. This volume is illustrated throughout with original photographs and includes specially commissioned color artworks.

The importance of land transport vehicles within an armed force is often underestimated by the average reader, attracted by more 'martial' subjects such as tanks and artillery. Nevertheless, it was thanks to motorcycles, cars, trucks and tractors that - since the early years of the twentieth century - men, weapons, ammunition, provisions, fuel, equipment and orders were transported, all elements without which AFVs, guns and infantry are unable to fight.This first volume opens with a historical and technical introduction to the civil and military motorization in Italy from the 1920s to the end of the Second World War. This is followed by chapters dedicated to motorcycles, cars and light trucks. Each subject is described through its history, technical evolution and specifications, all supported by numerous contemporary photographs.The second volume includes the remaining chapters dealing with medium and heavy trucks, artillery tractors, special-purpose vehicles and trailers. The main text is complemented with appendices on vehicle coloring and markings, manufacturers, production facts and further details.It is common opinion that the Italian Army was beaten above all because of the poor quality of its combat vehicles. Actually, impartial and in-depth studies, made since the end of the war, have revealed that the main problem was the shortage of vehicles, as well as an entirely insufficient logistics chain. The tank crews were able to compensate with bravery and experience for the fact that their tanks were, from a certain point on, inferior to those of their enemies, but the inadequate number of AFVs and other material was impossible to remedy. The same problem plagued the entire sector of military soft-skinned vehicles, a sign of Italy's limited industrial capacity (and of procurement of raw materials and components) compared, for example, to its ally Germany. There were too few factories, too few skilled workers, and poor management skills within the armed forces.However, if quantity was lacking, the same cannot be said for quality. Many models of efficient, robust and resistant vehicles were produced, especially in the sector of the so-called 'standardized' motor vehicles, such as those mentioned above and others that we will see. These vehicles allowed the Italian troops to move and fight in the large and difficult territories of North Africa, the Balkans and the Soviet Union and which brought home what was left of the defeated soldiers.This is the first English-language study describing the soft-skinned vehicles of the Italian Armed Forces, starting from the 1930s, when Mussolini's Italy faced some colonial conflicts and participated - albeit unofficially - in the Spanish Civil War, and throughout the Second World War. For each vehicle there is a file describing its evolution and the main technical aspects, accompanied by one or more photographs and, for the most significant examples, line drawings. The work is enriched by a historical introduction, various appendices and color profiles.

Historical miniatures wargaming has been a popular hobby since at least the 1960s, and has become a diverse and multi-faceted pastime for thousands of people all over the globe. Players can walk the paths of military history in a game format, choosing any of the myriad campaigns of recorded military history from any time period and any part of the world. Such games often use carefully painted miniature model soldiers, each looking as close to its full size historical human counterpart as the wargamer can produce. This hobby is, for many, a visual feast as well as an intellectual entertainment and challenge. This book details the two wars fought by the British-Indian Army against the Sikh Empire of Northern India in the middle of the nineteenth century. These hard-fought wars eventually resulted in the addition of the Punjab to the territories of British India and the introduction of the famous Sikh regiments to the British-Indian army. The descendants of these regiments still survive in the armies of India and Pakistan today. As a guide to wargaming these fascinating and colorful conflicts this book provides detailed information on the organization and uniforms of both armies together with advice on how to build armies of model soldiers, and which rules are suitable to enable the enthusiast to bring these enthralling battles to the wargames table. Additionally the book also contains detailed narratives and orders of battle of both sides for all of the major battles, as well as scenarios for the wargamer to translate to his or her tabletop.

"...an invaluable read for anyone interested in the Gallipoli operation, but also for those seeking to understand combat, in any conflict." -- The NYMAS ReviewThe Gallipoli Landing of 25 April 1915 is arguably Australia's best known battle. It is commemorated each year with a national holiday, services, parades and great media attention. 2015, the centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign, was marked by great publicity and the release of many books, articles, films, documentaries and television series. Despite this attention, the Landing is still a poorly understood battle, with the historiography colored by a century of misinformation, assumption, folklore and legend. The Landing in the Dawn: Dissecting a Legend - The Landing at Anzac, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, re-examines and reconstructs the Anzac Landing by applying a new approach to an old topic - it uses the aggregate experience of a single, first-wave battalion over a single day, primarily through the investigation of veteran's letters and diaries, to create a body of evidence with which to construct a history of the battle. This approach might be expected to shed light on these men's experiences only, but their accounts surprisingly divulge sufficient detail to allow an unprecedented reconstruction and re-examination of the battle. Thus it effectively places much of the battlefield under a microscope. The use of veterans' accounts to re-tell the story of the Landing is not new. Anecdotes have for many years been layered over the known history, established in C.E.W. Bean, Official History of Australia in the War: The Story of ANZAC, Volume I, as the standard existing narrative. Here, detail extracted from an unprecedented range of primary and secondary sources, is used to reconstruct the history of the day, elevating participants' accounts from anecdote to eye-witness testimony. This shift in the way evidence is used to reinterpret the day, rather than simply painting it into the existing canvas, changes the way the battle is perceived. Even though more than 100 years have passed since the Landing, and well over 1,000 books have been written about the campaign, much can be learned by returning to the "primary source, the soldier." The Landing has not been previously studied at this level of detail. This work complements Bean's by providing new evidence and digging deeper than Bean had the opportunity to do. It potentially rewrites the history of the Landing. This is not an exclusive Australian story - for example, one third of the battalion examined were born in the British Isles. This volume, the most current and comprehensive study since Bean's, has been rightly described as a major contribution that will change the way the legendary amphibious operation is viewed.

There have been two major studies in recent years that have explored the roles and responsibilities of British generals at different levels within the British Expeditionary Force's command structure. Dr Simon Innes-Robbins has written about the generals at predominantly GHQ and Army levels while Dr Andy Simpson has explored the development of the role of corps commanders during the Great War. For the first time Dr Trevor Harvey's study provides an analysis of command at the level of the infantry brigade. His study is based on a critical period during the Great War, the period from late in the Battle of the Somme to the end of the Battle of Arras in mid-May 1917. Dr Harvey's analysis is based on the service records of 116 brigadier-generals whose brigades played some part in the Battle of Arras. He explores their roles, responsibilities and backgrounds, both in theory and in practice, in the lead-up to and during the battle to explain and illustrate the range and limitations of their commands. Based on this analysis, Dr Harvey presents case studies of five brigadier-generals, their staff officers and their battalion commanders. Each brigadier-general has been selected from one of the five corps that participated in the Battle of Arras which provides an operational backdrop to the exploration of their roles. The brigadier-generals exhibit, in different combinations, their different operational experiences, their different career paths and their different personal characteristics. In undertaking his research, Dr Harvey has drawn on a wide variety sources, including diaries, letters and personal papers privately held by descendants of his chosen subjects. From the evidence drawn from the case studies, Dr Harvey identifies a series of threads about the responsibilities and actions which these brigade commanders share. He argues that the application of these threads enables the orthodox 'administration and training' interpretation of the role of brigadier-generals to be successfully challenged as both unnecessarily narrow and unduly limited. Dr Harvey's study has been praised by his examiners because 'it provides unique and original insights on British operations on the Western Front in 1916-17 which will be of great interest to scholars interested in British generalship during the First World War'. This ground-breaking study is a significant addition to the historiography of generalship during the Great War.

The employment of the first tanks by the British Army on the Western Front in September 1916, although symbolic rather than decisive in its effects, ushered in a new form of warfare - tank warfare. While much has been written on the history of the tank, this volume brings together a collection of essays which uncover new aspects of the history of these early machines. Leading military historians from Britain, France and Germany offer insights into the emergence of the tank before the First World War, during the conflict, as well as what happened to them after the guns fell silent on the Western Front. Based on painstaking research in archives across Europe, each of the chapters sheds new light on different aspects of the history of First World tanks. Two chapters consider why the Germans failed to recognize the possibilities of the tank and why they were so slow to develop their own machines after the first British tank attack in 1916. Two other chapters chart the history of French tanks on the Western Front and after the end of the war. Tank communication, the employment of British tanks on the Western Front, as well as the activities of British Tank Corps intelligence, are also explained. The use of British tanks in Palestine and in the Russian Civil War is examined in detail for the first time. The volume also reflects on the impact of the Battle of Cambrai, both in terms of its psychological impact in Britain and the power it exerted over military debates until the end of the Second World War. The aim of the book is to reconsider the history of First World War tanks by widening the historical perspective beyond Britain, to include France and Germany, and by reflecting on the pre-1914 and post-1918 history of the these new weapons of war.

When the Japanese Empire went to war with the Allies in December 1941, it had already been fighting in China for 10 years. During that time it had conquered huge areas of China, and subjugated millions of people. The Japanese needed to control the Chinese population in these occupied territories, and for this reason they set up governments from amongst the leaders of the Chinese who were willing to co-operate with them. These so-called 'puppet' governments were designed to rule on behalf of the Japanese while firmly under their overall control. In turn, the 'puppet' governments needed their own 'independent' armed forces. These 'puppet' armies were large in number, reaching a total of well over 1 million before 1945. Although poorly-armed and equipped, these forces had an influence on the Japanese war effort through sheer numbers.The Chinese 'puppet' soldiers ranged from the well-drilled and trained regular Army of the Last Emperor of China, Pu Yi, who ruled the newly-formed state of Manchukuo, 1932-45, to the irregular Mongol cavalry who served alongside Japanese troops in the 'secret war' waged in the Mongolian hinterlands.The troops were dismissed as traitors by the Chinese fighting the Japanese, and they were equally despised by the Japanese themselves. The troops were motivated by a range of reasons, from simple survival to a loyalty to their commander. The fact that so many Chinese were willing to fight for the Japanese was embarrassing to all sides, and for this reason has been largely ignored in previous histories of the war in the East. In the first of a three volume series, Philip Jowett tells the story of the Chinese who fought for the Japanese over a 14 year period.

This book examines the capabilities and performance of the Italian army in the North African campaign and its significant contributions to the Axis effort there.

Operativo Independencia Volume 1 covers the lengthy background of Operation Independence between 1955 and 1974, with a brief description of all subversive guerrilla groups, the Argentine Security Forces organization, and the ERP and Montoneros organizations.International Marxist terrorism won the sympathy of many university students, Catholic movements and intellectuals in Argentina in the 1960s and 1970s, using terms such as 'dependency, imperialism, subjugation, colonialism and dictatorship'. Many of these young people had been catechists linked to Third World priests, but instead of taking the peaceful path of Christian preaching, they chose the bloody path of arms. Marxism-Leninism managed to penetrate the minds of socially well-off young people, convincing them that armed struggle was the only valid alternative against military dictatorships and Yankee imperialism. This is how they recruited hundreds of young people who later saw their lives and dreams cut short by a useless fight against a well-armed and highly professional Army.Although the first groups began to appear after the overthrow of General Juan Domingo Perón in 1955, the main guerrilla groups would only appear towards the end of the 1960s. They would 'prepare' the ground for Perón to return to the country and be President again. Perón called them 'Wonderful Youth', but he had created a monster he could not handle in his last years of life.All these groups were inspired by the successful Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959 with an Argentine, Ernesto Guevara, aka Che, and unrealistically thought that they could seize power and turn Argentina into a 'socialist homeland' in the best Cuban style. But Argentina was not Cuba, and the Argentine Armed Forces, despite suffering deep divisions and internal conflicts, were powerful, well-armed and well-trained. Their members were highly motivated to defend the political model at the time.The subversive bands aimed to produce chaos in the country, infiltrating the Peronist mass, destroying institutions, and supporting violence against the state. To achieve their objectives, the guerrilla groups resorted to the most despicable acts: kidnapping politicians, police and military officers, diplomats, and national or foreign businessmen or their relatives for ransom; hijackings; taking prisons to free their fellow terrorists; bombing politicians' or military officers' houses, foreign factories, police stations and military bases; to the assassination of politicians, police and army officers, including even a former president, General Aramburu.Everything had an objective: to create chaos in the country to prepare for the coming of Perón. When the military governments gave way to free elections, with the Peronist candidate Héctor Cámpora winning in 1973, guerrilla activity did not decrease but instead increased significantly. Cámpora belonged to the Peronist left and was greatly influenced by his two Montonero sons, so Montoneros held crucial government positions. That cost him a severe reprimand from the Peronist leader, and when General Perón assumed the presidency, he declared these groups illegal and began to fight them. But there was also the Peronist right wing in the CGT (General Confederation of Labor) and later the so-called Triple A (Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance) led by José López Rega, which would be in charge of avenging those murders and kidnappings of trade unionists by Marxist groups, especially between 1973 and 1976.General Perón did not live much longer, and it was his wife, the vice president, who, upon assuming the presidency, had to face the severe problem of the guerrillas. Although her government ordered Operation Independence, she would not see the end of this story either, which would occur in another military government led by Lieutenant General Videla towards the end of the 1970s.Operativo Independencia Volume 1 covers the long period that began after the overthrow of the government of Perón in 1955 until 1974, the year before the launch of Operativo Independencia. All the subversive groups that appeared in that period, their prominent leaders and actions are covered. Of all of them, only two would be protagonists of the most violent crimes in the mid-1970s in Argentina, the People's Revolutionary Army (ERP) and the Montoneros, whose organization is detailed in this volume.

Illustrated with over 150 original photographs of the personalities, aircraft, ships and ground forces from Argentina and Chile during the conflict.The Beagle Channel lies at the southernmost tip of South America and sovereignty over a number of islands there was hotly disputed between Argentina and Chile for much of the twentieth century. Navigation rights to this channel connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans were of considerable strategic value. In 1978, this dispute came within hours of breaking into large-scale open warfare between the two nations at sea, in the air and on land as Argentina launched Operación Soberanía (Operation Sovereignty).Argentina's plans involved far more than just seizing a few barely inhabited islands, however, and intended to strike deep into Chile in several locations along the length of the border between the two nations. In return, Chile planned to counterattack into northern Argentina to seize territory to be held as a bargaining chip for future negotiations. The plans of these two nations, with Argentina controlled by its Military Junta and Chile under the dictatorship of General Pinochet, threatened to draw in their Latin American neighbors.The Beagle Conflict: Argentina And Chile On The Brink Of War Volume 2 1978-1984 provides a detailed examination of the militaries of Argentina and Chile at the time of the 1978 confrontation, of their plans and deployments for war, and of the negotiations and settlement through the offices of the Vatican that ultimately settled this dispute. This volume also examines further military developments up to 1984 as tensions between the Latin American neighbors eased.The volume is illustrated with over 150 original photographs of the personalities, aircraft, ships and ground forces of the two nations, maps showing the plans for war, and specially commissioned color artworks.

The Sixth Fleet has projected the naval power of the United States into the Mediterranean for over 70 years. This work covers the history of the fleet from its inception after the Second World War, through the Cold War, to the War on Terror and the Ukrainian crisis.The Sixth Fleet was created in response to the need for a strong naval force in the Mediterranean Sea to counter the danger posed to the countries bordering the Mediterranean by the naval forces of the former Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries, whose presence threatened the commercial traffic through the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, and the Black Sea. In recent decades, several US government departments have considered eliminating the Fleet, but the events in Ukraine in 2022 demonstrated the ongoing need for such a naval force as a deterrent.The book lists most aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, transports, and other support vessels that have been part of the Fleet. It also contains an essential chapter on the US Marine Corps elements, which have always been part of the Fleet. It also describes the aircraft embarked on aircraft carriers and landing ships. Finally, there is a chapter describing all the Fleet's interventions supporting Allied countries, including interventions in areas affected by natural disasters.The Sixth Fleet is a powerful naval force that has proven its utility as a deterrent.

The New Year assault on Grozny by Russian forces was the most famous and controversial action of the 1st Chechen War. Entering Grozny from four directions, Russian troops with poor knowledge of the city and totally unprepared found themselves trapped, isolated and annihilated by numerous Chechen detachments. Unfortunately, due to the complexity and chaotic nature of the events, almost no official documentation exists. The reconstruction of the assault has been created from numerous veteran accounts, research publications, and video footage. Battle for Grozny is the first attempt to present a complete picture to the English-speaking audience.At first, the resistance offered by Chechens on 31 December 1994 had been relatively moderate and sporadic. All Russian forces besides the Group West managed to reach their objectives way before the planned timeline. The 131st Separate Motor-Rifle Brigade received a controversial order to move towards the railway station. With no knowledge of Grozny and never having trained for urban combat, the Brigade moved in and reached the station by noon, meeting the 81st Motor-Rifle Regiment. In the late afternoon, Chechens started to hammer Russian forces from multiple directions, knocking out the armor one by one. Trying to organize defensive lines, both units were suffering heavy casualties while all relief efforts were completely blocked by Chechens. During the night and the next day most of the Russian units left Grozny with disastrous losses in men and materiel. On the morning of 1 January, Russian aviation mistakenly attacked the positions of the 129th Motor-Rifle Regiment with devastating results - making it the worst friendly fire incident of the entire war. The only Group that managed to hold their positions was that of General Lev Rokhlin, who skillfully organized the defenses of the city hospital and cannery plant, leaving a narrow corridor for reinforcements.Battle for Grozny, Volume 2, is based on numerous little-known publications, veterans' accounts from both sides, extensive pictorial and video footage, and focuses on the reconstruction of the events that happened over two days of a New Year.

Sieges dominated the English Civil Wars: one study suggests that for every major battle there were perhaps as many as eight sieges, and probably more than 200 towns, castles, and country homes in England were besieged. However, sieges and fortifications have long been the poor relation in the histories of the period. While up and down the country, numerous siege-sites and fortresses are being studied by historians and archaeologists, so much of this is being done in relative isolation, and unlike the study of battles, seldom has there been an opportunity to bring this research together, to present and compare findings.To provide a forum for experts and the curious alike to share results and to learn from one another was a key driver behind the first ever conference dedicated to the study of fortress warfare during the English Civil Wars. Newark-upon-Trent was besieged three times during the English Civil Wars, and is home to perhaps the best surviving fortifications in the country. It was appropriate, therefore, that the town should host the English Civil War Fortress Symposium in November 2022.The co-hosts of the symposium, the Battlefields Trust, and the Fortress Study Group have both run their own conferences in the past, but this symposium was the first time that these two internationally renowned organizations have come together to stage a joint event. The success of the symposium was a recognition of the standing of both societies, as well as the efforts of the organizers. But most importantly, it was a demonstration of the interest in this important topic.The symposium brought together a variety of projects and studies covering the archaeology of sieges, fortifications and the public, and the challenges, approaches and results connected to the rediscovery and preservation of fortifications.The papers in this book of proceedings include: Peter Gaunt - Keynote speakerRichard Leese - Moreton CorbetDavid Flintham - King's Lynn under siegeKevin Winter - The sieges and fortifications of Newark-Upon-TrentNick Arnold - Uncovering a small fort in DevonDavid Radf - Defences and siegeworks of Oxford

Russian Campaigns in Central Asia reprints two rare translations of Russian-language works covering the 1839 and 1873 campaigns in what is now Uzbekistan, originally issued in Calcutta by the government in India. The two accounts cover the campaigns, logistics and the forces involved.The first Russian attempt to subjugate Khiva occurred in 1717. Unsuccessful, this was followed up in 1839 by a Russian army led by Count Perovsky. Again, this attempt would fail before the task was successfully undertaken in 1873. The 1839 campaign is narrated by its commander, Perovsky. After a full discussion of the preliminaries, the campaign itself is described in detail, including notes on the preparations for the invasion, the nature of the march and organization of detachments, and a significant focus on the logistics of the campaign, which dominated the outcome, and ultimately hindered Russian attempts to bring it to a successful conclusion.A second attempt in 1873 saw the Russians succeed, partly down to their achievements on the battlefield and partly due to some luck with logistics. The narrative is detailed, including much on the organization of the Russian forces and their actions, as well as notes on the medium and long-term results of the expedition.Taken together, the two narratives within this book present detailed accounts of neglected aspects of imperial expansion during the nineteenth century and provide much information on the challenging factors involved in logistics related to such campaigning.

In September 1848 on behalf of the Austrian Kaiser, his Croatian Viceroy declared war on the King of Hungary, precipitating one of the largest and bloodiest European conflicts of the nineteenth century. The Kaiser and King were one and the same man, Ferdinand. The war was only concluded with the massive intervention of the Tsarist Imperial Russian Army the following year, at the end of which independent Hungary was crushed.The Hungarian War of Independence of 1848-49 was a hugely complex event, both politically and militarily.Here, for the first time in English, in one single volume is a detailed study of how the armies of that war were raised, dressed, equipped and fought.Including detailed Orders of Battle, this work also includes a historical background, and a chapter giving an overview of the war itself, providing vital context for an understanding of how the troops of that conflict were raised and fought.

The fourth and concluding volume in this series - The Destruction of the Imperial Army - takes an in-depth look at events between the humiliating French surrender at Sedan and the ignominious submission of Bazaine and the Army of the Rhine at Metz as, seemingly, a succession of disasters befell Napoleon's once proud and invincible forces.French fortunes appeared to be at their nadir following the raising of the white flag over the walls of Sedan, but the worst was yet to come. The unsavory infighting between the French generals at Sedan seeking to apportion blame for their defeat in battle and Napoleon's equally humiliating interview with Bismarck and the Prussian King was partially offset by General Uhrich's courageous, albeit ultimately futile, defense of Strasbourg. However, such sacrifice could not compensate for Bazaine's frankly incomprehensible behavior at Metz. His inexplicable failure to break through the besieging German lines at the two day battle of Servigny/Noisseville and his equally underhand behavior during ensuing negotiations with the German commander, Prince Charles, le friends and adversaries - and the marshal had many antagonists amongst the French ranks - simply bewildered.As with previous volumes, the narrative draws heavily on the French official history and Lehautcourt's exhaustive studies, enlivened by quotes from all the major participants and eyewitnesses which provide fresh insights into the final days of this momentous campaign, which resulted in the downfall of the Second Empire and the birth of the third Republic.The book concludes with chapters on French and German tactics, weapons and warfighting, and as with previous volumes in the series, includes extensive orders of battle, casualty lists and appendices, the extensive text being complemented by numerous photographs and illustrations, period maps and copies of tactical plates taken from contemporary French and German training manuals.

The AmaNdebele War was part of the expansion of the British Empire in Africa in the late Nineteenth Century and part of Cecil Rhodes' plan to expand two Empires: his own through the British South Africa Company, and that of Queen Victoria.It discusses the international conflict which this expansion caused, especially with Portugal and the Boer Republics, who both claimed the rights to the region which eventually became known as Rhodesia.Rhodes' plans had only lukewarm support from the British Government which tried to ensure that the rights of the indigenous peoples of southern Africa were protected from the most outrageous attacks on their way of life. Which meant it was wary of allowing Rhodes to execute his most outrageous plans to exploit Southern Africa.However it was Company's desire to develop the land which had been given to them by Charter from the Government which brought them into conflict with native Africans whose way of life was not compatible to Victorian sensibility and morality and eventually led to war.The book describes the hazardous journey to Mashonaland which was taken by would be prospectors and settlers who had been promised riches in gold and land by the Company in order to boost its shares. The horror of AmaNdebele raids on the people of Mashonaland which were part of their accepted way of life and the terrifying effects their brutality had on the settlers who demanded that GuBulawayo and the AmaNdebele king be captured and the raiding stopped. This was partly achieved but only after the famous massacre of a patrol by AmaNdebele Impis.The story is full of larger-than-life characters such as Jameson the Administrator, Patrick Forbes, the out of place military commander, Allan Wilson, the Scottish hero and leader of men, Pieter Raaff, a survivor of the First Boer War, Sir Henry Loch, the High Commissioner and, Burnham and Ingram, the American Scouts without whose assistance British casualties would have been much higher and of course, Lobengula the Chief of the AmaNdebele, who having unwittingly given away his land for money and guns was forced to attempt to drive away an invading army armed with superior weapons but failed. His escape and pursuit became one of the tales of daring do in the Victorian psyche but the search for who to blame almost cost the Company its Charter.The book concludes with a detailed examination of the characters three leaders of the invading force and analyzes how Leander Starr Jameson's decision to select them to lead the pursuit of Lobengula contributed to its failure.

Renatio et Gloriam is a set of tabletop miniatures rules that allow you to fight large- scale battles from the Renaissance and Early Modern period. Covering warfare from the late Fifteenth Century up to the end of the Great Northern War in 1721, these rules allow you to field the armies of Cordoba, Turenne, or Marlborough.At the core of the rules is the CCC Games engine, developed by Simon Hall, first seen in the ancient tabletop miniatures rules Mortem et Gloriam. When published in 2020, the rules were the first main battle set ever to win a Wargames Illustrated hobby award; and took a clean sweep in the historical wargaming hobby awards.The troop types and armies in Renatio et Gloriam are prescribed by the tactics of the historical counterparts, rather than how they were armed. For instance, with Pike and Shot the operating methods are built into the formations we model on the tabletop. We don't worry about individual Pikemen and Musketeers; we leave that to their captains, and leave you, the general, to make all of the strategic decisions.There is friction in the game. Each on-table general will have a hand of cards, which can be played in multiple ways. Better-quality generals get more cards. Management of these cards is paramount to the decisions that you, as the Army commander, must make. When playing these cards will you order a charge on the enemy? Or will you try to encourage the soldiers onward after being driven back by deadly fire? Or will the general join the ranks to bolster troops' morale? These are the decisions you will face.There are many ways to play Renatio et Gloriam, since we realize that sometimes 'one size does not fit all.' So, if you want a competitive matched play game style that is there for you. However, the rules allow streamlining of mechanisms to allow for a more casual play style or allow battles using fewer figures. This gives novice players an easy gateway to learn how to play, and over time add more complexity to their games if they desire to do so.Supporting the core rules are over 400 army lists covering conflicts around the globe. These are broadly categorized by time, geography, and important conflict. The grouping of lists does have flexibility in scale. If you want Marlborough's army at Blenheim - fine, we have that. If you want the English Garrison at Tangiers, that's fine too. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible, and leave it down to the players how they play. We will not judge!The rules are supported in many ways. The main Renatio et Gloriam website has notifications of events, articles, or anything else that is newsworthy. ere is a forum to answer questions or to chat with like-minded players, and there is also a Facebook presence. It's quick to contact the team, and we are all here to help.

The story of Canada in the South African War is a complex one. How it even came about that the Canadian Government agreed to the dispatch of troops has its many talking points.Serving as units integrated within a larger British force, several contingents were sent during the course of the conflict, the first being the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry. Subsequent contingents were made up mostly of mounted troops but also artillery and later a field hospital. The first mounted units were the 1st and 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, the first of these becoming the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Then there was the privately raised Strathcona's Horse. Of considerable interest are the more than 1000 Canadians who enlisted in the South African Constabulary.There was no single manner in which the Canadian Contingents were raised and paid for, though the men mostly served under fixed terms of enlistment. Those joining the South African Constabulary, however, frequently found themselves in action for longer periods as, though they were raised as a para-military police force, the unanticipated extended period of hostilities meant they were engaged in much more of a military role than had been expected.Canada's role in the changing and evolving conditions of the South African War was complex and varied, and Canadian troops rose to the task and performed well. The impact of the war on the development of the Canadian military is also of considerable interest.

In the quarter-century after the fall of Napoleon, there were several wars in Europe, and this Spanish civil war was the lengthiest, and most varied. It was the first of a set of conflicts that split the nation and would continue to do so for a century and more. A Savage and Romantic War gives the wargamer all the information needed to play games set in Spain in these tumultuous seven years, and to make and paint the armies that fought. The First Carlist War is one that is becoming more familiar to English-speakers, and can be gamed in any scale, with dedicated ranges available in 28 and 18mm. Although taking place only two decades after the latter stages of the Peninsular campaign, and sometimes over the same landscape, it has a quality all of its own. It was big enough to have full-scale battles with two dozen or so units a side, and small enough that games can be played with a brigade or two, and with no need to compromise on scale - every pair of guns or battalion can appear on the table. There were numerous skirmishes, with Carlists in their huge berets and irregular bands facing militia, guardsmen and everything in between. The sheer variety and picturesque appearance of the soldiers of four nations who fought, the involvement of larger-than-life generals on both sides, and the spectacular scenery over which it took place make this a perfect conflict for re-creating in miniature.Those who play most Napoleonic rules will be able to use them for this war, and this work is not linked to anyparticular set.The book has a short history of the war, then full details of the Spanish, French, British and Portuguese forces, including organization, tactics, uniforms, weapons, equipment and flags. Then there are descriptions of 13 battles, each with the map and orders of battle that will make it easy to translate onto the table-top. Finally, there is a lengthy account of the Oriamandi campaign of 1837, culminating in the dramatic battle which saw the largest involvement of British troops in Europe since Waterloo.Throughout, there is detail of which regiments did what and how they did it.

In recent decades there has been a huge increase in the availability and use of 6 mm figures for wargaming. This book aims to guide the wargamer new to the scale, as well as the experienced 6 mm user through reasons for using the scale, its history, and the creation, painting and basing of figures. Rules for wargaming 6 mm figures are discussed, and some wargames of various sizes are showcased. How 6 mm figure gaming might develop into the future is considered, with potential for large wargames as well as smaller actions and skirmish games assessed.We start with the basic arguments for wargaming with 6 mm figures. This covers ease of painting, the mass effect of many figures looking like a unit, and the reduction of ground scale distortion when using 6 mm. It also considers the ability, when using 6 mm figures, to wargame with multiple armies, being able always to have the correct historical opponents, using small spaces for wargaming while still looking like a battle, as well as massed battles.From roughly 1965, through the late 1960s and to to today many wargamers have seen the advantages of 6 mm wargaming. We track the history of 6 mm wargaming, examining the companies that have produced them and the rules which have been created for them.The creation of master figures for a 6 mm figure product is then discussed, showing the attention to detail and processes required to create a production mold for a range of historically accurate figures.We then examine how to paint 6 mm figures. Which paints, brushes and temporary bases to use are noted, and then the painting process is discussed. We start with undercoating and proceed to a finished unit or base of figures. Additionally painting horses, equipment and adding flags is covered.Basing 6 mm figures to best advantage is an art form, and this chapter discusses how this is best achieved. Additionally, the creation of wargaming terrain in the scale is considered.The range of rules available, either directly applicable to 6 mm figures or modified to accommodate them is discussed, along with specific processes to create 6 mm friendly rules. Conversion of other scale rules to 6 mm figures is discussed. We then outline a series of scenarios from big battle games through to skirmish style wargames.Finally, we consider the future of 6 mm wargaming. New ranges, new materials for making figures and terrain and new ideas are constantly arriving on the scene and we try to assess where the area will go next.

Swords of God is a narrative wargame centered on the Age of Crusades (1100-1400). Rather than attempt direct simulation of the physical aspects of warfare, the rules instead take inspiration from chansons de geste and other romantic literature of the time and aim to create a faster-flowing, more abstract struggle still worthy of a song.The game aims to fit battles of around 20-30,000 men a side onto a 6' x 4' table, but any size of table can be used if your unit bases are smaller than the 'Impetus' standard of 120mm by 40mm, or more numerous than the sands of the sea! Centred as it is on the command and control of key personalities in each army, any size of battle is possible with the easy-to-use points system provided. The game also provides a quick chart to help you pick the right size of table for your battle.Inspired by psychohistorical studies of the Crusades like Avner Falk's Franks and Saracens and Vincent Baker's seminal Apocalypse World rules engine, the game's deep but simple mechanics promote meaningful tactical choices while ensuring the action always moves forwards. Among other things, it features: - A unified mechanic based on the roll of 3 six-sided dice.- Gridded movement to get the action started quicker. The sides of each square are equal to half the width of a unit base.- Scenario generation that takes the table's terrain into account.- More than half a dozen sets of special rules based on the army commander's relationship with the divine. In an era of personal oaths and charismatic authority, these special rules extend to their army as well.Army lists for campaigns in Iberia, the Baltics, the Languedoc, Bohemia and the Levant feature curated spreads of generic unit types, while the 'Faith Trees' available to generals of any religion grant special rules based on their emotional connection to the divine and the religious war that has ensnared them. Each one gives an army a different feel, providing a great deal of replayability even within the same campaign.

The War over Naples was fought by France and Spain between 1502 and 1504. Gonzalo de Córdoba, called El Gran Capitán, distinguished himself for his military skills thanks to his brilliant victories against the French at Cerignola and Garigliano (1503). With the Treaty of Lyon in 1504, the Kingdom of Naples was ceded to Spain, which controlled it for 200 years - until the War of the Spanish Secession.In November 1500, Ferdinand of Spain and Louis XII of France signed the secret Treaty of Granada. This agreement enabled Spain and France to easily conquer and divide the Kingdom of Naples in the years 1501 and 1502. The treaty divided Naples between the two nations. However, disputes arose over the division and the boundaries of the newly conquered territories that soon led to war.Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the Spanish Commander in Naples, was aware of the inferior quality of his troops and retreated to Barletta (Apulia). His plan was to await reinforcements from Spain. The French commander, Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours, split the French army into several garrisons all around Barletta, and sent a contingent led by Beraud d'Aubigny to occupy Calabria. Over the following eight months, skirmishes, ambushes, and sudden attacks, which were to become Córdoba's trademark tactic, became the norm.In April 1503, Córdoba, following the arrival of Spanish and Landsknecht reinforcements, left Barletta and moved over to the offensive. The Spanish defeated d'Aubigny's army on 21 April, and then just over a week later, on the 28th, they defeated the Duke of Nemours at Cerignola. The Duke was to fall in the fighting. Gonzalo de Córdoba and his troops entered Naples in triumph on 16 May 1503.Louis XII, eager to reclaim his lost territories, gathered an army and invaded Naples. However, the French were defeated again in December 1503, near the river Garigliano. Gaeta, the last French stronghold in Naples, fell on 1 January 1504. On the 31st the Treaty of Lyon was signed, ratifying Spanish possession of the Kingdom of Naples.Praise for earlier volumes of The Italian Wars: 'This mini-series gets better with each book and I would thoroughly recommend it and I, for one, am looking forward to the final volume(s).' - Arquebusier'This book is undeniably successful and interesting' - Vae Victus Magazine'...the text contains a wealth of information about the situation, commanders, unit types, weapons, and uniform colors covering Italian, Spanish, French, and Swiss troops.' - The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

The Sieges of Rhodes 1480 and 1522 provides accounts of the two epic sieges of Rhodes when the Hospitallers of the Order of St John faced the might of the Ottomans. Photographs and maps included in the book fully illustrate what a nearly impossible task the Ottomans faced in both sieges. The two sieges illustrate the changes in warfare in the 40 years between them and the revolution in artillery that was taking place. The Sieges of Rhodes contains grand tales of the greatest heroes and the worst of villains, stories of ingenuity, bravery, cruelty and cowardice, tales which echoed across Christendom.When Grand Master Phillipe Villiers De L`Isle-Adam and the few surviving knights and brothers of the Order of St John departed from the port of Rhodes on 1 January 1523, the long history of the Crusades ended.The Order had protected the Latin States for almost 200 years until forced to leave after the fall of Acre in 1291. Unlike the Templars, they survived the disgrace of defeat and re-established themselves on the island of Rhodes. Here it was, that they remained a militant presence, always a challenge to the power of Islam and hopeful of reclaiming the Holy Land. The rise of Ottoman power in the mid-fifteenth century led to two great sieges, the first in the reign of Mehmed II in 1480 and the second by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1522.Both sieges were epic in their character and scale and added to the fame and prestige of the Hospitallers. The Grand Masters, on both occasions, provided inspiration not only for the garrisons but for Christendom. The sieges occurred in a critical period in Europe's political, religious and military history. In 1480, Christendom was united, and both the means of attack and the forms of defense were fundamentally late-medieval in nature. Both sides even built trebuchets, which had been thought long obsolete. In 1522, Europe was deeply divided, and the weapons and fortifications had dramatically changed. This book considers the medieval fortification and their transformation in the intervening years, according to the most up-to-date ideas. It also outlines the artillery revolution that occurred over the same period, with the massive, clumsy, but still powerful stone-throwing bombards giving way to narrow-bore cast bronze pieces, firing iron projectiles at much higher velocities and with much greater effect.The sieges are also of great technical interest to military historians because of the extensive use of pyrotechnics and mining. Fire was an especially horrible addition to the Hospitaller's arsenal, and the book summarizes what flame weapons were available and how they were used. The mining and counter-mining that took place in the second siege was an epic in its own right. Recent groundbreaking research has highlighted why the war underground was so extensive and became the most effective Ottoman strategy.The soldiers that faced each other were utterly unlike one another in arms, armor and tactics, although similar in religious devotion. What effect did this have on the outcome? The Ottoman army, especially the Janissaries, were the terror of the East and West, yet they met their match on both occasions. How was it that a vastly numerically inferior force managed to fight their enemy to a standstill? This can only be understood by studying the sieges in detail, which is possible because of the excellent first-hand accounts produced so soon after the events themselves. Therefore, the reader can experience the siege through the words of those who fought. The extraordinary survival of Hospitaller armor from Rhodes and the superb collections of Ottoman and Mameluke armor and weapons help illustrate the contrast between these warrior cultures.

"True, the concept of Britain dates back to Roman times, but it was James I that founded Britain in the modern sense. With his accession to the throne in 1603 for the first time Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland were united - with James bestowing on himself the title of 'King of Great Britain'. Before this time, Scots and Irishmen may have served in the English Army as mercenaries, but it was known as an English Army - but now the King's (or British) flag flew over the castles and forts throughout the land. The army raised by Charles I in 1625 for his war against Spain -and subsequently, with France - is most famous for its failure. However, it is one of the best-documented armies of the early 17th century. Using archival and archaeological evidence, the first half of the book covers the lives of the officers and men serving in the army at this time - as well as the women who accompanied them. The author discusses the origins of officers and why they decided to serve in the army - and how the men from England, Scotland and Ireland were recruited (as well as how they were clothed and what they ate; the medical care; and the tactics used by the army at this time). It also covers the hidden faction of tailors, armorers and merchants who helped to put the army into the field. The second half of the book covers not only the expeditions to Cadiz, the Isle de Rhe and the siege of La Rochelle, but also their effect on an England who feared a Spanish (and later a French) invasion. Also covered are the campaigns of Count Ernest von Mansfeldt's and Sir Charles Morgan's armies at this time, which fought at Breda, Dessau Bridge and against the forces of the Holy Roman Empire. The final chapter looks at what became of the soldiers and their widows once the army had been disbanded - therefore, the book will be essential reading for anyone interested in Early Modern History, including the English Civil War and the Thirty Years War." --Publisher description.

French Armies of the Thirty Years' War presents the development of the French army, one of the first standing armies in Europe, from 1617 to 1648. It shows how Louis XIII and Richelieu made the most of the complex legacy of the Wars of Religion.The three musketeers, Cyrano de Bergerac, Louis XIII, Richelieu, Condé, Turenne, La Rochelle, Rocroi... these few words sum up the literary and historical representations most people can associate with the tumultuous events of the first half of the seventeenth century.French Armies of the Thirty Years' War begins in 1617, the year that Louis XIII really took power by distancing the queen mother and ordering the assassination of Concini and ends in 1648 - five years after the death of Louis XIII - the year of the Westphalia Peace Treaty. This period was mostly dominated by the personality and works of Richelieu, who entered the king's council in April 1624. He gave the king an ambition: 'to procure the ruin of the Huguenot party, humble the pride of the great, reduce all subjects to their duty, and elevate your majesty's name among foreign nations to its rightful reputation'. By his death, on 4 December 1642, this program had been accomplished.The first military action of this period, called the 'Drôlerie des Ponts de Cé', was the uprising of the nobility who supported the queen mother against the king in August 1620. In reality, the rebels were roundly defeated by the king's armies, but very few units actually fought. In his memoirs, Richelieu, who was on the queen's side at the time, gives a detailed analysis of this defeat. In particular, he drew from it principles that he was to follow throughout his life, and he realized: 'that which is held only by a precarious authority does not last long; that those who fight against a legitimate power are already half-defeated by their own imagination'. These political beliefs gave Louis XIII and Richelieu a powerful instrument that was to emerge transformed from the Thirty Years' War.The army that Marie de Medici left to Henri IV's heir was small and inexperienced, but the Wars of Religion at the beginning of Louis XIII's reign, combined with Richelieu's actions, gave the French kingdom an increasingly efficient army. Commanded by great captains such as the Duc de Rohan, the Viscomte de Turenne and the Prince of Condé, the army was highly successful, as shown by the long list of French victories, from Isle of Ré (1626) to Lens (1648).

After the Peace of Westphalia, several German states developed a disciplined 'Military' that produced outstanding armies. Germany supplied mercenary troops to major and minor powers in Europe, and the military state, usually exemplified by Prussia, became a crucial part of German history.However, Germany was apparently weak and internally divided into a multitude of states that constantly faced a hostile environment formed by belligerent great powers. Moreover, the German 'Military' was the resultant system of collective security, internal conflict and resolution that allowed a rich variety of political traditions to coexist relatively harmoniously. This system tried to preserve Germany against formidable attacks without making it a danger to the security of its neighbors. In contrast to the political culture of later German states, that of the 'Reich' was inherently defensive, preferring peace to war in both domestic politics and external relations. The book deals with the armies of the German Empire for the first time in a single book, with unpublished iconography and after extensive research in the German archives.Praise for previous volumes of Wars and Soldiers in the Early Reign of Louis XIV: 'This book is a must for anyone even partially interested in the Imperial army during the late seventeenth century. The level of detail must be highly commended, the author has gone to great lengths in researching this volume and it shows throughout the volume.' - Arquebusier'This book is extremely detailed, and highly useful for historians, the inquisitive, war gamers and figure modelers.' - IPMS/USA