Military History
How Many Wars Was Vietnam
As the USA deployed major forces to Vietnam between 1965 and 1967, American politicians and military commanders were inspired by futuristic, space-age visions of how to fight the war. The problem, however, was that these visions often conflicted with each other and became rallying cries for opposing institutional lobbies.
Fire and Maneuver - Winning the Firefight
The basic principle of tactics is to combine fire and maneuver so that the troops first ‘win the firefight’ that is, neutralize the enemy, and then go on to overrun the enemy’s position. Traditionally the idea has been for the `base of fire’ to be provided by a static force that keeps the enemy’s head [...]
German & Russian Defensive Tactics
It is almost axiomatic that a defensive position should incorporate at least some mobile elements to reinforce threatened points; to make counter penetrations (that is, to block holes that may develop); to make counter-attacks (in other words, to carry out a direct strike on the attacking enemy) or to implement counter strikes.
Trench Warfare & Static Defences
The Western Front in World War I has scarred the popular mind as the epitome of fruitless, static, attritional warfare. Lines of trenches or strong points in depth, protected by barbed wire and covered by powerful artillery, resist every assault, with the attacker suffering devastating casualties.
Offensive Versus Defensive Strategy
If weapons, tactics and training are in a state of flux, what of the basic plan, or ‘doctrine’, that an army embraces to fight its wars ? It’s generally been believed that the only way in which a war can ultimately be won is through mounting a successful offensive.
No matter how effective one’s defensive [...]
Conventional Forces in Europe - CFE Treaty
East-West negotiations for mutual and balanced force reductions (MBFR, or MFR for those who do not believe in the concept of ‘balance’) were held in Vienna between 1973 and 1989 without coming to any firm conclusion. In 1989, however, new talks began that turned out to be much more positive.
World War 2 German Luftwaffe Manuals
If you’re after manuals, pictures and resources detailing the German Luftwaffe (1900-1945) then this site has a great archive section where you can download manuals, pictures and various other resources for FREE. All of the manuals are in German, but there the real thing.
