History of War

One of the most iconic photographs of the Second World OWar – if not all of military history – was taken on 2 May 1945 when the Soviet flag was hoisted above the Reichstag in Berlin. However, rather than a spontaneous snapshot of triumph, the scene was heavily orchestrated and in fact re-created from the first ‘summiting’ of the building two days earlier. In truth, the battle to capture the symbolic heart of the German capital had been in large part a propaganda mission, with several ‘victory flags’ distributed among the Red Army assailants, encouraging courageous or foolhardy acts to be the first to reach the cupola. In the end, the assault on the Reichstag, and the immortal photograph, came at the cost of 2,200 dead, cut down by hundreds…

SCAN TO GET OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER LYNDAL ROPER The 16th century witnessed one of the most destructive, revolutionary yet often overlooked conflicts in European history: the German Peasants’ War. Over on page 60, Professor Roper discusses how the conflict began and its importance in German history. GAVIN MORTIMER Gavin is a best-selling author and journalist with several books published on the history of British special forces. On page 42 he unpacks the controversial but compelling story of Anders Lassen, and the events surrounding his posthumous Victoria Cross citation. CARLO GREPPI Carlo is an Italian historian and writer, and his latest book, A Man of Few Words, recounts the life of Lorenzo Perrone, the man credited by Primo Levi as saving his life during the Holocaust. Carlo discusses how, and why,…

WAR in FOCUS RETURNING FROM BUCHENWALD 14 May 1945 French socialist leaders greet Léon Blum (centre), the three-time prime minister of France, upon his return to Paris. To his left is his daughter-in-law Renée Blum. The French government initially arrested Blum in September 1940 for high treason, and German authorities had him imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp in March 1943. After transfers to Dachau, Austria and Tyrol, in the final weeks of the war the Nazi regime ordered his execution. However, local authorities refused to carry out the order. After the war Blum served briefly again as prime minister and deputy prime minister of France. WAR in FOCUS YOM KIPPUR TANKER October 1973 An Israeli soldier relaxes next to a tank on the Suez front during the 19-day Yom…

16 December 1880 FIRST BOER WAR BEGINS Resentment towards the British grows among the Boers following the 1877 annexation of Transvaal. The revolt is sparked when a Boer refuses to pay tax and officials attempt to auction off his property. The auction descends into violence, prompting Transvaal to declare independence. 20 December 1880 01 BATTLE OF BRONKHORSTSPRUIT Amid concerns of a growing Boer presence near Pretoria, the 94th Regiment of Foot returns to the capital. They travel unprepared for combat and are intercepted by a Boer force. The British surrender after a 15-minute battle. Their commander, Philip Robert Anstruther, dies of his wounds a few days later. 28 January 1881 02 BATTLE OF LAING’S NEK Major General George Pomeroy Colley leads around 1,500 men with artillery and Gatling guns to…

By the mid-19th century, India was central to the prosperity of the British Empire, and the task of safeguarding vital routes to the subcontinent fell to the Royal Navy. Britain’s fleets controlled the sea lanes through the Suez Canal and around the Cape of Good Hope. This meant that, strategically, a secure southern Africa was an essential component in the imperial link. The British sought to bring the colonies of South Africa under a confederation. One such colony was the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR), known as Transvaal. The Boer republic had been granted independence by the British in 1852, but by the 1870s it was experiencing serious financial problems. Taking advantage of this, British authorities at the Cape annexed Transvaal in 1877. The Boers sent a delegation, including Paul Kruger and…

In 1886, Transvaal experienced a reversal of fortunes with the Witwatersrand Gold Rush. This unexpected wealth was viewed as a threat by the British, who were concerned for their colonies at the Cape and in Natal in the face of potential Transvaal financial superiority. With Germany in southwest Africa, there were also worries that Transvaal would direct the new gold trade through German territory. Prime Minister of Cape Colony Cecil Rhodes attempted to destabilise Transvaal with the Jameson Raid. Led by Leander Starr Jameson, it was carried out by men from the British South Africa Company between 29 December 1895 and 2 January 1896. It was intended to trigger an uprising of the uitlanders in Transvaal (mainly expatriate British workers) against the Boer authorities. Unfortunately for Rhodes and Jameson, the…