In the entry for the week of 10-24 June 1940, The Spitfire Site discusses Italy’s declaration of war again France and Great Britain.  On the heals of the German battlefield victories, Benito Mussolini sought territorial gains from a weakened France.  Upon entering the war, Italian forces invaded the French Alps in hopes of conquering Provence.  During the interwar years, the French constructed a series of bunkers and firing positions that overlooked the mountain passes leading through the French Alps.  Such fortifications were on par, or superior, to those built by the Austrian-Hungarians during the Great War.  Reminiscent of the failed human wave attacks at Isonzo during the First World War, Italian forces suffered many casualties from the static enemy gun emplacements.  After nine days of combat, Italian forces acquired little ground and incurred 1,247 men dead and 2,631 wounded.¹  Italian solders were saved from frigid mountain temperatures and French munitions only by the capitulation of France to the Germans.  In that sense, the Italian invasion of France was a catastrophic failure.  Consequently, it seems that as of the Second World War, Italy had not learned the costly lessons of the Isonzo battles.

4th & 3rd-Century BC

Roman conquest of Italy

Ross Cowan writes on the tendency of Romans to decorate their homes with war trophies.

2nd-Century AD

An abbey with connections to the Romans and the Second World War? The Lost Fort offers a detailed history of Incholm Abbey and other sites neighboring the Firth of Forth.

16th-Century AD

Over at Marginalia there is an insightful post on Francis Stewart and his betrayal of his cousin Jame Stewart.

18th-Century AD

American Revolution

A King George’s War fort in the United States? Boston 1775 discusses the funding issues for this rare historical site.

British Soldiers, American Revolution recounts the fates of two British soldiers who served together and experienced the harsh reality of 18th-Century disease.

19th-Century AD

Mexican-American War

Blog 4 History argues that a wealth of knowledge awaits scholars who embark on a study of the Mexican-American War.

American Civil War

The 48th Pennsylvanian Infantry/Civil War Musings presents a letter from private who was eager to fight the Confederates.

Civil War Memory takes readers to the Antietam battlefield and discusses the value of blogging and confirms the existence of the Lost Cause in Sharpsburg, Maryland.

The brief and sad wartime experiences of Alfred DuBois, father of W.E.B DuBois, over at The Sable Arm.

20th-Century AD

First World War

Over at the Australian War Memorial, a series of short posts on Herbert Vincent Reynolds No. 622 First Field Ambulance, First AIF. Although the AWM series on Reynolds began back in February, March has had its fair share of posts. Throughout the series, readers are exposed to the experiences of an ANZAC soldier leading up to the infamous Gallipoli campaign. Here is the post for 14 March 1915. Be sure to read the rest.

Airminded examines the German bombing of Warrington Crescent, highlighting the effects of the attack on both property and social memory.

The CBC pays tribute to Canada’s last First World War veteran, John Babcock, who died at the ripe old age of 109.

Recently Geoff Robinson discussed the issues associated with teaching students about Australia’s participation in two world wars. Enjoy the clip from Gallipoli.

Second World War

The Daily History Blog elaborates on the pre-war activities of the Hitler Youth in Germany Great Britain.

The Aerodrome uses archival gems to discuss the issues that plagued Coalition air power.

Over at Thoughts on Military History, Ross endeavors to separate the popular media interpretations of Air Chief Marshall Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory from historical fact.

Battlefield Biker sheds some light on the plot to keep General Bernard Montgomery’s location a secret in the days leading up to D-Day.

Strange Maps pinpoints some of Germany’s schools named after infamous Nazis.

Vietnam War

Here at Thompson-Werk I offer some musings over the policies and events that contributed to America’s involvement in Vietnam.

Who does not adore America’s 37th president? Edge of the American West provides some of President Richard Nixon’s more colorful references to the Vietnam War.

This semester I am taking a course solely on the Vietnam War. Incidentally, this is my first true post-Second World War American history course. Needless to say my understanding of the Cold War era leaves a lot to be desired. All of that aside, my escalating interest in Vietnam might cause me to shift my Civil War to Second World War focus to one that encompasses America’s more modern conflicts. The World Wars onwards might be a better focus simply because of the amount of literature that needs to be written. That realization has started to make me wonder what would happen if my interest in the Vietnam war led to changing my dissertation topic to one that dealt with some aspect of America’s turbulent foray into Southeast Asia. At present the idea of centering on 20th Century warfare seems far less drastic and would allow for my Great War topic.

Granted I have comps to worry about first, I still find it prudent to ponder these questions before I start asking certain professors to join my committee. For instance, if I shift to a more modern topic it would help to have professors whose strengths lie in Cold War-era topics. Alternatively, perhaps I just worry too much! Any outside thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Shortcomings in the existing literature furnish an opportunity to broaden and deepen our understanding of the Meuse-Argonne offensive as well as other engagements. While little work is being done on the AEF, other First World War fields are generating new interest. Recent assessments of First World War  scholarship, for example, have underscored the need for studies on the Imperial German Army’s non-Prussian units. Certainly, such research needs to be conducted, but there is also a need for similar analysis of the AEF. Dr. Groteleuschen noted that the Field Artillery serves as an example of good American branch level doctrine and battlefield performance. Such an approach can also be applied to the study of other important branches of the AEF. This observation was supported by my research, in which I argued that the Coast Artillery Corps played a crucial role in the development of a mobile heavy artillery arm of the AEF, a conclusion reached without benefit of any major works on the subject. A thorough study on the heavy artillery arm of the AEF should be a major component of the revitalization of the field. As a result, I wish to explore the impact of AEF heavy artillery on the First World War, with possible emphasis on the Meuse-Argonne Campaign.

Lessons of the Western Front were not reflected in the Italians attacks, with infantry assaulting fortified positions with inadequate artillery support. The Austrian-Hungarian forces had entrenched themselves on higher ground, much like their German counterparts had in France and Belgium. Even with superior numbers in both men and artillery, by 7 July the Italians had made meager gains while sustaining heavy casualties. Italy lost 300,000 men as a result of all eleven Isonzo battles, nearly half of all Italian First World War casualties. The Austrian-Hungarian military sustained 200,000 casualties on the Italian front. By wars end, both belligerents exchanged small tracks of mountainous land for large amounts of wounded and dead.

In modern times, the Isonzo battles have been overshadowed by the epic engagements that transpired on the Western Front. Austrians and Italians, however, remember the enormous human sacrifices both nations made in the name of empire.