The December 2022/January 2023 issue of Military History Matters, the British military history magazine, is out now.
The best way to access the magazine is to subscribe. Click here to find out more. To read the digital archive, click here. You can also access the magazine online (as well as exclusive extra content) at our new website, The Past.
IN THIS ISSUE:
The Soviet Union in five battles
The Red Army emerged from the Bolshevik Revolution to become the military arm of the Soviet state. It was originally conceived as the embodiment of the ‘nation in arms’, a volunteer force whose commanders were mostly chosen by the workers. But the army became more professional, harnessing the expertise of ex-tsarist officers. To mark the centenary of the creation of the USSR on 30 December 1922, Graham Goodlad analyses five landmark battles in which Soviet soldiers forged the history of the communist state.
Dunkirk: the German view
Robert Kershaw reveals how new research completes our previously partial understanding of a battle that changed the Second World War
The fight for Sweden: the Battle of Brunkeberg, 1471
A long struggle against Danish domination culminated in this decisive victory for the Swedish army, as William E Welsh explains
Born in blood: the Irish Free State
Patrick Mercer looks at the grisly sequence of events that contributed to the creation of the Irish Free State, a century ago this December
Unsung heroes: the Mosquito Men
David Price recalls the remarkable exploits of the elite Pathfinders of 627 Squadron at the height of the Second World War
Also in this issue:
The latest in a new series on classic military history books, War Culture, Book Reviews, Museum Review, Back to the Drawing Board, Listings, Competitions, and more.
To subscribe to the magazine, click here. To subscribe to the digital archive, click here. You can also access the magazine online (as well as exclusive extra content) at our new website, The Past. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
From the acting editor
At its birth, the Red Army was envisaged as the ‘people’s militia’, a volunteer force with commanders selected by workers’ committees. Between 1939 and 1945, it grew to become one of history’s most formidable fighting machines, capable eventually of driving back Operation Barbarossa, the largest invasion force ever assembled, and playing a decisive role in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
During the decades that followed, its main function was to sustain Soviet control over the satellite states of Eastern Europe, exemplified by its repression of popular uprisings in Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968). By the 1980s, however, it was in terminal decline, unable to deal effectively with new threats as its forces were reduced in number amid the collapse of the Soviet regime.
In our cover story, timed to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the USSR, Graham Goodlad traces the rise and fall of the Red Army (later known as the Soviet Army), and analyses the five key battles that shaped a communist superpower.
Also in this issue, you will find two more features linked to the Second World War: Robert Kershaw questions the patriotic British idea of the ‘miracle of Dunkirk’; while David Price records the valour of 627 Squadron, unsung heroes of the RAF.
Elsewhere, Patrick Mercer recalls the birth of the Irish Free State, and peers into the labyrinth of spies, assassins, and undercover agents that played a role in its creation. And finally, William E Welsh tells the story of the Battle of Brunkeberg, the epic victory of 1471 that proved crucial in Sweden’s struggle against Danish domination.
We hope you enjoy the issue!
Laurence Earle
To subscribe to the magazine, click here. To subscribe to the digital archive, click here. You can also access the magazine online (as well as exclusive extra content) at our new website, The Past. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.