The December 2024/January 2025 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:
Clive in India
Stephen Roberts reveals how Robert Clive, victor of the Battle of Plassey in 1757, became one of the founders of British India – but left a legacy of controversy.
Could the Allies have won in 1944?
To mark the 80th anniversary of World War II’s climactic last months, Taylor Downing asks whether an early defeat of Hitler’s Germany was ever really possible.
Napoleon at war
In the second part of our series on Napoleon’s rise and fall, Graham Goodlad analyses his extraordinary run of successes between 1800 and 1810.
Unlocking victory
Issues beyond the battlefield would prove crucial in deciding the outcome of the British Civil Wars, as David Flintham reveals.
Germany’s ‘little Dunkirk’
The Kriegsmarine’s final act of WWII was the seaborne evacuation of German refugees around the Baltic, as David Porter explains.
Also in this issue:
The latest in our series on classic military history books, War Culture, Book Reviews, Museum Review, 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 (X), and Instagram.
From the editor:
As Allied troops took control of the invasion beaches of Normandy in the aftermath of D-Day, their commanders had every reason to feel confident. With the landings of 6 June 1944 deemed a success, many – including General Bernard Montgomery, Commander in Chief of Allied Ground Forces – believed that victory must now be near at hand, and that the greatest war in human history would finally be over by Christmas.
Of course, things did not turn out that way, and World War II would grind on until May 1945. In our cover story — the first part of a series to mark the 80th anniversary of those tumultuous final months — Taylor Downing asks whether an early defeat of Nazi Germany was ever a real possibility.
Elsewhere, in our latest two-part special feature, Stephen Roberts explores the controversial history of Robert Clive in India, and reveals how his landmark victory at the Battle of Plassey on 23 June 1757 helped launch Britain’s empire on the subcontinent.
Also in this issue, Graham Goodlad continues his fascinating series on Napoleon by examining his extraordinary military successes in the first decade of the 19th century; David Flintham reveals how issues beyond the battlefield affected the British Civil Wars; and David Porter returns to the last days of WWII, to tell the largely forgotten story of Germany’s ‘Little Dunkirk’.
And finally, as you may have noticed, MHM has a smart new masthead, and a cleaner, fresher, more modern look. We hope you like our new appearance — but do rest assured: we have also worked hard to ensure that the style and content of the magazine remain largely unchanged, with the same mix of news, features, and reviews that have helped over the years to make MHM the leading publication for anyone interested in the history of warfare.
As always, 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 (X), and Instagram.