The October/November 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:
Victory in Iberia
It was the conflict that made the reputation of perhaps the greatest of all British generals. Arthur Wellesley was 39 when he arrived in the Iberian peninsula – a lieutenant-general and already the veteran of Indian campaigns, but a commander without great experience in Europe. Six years later, he would return from Portugal and Spain a national hero, and be created a duke in recognition of his achievements. In our special for this issue, Graham Goodlad looks at the events that led to France’s defeat in the Peninsular War; and then analyses the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, whose fall opened Spain to Wellington’s army
Master of the dark arts: the deceivers – Dudley Clarke
Beginning a new series on deception in WWII, Taylor Downing tells the extraordinary story of Dudley Clarke, the pioneer of misinformation
The British Templars: a new warrior elite
The Knights Templar were renowned for bravery. But the British contribution to their story is overlooked, argues Steve Tibble
In Flanders Fields: cemeteries of the First World War
Nicholas Saunders reports on a new exhibition that draws on collections around the world to tell the story of the cemeteries of WWI
Arminius: Hitler’s barbarian hero
Tim Newark traces the career of Arminius, the Germanic warlord who rocked the classical world with his victory at Teutoburg Forest
Also in this issue:
The latest in our 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 editor:
It is often said of the Duke of Wellington that he ‘never lost a battle’ – and while some may quibble with that description, it is certainly true that the British commander’s extraordinary run of victories in 1808-15 was crucial in bringing the Napoleonic Wars to an end.
As we discover in our cover story for this issue, Wellington’s success was founded on qualities of decisiveness, of common sense, and of attention to detail that first came to widespread public attention during the Peninsular War – the brutal six-year conflict in Spain and Portugal, where he led a coalition of forces fighting the French emperor.
Napoleon himself would describe the Peninsular War as his ‘bleeding ulcer’, haemorrhaging men and money in equal measure. But as Graham Goodlad explains, it was also the conflict that made his adversary’s name, establishing Wellington’s reputation as Britain’s greatest general.
Also in this issue, Taylor Downing begins a new four-part series on the history of deception during World War II with an eye-opening profile of Dudley Clarke, the flamboyant pioneer of misinformation.
Elsewhere, Steve Tibble reveals the British contribution to the Knights Templar, the crusading warrior elite; while Tim Newark traces the career of Arminius, the Germanic warlord who annihilated three Roman legions at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.
And finally, to mark Remembrance Day, Nicholas Saunders reports on a groundbreaking new exhibition in Belgium, telling the story of the cemeteries of World War I.
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.