May 1945

To commemorate 80 years since the Second World War, History of War will be taking a look at some of the key events taking place during each month of the conflict

In 1942, the German war machine was at the height of its power. France, the ‘hereditary enemy’, was defeated and occupied. In the Soviet Union, Army Group South was marching inexorably toward the Cauc

In this issue’s Frontline, read how the modern world is “infinitely more complex” than the Cold War and how new Chinese weapons are threatening the US Navy’s Pacific dominance; plus, an expert’s insights into decades of crisis in Sudan, and how two controversial territories continue to create instability

When Buckingham Palace was hit by bombs on 15 September 1940, it brought the war to the very front door of King George VI and his wife Elizabeth, the Queen consort. Just over two weeks later, the war

During the early days Operation Barbarossa, Army Group Centre’s rapid advance surrounded hundreds of thousands of Red Army soldiers in the Białystok-Minsk area. What ensued was a catastrophic defeat for the Soviet defenders

Essentially heavy cruisers that were constructed in accordance with the restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, the Deutschland-class vessels boasted six 28 cm (11-in.) guns in tw