Military
Defense, national security, geopolitical risk, and the forces that shape the balance of global power.
21 articlesLatest Military
50 Military Facts That Will Blow You Away
Discover 50 shocking, weird, and wondrous military facts from history, including a cat who survived three ship sinkings, a toilet bomb dropped on Vietnam, and a penguin who became Norway's second highest-ranked soldier.
M65: The Atomic Cannon
Discover the M65 Atomic Cannon, the Cold War howitzer that could fire nuclear artillery shells up to 20 miles—the only nuclear cannon ever tested.
History's Most Wasteful Military Spending
Discover the most extravagant wastes of military money in history, from the trillion-dollar F-35 program and Hitler's failed Atlantic Wall to nuclear-tipped missiles that never saw deployment.
FOUR 'Great' WWII Tanks That Were Actually Terrible
Discover why four of World War II's most celebrated tanks—the Tiger I, Panther, T-34, and Tiger II—were actually deeply flawed designs plagued by logistical nightmares, mechanical failures, and production shortcuts.
Five Lesser-Known WWII Guns
Discover five obscure but fascinating firearms from World War II, including the Romanian Orița M1941, Hungarian Danuvia 39M, Italian Armaguerra Mod. 39, German MG13, and MP3008.
5 French Tanks That Prove They Just Do Things Differently
Discover five of the strangest tanks in French military history, from the colossal Char 2C Bis to captured German Panthers pressed into French service.
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More in Military
5 Weird Military Inventions that Did NOT Work Out
From ice aircraft carriers to flying tanks and the infamous "gay bomb," discover five bizarre military inventions that never made it from blueprint to battlefield.
The Five Best Tanks of World War II
Discover the five most influential tank designs of World War II, from the mass-produced Soviet T-34 to the fearsome German Tiger and the versatile American Sherman.
World War II Innovations that Changed Civilian Life
Discover how wartime necessities led to everyday inventions like computers, ballpoint pens, jet engines, radar, and life-saving medical advances.
In Which Ways do Movies Get Ancient Warfare Wrong?
From shield walls in Troy to slave rowers in Ben-Hur, discover how Hollywood consistently misrepresents ancient battles, tactics, and the real role of women warriors.
5 of History's Weirdest Military Vehicles
Discover five of the strangest military vehicles ever conceived, including a remote-controlled land torpedo, a crane with a cannon, a 1,000-tonne tank, a flying Jeep, and a motorbike-halftrack hybrid.
5 Strange Military Traditions from Around the World
Discover five bizarre military traditions from across the globe, from Chile's German-inspired uniforms and Norway's penguin major general to the Whisky War and the dramatic Attari-Wagah border ceremony.