I just had an interesting e-mail exchange with someone on the subject of Trump, Putin, Zelensky, and the quest for peace in the Ukraine. Negotiations are underway today in Washington, D.C., and no one knows how things will turn out. I pray for peace. This E-mail is from a thoughtful observer who is very concerned […]
I was very disappointed in the fact that the Turmp-Putin Alaskan meeting did not result in a cease fire. However, I was not surprised. It is a very complicated business. Consider the following. 0 – Though it has a history as a one-time independent kingdom, Ukraine was part of the greater Russian state for about […]
THE WORLD IN FLAMES 1940-1945 With the fall of France in June 1940, Britain stood alone against Germany and Italy. The British army was in a state of total disarray. It was never very large, and it had lost almost all its equipment during the evacuation from Dunkirk. The imminent threat of invasion loomed over […]
WINNING THE WAR, LOSING THE PEACE 1914-1939 After the Battle of the Marne ended on September 9, 1914, the Allied and German armies attempted to outflank each other. Failing this, they entrenched and faced off over a no-man’s land. The trenches stretched from the Swiss alps to the English Channel. From time to time each […]
THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN 1914 On the afternoon of August 3, 1914, two days after declaring war on Russia, Germany declared war on France and began implementing a long-held strategy conceived by the former chief of staff of the German army, Alfred von Schlieffen. The objective was to achieve the total defeat of France in six […]
1850-1914 EUROPE STARTS ON THE PATH TOWARD DESTRUCTION Europe had been totally transformed by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. Following the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the continent entered an era during which armed conflicts were usually of limited scope and conducted by small, often professional armies. Total national involvement was rare. […]
Several facts seem obvious. The Ukraine is gradually losing the conflict. Their troops are outnumbered and have suffered enormous casualties. There are also reports of a serious level of desertions in the Ukrainian army. The United States and some European states have contributed support, but not enough to stem the Russian tide. If NATO and […]
Introduction: Portions of this blog have been published before under different headings, but here I attempt to capture the whole history of the wars that shattered western civilization, beginning with the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and ending with the conclusion of World War II. Its a sad tale of arrogance, folly, devastation and bloodshed. In […]
THE BEST AND THE BRAVEST World War I saw a massive effusion of blood on battlefields all over Europe. It is difficult for us to comprehend the magnitude of the carnage. To illustrate, let’s consider the effect of that war on France. On one fateful day in August 1914 the French suffered approximately 100,000 casualties […]
FLANDERS FIELD On November 11th we celebrate Veteran’s Day to honor those men and women who served in our armed forces. Here I pay special tribute to those who answered their country’s call during a time of great travail. The first six months of 1942 were very difficult for the American nation. In December 1941 […]
Jordans-Journey 