WeeklyHistory

02/09/2026

How Ready Was the British Army for WWII? The Lack of British Military Doctrine

The lack of British military doctrine at the beginning of the Second World War was shocking. The British Army had forgotten many of the lessons it had learned during the Hundred Days Offensive in the First World War, which had demonstrated the effectiveness of combined-arms warfare.

By the beginning of the Second World War, however, much of this experience had been neglected. After the First World War, Britain wanted to move away from the horrors of the conflict and return to its traditional role of colonial policing and maintaining the Empire. Within the Army, there was also a belief that any future major war would resemble the First World War, despite the fact that the British, Americans, and French had demonstrated by 1918 that the era of prolonged trench warfare was coming to an end.

For more on this topic, watch the video.

01/09/2026

Was Britain Ready For War In 1939: The Lack of British Equipment?

30/08/2026

How Ready Was The British Army For WW2: The Size Of The Army?

29/08/2026

How Ready Was The British Army For WW2: Britain Starts To Rearm

28/08/2026

27/08/2026

Was The British Army Ready For WW2: The Interwar Years?

26/08/2026

I am visiting every castle in Britain. This is number 38/1000 Wolvesey Castle in Wi******er.

24/08/2026

Is This REALLY King Arthur’s Round Table? 👑⚔️

I’m visiting every castle in Britain, and today I visited Wi******er Castle — 37/1000! 🏰

Wi******er Castle was built in 1067 by William the Conqueror. However, not much of the original castle remains today, thanks to Oliver Cromwell, who ordered the castle walls and towers to be destroyed.

The only significant structure that remains is the Great Hall, which was constructed between 1222 and 1235. Inside, you’ll find the legendary Round Table, famously associated with King Arthur. 👑⚔️

What castle should I visit next? Let me know in the comments! 👇

21/08/2026

How Large Were Viking Raids on Britain?

Viking raids began at the end of the 8th century, with the famous attack on Lindisfarne in 793. However, this was not necessarily the first Viking raid in Britain, as three Viking ships had landed on the coast of Wessex in 789. Early Viking raids were usually small, with around 30 to 300 Vikings. These were hit-and-run attacks carried out by groups of ships targeting wealthy and poorly defended coastal settlements and monasteries.

By the 830s and 840s, Viking attacks became more frequent, and larger fleets began to appear. By around 850, Viking armies were even staying over the winter in England instead of returning to Scandinavia. This showed that Viking activity was changing from short-term raids to more permanent campaigns.

In 865, the Great Heathen Army arrived in East Anglia. It was much larger and more organised than the earlier raiding groups and went on to attack Northumbria, East Anglia and Mercia. Archaeological evidence suggests that there may have been around 2,000–3,000 Vikings, although some historians argue that the army could have been larger.

In 878, King Alfred the Great of Wessex defeated the Viking leader Guthrum at the Battle of Edington. Guthrum later accepted Christianity and agreed to a treaty with Alfred. This allowed the Vikings to control much of northern and eastern England, an area that became known as the Danelaw.

20/08/2026

Was the Treaty of Versailles too harsh?

In terms of reparations and Article 231, which stated that the Allied governments affirmed—and Germany accepted—responsibility for the losses and damage caused by Germany and its allies, there is a strong argument that the settlement was too harsh. However, when it comes to territorial losses, Germany arguably got off relatively lightly compared with the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon, which imposed far greater territorial reductions on Austria and Hungary. Germany did lose its colonies, but these were largely a drain on the German government’s finances and were arguably maintained more for prestige than for their economic value.

I do want to clarify that I believe the decision to split parts of Germany away from the German state was unfair. However, the idea that Germany was uniquely or exceptionally unfairly treated by the Allies is largely a myth. It is important to compare Versailles with the other post-war settlements, as well as with Germany’s own treatment of defeated powers.

Germany’s own actions during the war are particularly relevant, especially the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. From a Russian perspective, Brest-Litovsk was an extremely harsh settlement, and Germany intended to use the territories it gained to establish German influence through annexations and buffer states in Eastern Europe. Therefore, before condemning the territorial provisions imposed on Germany at Versailles, it is important to recognise that Germany itself had pursued a more aggressive territorial settlement when it was in the position of victor.