"And you're sure the movie audience will think this is a German tank?"

Today in 1939, a solemn Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces over the radio that Britain and Germany are at war. The decision follows Berlin's refusal to withdraw from Poland. France also declares war. "My long struggle to win peace has failed," Chamberlain admits.

On this day in 1943, the Allies invade Italy. The campaign to conquer what Winston Churchill calls "the soft underbelly of the Axis" will see some of the most savage fighting of the entire war.

On this day in 1783, the Treaty of Paris officially ends the American War of Independence. The British delegation to the peace conference is so perturbed by their country's defeat that they refuse to pose for this half-finished painting of the signing ceremony.

On this day in 1777, Continental soldiers skirmish with British and Hessian troops at the Battle of Cooch's Bridge in Delaware. It's reportedly the first time American forces fight beneath the rebellion's newly adopted flag.

War in the Age of Nationalism — How 19th-Century Conflicts Gave Rise to the Modern National Identity  “War strengthened a national sense of belonging.” militaryhistorynow.com/2024/09/03/war…

On this day in 1939, a formation of 10 Bristol Blenheim bombers strike the German fleet anchored at Wilhelmshaven. It's the first British air raid of the Second World War. Five of the planes are lost.

On this day in 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire ceases to exist as the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, surrenders his crown to the warlord Odoacer.

On this day in 1886, Geronimo (right) and his last remaining followers surrender to the U.S. Army in Arizona ending more than three decades of resistance by the legendary Apache leader.

On this day in 1862, Robert E. Lee marches into Maryland with an army of 55,000 troops. The first Confederate invasion of the North will end two weeks later at Antietam.

Today in 1941, a German U-boat launches torpedos at the destroyer USS Greer in the North Atlantic. It's the first attack by the Third Reich on a U.S. warship. FDR calls it an act of piracy & orders the navy to 'shoot on sight' any Nazi subs they encounter militaryhistorynow.com/2013/01/09/the…

Today in 1914, after weeks of retreating in the face of the advancing German army, French and British troops launch a counter-attack east of Paris. The Battle of the Marne, which lasts for seven days, saves France and ends Berlin's hopes for a quick victory on the Western Front.

On this day in 1798, Revolutionary France enacts military conscription. The Jourdan Law requires all males between 20 and 25 to serve in the army. "Every Frenchman is a soldier and owes himself to the defence of the nation."

On this day in 1914, Germany's U-21 becomes the first submarine in history to sink a ship using a self-propelled torpedo. More than 250 British sailors go down with HMS Pathfinder, which is struck just off Scotland's Firth of Forth.

On this day in 1781, a British naval squadron sailing to relieve the King's forces at Yorktown is intercepted and defeated in Chesapeake Bay by French warships. The battle sets the stage for Cornwallis' surrender to Washington and the de facto end of the Revolutionary War.

Today in 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth concludes the nearly two-year-old Russo-Japanese War. Talks are held at the Portsmouth shipyard in Kittery, New Hampshire (now Maine). U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt wins America's first Nobel Peace Prize for steering the negotiations.

“History and Anti-History.” My response to ⁦Martyr Made⁩’s conversation with ⁦Tucker Carlson⁩. thefp.com/p/niall-fergus…

Today in 1976, a Soviet pilot named Viktor Belenko unexpectedly lands his MiG-25 fighter jet in Japan and requests political asylum. The opportunity for Western militaries to examine the fighter up-close is described by many as an intelligence bonanza.

Today in 1914, British and French forces continue their day-old counterattack along the Marne River, thereby saving Paris and thwarting Germany's hopes for a quick victory on the Western Front. During the battle, Parisian taxi cabs famously move French troops to the frontlines.