Tag: Cold War
FV4401 Contentious: Britain’s S-Tank?
In the 1950s, the British army investigated the possibility of a main battle tank weighing around 20-30 tons. Named the FV4401 Contentious, it was part of Project Prodigal, which eventually led to the... Read More
Soviet Military Innovation in the Cold War
During the Cold War, there was a tendency in the West to believe that the Soviet system, and in particular the Soviet army, could not innovate. It was sometimes assumed that innovation was the sole pr... Read More
Remembrance Day 2017
Today is Remembrance Day in the UK. I have a red poppy, and I shall be observing the two minute silence at 11:00. For me, Remembrance Day is a time to remember everyone that has been harmed ... Read More
Ghosts of the East: Soviet AFVs that never existed
During the Cold War, both sides did what they could to hide the capabilities of their military equipment. As Sun Tzu advised, “A military operation involves deception. Even though you are compet... Read More
RIP Stanislav Petrov
Yesterday, I found out that Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov has died. He was not well-known. In fact, he died in May, but the news only came out by chance, and even then, news outlets didn’t... Read More
Reconnaissance Mission: Get free article previews, win books
To mark the launch of my new series, I’ve set up a little competition. Throughout August, five pages on the website will have a silhouette of a Warsaw Pact vehicle: If you find a silhouette, cli... Read More
Pre-Order Tanks and Combat Vehicles of the Warsaw Pact
I’m happy to announce that the first book in my new Weapons and Equipment of the Warsaw Pact series is now available for pre-order. Tanks and Combat Vehicles of the Warsaw Pact will be released ... Read More
Bridging the Gap: Warsaw Pact River Crossing
During the Cold War, the Warsaw Pact armies studied the disposition of rivers in western Europe. It concluded that they would have to cross water obstacles up to 100m wide every 35 to 60km. Every 100-... Read More