Japanese attack on Russian defenders, 1904

The Russo-Japanese War was a major conflict between two emerging powers in the Far East; Russian rail and trade expansions would have to contend with Japanese imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Liaodong Peninsula . Despite wielding the largest military in the world, Imperial Russia’s poorly-led and ill-disciplined army lost several major engagements, while itsContinue reading “Japanese attack on Russian defenders, 1904”

Mamluks, Egypt, c.1500

The mamluks were among the most professional soldiers in the Medieval world, with their origins going back to the 8th century. Largely recruited from Turkish peoples, they were the property of their masters as ‘slaves’, but because of their status as the military elite, they were well-treated and could rise to prominent positions. Following theirContinue reading “Mamluks, Egypt, c.1500”