The Hitler Salute Was Never German
It began in ancient Rome. Mussolini adopted it. Hitler copied it, and then lied about where it came from. The Nazi salute. As soon as you look up anything at all about World War II, you’re bound to come across…
Nick Ravenshade
Nick Ravenshade, LL.B., founded WarCommons out of a lifelong obsession with the Second World War. He has spent years reading the histories, the memoirs, the declassified files, and the scholarship. And WarCommons is where that research becomes writing. His features aim to do what the best military history does: take readers inside the decisions, the institutions, and the ordinary lives that the war consumed, without simplifying what was genuinely complicated. He holds a law degree and applies that habit of evidence and argument to everything he publishes here.
The Battle for the Reichstag That Never Happened
The Red Army raised their flag. But the story of how they got there was invented the same night. On April 30, 1945, the Nazi flag was no longer flying over the Reichstag. No, it was now the Soviet flag’s…
Why Nazi Germany Never Built the Atomic Bomb
Three rival teams, one fatal rivalry, and a führer who called nuclear physics “Jewish science.” It’s a topic that often comes up when discussing “what if” scenarios. What if Hitler had built a functional atomic bomb before the United States…
The Night the Nazis Burned 25,000 Books
How a student union campaign became state censorship, and why the Nazis feared the written word. It’s a recurring theme in history, and not just in the history of World War II. It’s been going on for ages. I’m talking,…
Why Hitler Chose Not to Occupy All of France
The strategic logic behind France’s division, and the moment Hitler’s trust in Vichy collapsed. France features prominently throughout the history of World War II. Across… This article is for Field Command members only. Join Field Command for €4.99/month and get:…
Lost in the Blitz. Found in 2020. The Story Behind Reflections of War
It’s something that has practically never happened again in recent history. Just imagine. As an antique dealer, you’re in the process of purchasing a number of vintage watches. But suddenly, you stumble upon a stack of glass negatives with their…
The Rhineland: The Moment Europe Could Have Stopped Hitler
How the Rhineland crisis of March 1936 became the last moment the Allies could have stopped Hitler, and why they chose not to We’ve discussed this before on WarCommons. Hitler’s march toward absolute power in Germany and the beginning of…
Author’s Note – The Rhineland: The Moment Europe Could Have Stopped Hitler
Field Command · Author’s Note No. 16 · The Rhineland: The Moment Europe Could Have Stopped Hitler Reporting to the Field Command, Much has already… This article is for Field Command members only. Join Field Command for €4.99/month and get:…
The Cavalry Charge That Never Happened
How Nazi propaganda invented the story of Polish uhlans charging German tanks and why it took decades to correct the record. You may have heard something about this before. It is said that, after the German invasion of Poland, the…
Author’s Note – The Cavalry Charge That Never Happened
Field Command · Author’s Note No. 15 · The Cavalry Charge That Never Happened Reporting to the Field Command, What to write about… Sometimes it’s… This article is for Field Command members only. Join Field Command for €4.99/month and get:…
What Happened to Hitler’s Body: The Soviet Cover-Up and the Conspiracy Theories That Followed
If there is one topic that still sparks controversy and even conspiracy theories to this day, it is this one. What happened to Adolf Hitler’s body after he committed suicide in the Führerbunker, along with his new wife, Eva Braun?…
Author’s Note — What Happened to Hitler’s Body
Field Command · Author’s Note No. 14 · What Happened to Hitler’s Body: The Soviet Cover-Up and the Conspiracy Theories That Followed Reporting to the… This article is for Field Command members only. Join Field Command for €4.99/month and get:…
