Military

Aroostook War - The Aroostook War, also called the Pork and Beans War, the Lumberjack's War, or the Northeastern Boundary Dispute, was an undeclared conflict that had no bloodshed and occurred in the winter of 1838 and early spring of 1839. (World)

100 Years War - A conflict the lasted on and off  for a hundred years in western Europe.  Analyze the English claim to the French owned land.  See how English king Edward III leads the English to early victory.  Look at Saint Joan of Arc's quest to unite the French people against the English. (World)

"Ace Pilots" in the Korean War - 40 American pilots achieved the status of “ace” in Korea. These Americans were outnumbered and flew inferior aircraft.

Aguinaldo, Emilio & Rebellion in the Philippines - The Spanish-American War ended roughly four months after it began in 1898.  Unfortunately, the Philippines were left out of the peace treaty when the war ended.  A Filipino patriot, Emilio Aguinaldo, led a rebellion.  Peace came to the Philippines when he was captured in 1901.  He then took an oath of loyalty to the U.S., and his people put an end to this three-year rebellion.

Anti-Vietnam War Protest - The anti-war revolution was strong in Marathon County, as well as many other parts of Wisconsin.  Too often the very large demonstrations that occurred in Washington D.C. get all of the attention.  Local demonstrations were a major part of this movement.

Battle of the Alamo - In February of 1836, 189 Texans were held up in a small mission in San Antonio.  Here the Texas revolution began.  The Mexican soldiers under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna attacked the mission aggressively and did not stop until all Texans were killed.

Battle of the Chesapeake - An important naval battle between the British and French, it was also the only sizeable defeat for the Royal Navy during the 18th and 19th centuries. The French victory prevented the Royal Navy from re-supplying Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown.  As a result, General Cornwallis surrendered after the Battle of Yorktown and Great Britain later recognized the independence of the United States.

Battle of Tippecanoe - This battle on November 7, 1811 is important because it shows the reasons why Native Americans would rebel against the American government.  Much focus should be on how the Native Americans were treated.

Battle of the Little Bighorn – The Battle of the Little Bighorn, popularly called “Custer’s Last Stand,” was the most disastrous defeat inflicted upon the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars.  In this battle Sioux and Cheyenne warriors overwhelmed Custer’s regiment, killing him and all 215 of his troops. 

The Bridge at No Gun Ri – In the summer of 1950, U.S. military forces opened fire on a group of South Korean refugees at a railroad trestle near the village of No Gun Ri. Survivors said hundreds died, mostly women and children. Retreating U.S. commanders had issued orders to shoot approaching civilians to guard against North Korean infiltrations among refugee columns.

Battle of Yorktown - This was a victory for American and French forces over a British army commanded by General Cornwallis. Cornwallis' surrender forced the British government to recognize the independence of the United States.

Battle of the Bulge-called the "Miracle of the West", Hitler's last offensive came into being on December 16, 1944, and ended January 28, 1945. It took place in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, near a town called Bastogne. American General Anthony McAuliffe, refusing to surrender, offered his famous "Nuts!" reply. The Americans forces held in the town until General George Patton attacked and turned the tide of battle.

Battle of Saratoga-The battle that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Saratoga was planned by General Gates and ruthlessly carried out by General Benedict Arnold. Though outmanned and outgunned, the American forces captured General John Burgoyne. The French and Dutch declared war on His Majesty the King's (England's) Empire. The Dutch gave Americans loans, while the French, under Lafayette, attacked the British Navy and helped capture General Cornwallis at Yorktown.

Cuban Missile Crisis - The United States invaded Cuba because of a conflict over missiles in Cuba in the early 1960s.  The Bay of Pigs operation faced many difficulties from the very beginning. 

The Bonus Army - formed during the Great Depression, when veterans marched on Washington and demanded that they be paid their wartime bonus immediately.  This involved a group of citizens and our federal government.

Boston Massacre - On March 5, 1770, the first bloodshed was shed between the colonists and the British.  This was a true example of rebellion.  The rebellion showed the British that the colonists were willing to die for their beliefs.

Churchill, Winston – The master statesman stood alone against fascism and renewed the world’s faith in the superiority of democracy. (World) 

Civil War - The Civil War was an epic period in the growing United States' history.  Family were spilt apart to face each other on the battlefield.  Look at the loses and victories of both sides.  See how the advantages of both sides.  And have a chance to look at the music and traditions of the time.

Cold War Encounters: The United States and the Soviet Union - The Cold War was a time period marked by constant tension between the Soviet Union (communism) and the United States (democracy).  October 16, 1962 JFK went along with advisors and found photos about Soviets missiles on island of Cuba. 

Commodore Matthew Perry - In 1854, Commodore visited Japan with part of the American navy.  This encounter included Perry demanding that Japan sign a treaty allowing American ships to trade in Japan’s ports; thus, this encounter actually began a great exchange between Asian and America.

Conscription and the Draft in the Civil War - The Civil War brought about the Conscription Act and the national draft of men into the military.  Students could investigate the various encounters and exchanges between soldiers and their draft experience as well as draft resistance in Wisconsin and infamously in New York City.

Crusades-The nine Christian vs. Muslim Crusades took place in the Holy Land and the Middle East. The first five were asked to be launched by the Pope at that time. It led to many social, economic, and political goals in Europe, and led the Muslims to be more conservative and less trusting of sciences. Lasted about 200 years. (World) 

D-Day-also called Operation Overlord, this was the Allied invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe. At 11pm, British time, on June 5, 1944, paratroopers loaded onto transport aircraft and dropped behind enemy lines. At 6:30am the next morning, US Army Rangers and British Commandos attacked Point du Hoc and the regular Armies hit the beaches of Omaha, Utah, Sword, and Gold. The Canadians landed at Juno.

Desert Storm - Saddam Hussein’s rejection of diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis led to the decision to restore Kuwait’s sovereignty by military force. The ensuing air war and the effects of the economic embargo decimated Iraq’s military.

Doolittle Raid-Colonel John Doolittle, an American pilot, plotted a raid on Japan shortly after Pearl Harbor. While it didn't do much physical damage to Japan, it shook their confidence and forced them to keep more of their remaining carrier forces near Japan. It also gave a huge psychological boost to Americans because they knew they could now hurt the Japanese.

French and Indian War - This war on the frontier between the French & British was not only an act of rebellion, but also a rebellion against the Native Americans living in the Ohio River Valley.

General John "Black Jack" Pershing-While Pershing fought in the raids to try and capture Poncho Villa, he is better known for his part in WW1. Refusing to let American soldiers fight under French or British soldiers, Pershing reorganized the American Army into a modern Army. Leading the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), Pershing helped to turn the tide of the war into Allied favor.

Geneva Convention and the Rights of POWs - The rights of prisoners of war are an important part of our nation’s history, which is often neglected.  The Geneva Convention was a major convention in the 20^th Century, which set up a formal list of rights for prisoners of war. (World)

Gettysburg - The battle of Gettysburg was a major combat encounter in the war.  A student could investigate the actual events of the battle as well as individual soldier’s battle accounts.

Harvey, Cordelia Perrine - the First Lady of Wisconsin in the early 1860’s, when she was married to Wisconsin Governor Louis P. Harvey.  Although the governor drowned during the Civil War, Cordelia continued to inspect military hospitals.  She was a reformer in the field of military medicine.  She even persuaded President Lincoln to establish an Army hospital in Madison.

Jennings, Janet - A native of Monroe, WI, Janet Jennings became a skilled nurse by caring for and treating the wounded Union soldiers during the Civil War.  She was based in Washington, D.C., and she would also serve as a nurse in the Spanish-American War of 1898.  She was 59 years old at the time.  She is best known for her books on the Civil War.  

Korean War - (1950-1953) not only a civil war between North and South Korea, but also a war in which South Korea was backed by the United States (democratic) and North Korea was backed by the Soviet Union (communist).

Korean War "Principal Weapons" - Both communists and UN forces fought the Korean War largely with surplus World War II weapons. At the start of the war the United States had no new conventional weapons.

Landmines in Laos – During the Vietnam War, Laos was the most heavily bombed country in the world.  Today there are still unexploded bombs in Laos.  Many people today are still losing limbs because of these landmines.  This is also seen in some European countries like Bosnia.  What is the responsibility of the U.S. or the world to take care of these mines? How were the United States to inform and protect the people living near these mines?  

Laws of War - Attempts to put limits on wartime behavior have been around since the beginning of recorded history and there have been numerous attempts to codify the rules of appropriate military conduct. Like any other body of law, the laws of war have been assembled by need and are still under construction. It is impossible to produce a complete, up to date list of war crimes.

Lexington and Concord - The first shots of the Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775 at  Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.  This exchange of shots began the war, which would give America its independence.  This face-to-face meeting in Massachusetts would change our nation’s history forever.

Marshall, George C. – General of the Army George Catlett Marshall, GCB, US Army (Ret.) (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American military leader and Secretary of State best remembered for his leadership in the Allied victory in World War II and for his work establishing the post-war reconstruction effort for Europe, which became known as the Marshall Plan.

Military Women - There are almost two million women veterans. Women have served in some way in every conflict. 33,000 women served in World War I, while 500,000 took part in World War II. Women have served this country voluntarily since the beginning.

Military Technology - Throughout the Civil War, both sides began to explore new weapons and military techniques.  Possible advancements could include, submarine warfare, ironclad warships, weather balloons, and repeating guns.

Napoleonic Wars-French leader Napoleon Bonaparte conquered most of Europe then decided to invade Russia. He met his doom in the cruel Russian Winter, retreated out of Russia, where England and Bonaparte's satellites rose up against him. Napoleon met his final defeat at Waterloo at the hands of the Duke of Wellington. (World) 

Naval Radio Communication - Since the early 1900's the Navy has been researching and developing uses for radio.  They developed and improved upon the use of sonar, pilot-less aircraft, remote control of torpedoes, and radio communication between ships and land.

Murphy, Audie – On January 26^th, 1945, Audie Murphy was fighting in the woods of Germany. Six German tanks and several hundred soldiers suddenly attacked him and his men. After ordering his men to take cover in the woods, Audie Murphy stood on top of a burning tank destroyer and began firing its machine gun on the advancing German army. For the next hour, Murphy single-handedly held off 250 German soldiers. Even after he was shot in the leg, he continued to fight.

Opposition to World War I - World War I was fought from 1914 to 1918.  America entered this war in 1917.  Support for America during this war was not strong in Marathon County.  Why?  One of the reasons for this reaction to this war was the fact that Marathon County had thousands of recent immigrants from Germany (at that time).

Ozaukee County Draft Riots - November 12, 1862, drafts began in Wisconsin.  A mob started fires and marched around town shouting, “NO DRAFT!”

Persian Gulf War - The Persian Gulf War or the “Gulf War” took place in 1991. The Gulf War began when Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990.  The war was a military victory for the coalition.  But, Saddam Hussein was not removed from power and Kuwait and Iraq suffered enormous property damage.

Russians in Afghanistan-The British had long held control in the Middle East, thanks to their huge empire. After World War Two, they had to grant all of their remaining colonies independence because they could no longer sustain such a huge empire. Afghanistan quickly became more and more of a backwater. The Russians, needing oil, invaded. The United States, seeing this as a potential threat, secretly funded al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, and the Taliban to resist the Soviets. (World) 

San Patricios - The Irish men who died for Mexico - Dubious about why they were fighting a Catholic country and fed up with mistreatment by their Anglo-Protestant officers, hundreds of Irish, German and other immigrants deserted Taylor's army and joined forces with Mexico.  

Sherman Anti-Trust Act - This important reform made it illegal to monopolize any business or otherwise restrict free trade.  Passed in 1890, it played a crucial role in the revolution or overthrow of monopolies and trusts.    

Son Thang - This was a tragic, yet little known war crime committed during the Vietnam War in which 16 Vietnamese women and children were killed.  The court-martial that followed "rocked the foundations of military justice" (Gary D. Solis).

Secret War- A part of Vietnam. Nixon order the occupation of Laos and Thailand to prevent Communism from taking hold. This is where the Hmong-American friendship comes from. Under General Pang Vao, the Hmong leader, the Hmong Army launched raids against the NVA and Laotian Communists and rescued American pilots.

Spanish American War - The Spanish and American war of 1898 was a brief, but intense conflict that effectively ended Spain's worldwide empire and gained the United States several new possessions in the Caribbean and the Pacific.  Much trade occurred because of this “splendid little war."

Vietnam War - Perhaps one of the more unusual wars, this encounter was more of a conflict between the Communist countries and the Democratic countries. The war lasted more then two decades. Many believe the war  was unnecessary and immoral. 

The Tripolitan War -In the late 1700's and early 1800's, the United States had a lot of shipping in the Mediterranean.  This shipping involved conflicts with Algeria, Tripoli, Tunis, and Morocco.  These conflicts were usually settled with the United States paying tributes to the nations. Eventually Tripoli became fed up with delayed U.S. tribute payments.  Yusuf Qaramanli, the pasha of Tripoli, declared war on the U.S. in 1801.

War of 1812 - The United States was first involved in a major war with the British.  This war was also a part of the American Revolution.  The British lost the Revolutionary War in 1783, but many British wanted revenge for this loss; thus, the War of 1812 occurred.  The revolution against the British would come to an end when this war ended in 1815.  

9/11-Terrorists hijacked four airplanes on September 9, 2011. Two of them crashed into the World Trade Center. Another crashed into the Pentagon. The last was headed to either the White House or the Capitol-but the passengers fought back. Knowing the only way to stop the al-Qaeda terrorists, they sacrificed their lives and crashed the plane in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.