What If: Rio Grande War, 1865: As the Civil War ended in 1865, the US moved an army to the Rio Grande. That was a first move in anticipation of war with the French-sponsored Empire of Mexico. Instead, France’s Emperor Napoleon III withdrew his forces from Mexico, and the country fell to republican rebels led by Benito Juárez. What were the other possibilities?

Other Articles:

• Italians on World War I’s Western Front: In November 1917, the Italian government requested a huge transfer of materiel to make up for what had been lost by its armies during the recent fiasco at Caporetto. In return, the Italians pledged to send 60,000 men to the western front, designated the Truppe Ausiliarie in Francia (Auxiliary Force in France). This is its combat history.
• The Battle of Falkirk, 1298: As disputes over succession to the Scottish throne among 14 claimants remained deadlocked, their nobility and clergy invited Edward I of England to arbitrate a settlement. Edward chose an English nobleman, John Balliol, and also demanded the new king recognize him as “overlord” of Scotland. The result was war, the first phase of which climaxed at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.
• Jump Jets & The Resurgence of Light Aircraft Carriers: By the middle 1970s light aircraft carriers were all but gone. The handful still in operation were anti-submarine warfare platforms with only a few fighters onboard for air defense. When the Harrier “jump jet” entered service in 1969, however, many saw the potential for their use at sea. The Harrier revived the light carrier, and many navies now operate them.